Plant exploitation and cultural landscape related to the Medieval village of Geridu (Sardinia, Italy)

Abstract

We analyzed the archaeobotanical remains from the Mediterranean Medieval village of Geridu (Sardinia-Italy) in order: (1) to formulate hypotheses concerning different uses of woody plants; (2) to reconstruct the distribution patterns of charcoals and to compare them with the results of the archeological interpretation and (3) to describe the agricultural activities and cultural landscape around the village. In total, 29 plant taxa were identified from charcoals and 14 from carpological remains. The number of charcoals and the ubiquity of plant taxa were correlated with each other (rp = 0.735; n = 29). Only the stratigraphic units referred to as the “construction layer” in the archeological interpretation significantly differed from the other archeological contexts which were related to the life and abandonment phases of the village. Some hypotheses regarding the agricultural activities of the village were formulated on the basis of carpological remains, largely of cereals and legumes. Integration of the archeological findings with information supported by the biological archive in Geridu and with knowledge of the vegetation series allowed reconstruction of the cultural landscape, which fit with the thermo- and meso-Mediterranean climate of the area.