1. The Emperor’s Road and tar burning pits
Santeri Niemi ja Eemeli Kalliokoski

2. The Emperor’s Road

3. The Emperor’s Road
The Emperor’s Road in Rokua Geopark was built in the 17th century. Its main purpose was to defend the eastern border of Finland as well to connect the cities of Kajaani and Oulu. The road was also an important tar route from Kainuu to Oulu and a postal road between Vyborg and Stockholm. In Vaala the road follows the southern edge of the Rokua esker area.
The Emperor’s Road was earlier known as The King’s Road because the Swedish King Gustav II Adolf travelled along it when he was returning from the Livonian war.

4. The Russian Czar (emperor) Alexander I was supposed to use the road during his visit in Kainuu in The peasants repaired the road and everybody was ready to serve the czar along the route.
Due to a harsh storm on Lake Oulujärvi he changed his plans and took another route. As a result of these events the road was renamed The Emperor’s Road.
Tomorrow and on Wednesday some of you will travel by bus along the road and visit a tar burning pit as well as drill tree ring samples, study the plants and the soil in the area.

5. Tar burning pit. Picture Riitta Olsbo

6. Tar
Tar is an oil-like substance and it can be produced from pine trees by burning them in low-oxygen conditions.
Finland and Kainuu became important tar producers since the 16th century because there were lots of forests for making tar as well as good transport routes, for example the Emperor’s Road and the River Oulujoki.

7. Tar was used to protect boats and ships
Tar was used to protect boats and ships. That’s why tar burning was an important industrial source of livelihood in Eastern Finland. Colonialism and the great migrations created the need of wooden sailing ships and tar.
Techniques of tar burning reached an advanced level as early as in the 17th century.

8. A tar-burning pit was a large hole that was constructed in sandy or soil-rich terrain on a hillside. The bottom of the pit was funnel-shaped and it was sealed by adding clay. At the bottom there was a pipe, from where the tar went to a barrel. The pit was filled with pine wood which were cut into suitable lengths. The mound of wood was then covered with peat and soil.

9. Cross-section of a tar pit

10. Picture Riitta Olsbo

11. What do we do on Tuesday and Wednesday at Rokua?
We will tell you what a tar-burning pit is and what it looks like.
We will examine the structure of the pit.
We will measure the height, the diameter and the
circumference of the pit.
We will try to estimate how much tar the tar pit has produced.
We will study why this tar burning pit is located just there, how
and where the tar was taken.

12. Thank you for your time!