I am pretty certain that the people who pioneered this process did not have advanced analysis or precise combustion units, they did however transform the poorest soils in the world and produce a soil amendment with the use of simple biochar and other elements that hundreds of years later is still thriving.
Discussion
True, but what you’re essentially saying here to use an analogy, is that we should all be traversing the country in Model T Ford cars because the pioneers of scaled transportation didn’t have the Mercedes AMG. If you are living a period enactment by choice, I certainly won’t stand in the way. Recognize though that knowledge, science, and technology has brought amazing advancements to myriad human pursuits. Ash in itself is a boon to most soils for a variety of reasons, does that make it biochar? No.