THE SYSTEM OF WATER CANAL AND DAMS IN WOODLANDS OF ŠUMAVA MOUNTAINS (SW CZECH REPUBLIC) FOR TRANSPORT OF TIMBER WOOD IN 19TH CENTURY
Abstract
The industrialisation of Bohemia in the 19th century spurred not only the building of factories, urban expansion, development of mining areas and extension of transport infrastructure in the form of railways MINUS SIGN it also had an influence which reached more remote areas. Such remote areas are not usually defined as industrial at all.
The project focuses on interdisciplinary study of unique wood transport system. The large canal system enabled the transport of timber - using water power MINUS SIGN from these remote mountain locations to the urban timber markets.
The Vchynicko- Tetovsky Canal, 15 km long, transported firewood to the Otava and Vltava rivers, and Prague. But the canal system was not only the canal itself, which bypasses an unnavigable section of the river Vydra.
But also eight artificial water reservoirs were constructed along mountain streams (at an altitude of approximately 1100 metres above sea level) and these reservoirs could be drained to float and navigate the timber. Trees were felled in the winter and the timber was floated in the spring when the winter snow had melted and reservoir levels were at an optimum height.
We have made there a non destructive archaeological research on the dams, which are in 1st zones of national park of Šumava mountains now. We have compared the data with cartographic and written sources and we can say, that the landscape surway can tell us important informations about the dams and unique timber transport system from 19th century, which has changed the landscape till today.