††††Charcoal is a black, porous material produced by heating wood in the absence of air.
A man, frozen to death around 3300 BC and found in the Alps in 1991, carried a box containing charcoal wrapped in maple leaves. It has been suggested that he carried this in order to start a fire.
Demand for charcoal was to increase significantly when it was found to be a useful fuel for the iron smelting process.
Today it is still used as a fuel, particularly for barbecues and saunas, and also for filtering and purifying liquids and gases.
