# The Travels describe burning black stones as fuel

Date: 1298

## The fact

The Travels describe stones that burn like logs. Later readers call this coal. It is a notice in a joint book, not a mining concession. Marco Polo's documented role is: The book reports coal. He did not mine it.

## Context

Sharing the observation-as-prose with Rustichello is required. The setting of The Travels describe burning black stones as fuel is the public file around 1298-06-02. Shared offices, unnamed crews, printers, or later editors may appear without becoming this instrument.

Shared responsibility is part of The Travels describe burning black stones as fuel. Naming Marco Polo does not delete co-authors, institutions, or later transmitters. The lag from 1298-06-02 to any measured indicator is not treated as zero. Alternative explanations — weather, other armies, later statutes, or independent cultural change — remain live where the sources do not close them.

## Evidence and sources

Gutenberg later English carries the passage. Britannica independently notes such technical asides. Official carrier: Project Gutenberg — Travels, black stones / coal (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10636; Project Gutenberg). Independent carrier: Britannica — Polo observations often cited (https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-Polo; Encyclopaedia Britannica).

Official or archival record: Project Gutenberg — Travels, black stones / coal (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10636; Project Gutenberg).

## Significance

Complex. Medium confidence. The welfare reading on this path is improving. Readers checking this Fact should open both named URLs for The Travels describe burning black stones as fuel.

## What is established and what is not

Established: the book contains a burning-stone passage. Not established: a unique mine visit dated to a day. Established: a sourced public record of The Travels describe burning black stones as fuel under 1298-06-02.

Later competitions, monuments, translations, UNESCO listings, museums, and adaptations are not converted into extra lifetime acts.

If a number is not in the two records named above, it is not supplied here.

Confidence is stated on the impact path, not hidden in adjectives. Do not split every marvel. Mixed effects of The Travels describe burning black stones as fuel are separate paths.

The welfare reading used in this dossier is improving. That reading is an impact-path choice, not a property stored on the Fact itself.

## People

- Marco Polo: https://factrail.ai/people/marco-polo

## Drivers

- Energy Security: https://factrail.ai/drivers/energy-security

## Sources

- https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10636
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-Polo

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/mp-coal-description