Did you know?
Ancient Gauls made salt by pouring brine on burning wood
Pliny the Elder reports that in Gaul and Germany, salt water was poured over burning wood, leaving salt in the ashes. Oak was thought to work best, and the salt came out black.
Read the full story: How Salt Was Made
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For school projects and reports. Teachers often prefer the original sources too: see the list below.
The Salt Almanac. (2026, November 8). Ancient gauls made salt by pouring brine on burning wood. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/black-salt-from-burning-wood
“Ancient Gauls made salt by pouring brine on burning wood.” The Salt Almanac, 8 Nov. 2026, saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/black-salt-from-burning-wood. Accessed [today's date].
“Ancient Gauls made salt by pouring brine on burning wood.” The Salt Almanac. Last modified November 8, 2026. https://saltalmanac.com/did-you-know/black-salt-from-burning-wood.
Original sources
- Pliny the Elder. Natural History, Book 31, ch. 39–40. Bostock & Riley trans., 1855. http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus:text:1999.02.0137:book=31:chapter=40