I am an avid fan of rock-tasting. The others are less enthusiastic. They are missing out, as my tongue has become a valuable tool. Due to their porous nature, bone and clay tend to stick. Non-porous rocks do not stick to the tongue. A piece of schist can appear like a pottery fragment; however, I can identify the imposter by testing its sticking power. Sometimes, I get bits of silt. I can tell as it grinds between my teeth––it feels like the final chews of a dry granola bar. I do not need to taste shale (or related sediments). It tends to split in flaky sheets with a trowel. Similarly, calcified limestone is easy to spot due to the white, powdery residue it leaves behind.
Allegedly, charcoal tastes burnt. My unit contains a variety of charcoal, but it lacks purity, so the “flavor” is dulled or nonexistent. It does, however, feel oily on the tongue and the finger. The greasy texture is comparable to that of residual newspaper ink on your fingers after leafing through a Sunday paper too long.
Metals have a distinct metallic taste. I mostly taste-test iron. Bronze is visibly identifiable due to the green color of oxidized bronze. I do my best to keep lead out of my mouth for obvious reasons.
Occasionally, the act of licking can help me identify the color and texture of bone. At our site, bones tend to appear sandy or tan. The denser bones may exhibit a pebbled texture, like a harling wall (a rough-cast wall finish). Teeth are consistently the best-preserved body parts, likely due to the protective enamel.
Speaking of teeth––I named my piggy friend: Boris, the juvenile boar (and friends). He serves as my figurehead for all the swine remains I come across.
Monday, July 31, 2023