A Roman well in Waldgirmes (Hesse, Germany): palynological analyses supported by plant macro-remains and micromorphological studies

Abstract

Waldgirmes in Hesse (Germany) is one of the oldest Roman towns east of the Rhine River. It was founded in 3 bc and abandoned after ad 9, probably in ad 16, when the departing soldiers set fire to the town. In one of the two excavated wells, partially laminated, organic-rich sediments have been preserved which were deposited during the colonisation of the town. The pollen, plant macro-remains and micromorphological sampling strategy of the well sediment allows us to draw a detailed picture of the vegetation and its development in and around the settlement area. Through thin section analyses, the stratigraphy and composition of sediments could be differentiated in more detail. Deriving from different source areas, the pollen and plant macro-remains assemblages gave insights into the tree species composition of the surroundings as well as the vegetation in the settlement. The town was founded within a cultural landscape that had existed for centuries, and not in the dense dark Germanic forests described by Tacitus around ad 100. The contemporaneous woodlands were dominated by oaks. In the well within the town, not only characteristic components of urban waste (bones, charcoal, ash), but also plant remains from the immediate surroundings (pollen, phytoliths, seeds, fruits, leaves) were preserved. Typical urban vegetation from trodden paths, nutrient-enriched sites, and grazing areas could be reconstructed. Thick leaf layers prove the presence of trees, especially oaks, close to the well. Horticulture is evident through cultural indicators, and there are also signs of cereal processing within the settlement.