Firewood as One of the Basic Elements of Life Support of a Siberian Town in the 17-18th Centuries

The research aim is studying such an inalienable for the XVII-XVIII centuries element of the life support system as firewood. Firewood was the leading type of fuel in medieval settlements, but it has not yet been considered as a subject of special analysis including the archaeological study of Siberian towns. Representative material giving an objective picture of this vital element of the life support system was obtained during the excavation of Tara, which is one of the first Russian towns in Siberia. In the study of manor complexes of the XVII-XVIII centuries there were recorded purposely harvested logs, as well as ones of construction waste, means of firewood processing, harvesting, storage locations. Firewood stacked in woodpile, placed between houses and near zavalinka (an embankment along the outer walls in the base along the perimeter of the wooden house using as cold proof). Long severe winters demanded a weighty amount of firewood for heating homes. In the cultural layer of Tara there were revealed a big number of wooden buildings of various designs and sizes from small (about 14) to large (20-26 square meters). A widespread medieval tradition of heating dwellings so called “in black” (i.e. there was no chimney and smoke was left inside causing griming, but it let to not lose warmth) was supplemented by a more advanced heating system - “in white” (i.e. a stove with a chimney). The fact is witnessed by the fallen brick chimneys discovered during the excavations. According to our calculations, it was necessary to procure about one cubic sazhen (9.718 cubic meters) of firewood on average for a year per household. Archaeological materials complement written sources, which will give an idea of who was engaged in harvesting firewood, its value, felling volume. The total number of heated objects, which is included the dwellings of the townspeople, the buildings of the voivode’s court, administrative buildings, fortifications, may be calculated by the memorandum on the fire in 1669, which mentioned about 400 burned buildings. Their heating required the same number of cubic sazhens or 3200 cubic meters. Such felling volume corresponds to cutting down a small forest of several dozen hectares that was done from year to year. Two types of axes were used for wood logging and chopping, they are a heavy “forest” with a wide blade and a “cleaver” with a narrow wedge-shaped blade. The blocks with traces of cleavage with an ax-cleaver were recorded in Tara in the layers of the second half of the XVIII century. The appearance of a cleaver and new for Western Siberia tools - a saw and drill - was due to the significant expansion of commerce with European Russia. The research based on a comprehensive database showed the need and significance of study seemingly “minor” materials of archaeological excavations. For nearly 420-year history of Tara firewood was the most important strategic reserve, allowing the normal functioning of the Siberian town. Harvesting the timber and firewood and its carry demanded considerable resources and eventually evolved into a seasonal trade.

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