Posted by Eric Abraham on October 11, 2007 at 12:53:18 from 63.245.162.246 user EricAbraham.
In Reply to: Re: keeping food cool - back to basics posted by Peter Ceresole on October 09, 2007 at 17:01:02:
"there were always porous unfired pots which stood in water -- "
An unfired pot would simply slake down and turn to mud standing in water. (Place a lump of dried clay or dried mud in a bowl of water and watch what happens - it is really fascinating!) The pots would have been porous low fired, or earthenware, pots which would do the cooling by evaporation without dissolving. Same priniple of the old canvas water bag that used to hang on every tourist's car. Just had to make that correction, even though you probably meant "unglazed". A glazed pot would not absorb water.
Just north of Shoshone, Idaho there are the "Shoshone Ice Caves" which is a natural version of the "well aired larder", except that it gets much colder, forming a cave full of ice. These are old lava tubes/caves which permeate the entire southern Idaho region. When they made a larger entrance for tourists, the ice melted as it upset the balance of air flow, now it is restored and they keep the door shut most of the time. For more information Google "Shoshone Ice Caves".