Modern production of pine tar is done in kilns ( or in laboratories). In larger pits, the pine tar was piped out and deposited into a barrel – a set up known as a pine tar dale. As the brush burned, the pine wood below carbonized, and pine tar collected at the bottom of the pit. Brush wood was piled on top and then set on fire. Root pieces and stumps of Scots pine were placed into the pits. This is what was happening in the small and large funnel-shaped pits discussed earlier. As the pine tar is released from the wood, the wood turns to charcoal. Pine wood is placed in a contained, oxygen-free environment and subjected to high heat. The process is called destructive distillation. North and South Carolina were dominating production by the 1800’s, which helps explain North Carolina’s nickname, The Tar Heel State.Įxtracting pine tar from pine wood is fairly simple. Pine tar production was especially prolific in the southeastern states, thanks in part to the abundance of longleaf pine and others. Even today “Stockholm Tar” refers to pine tar of the highest quality.Īs Europeans colonized North America, they were introduced to several new pine tree species from which to extract pine tar, including longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris), a southeastern native with exceptionally long needles. As the centuries proceeded, Sweden became a major exporter of pine tar. The larger pits date back to 680 – 1160 AD and signify a shift towards large scale production during the Viking Age. They would have been used by Swedes living in small scale settlements. The smaller pits date back to between 240 – 540 AD, the Late Roman Iron Age. Regarding the smell of pine tar, Theodore Kaye writes, “The aroma produces reactions that are as strong as the scent few people are ambivalent about its distinctive smell.”Ī study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science examines small and large funnel-shaped pits in Sweden determined to be used for making pine tar. Pine tar soap – a decent soap if you can tolerate the intense smell.