Setting the heath on fire.

Fuel use in two medieval brick kilns from Flanders (N-Belgium).

Koen Deforce1, 2 Jan Bastiaens2, Koen De Groote2, Jan Moens2, Wim De Clercq3

(1) Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, (2) Flanders Heritage Institute, (3)

Ghent University

Fuel residues of both kilns:

All small diameter branches (90% < 1cm)

0 10 20 30 40

Alnus sp.

Betula sp.

Calluna/Erica

Cytisus/Ulex

Frangula alnus

Myrica gale

Quercus sp.

Salix sp.

kiln I

Kiln I Kiln II

Calluna vulgaris leaf - 1

Calluna vulgaris twig - 1

Carex sp. 1 1

Cyperaceae - 3

Cyperaceae / Poaceae stem base - 4

Erica tetralix leaf - 13

Rhynchospora sp. - 5

Trichophorum sp. - 5

0 10 20 30 40

Alnus sp.

Betula sp.

Calluna/Erica

Cytisus/Ulex

Frangula alnus

Myrica gale

Quercus sp.

Salix sp.

kiln I0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35

Alnus sp.

Betula sp.

Calluna/Erica

Cytisus/Ulex

Frangula alnus

Myrica gale

Quercus sp.

Salix sp.

kiln II

‘Coppice’ management?

Number of growth rings (kiln II) -> heathland vegetation was cut after c. 7 years

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 10 indet

Felling season: end of the growing season (autumn/winter)

Conclusions

• Only small diameter wood used to fire the brick

kilns.

• Two different woodland types were exploited for

fuel. Kiln II: local heathland vegetation

dominated by Calluna vulgaris, Erica tetralix and

Myrica gale. Kiln I: woodland dominated by

Quercus sp., Frangula alnus and Betula sp.

• The heathland vegetation was cut in winter time

and in time cycles of c. 7 years.