polttotilan

Polttotilan is a Finnish term that translates to "burning space" or "burn area." It refers to a specific type of clearing or cultivated land in traditional Finnish agriculture. Historically, forests were cleared by burning to create arable fields, a practice known as slash-and-burn agriculture. The resulting ash from the burnt vegetation provided fertile soil for a few years of cultivation before the land was left fallow to regenerate.

The term polttotilan specifically denotes the plot of land that was prepared and utilized in this manner. These areas were often located in forested regions where land clearing was necessary for farming. The creation of a polttotilan was a labor-intensive process that involved felling trees, allowing them to dry, and then igniting the pile. The cleared land was then sown with crops such as rye, barley, or oats.

The practice of creating polttotilan was widespread in Finland for centuries, particularly in northern and eastern parts of the country where soil quality was often poor and forests were abundant. While it allowed for the cultivation of new land, it also had significant environmental impacts, including soil erosion and changes to forest ecosystems. As agricultural practices evolved and land management techniques improved, the reliance on slash-and-burn agriculture, and thus the creation of new polttotilan, gradually declined. Today, the term is primarily of historical and anthropological interest, referring to a past method of land use.