Wad

Description

An old English miners’ term for black earths primarily applied to manganese-rich earths but may also be applied to deposits of graphite. In this context, wads are composed of of manganese oxide and hydroxide minerals plus iron oxides. Workable deposits of pigment-grade wad were described as used in Devon, Somerset and Derbyshire in the 19th century. With current sophisticated analysis techniques, wad has also been found on archaeological ceramics (Siddall 2018).

The term wad has evolved into an unstandardized name for natural black minerals that has been applied to Graphite, Manganese black, and black iron oxide.

See also wadding.

Synonyms and Related Terms

hyper-carburet of iron; black lead; plumbago;

Resources and Citations

• Ruth Siddall, 'Mineral Pigments in Archaeology: Their Analysis and the Range of Available Materials' Minerals Vol 8, p. 201 (2018). Link
• Susan E. Schur, Conservation Terminology: A review of Past & Current Nomenclature of Materials, Technology and Conservation, Spring (p.34-39); Summer (p.35-38); Fall (p.25-36), 1985
• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997