Charcoal for Charlemagne - Fuelwood exploitation, iron mining and emergent elites in the younger Eary Middle Ages (c. 700-1000 AD)
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| Year of publication | 2024 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | This presentation explores the economic transformations of the younger Early Middle Ages (c. 700-1000 AD), focusing on archaeological case studies from Northern Bavaria, Germany, as a significant mining region. Iron played a multifaceted role in the given period, serving as the backbone for agricultural activities, infrastructural elements such as bridges and ships, and the military expansion of emerging elites. Therefore, the economic significance of iron was an important driver of political decision-making. Central to the iron economy was the intensive utilization of charcoal as a primary fuel source for both smelting and processing. Recent archaeological excavations in the Upper Palatinate region in Northern Bavaria have yielded evidence for an intensive iron industry and moreover a rich anthracological dataset from pyrometallurgical devices, charcoal pit kilns and regular settlement features. This source provides valuable insights into the Early Medieval paleoenvironmental conditions, but also in the metallurgical chain and fuelwood consumption, even if it often derives from rescue excavations without targeted sampling strategies. The dynamic environmental impact of iron mining and fuelwood production is in the present context emphasized as not being an historic necessity, but an effect of interdependent economic choices between elite and non-elite actors. Integrating anthracological data with other environmental indicators and archaeological-historical sources enhances the understanding of medieval economies and the socio-ecological contexts that shaped them. |
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