Medieval Village Research Articles

A large church in a village that failed to become a city

The Oude Jeroenskerk in the South Holland coastal village of Noordwijk is the largest, and one of the most perfectly preserved, late medieval village churches in the provinces of South and North Holland. Compared with the village in which it stands and the village churches in the surrounding area, the Oude Jeroenskerk is not just beautifully proportioned, but above all remarkably large. This phenomenon – a large church in a small settlement – is clearly interesting, yet it has never been the subject of specific research. Following the miraculous discovery in 976 of the bones of Jeroen, a missionary murdered in 856 by the Norsemen, the ancient Nordcha settlement developed into a place of pilgrimage with urban tendencies. The subsequent ‘discovery’ of Jeroen’s skull in around 1316 furthered the growth of both the village and the church. On 1 April 1398 the village was granted a city charter, but this was subsequently withdrawn on 12 March 1399.The applicants’ right to make such an application was challenged and those involved had plainly underestimated the costs associated with city status. What remained was an under-construction large church, which was eventually completed in around 1500. The construction and appearance of the Oude Jeroenskerk would seem to have been heavily influenced by the count and the local nobility, beginning with Count Dirk II, who granted permission to erect a church in 976. The architects of the brick church are unknown, but it is conceivable that the first element, a tower (1260), was the work of the master craftsman Albrecht van Velsen. In the same period he was involved in the erection of the Leeuwenhorst Cistercian convent in nearby Noordwijkerhout. The phase in which the church acquired its three-aisle, pseudo-basilica layout was possibly initiated by Count Albrecht van Beieren (1336-1404). It was he who heeded the desire of a group of ambitious villagers to elevate their village to the status of a city. This assumption is based on remarkable similarities in floor plan and elevation with the Sint Jacobskerk in ’s-Gravenhage before its radical renovation between 1434 and 1492. It is assumed that the transept (1389) in that church was commissioned by Albrecht. It was during Albrecht’s period of office that the current choir of the Oude Jeroenskerk was built (1389-1405), followed by the transept and three-aisle nave (1415/1425-1444/1500). The Sint Jacobskerk became the main church, located in the administrative heart of the county. The Oude Jeroenskerk remained an important pilgrim church up until the Reformation. A church of substantial proportions that reflected contemporary urban aspirations and still looks like an urban parish church. In terms of materials and detailing it was simple and sober and as such comparable with village churches in the surrounding area and with the Sint Jacobskerk in ’s-Gravenhage until the latter’s reconstruction in 1434. Noordwijk had the potential to grow into a small city. It had the status of a place of pilgrimage, was a religious centre and boasted a relatively large population, including members of the nobility. A large church capable of accommodating local residents and pilgrims corresponded with the urban ambitions of a group of locals. Although those briefly realized ambitions were soon dashed, what remained was the Oude Jeroenskerk: a gothic, pseudo-basilica cruciform church with a square-based tower incorporated on three sides in a three-aisled nave.

The medIeval Dashbulag settlement

The article deals with the archaeological excavation of the Dashbulag settlement located in Shamkir district in the west of Azerbaijan. The step-by-step progress of the archaeological excavations conducted in the medieval settlement of Dashbulag, the discovered production and farm buildings, household devices, numerous and diverse examples of material culture are described in detail in the article. Archaeological excavations in the village-type settlement with a planned structure were carried out in three stages in 2004, 2005 and 2014 years. Based on the observation of the sediment of the cultural layer during the archaeological excavations carried out at the settlement, which consists of one cultural layer (the thickness of the layer is 1-1.5m depending on the relief), and the analysis of the actual materials uncovered, it was established that a village-type settlement with a free-plan structure existed here in the Middle Ages. Life in the medieval village of Dashbulag, built in the 9th century, was intense until the beginning of the 13th century, gradually declined after the Mongol campaigns, and continued until the end of the 18th century with some intermittent breaks. Remains of civil and economic buildings, rich handicraft products discovered as a result of archaeological excavations in the medieval settlement of Dashbulag are evidence of the economic and farming life of the medieval inhabitants of the area, as well as pottery, metalworking, glassworking, bone-processing, etc. allows to follow the characteristics and development dynamics of art fields. The analysis of the artifacts gives reason to say that the art fields in the medieval village of Dashbulag did not lag behind, on the contrary, some regions went further than the village-type settlements.

Environmental Constraints and Human Agency in Early Medieval Village Formation: A Geoarchaeological Approach in the Western Pyrenees (Navarre, Spain)

ABSTRACT The interaction between human agency and environmental factors is a key topic in the archaeological study of early medieval village formation. Such interactions are particularly visible in the construction and maintenance of agrarian landscapes, which often become central to the local socio-economic development. This article explores these processes in a local context of the western Pyrenees (Navarre, Spain) through a combined analysis of documentary sources, toponymy, field survey, and core sampling for geochemical analysis. The foundations of the local landscape were laid down in the Early Middle Ages, closely related to the establishment of a village settlement and the collective appropriation of agrarian resources. The local geological and soil features, marked by the presence of thick and soft, mineral nutrient-rich soils derived from the weathered volcanic rock substrate, permitted the construction and maintenance of a terraced field system. This fact has been key for later landscape evolution at the local and regional scales, including the formation of a supra-local valley community during the Late Middle Ages, or the deep agrarian and demographic transformations that followed the introduction of New World crops during the Early Modern period.

3D SURVEY POINT CLOUD DATA AS DIRECT RENDERING ASSETS FOR VISUALISING COMPLEX HERITAGE IN VIRTUAL APPLICATIONS

Abstract. Digital technology provides methods to record and preserve cultural heritage, support conservation and restoration efforts, and share our collective past with a worldwide audience. Between 2011 and 2017, the 3D Survey Group from Politecnico di Milano operated an annual workshop in the medieval village of Ghesc in which photogrammetry and laser-scanner surveys were carried out. The point cloud data acquired in these activities has become “time slices” documenting different stages of the preservation interventions in Ghesc and the evolution of advanced survey techniques. The main objective of this research is to streamline the workflow of delivering immersive and interactive experiences for complex heritage by directly utilising the 3D survey point cloud data, whether derived from a photogrammetric survey, static laser scanner, or mobile mapping.A point cloud-based multiplatform application is designed and delivered with versatile functions. It runs on PC and VR devices to provide virtual access to the village and narrate its revitalisation story. Additionally, it operates on mobile devices with an AR feature that brings vibrancy to the on-site experience. This application integrates high-fidelity point cloud models, detailed information on vernacular architecture in the Ossola Valley, and information on the preservation project with gamified learning experiences. The unconventional approach of using points as rendering primitives in virtual applications offers a practical solution for visualising complex heritage, enabling an efficient transition from the data collection stage to the data sharing stage without the need for 3D reconstruction and intricate BIM modelling.

Contribution of the Microhistorical Approach to Landscape and Settlement Archaeology: Some French Examples

Abstract In this article, we study the contributions of the microhistorical approach to landscape and settlement archaeology in the French context. First, we outline the reception of microhistorical concepts in France. The micro-analytical scale allows a renewal of the questionings, of the approaches, and therefore of the vision of the studied societies. In the particular case of archaeological research on landscape and settlement, we argue that the microhistorical approach proposes the spatial micro-scale as a framework, but it must be surpassed by a comparative approach capable of discerning common trends and local particularities. This approach thus makes it possible to question major macro-historical questions that still lack clear and consensual answers, such as the modalities of transition between major historical phases, the nucleation of settlement into the medieval village, the extension of the finages and the possibility of agricultural growth in the early Middle Ages, or the modalities of management and exploitation of natural resources.

Skreen, County Meath—from ancient burial ground to medieval manorial village

Abstract: This paper presents the results of the first detailed archaeological survey of the Hill of Skreen, an important multiperiod site that is closely linked—topographically, historically, and symbolically—with the Hill of Tara, 3km to its west. Skreen's early ancestry as a burial ground laid a foundation for the establishment, in or before 976, of a church dedicated to Colum Cille ( Scrín Columb Chille ) and, some two hundred years later, an Anglo-Norman manor. Few extant remains of pre-Anglo-Norman date survive and, beyond the Columban church and motte marking the caput of the manor granted to Adam de Feypo, an array of low-relief earthworks provides the only visible trace of an associated settlement. High-resolution aerial and geophysical surveys conducted as part of the Discovery Programme's Tara Research Project, combined with documentary and cartographic evidence, reveal the wider imprint of past occupation at Skreen in remarkable detail. There is now evidence to suggest that the church is circumscribed by a large, subrectangular enclosure and that this putative ecclesiastical boundary may be an original feature of the Columban foundation. The Anglo-Norman manorial settlement that developed around the church and castle, moreover, is shown to be far more extensive, and indeed significant, than previously recognised. The core area of the medieval village of Skreen, extending to more than 30ha, was demarcated by an earthwork boundary, of hexagonal plan, and encompassed a complex network of roads, property divisions, domestic and agricultural buildings, enclosures and fields. These bear witness to the vibrant and dynamic 'market settlement' of which we catch such intriguing glimpses in contemporary historical records. Skreen thus presents a case study of particular relevance to the field of medieval settlement studies, with significant potential for further research.

Tu było żyć trudno, ale się opłacało… Wielokulturowe skupiska osadnicze na Urzeczu jako przykład długotrwałej i uporządkowanej kolonizacji terenów zalewowych Wisły

The article addresses the issue of multicultural settlements from ancient until modern times, located on the Vistula floodplains within Urzecze micro-region. Archaeological, historical and partly ethnographic research indicate an “island” rather than dispersed nature of the local settlement. The separation of clusters allowed to discover many hitherto lost medieval villages or parts of them. The main advantage of long-term settlement on the floodplain was the proximity to a large navigable river (trade, fishing) and fertile soil, compensating for the losses resulting from the frequent floods.

Hume Village and Castle

A three-year community archaeology project was completed on behalf of the Hume Castle Preservation Trust at the village of Hume in the Scottish Borders. The project engaged with over 300 members of the public, providing training and volunteering opportunities in a suite of archaeological skills. The project work focused on Hume Village and its surrounding landscape; in particular Hume Castle and the remains of the former medieval village immediately surrounding it, and the associated kirkyard which housed the former Hume Parish Church. Extensive survey work was completed in the kirkyard and adjacent Glebe, in the grounds of Hume Castle, and at the castle itself. Excavations were completed in the castle grounds, the Glebe, and in the garden of West End Cottage in Hume Village. The results of the survey and excavation works portray the changing settlement pattern and use of land in the village area, particularly highlighting occupation and use of the former buildings surrounding the castle up to 200 years after its destruction. A similar pattern was found in the kirkyard, with continual use of the cemetery over 300 years after the abandonment, and probable destruction, of the former kirk. The results indicate that despite the destruction of its castle and kirk, the village of Hume has persevered, maintaining an important sense of place and memory in the landscape.

Frankish and local technological traditions in greyware pottery production at l'esquerda (Catalonia), 7th-9th centuries AD: Examining distribution patterns and exchange at the southern Carolingian border

The archaeological site of L’Esquerda was a distinctive fortified settlement from the Late Bronze Age until the violent destruction of the medieval village in CE 1314. After several centuries of abandonment during the Roman period, peasant populations reoccupied the site. It played military role during the political struggles of the Visigothic kingdom in the 6th and 7th centuries AD and became a strategic site when the Frankish king Louis the Pious strengthened the Hispanic March against the Andalusi Muslim domains. Throughout this period, the settlement was periodically refortified, and a wall enclosing the main access to the site was built. From the time of the early medieval reoccupation of the site, greyware pottery was the primary artefact used for daily cooking purposes. We analysed one hundred samples from this site by means of thin section petrography in order to explore the changes that occurred from a diachronic perspective in accordance with the historical vicissitudes of the site. The results showed a shift towards more regionalized consumption of pottery and the abandonment of previous technological practices. Our study aims to determine whether the presence of imported Frankish products, if any, influenced changes in local pottery production, such as the use of new recipes or firing conditions.

What is a village? Agroscapes, collective action and medieval villages in northern Iberia

Why, how and when villages emerged across medieval Europe are enduring questions for archaeologists and historians because of the wider social and economic transformations implied—and because many of these settlements persist to the present day. Most archaeological investigations have focused on the nucleated centres of these communities; here, instead, the authors examine the role of agroscapes. Focusing on an agricultural area near the village of Tobillas, changes in soil chemistry are used to document the creation and maintenance of common fields attesting to collective agrarian practice pre-dating the foundation of the medieval village. Reversing the accepted narrative, the authors argue it was these pre-existing agrarian communities who coalesced to constitute villages such as Tobillas.

Reconstruction of archaeological contexts through the integrated use of airborne LiDAR and geophysical survey: The case study of San Pietro Infine (Caserta, southern Italy)

San Pietro Infine (Caserta, southern Italy) is an archaeological area of significant historical interest as it is in the vicinity of the Roman site of Ad Flexum. Based on historical sources, the site would correspond to the junction of a road axis that, during the Roman colonization (3rd century BCE), was crossed by the Via Latina. At the intersection of these two roads, which coexisted for a time, a post station was built, most likely later replaced by an early medieval village near the religious building of S. Pietro, of which only the apse portion is preserved. However, the archaeological evidence is too scarce to allow a reliable historical reconstruction of the site and to direct any excavation work. In this paper, we present the integration of LiDAR and geophysical surveys with the aim of advancing the archaeological interpretation of the San Pietro Infine site over the-state-of-the-art while providing a cutting-edge example in archaeological investigation. In particular, LiDAR data analysis was addressed to recognize and characterize topographic micro-reliefs presumably correlated to buried archaeological structures, while subsurface geophysical prospecting, consisting of magnetic and electromagnetic surveys, was aimed at defining their possible location and extent in depth, due to the expected contrasts in the magnetic and electric properties between the targets (e.g., limestone materials, paving roads) and the host geological setting (mainly marshy deposits). The integrated study allowed us to identify a structure whose characteristics (i.e., location, shape and nature) could well match the hypothesized Ad Flexum junction. In addition, LiDAR micro-reliefs and geophysical anomalies individuate structures that, by location and extent, suggest the presence of a village developed around the religious building of San Pietro.

On the interoperability performance of HBIM models for structural conservation and upgrading of building aggregates in the Italian minor centres

The article deals with the definition and evaluation of a workflow to demonstrate that the parametric model of a historic building with a high level of digital maturity can be configured as a tool that fosters collaboration between the various professionals involved in the recovery and rehabilitation process of historic buildings. It also represents the starting point for developing structural models for quantitative analyses. The implementation of HBIM to the building aggregate called “La Giudea” in Santo Stefano di Sessanio (AQ), an artefact that is particularly representative of the historical building heritage of the small medieval village in the Abruzzo Inner Areas, has provided a model for managing the information deriving from the knowledge process. The model delivers to the use of the state of conservation, and it represents the base for the structural analysis of the asset and the identification of the measure and interventions for its preservation. The parametric model was developed in the design of strengthening and restoration works requiring interactions between digital environments. In such a framework, an investigation aimed at evaluating the interoperability of the digital model and particularly the vertical interoperability between different software packages has been explored.

Archaeometric Analysis of Encrustations Adhering to Pietra Ollare Fragments from the Medieval Village of Nogara

The aim of this study was to analyze a set of pietra ollare fragments that presented burnt encrustations to further understand the use of pietra ollare vessels during the Middle Ages. The fragments were obtained from Nogara (Vr) and date to the 9th–10th centuries CE. To obtain a variety of data, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and pollen analyses were performed. The SEM-EDS enabled the microscopic observation and the understanding of the chemical composition of the encrustations; the pollen analysis was performed to find possible pollen trapped in the encrustations. The pollen was scarce, but notable specimens were found. The results SEM-EDS analysis provided data possibly linked to meat preparation. Further analysis will be conducted to deepen our understanding of the use of the pietra ollare in cooking practices. These results are relevant because they match other data that have emerged from the excavations at Nogara (archeozoological and paleobotanical) and because the use of this kind of vessel remains poorly studied.

Manifestation of infantile scurvy in a skeleton from the high medieval village of Trutmanice (South Moravia, Czech Republic).

The study describes the pathological findings recorded on the human remains of a 3 to 4-year-old child found in the burial site of Trutmanice (Czech Republic), dated to the 13th-15th century. The human remains were examined using standard macroscopic osteological and paleopathological methods, supplemented by radiographic examination. Although the preservation of the bones limited the analysis, multiple pathological changes were observed mainly on the skull: cribra orbitalia, small pores and fine deposits of newly formed bone tissue, hypertrophic diploë, grooves indicating rich branching of meningeal arteries on the intracranial surface of the cranial vault. A very fine periostotic deposition of newly formed bone tissue was also observed at the distal end of the diaphysis of the right tibia and both distal ends of the femora. The radiographs of the femora showed white lines of Frankel, scurvy lines, and Wimberger's rings. The observed pathological changes were possibly consistent with scurvy based on differential diagnosis. Reports about cases of juvenile scurvy from rural areas within the context of landlocked countries of Central Europe are rare. While scurvy is now more frequently reported in the paleopathological literature, evidence for scurvy within one of the most natural agricultural areas in the Czech lands remains rare. We recommend using radiographic examination to complement the diagnosis of scurvy in future paleopathological and epidemiological studies of past populations.

Предмети мілітарного й подвійного призначення на середньовічному поселенні Лісники-Безодня

Weaponry, horseman's, and warhorse's equipment for unfortified settlements were traditionally considered unusual. Only in the last quarter of the XX century, after extensive studies of the villages of southern Rus, a conclusion was made about the parity of relations between cities and their rural environment and about the inherent character of the rural centers of the mentioned category of things. However, recurrences of the old views continue to appear in recent publications, although the essential question seems to be whether the villagers were the subject or object of the use of the found weapons. New data on this category of findings have recently been obtained due to research on the settlement Lisnyky-Bezodnia in the southern suburbs of Kyiv. The site was discovered in 1991 by V. Petrashenko and V. Koziuba and has been repeatedly examined by the Northern Expedition of the Institute of Archeology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Furthermore, in 2021, excavations were carried out on the site. As a result, several objects were investigated in the horizons of the Kyivan Rus and primitive / paleometal periods, and a representative collection of material from these eras was formed. Small in volume but quite an interesting group of things presenting militaristic and dual-purpose objects. Five arrowheads belong to the long-range weapons. All of them are petiolate, have analogies among the types common in Kievan Rus, and some – in the adjacent territories, some of them belong to the category of armor-piercing. Another find is identified as an awl. The object resembles an awl-shaped point, which has been repeatedly found in quiver sets, along with other types of arrowheads. Among the discoveries from the village is a knife, the size of which exceeds the indicators for this category of findings. In the literature, if they did not have a true combat purpose, large knives were proposed to be seen not as universal tools but as hunting weapons. The rider's equipment is represented by a whole sharp and a fragment of another. Elements of both items have analogies among the materials of the XII – first half of the XIII century. Products do not characterize peasant life; they mark the stay of the elite. Horse equipment from the settlement – rod of some snaffle and rod with a ring of others. Such finds are not uncommon. Moreover, although they are attributed to the evidence of the presence of war horses, it is logical to consider things as an indicator of the presence of these animals in general without limiting the purpose exclusively to combat clashes, which has already been noted in publications. In contrast to the previous ones, the other two finds were used for expensive horses, primarily combated ones. We are talking about two sets of metal halters equipped with cylindrical locks. The tendency of these products to the fortified points with representatives of the military-trade state and the lack of data on the fixation of these things on the monuments of rural type indicates the originality of the studied village. The cases of the detection of such items at other unfortified sites were considered to assess the role and place of the collection of items of the named purpose from the village in the Bezodnia tract in Lisnyky. The obtained data indicate the presence of few weapons and equestrian equipment in the layers of settlements and, at the same time, lead to the statement of cases of concentration of such things in sometimes separated from the main territory areas where other prestigious products are concentrated. The collection from Lisnyky-Bezodnia was gathered in a relatively limited area, not in the center or on the dominant hill. This leads to the conclusion that the partially studied monument presents a rather bright and extraordinary phenomenon and emphasizes the inexhaustibility of information opportunities of medieval village structures. Key words: Lisnyky-Bezodnia, Kyivan Rus, medieval settlement, arrowheads, spurs, horse. Language: Ukrainian

Contextualizing an early medieval village: An aristocratic family in South Jutland and a central Danish thing place.

The remains of a 12th to 14th century village, Petersborg, were recently excavated at the foot of Urnehoved Bank in Southern Jutland near the famous regional Urnehoved Thing, known from the 12th century onwards. It is suggested that a large farm in the village was inhabited by a bailiff, and that the settlement was owned by an aristocratic family named Urne. One of the members of this family is documented by an inscription on a tombstone in the church of Bjolderup, 5 km from the site. The family and its surname can be followed for centuries, and a high medieval seal matrix with their arms, found in St Clemens Church in the town of Schleswig, indicates that they were close to royal power. Written sources show that they had land in mid- and west-Schleswig. We point to a number of high-medieval settlements with the suffix ‘bøl’ in the parishes of Uge and Bjolderup near the site and suggest that the Urne family founded these clearance villages. In conclusion, we argue that Petersborg, the Urne family and the Urnehoved Thing should be seen together, thus contributing to our understanding of aristocratic elite groups in the early and high Middle Ages.

UAV LiDAR Based Approach for the Detection and Interpretation of Archaeological Micro Topography under Canopy—The Rediscovery of Perticara (Basilicata, Italy)

This paper deals with a UAV LiDAR methodological approach for the identification and extraction of archaeological features under canopy in hilly Mediterranean environments, characterized by complex topography and strong erosion. The presence of trees and undergrowth makes the reconnaissance of archaeological features and remains very difficult, while the erosion, increased by slope, tends to adversely affect the microtopographical features of potential archaeological interest, thus making them hardly identifiable. For the purpose of our investigations, a UAV LiDAR survey has been carried out at Perticara (located in Basilicata southern Italy), an abandoned medieval village located in a geologically fragile area, characterized by complex topography, strong erosion, and a dense forest cover. All of these characteristics pose serious challenge issues and make this site particularly significant and attractive for the setting and testing of an optimal LiDAR-based approach to analyze hilly forested regions searching for subtle archaeological features. The LiDAR based investigations were based on three steps: (i) field data acquisition and data pre-processing, (ii) data post-processing, and (iii) semi-automatic feature extraction method based on machine learning and local statistics. The results obtained from the LiDAR based analyses (successfully confirmed by the field survey) made it possible to identify the lost medieval village that represents an emblematic case of settlement abandoned during the crisis of the late Middle Ages that affected most regions in southern Italy.

Soils as an environmental record of changes between Iron Age and Medieval occupations at Chotěbuz-Podobora hillfort

The geochemical signal of anthropogenic soils reflects past settlement activities. The soils which are a part of an archaeological archive at a multi-phase hillfort Chotěbuz-Podobora were formed under the significant influence of Early Iron Age and Medieval occupation and various subsequent factors at different parts of the hillfort. The hillfort layout is divided into three parts distinguished by different geomorphological characteristics, the acropolis, 1st bailey and 2nd bailey. While the original morphology of the 1st and 2nd bailey was relatively flat, the acropolis surface was under the slope.All these parts were drilled and detected archaeological strata studied in terms of their geochemical composition and magnetic susceptibility, including its frequency dependence. Finally, the soil horizons typical for each of the part of hillfort were studied micromorphologically.The soil record detected at the site contained high amount of phosphorus, even higher than usually recorded at abandoned medieval villages. Based on areal and stratigraphic distribution were discovered three groups of elements: 1) elements with maxima in “Archaeology” category (Si, P, Ti, Mn, Sr, Zr); 2) elements with maxima in “Topsoil” category (Cu, Zn, As, Pb, LE and Fe, Mn partially); 3) elements with maxima in “C” category (Al, K, Rb and partially Fe). The values of magnetic susceptibility (χ) increased mainly in the topsoil of 2nd bailey. Frequency dependent susceptibility (χFD%) reached the highest values in the archaeological layer with spatial diversity in 1st and 2nd baileys. The high χFD% values confirmed that the Hallstatt horizon at acropolis is redeposited soil, not only redeposited dumping.The oldest human presence is attested by the development of soil reflecting the presence of organic residues. After the first abandonment of the site at the end of Hallstatt period was the organic rich horizon eroded and accumulated at one side of the acropolis. The surface of the acropolis became flatter and levelled. The soil development in the Medieval period was highly influenced by an aggradation of material originally used for different types of building constructions. The presence of anthropogenic elements reflects in that time not only the deposition of organic matter but also the deposition of ash. While the acropolis was heavily occupied, and its geomorphology dramatically changed over time, the 1st bailey served mainly as a production space. The function of the 2nd bailey stays unsolved due to its poor preservation. The most recent human influence in the soil record is visible in the topsoil; first as the result of agricultural practices and second as the contamination by Pb and magnetic particles resulting from the atmospheric pollution.

:World Medievalism: The Middle Ages in Modern Textual Culture

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Effect of medieval farming activities on elemental composition of soils – case study of deserted village Regenholz (Czech Republic)

Regenholz is a deserted medieval village existing approximately between the 13th and 15th centuries. It originated in the colonisation period when the villages were usually founded in upland regions of Central Europe in the High Middle Ages. The study presents the results of a research based on geochemical and spatial analyses of one of the village’s field areas. The aim of the study was to reveal the spatial characteristics of the elemental composition of the previously ploughed soils which are now covered by forest. The analysed field area comprised bundles of 13 strip plots, which were approximately from 30 to 40 meters (up to 60 meters in two cases) wide and 300 meters long. The village and its fields were adjacent to the village Lovětín, which was analysed and published earlier. This made it possible to compare the geochemistry of the deserted fields of both villages with the same natural conditions and historical development. The soil samples were measured for elemental composition by portable XRF. The composition was dominated by elements generally interpreted as past human activity indicators: P, Zn, Mn, and Sr. Past human presence was represented mainly by Cu and partially by Mn content (P and Sr showed similar trends). The obtained results were compared with the data from the adjacent village Lovětín: the results were similar just by comparing the PCA data. The past human activity indicators reached less spatial diversity than those of natural factors.