Potarch Industries and Environmental Impact from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period

Fostikov, Aleksandra and Woitsch, Jiri and Vranić, Mirko (2025) Potarch Industries and Environmental Impact from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern Period. Acta Scientiarum Polonorum Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria, 24 (2). pp. 93-111. ISSN 1644-0722; e-ISSN:2450-7997

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Abstract

The environmental influence of the PoTaRCH industry in the Middle Ages – both within Europe and beyond – has received only limited scholarly attention. To address this gap, this study evaluates the ecological consequences of producing and using non-timber forest products during the medieval period and assesses their broader significance in the preindustrial era. We conducted a comprehensive review of the secondary literature and, when available, contemporary written sources. Our methodological approach integrates comparative historical analysis with regional case studies to examine production technologies, terminology, trade networks, and strategies for exploiting forest resources. We also employ multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives to clarify the economic and social roles of these materials across several regions. As this paper shows, inconsistent terminology and uneven research coverage across topics and regions complicate comparative work and highlight the need for more detailed, systematic investigations. Given the substantial regional variation in medieval developments, the period examined here extends from the Great Migrations following the collapse of the western Roman Empire to the Early Modern period in the late sixteenth century. Where necessary, later evidence is also used. Our findings indicate that charcoal production exerted significant ecological effects during the medieval period, particularly in relation to mining and metallurgy. By contrast, potash production had a more pronounced impact in the Early Modern period. Although research on pitch and tar remains comparatively sparse, available evidence suggests that their production contributed to localized forms of forest degradation

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