Spatial Dispersion, Morphology, Age, and Biogeochemistry of Relict Charcoal Hearths at Großer Hermannsberg, Thuringian Forest (Germany)
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 6425631 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Beate Michalzik (0000-0001-7858-1771, Institute of Geography Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany), C P Burger (0000-0001-8717-0982, Friedrich Schiller University Jena), Carolin Bürger (Institute of Geography Friedrich‐Schiller‐University Jena Jena Germany), Ernst‐detlef Schulze (0000-0001-6188-9219, Max‐Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry Jena Germany) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 40 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Publication date | 2025-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Geoarchaeology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0883-6353 • E-ISSN: 1520-6548 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/gea.70036 |
| OpenAlex | W4417077037 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 54 |
Charcoal production, closely linked to ore smelting, flourished in the Thuringian Forest (central Germany) between the 16th and 19th centuries. Relict charcoal hearths (RCHs) provide a soil archive of these past activities and are common in European forested uplands. The mapped density of RCHs at Großer Hermannsberg (Schmalkalden‐Meiningen, Germany) amounted to 1.9 sites per hectare, with a mean area of 51 m 2 . On average, each RCH contains 0.94 t C org , 33 kg TN, and 2.0 kg TS. The RCHs are “hot spots” for organic carbon accumulation, especially in the charcoal‐enriched downhill hearth embankments. However, their contribution to the total carbon stock is insignificant due to their small spatial fraction (< 1%). Radiocarbon dates indicate that RCH sites were used between the 13th and 20th centuries. Due to fast turnover times, about 50% of the originally deposited charred carbon has already been respired, making RCHs a carbon source. Carbon preservation only occurs in deeper soil layers, isolated from nitrogen and energy inputs. RCH soils differ from surrounding soils, exhibiting higher C org and TN concentrations, higher element ratios, higher pH, and lower skeleton contents, which makes them unique ecosystems in the context of historic land use of a forest landscape
Radiocarbon Concentration in Modern Wood
Selective woodland exploitation for charcoal production. A detailed analysis of charcoal kiln remains (ca. 1300–1900 AD) from Zoersel (northern Belgium)
Pyrogenic organic matter in soil
Spatial distribution of relict charcoal hearths in the former royal forest district Tauer (SE Brandenburg, Germany)
Charcoal usage in medieval and modern times in the Harz Mountains Area, Central Germany
High concentration of charcoal hearth remains as legacy of historical ferrous metallurgy in southern Poland
Pre-industrial charcoal production in Lower Lusatia (Brandenburg, Germany)
Woodland history in the upper Harz Mountains revealed by kiln site, soil sediment and peat charcoal analyses
The old charcoal kiln sites in Central Italian forest landscapes
Years of charcoal production in the Low Countries
Automated large‐scale mapping and analysis of relict charcoal hearths in Connecticut (USA) using a Deep Learning Yolov4 framework
A Comparison of Visualization Techniques for Models Created from Airborne Laser Scanned Data
A Template‐matching Approach Combining Morphometric Variables for Automated Mapping of Charcoal Kiln Sites
An initiative for a morphologic‐genetic catalog of relict charcoal hearths from Central Europe
Large‐scale mapping of anthropogenic relief features—legacies of past forest use in two historical charcoal production areas in Germany
Interpreting cultural remains in airborne laser scanning generated digital terrain models
Architecture of relict charcoal hearths in northwestern Connecticut, USA
IntCal13 and Marine13 Radiocarbon Age Calibration Curves 0–50,000 Years cal BP
Radiocarbon Dating of Total Soil Organic Matter and Humin Fraction and Its Comparison with 14 C Ages of Fossil Charcoal
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |