Leonardo's wood charring method predates Japanese practice(arstechnica.com)
arstechnica.com
Leonardo's wood charring method predates Japanese practice
https://arstechnica.com/science/2025/12/did-one-line-in-a-leonardo-codex-anticipate-yakisugi/
2 comments
Not an expert - but I'd think that ancient people (at least in non-arid climates) would have noticed that the more-charred part of the wood in an old campfire did not crumble and rot, even over years.
Agreed, maybe a forest fire or lightning strike might have made it more obvious that charring preserved. Charcoal in a campfire could have easily disappeared in the next fire.
They do give Leonardo a lot of credit for a single sentence, but it may be the first documented instance of this charring technique.
They do give Leonardo a lot of credit for a single sentence, but it may be the first documented instance of this charring technique.