Deforestation scale revealed by Hindwell, Negev smelting, and West Kennet. The Hindwell palisaded enclosure in Wales, the largest known, required approximately 1,500 large oak trees for its construction A copper smelting site in the Negev desert ceased operations because all timber within miles had been consumed as fuel The Negev smelting site only resumed operation when the Romans imported wood for fuel
Prehistoric deforestation was staggering. The Hindwell palisaded enclosure in Wales — the largest known — needed roughly 1,400 mature oaks. A Negev copper smelting site shut down when all nearby timber was burned as fuel, only resuming when Romans imported wood. Bronze Age metalworking added huge timber demands atop everyday Neolithic needs. 🌳
Key Facts
- The Hindwell palisaded enclosure in Wales, the largest known, required approximately 1,500 large oak trees for its construction
- A copper smelting site in the Negev desert ceased operations because all timber within miles had been consumed as fuel
- The Negev smelting site only resumed operation when the Romans imported wood for fuel
- Bronze Age copper smelting added massive timber demands on top of everyday Neolithic needs for building, cooking, and heating
- Timber posts in pile dwellings are preserved in lake silts, which is the primary context for surviving Neolithic timber evidence
Related site: Hindwell I, Enclosure — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: What About the Timber? The Missing Piece of the Neolithic Puzzle by The Prehistory Guys