Charcoal from a prehistoric copper mine in the Austrian Alps: dendrochronological and dendrological data, demand for wood and forest utilisation

► Charcoal fragments found in a small mine are argued to be evidence for the use of fire-setting during prehistory. ► Dendrochronological analyses of the charcoal samples yielded calendar dates in the late 8th century BC. ► Selective wood procurement - only softwood species and primarily stem wood of limited diameter was common. ► The demand for wood for fire-setting activities was limited and could be met by exploiting only local forests.