PoTaRCh índustries and environmental impact from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period

• Authors: FOSTIKOV Aleksandra; WOITSCH Jiří; VRANIĆ Mirko; KROFTA Tomáš; ZIKELI Florian; MOULLOU Dorina; SOARES Paula; TRAPAGA-MONCHET Koldo; HENRIQUES Sofia; COSTA Renata; TIKKA Katja; VASARA-AALTONEN Marianne; GLAVONJIĆ Branko; KÖSE Nesibe; KÖSE Coşkun; OKAN Taner; SZABÓ Péter; VARGA Anna; PETROVSKI Boban; GÖÇMENGIL Gönenç; PECCI Alessandra; FALCÓ SANCHIZ Andreu; HAAG Volker; ZEMKE Valentina; DREMEL Kilian; LEWANDROWSKI Tim; REISENBACH Anne; STEBANI Jannik; ZABLER Simon; KOCH Gerald
• Year of publication: 2026
• Type: Peer-reviewed scientific article
• Magazine / Source: Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria
• MU Faculty or unit: Faculty of Social Studies
• web: https://www.forestry.actapol.net/pub/11_2_2025.pdf
• Doi: https://doi.org/10.17306/J.AFW.2025.2.6
• Keywords: charcoal; potash; pitch; tar; resin; environment; Middle Ages
• Description: The environmental influence of the PoTaRCH industry in the Middle Ages – both within Europe and be- yond – has received only limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, this study evaluates the ecological consequences of producing and using non-timber forest products during the medieval period and assesses their broader significance in the preindustrial era. We conducted a comprehensive review of the secondary literature and, when available, contemporary written sources. Our methodological approach integrates comparative historical analysis with regional case studies to examine production technologies, terminology, trade networks, and strategies for exploiting forest resources. We also employ multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives to clarify the economic and social roles of these materials across several regions. As this paper shows, inconsistent terminology and uneven research coverage across topics and regions complicate comparative work and highlight the need for more detailed, systematic investigations. Given the substantial regional variation in medieval developments, the period examined here extends from the Great Migrations following the collapse of the western Roman Empire to the Early Modern period in the late sixteenth century. Where necessary, later evidence is also used. Our findings indicate that charcoal production exerted significant ecological effects during the medieval period, particularly in relation to mining and metallurgy. By contrast, potash production had a more pronounced impact in the Early Modern period. Although research on pitch and tar remains comparatively sparse, available evidence suggests that their production contributed to localized forms of forest degradation.