Publication details
Destroyed Woods in Medieval Metallurgical Landscapes – Case Study of Čejkov (CZ)
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
| Citation | |
| Description | This paper will present methods of detailed research into the changes of the medieval landscape and forest in the dynamic 13th century. It will be presented on an area in the middle of the marginal highlands where, in addition to agriculture, the exploitation of Pb-Ag ores and their metallurgical processing were also significant. Archaeological excavations at the medieval mining site of Čejkov in 2024 uncovered medieval ore processing plants, specifically ore washing equipment, in the floodplain of the stream. It was a recessed reservoir, the walls of which were of splintered wood panels and the frame was of logs. Dendrochronologically, these structures can be dated back to the 1270s. The main stratigraphic component was tailings analysed geochemically and mineralogically. On the holocenic basis of the floodplain, the excavated take was sediment with a majority share of subfossil timber and carbon, which is probably a relic of forest cut in the Middle Ages, but also waste after timber processing (chips and cuttings). Stratigraphies were, of course, sampled for palynology and macro-remains. The data obtained enable the reconstruction of the local forest stand in the Middle Ages, but mainly the knowledge of the chain of woody use from selection during the deforestation to the final product of the wooden construction components or artefact. |
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