Sicilian method

The Sicilian method was one of the first ways to extract sulfur from underground deposits. In its most basic form the ores were piled in a mound and ignited. The semi-pure sulfur flowed down and the solidified mass was collected at a lower level. It was the only industrial method of recovering sulfur from elemental deposits until replaced by the Frasch process. Most of the world's sulfur was obtained this way until the late 19th century.