Editing Chalk (section)

=== Previous uses ===
In southeast England, [[denehole]]s are a notable example of ancient chalk pits. Such [[bell pit]]s may also mark the sites of ancient [[flint]] mines, where the prime object was to remove flint [[nodule (geology)|nodules]] for [[stone tool]] manufacture. The surface remains at [[Cissbury]] are one such example, but perhaps the most famous is the extensive complex at [[Grimes Graves]] in [[Norfolk]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sieveking |first1=G. De G. |last2=Bush |first2=P. |last3=Ferguson |first3=J. |last4=Craddock |first4=P. T. |last5=Hughes |first5=M. J. |last6=Cowell |first6=M. R. |title=Prehistoric flint mines and their identification as sources of raw material |journal=Archaeometry |date=August 1972 |volume=14 |issue=2 |pages=151–176 |doi=10.1111/j.1475-4754.1972.tb00061.x|bibcode=1972Archa..14..151S }}</ref>

Chalk was traditionally used in recreation. In field sports, such as tennis played on grass, powdered chalk was used to mark the boundary lines of the playing field or court. If a ball hits the line, a cloud of chalk or pigment dust will be visible. In recent years, powdered chalk has been replaced with [[titanium dioxide]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/content/filerepository/CMP/00/001/020/TeacherResource%20Weightlifting.pdf?v=1356513839795 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2013-10-24 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131029192539/http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/content/filerepository/CMP/00/001/020/TeacherResource%20Weightlifting.pdf?v=1356513839795 |archive-date=2013-10-29 }}</ref> In gymnastics, rock-climbing, weightlifting and [[tug of war]], chalk — now usually [[magnesium carbonate]] — is applied to the hands and feet to remove perspiration and reduce slipping.<ref>{{cite journal |pmid=29541333|year=2018|last1=Bacon|first1=N. T.|last2=Ryan|first2=G. A.|last3=Wingo|first3=J. E.|last4=Richardson|first4=M. T.|last5=Pangallo|first5=T.|last6=Bishop|first6=P. A.|title=Effect of Magnesium Carbonate Use on Repeated Open-Handed and Pinch Grip Weight-Assisted Pull-Ups|journal=International Journal of Exercise Science|volume=11|issue=4|pages=479–492|doi=10.70252/VQZQ3716 |pmc=5841679}}</ref>

Chalk may also be used as a house construction material instead of [[brick]] or [[wattle and daub]]: quarried chalk was cut into blocks and used as [[ashlar]], or loose chalk was rammed into blocks and laid in mortar.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Walker|first1=Peter|title=Rammed earth: design and construction guidelines|date=2005|publisher=[[Building Research Establishment]]|location=Bracknell, England|isbn=9781860817342|page=5|display-authors=etal}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Whitaker|first1=William|title=Memoirs of the Geological Survey of Great Britain|date=1872|publisher=Longmans, Green|location=London|oclc= 2531996|page=389|volume=4}}</ref> There are still houses standing which have been constructed using chalk as the main building material. Most are pre-[[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] though a few are more recent.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Easton|first1=David|title=The Rammed Earth House|date=1996|publisher=Chelsea Green Publishing|location=White River Junction, VT|isbn=9780930031794|page=[https://archive.org/details/rammedearthhouse0000east/page/15 15]|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/rammedearthhouse0000east/page/15}}</ref>

A mixture of chalk and [[Mercury (element)|mercury]] can be used as [[fingerprint powder]]. However, because of the toxicity of the mercury, the use of such mixtures for fingerprinting was abandoned in 1967.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Sodhi |first1=G.S. |last2=Kaur |first2=J. |title=Powder method for detecting latent fingerprints: a review |journal=Forensic Science International |date=September 2001 |volume=120 |issue=3 |pages=172–176 |doi=10.1016/S0379-0738(00)00465-5|pmid=11473799 }}</ref>