Briquetage

Under a briquetage was understood long a brick factory or the brick-like painting a wall. The term " briquetage " was coined by de la Sauvagère. The brick-like, rod-like found objects were heaps found in the upper reaches of the seille in Lorraine and 1740 scientifically described. This designation given the findings due to their partly prismatic shape and its brick-like appearance, and were interpreted as brick remains of " substructures for settlements or roads ." However, Salzsiedeinstrumente from the Neolithic and Bronze Age were soon called by this term in archeology.

Briquetage made ​​of clay and were mainly found in old salt mines. There are three different types:

• Large pan-like vessels
• Forms for drying and transporting the salt
• Small cylindrical base

Variations of these devices were found in Belgium, Germany, England, France, Holland, Japan, Niger, Russia, and Thailand.

Salt extraction was carried out with the aid of different shaped vessels in several steps. In the two -part Briquetages the base were initially placed at regular intervals on a prepared clay floor. The pan-like vessels were then placed on the pedestals and filled with salt water. Between the bases we now lit a fire to evaporate the water. The remaining crystallized salt was scraped and filled to dry in small conical cup. In these Augets mentioned containers, the salt was then transported. This is also one of the suspected reasons why we find this type vessel rarely next to the historic salt production sites. Often they were also standardized, because they acted as a measure and cash in some regions.