Functional interpretation of archaeobotanical data: Making hay in the archaeological record

Abstract

Hay malting and hay meadows have long been of fundamental ecological, economic and social importance in temperate Europe. A variety of archaeological sources suggests that hay making may date back to the Iron Age, but direct archaeobotanical evidence for this practice is problematic. Past grassland communities are imperfectly represented and preserved in archaeobotanical assemblages, and ancient meadow and pasture communities may not resemble present-day communities in terms of management practices or botanical composition. This paper explores the potential of ‘FIBS’ (Functional Interpretation of Botanical Surveys) in the archaeobotanical investigation of ancient grassland management. The botanical composition of present-day grassland communities was analysed in terms of functional attributes (e.g. canopy height) relevant to cutting, grazing and habitat productivity. The utility of these attributes for distinguishing between present-day meadow, pasture and unmanaged grassland communities has been evaluated. Similar analyses were performed on archaeobotanical data from Neolithic to post-Medieval northwestern and central Europe. Functional shifts over time, interpreted in the light of the functional analysis of modern grassland, suggest that hay-making was well established by the Iron Age. Avenues are suggested for the refinement and further development of the FIBS methodology in the archaeobotanical investigation of grassland management.