Woodland Management as Major Energy Supply during the Early Industrialization: A Multiproxy Analysis in the Northwest European Lowlands

Abstract

Wood and charcoal were key sources of energy during early industrialization in Europe (18th century), preceding the large-scale exploitation of fossil coal. Past timber harvesting implied land transformation and woodland resources management. Therefore, relict charcoal kilns and historical documents of forest management are important sources of information about past woodland composition and structure. However, ancient charcoal kilns are poorly documented in temperate woodlands in the lowlands of western Europe, especially combined with historical written sources. In this study, charcoal production was investigated in an area in NE France, by combining charcoal and historical sources analysis, along with innovative dating methodologies. Thus, by using both radiocarbon and optically-stimulated luminescence dating, we showed that the activity lasted until recent times (19th–early 20th centuries) and Carpinus was the dominant taxon in charcoal assemblage. Moreover, kiln attributes seemed to be independent of topographical variables. Woodlands in this area were subject to a coppice-with-standards management, where small diameter wood was preferred to produce charcoal and large diameter stems, mainly Quercus and Fagus, were traded as timber. The dominance of Carpinus is rather uncommon in charcoal studies but supports the importance of Carpinus as fuelwood since the Middle Ages, as confirmed by many written sources.

‘Paleoenvironmental study of modern charcoal making activity on forest soils in the Northern Vosges Mountains (Bitche, France): A multidisciplinary study of two remaining charcoal platforms and associated soils sequences’

“…Most previous charcoal hearth investigations have focused on charcoal identification and dating to assess the human impact on changes in vegetation and coppice wood exploitation cycles (Deforce et al, 2018; Dupin et al, 2017; Fouédjeu et al, 2021; Gocel‐Chalté et al, 2020; Ludemann et al, 2017; Oliveira et al, 2022). Some projects have addressed the role of black carbon and charcoal as carbon sinks in soils (Bell & Worrall, 2011; Borchard et al, 2014; Bourne et al, 2014; Hardy et al, 2017).…”