Acta Scientiarum Polonorum
Silvarum Colendarum Ratio et Industria Lignaria

This article highlights the significant yet previously underestimated role of wood tar in the economic history of the Polish lands. The literature reveal its multifaceted use as an adhesive, preservative, medicine, and ritual substance. Tar production expanded locally and industrially during the Middle Ages and early modern period, particularly in the Carpathian and Białowieża, Tuchola, and Solska forests, reaching a European scale by the 19th century, before declining in the 20th century, due to petroleum-based alternatives. Today, traditional tar-making survives mainly through educational and museum initiatives. The study presents an overview of production technologies, archaeological contexts, and written sources, and emphasizes the need for further interdisciplinary research and the creation of a database of production sites documented in archaeological and historical records.