Original scientific paper
Use and management of natural resources in ironmaking in the Slovenian territory between the 14th and 16th centuries
Gašper Oitzl
Abstract
The paper addresses the utilisation and management of natural resources, particularly forests, for ironmaking purposes in Slovenian lands. Until the 19th century, wood charcoal was the primary fuel used for iron extraction and processing. With the development of intensive ironmaking, charcoal consumption began to increase, but until the 16th century, it did not pose significant threats to the existence of forests. Proprietors of ironmaking plants had to obtain permission from seigniories to use forests, and in return, they paid dues that varied across different seigniories. From the late 15th century, disputes related to logging for charcoal production became more frequent, involving conflicts among ironworkers from different seigniories and between ironworkers and a seigniory. The latter resulted from enforcing the princely mining regalia and forest ownership in mining areas. The territorial prince reinforced this ownership through the issuance of mining regulations in 1517, 1553, and 1575, which also provided instructions for forest management. Each successive mining regulations contained more detailed provisions regarding deforestation, indicating a growing number of areas deforested for ironmaking purposes. The last part of the paper attempts to estimate the annual charcoal consumption and deforestation rate for ironmaking needs in Carniola and Gorizia, as well as the Jesenice ironmaking area, in the late 16th century. Due to the scarcity of preserved sources documenting charcoal consumption, and consequently the use of numerous more or less reliable variables in the calculation, the obtained results should be approached with a considerable degree of critical distance. Nevertheless, the estimates suggest that even during this period, relatively extensive forest areas had to be cleared for iron extraction and processing.
Keywords
Forest, water power, charcoal, ironmaking, Late Middle Ages, 16th century, Slovenia
Hrčak ID:
320200
URI
Publication date:
18.8.2024.
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