Dariusz Brykała
Articles
Geographia Polonica (2024) vol. 97, iss. 3, pp. 327-354 | 
Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0282
Abstract
The article highlights the importance of medieval churches with embedded millstones as geocultural objects with a great geotouristic and educational potential. In the lowland areas of Northeastern Poland, 79 millstones and their semi-finished products were inventoried. Their sizes ranged from 70 to 100 cm in diameter. The majority of them were made of erratic boulders, mainly granitoids of Fennoscandian origin. Additionally, gneisses, sandstones, pegmatites, and basaltoid were also identified. An attempt was made to determine the degree of weathering of the millstones over several hundred years of exposure to external conditions. Measurements of moisture content and salinity of the walls surrounding 10 millstones embedded in the walls of 8 churches were taken three times (in spring, summer, and winter). Lower wall moisture was observed in the vicinity of the millstones, but only in the case of three walls, the salinity of the mortar binding the bricks and stones was at a low level. A weak but statistically significant negative correlation was found between the age of the churches and the hardness of the millstones measured with a Schmidt hammer.
Keywords: geoheritage, millstones, medieval churches, petrography, weathering
[piotr.czubla@geo.uni.lodz.pl], Department of Geology and Geomorphology Faculty of Geographical Sciences, University of Lodz Narutowicza 88, 90-139 Łódź: Poland
[darek@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
, Chair of Physical Geography Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies, University of Warsaw Krakowskie Przedmieście 30, 00-927 Warszawa: Poland
[piotr.gierszewski@geopan.torun.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
[mirek@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
[zachary@twarda.pan.pl], Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research into the Anthropocene Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
[piotr.lamparski@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
Geographia Polonica (2022) vol. 95, iss. 3, pp. 205-225 | Full text
doi: https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0233
Abstract
Agriculture has been the major driver of deforestation in Europe in the last 1000 years. In the past, forests were also exploited for charcoal production; however, the spatial scale/extent of this activity and its impact are unknown. LIDAR data can be used as a noninvasive tool to investigate the small-scale diversity of the land relief, including forested areas. These data can reveal the extent anthropogenic modifications of topography present-day as well as in the past. One of the activities that can be analyzed based on LIDAR data is spatial distribution of charcoal production. A preliminary LIDAR data analysis indicated the intensity of this practice and its potential impact on the natural environment. This prompted us to analyze the environmental impact of charcoal hearths in northern Poland. As it turned out, this topic exceeded the scope of earth sciences and became a transdisciplinary one. In this work, we will use the research methods typical of biogeography, dendroecology, paleoecology, soil science, biology, botany, history, onomastics, as well as art history, in order to thoroughly understand not only the natural consequences but also the social and economic consequences of charcoal production. This paper presents the assumptions of our project, the research methodology, and the preliminary results. We have identified using LIDAR data more than 73 thousand relief forms which can be remnants of charcoal hearths. Our preliminary results confirmed large scale impact of past human activity related to charcoal production and suitability of the methods used for detecting and reconstructing charcoal hearths as well as determining the distribution and magnitude of past forest use for charcoal production in NW Poland.
Keywords: anthropopression, relict charcoal hearths, legacy effects, deforestation, LIDAR, multiproxy, Central Europe
[michal.slowinski@geopan.torun.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
, Department of Soil Science Warsaw University of Life Sciences Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw: Poland
[tzwiazek@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. Stanisława Leszczyckiego PAN
, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
[aj.halas@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
, Institute of Geological Sciences Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
, Institute of History The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Al. Racławickie 14, 20-950 Lublin: Poland
, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
, Institute of Archaeology Nicolaus Copernicus University Szosa Bydgoska 44/48, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Warsaw University of Life Sciences Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw: Poland
, Centre for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Nicolaus Copernicus University Sienkiewicza 30/32, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
, Centre for Research and Conservation of Cultural Heritage Nicolaus Copernicus University Sienkiewicza 30/32, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
[mkramkowski@geopan.torun.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania PAN
, Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment University of Pisa, Italy
[sebtys@wp.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
[boguslawa_kruczkowska@sggw.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, 00‑818 Warszawa, Poland
[aniak@twarda.pan.pl], Department of Geoecology Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
[ekolaczk@twarda.pan.pl], Department of Geoecology Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
, Institute of Polish Language Polish Academy of Sciences al. Mickiewicza 31, 31-120 Kraków: Poland
, Faculty of History Nicolaus Copernicus University ul. Bojarskiego 1, 87-100 Toruń: Poland
[m.niedzielski@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences Twarda 51/55, 00-818 Warsaw: Poland
[konopski@twarda.pan.pl], Instytut Geografii i Przestrzennego Zagospodarowania im. S. Leszczyckiego PAN
[darek@twarda.pan.pl], Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization Polish Academy of Sciences, Kopernika 19, 87-100 Toruń, Poland