DOI article:
Willerding, Ulrich: On the utilisation of the plant resources of the Upper Harz Mountains by the mining and smelting industries during medieval times
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.56859#0109
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On the Utilisation of the Plant Resources
of the Upper Harz Mountains
by the Mining and Smelting Industries during Medieval Times
Ulrich Willerding
Introduction
The Harz Mountains are the northernmost mountain range in Central Europe,
at the Brocken rising to 1142 m above sea level. Its north-western part is known
as the Upper Harz-Mountain. Today it is covered mainly by spruce forests
(Fig. 7). These are dotted around the settlements with flowering meadows and
pastures which are rich in species. Only the peak of the Brocken rises above the
natural timberline at about 1100 m above sea level.
The analysis of pollen from the mires of the Upper Harz Mountains has shown
that spruce has come into predominance only since the 2nd millennium AD
(Firbas 1949; 1952. Firbas, Losert, Broihan 1939. Willutzki 1962).
Fig. 1
Landscape of the Upper Harz Mountains: view from Stieglitz-Ecke to the Clausthal
plateau, which today is mainly covered by spruce forests. The well developed Harz
Mountains highway Indicates the growing importance of tourism in this region.
On the Utilisation of the Plant Resources
of the Upper Harz Mountains
by the Mining and Smelting Industries during Medieval Times
Ulrich Willerding
Introduction
The Harz Mountains are the northernmost mountain range in Central Europe,
at the Brocken rising to 1142 m above sea level. Its north-western part is known
as the Upper Harz-Mountain. Today it is covered mainly by spruce forests
(Fig. 7). These are dotted around the settlements with flowering meadows and
pastures which are rich in species. Only the peak of the Brocken rises above the
natural timberline at about 1100 m above sea level.
The analysis of pollen from the mires of the Upper Harz Mountains has shown
that spruce has come into predominance only since the 2nd millennium AD
(Firbas 1949; 1952. Firbas, Losert, Broihan 1939. Willutzki 1962).
Fig. 1
Landscape of the Upper Harz Mountains: view from Stieglitz-Ecke to the Clausthal
plateau, which today is mainly covered by spruce forests. The well developed Harz
Mountains highway Indicates the growing importance of tourism in this region.