Mapping historic charcoal production fields from excavation to landscape scale

Anna Schneider1, Melanie Takla2, Alexandra Raab2, Thomas A Raab1, Florian Hirsch1 and Horst Rösler3, (1)Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus–Senftenberg, Chair of Geopedology and Landscape Development, Cottbus, Germany, (2)Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Research Centre Landscape Development and Mining Landscapes, Cottbus, Germany, (3)Brandenburgisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege und Archäologisches Landesmuseum, Zossen, Germany

Contact First Author: Anna Schneider; schneida@tu-cottbus.de

Previously Published Material: Parts of the presented findings were presented in other scientific meetings and were recently published in journal articles: - Methods and results of manual mapping of kiln sites are described in Raab, A., Takla, M., Raab, T., Nicolay, A., Schneider, A., Rösler, H., Heußner, K.U., Bönisch, E., 2015. Pre-industrial charcoal production in Lower Lusatia (Brandenburg, Germany): Detection and evaluation of a large charcoal-burning field by combining archaeological studies, GIS-based analyses of shaded-relief maps and dendrochronological age determination. Quaternary International,  doi: 10.1016/j.quaint.2014.09.041.- The automatic mapping method is described in a (technical) paper in Schneider, A., Takla, M., Nicolay, A., Raab, A., Raab, T., in press. A template matching approach combining morphometric parameters for automated mapping of charcoal kiln sites. Archaeological Prospection.  doi: 10.1002/arp.1497.In addition to this material, we will present recent and unpublished results of archaeological excavations, the application of the automated mapping routine, and of microdrone-based aerial photography.

Abstract ID#: 33463

 

English Abstract:
In the forefield of the open-cast mine Jänschwalde (north of Cottbus, Germany), archaeological excavations have revealed one of the largest charcoal production fields described so far. As remains of the historic charcoal kilns, small mounds of sediment rich in charcoal fragments and ash cover the soil surface. We applied a combination of methods for mapping such kiln relicts across a range of scales, in order to analyze the spatial distribution of kiln sites and to improve the understanding of historic forest use systems.

In archaeological excavations in the mine forefield, the geometry of kiln relicts could be studied in high detail. We used a microdrone to record high-resolution photographs of excavation sites for the documentation of kiln site ground plans and other traces of historic land use. Based on airborne laser scanning elevation models, kiln site mapping was extended to areas beyond the mine forefield. Manual digitization from shaded relief maps was used for mapping kiln sites in further woodland areas surrounding an historic ironwork north of Cottbus. An automated mapping approach based on template matching was developed to detect charcoal production fields on a larger scale, and was applied for an area of about 1000 km2up to now.

In archaeological excavations, about 900 kiln sites have been documented on an approximately 17 km2 large area. Excavation documentations and aerial photographs show variations in the kiln site ground plans. By manual digitization from Shaded Relief Maps, more than 5000 kiln sites with diameters up to 29 m were detected in the 32 km2 area of the royal forest Jänschwalder Heide north of Cottbus. First results of mapping for larger areas indicate similar densities, but smaller diameters of kiln sites in other charcoal production fields; and show that charcoal production is a so far underestimated component of the land use history in many areas in the Northern European Lowlands.

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