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No, the article discusses how it seems very probable there was mass grave robbing for sugar production. So the answer is "yes" or at least "probably."

defrost 3y ago
It's a definite "Yes" as far as UK archaeologists and historians have agreed for some time now. In a new book, an international team of historians and archaeologists argues the bones were depleted by industrial-scale grave robbing. The introduction of phosphates for fertilizer and bone char as an ingredient in beet sugar processing at the beginning of the 19th century transformed bones into a hot commodity. Skyrocketing prices prompted raids on mass graves across Europe—and beyond. New book, old knowledge. IIRC contemporary documentation, from the 19th Century, related to exploiting bone fields has been shown on UK TV as part of Digging For Britain and other such shows in years past.
- boomboomsubban 3y ago
  >an international team of historians and archaeologists argues... They seem to agree it's "probably." Proof is hard.
  - defrost 3y ago
    In the book they argue .. there's a case to be made and arguing "both sides" and mystery is what books do. Elsewhere: Traffic in Human Bones— A ship from Hamburg arrived at Lossiemouth last week, laden with bones, the property of an agriculturalist of Morayshire, and intended for manure. The master of the vessel states that the bones were collected from the plains and marches of Leipsic (sic), and are part of the remains of the thousands who fell in the battles fought betwixt France and the Allies in October 1813 ~ The Spectator (London, 7 November 1829) https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/7th-november-1829/5/clinere--the-quantity-of-cider-produced-in-the-cou https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/7th-november-1829/5/... The bones being taken for use as fertilizer, for sugar from beet, the teeth "Waterloo Teeth" for false teeth for the living, etc were things that happened and were reported at the time . . . There are academic papers on war fields where this is known to have happened and others where it is conjected to have occurred .. but proof of actual occurrence exists.
pinkmuffinere 3y ago
For anyone confused how grave robbing would contribute to sugar production: "In a new book, an international team of historians and archaeologists argues the bones were depleted by industrial-scale grave robbing. The introduction of phosphates for fertilizer and bone char as an ingredient in beet sugar processing at the beginning of the 19th century transformed bones into a hot commodity. Skyrocketing prices prompted raids on mass graves across Europe—and beyond."
- 01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago
  To this day, most white sugar is made with animal bone char and therefore not vegan. Brown sugar is sometimes but not always vegan.
  - worthless-trash 3y ago
    Is this case in most of the world ? I've done a walk through of a few different sugar cane based sugar mills and seen the use of some coal based carbon ( calcium carbonate , if memory serves correctly) and this was back as early as 1990). Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses, or at least it is in Australia. If your white sugar isn't vegan, your brown sugar is not either.

defrost 3y ago

It's a definite "Yes" as far as UK archaeologists and historians have agreed for some time now. In a new book, an international team of historians and archaeologists argues the bones were depleted by industrial-scale grave robbing. The introduction of phosphates for fertilizer and bone char as an ingredient in beet sugar processing at the beginning of the 19th century transformed bones into a hot commodity. Skyrocketing prices prompted raids on mass graves across Europe—and beyond. New book, old knowledge. IIRC contemporary documentation, from the 19th Century, related to exploiting bone fields has been shown on UK TV as part of Digging For Britain and other such shows in years past.

boomboomsubban 3y ago
>an international team of historians and archaeologists argues... They seem to agree it's "probably." Proof is hard.
- defrost 3y ago
  In the book they argue .. there's a case to be made and arguing "both sides" and mystery is what books do. Elsewhere: Traffic in Human Bones— A ship from Hamburg arrived at Lossiemouth last week, laden with bones, the property of an agriculturalist of Morayshire, and intended for manure. The master of the vessel states that the bones were collected from the plains and marches of Leipsic (sic), and are part of the remains of the thousands who fell in the battles fought betwixt France and the Allies in October 1813 ~ The Spectator (London, 7 November 1829) https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/7th-november-1829/5/clinere--the-quantity-of-cider-produced-in-the-cou https://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/7th-november-1829/5/... The bones being taken for use as fertilizer, for sugar from beet, the teeth "Waterloo Teeth" for false teeth for the living, etc were things that happened and were reported at the time . . . There are academic papers on war fields where this is known to have happened and others where it is conjected to have occurred .. but proof of actual occurrence exists.

pinkmuffinere 3y ago

For anyone confused how grave robbing would contribute to sugar production: "In a new book, an international team of historians and archaeologists argues the bones were depleted by industrial-scale grave robbing. The introduction of phosphates for fertilizer and bone char as an ingredient in beet sugar processing at the beginning of the 19th century transformed bones into a hot commodity. Skyrocketing prices prompted raids on mass graves across Europe—and beyond."

01HNNWZ0MV43FF 3y ago
To this day, most white sugar is made with animal bone char and therefore not vegan. Brown sugar is sometimes but not always vegan.
- worthless-trash 3y ago
  Is this case in most of the world ? I've done a walk through of a few different sugar cane based sugar mills and seen the use of some coal based carbon ( calcium carbonate , if memory serves correctly) and this was back as early as 1990). Brown sugar is white sugar with molasses, or at least it is in Australia. If your white sugar isn't vegan, your brown sugar is not either.