Blackwater Ecological Preserve

Cyprus Tar Kiln Resembles Blackwater Tar Kiln

While botanizing near Platres in Cyprus in May 2002, I was surprised to come upon a site marked as a tar kiln. What I found amazing was the similarity in structure of the tar kiln to those located at the preserve. The pines common in the area are Pinus halepensis and P. nigra. Here are some images.


While the materials are different--the Platres tar kiln is made out of rocks and soil while the preserve tar kiln is sand and clay--the structures are very much alike. There is a central mound where the wood was piled and outlying pits where the pitch was collected.