Exploitation and Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone During the Iron Age and Roman Period

6-12-2016

Exploitation and settlement dynamics of the Frisian coastal peat zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period

Drs. ing. M. Bakker [email protected] Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 2 Contents

Introduction

Research • Relevance • Research history • Recent fieldwork-campaigns

Settling of the peat area (source: R. van Eerden) • The onset • The character • About abandonment • The end of these reclamations

Summary 500100 BC AD M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 3 Introduction: Frisian coastal peat zone

500100800 BCECE (Modified after: Vos & Knol 2013)

Current area of interest 500100 BC AD M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 4 Introduction: early peat reclamations First habitation (ca. 650 BCE):

• Salt marshes • Terps: artificial dwelling mounds. • Terps raised on natural ridges near creeks

Colonization during Iron Age and Roman Period:

• Expanding salt marshes • Reclamation of peat lands

100500100 CEBCBCE AD

M. Bakker Clay-on-peat area Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 5 Introduction: “classic” terp versus single-house terp

500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Arkum (source: Rug/GIA) Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 6 Introduction: “classic” terp versus single-house terp

500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Arkum (source: Rug/GIA) Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 7 Introduction: Early peat reclamations

Not only in the northern Netherlands!

The Netherlands divided in 8 macro-regions: 1. Westergo 2. Oostergo 3. Groningen 4. Vlie estuary 5. Oer-IJ estuary 6. Rhineland 7. Meusse estuary 8. Zeeland

Especially the areas of the Oer-IJ, Meusse and Zeeland have been researched by large scale fieldwork. 500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 8 Relevance of the current research

Archaeological research themes • Starting conditions • Reclamation strategies • The usage of the land (farming and other activities) • Connection between the reclaimed peat lands and the salt marshes • The influence of the reclamation on the environment and vice versa • Starting conditions and the character and development of the local settlements

Peat oxidation  threatens not only current usage of peat lands, but also the archaeological heritage contained in the peat

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 9 Relevance of the current research Archaeological research themes • Starting conditions • Reclamation strategies • The usage of the land (farming and other activities) • Connection between the reclaimed peat lands and the salt marshes • The influence of the reclamation on the environment and vice versa • Starting conditions and the character and development of the local settlements

Peat oxidation  threatens not only current usage of peat lands, but also the archaeological heritage contained in the peat

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 10 Research history Observations (Van Giffen, Cnossen, Santema, Halbertsma, Janssen, etc.)

Excavations e.g.: 1) Wartena-Warstiens1: Wartena(Elzinga-Warstiens: 1965) 5

2) Sneek-Jachthaven (Elzinga: 1966) 1 3 3) Hempens-Teerns (GIA/ARC: 1998) 4) Sneek Stadsrondweg-Oost (ARC: 2001) 5) Leeuwarden-Bullepolder (ARC: 2001) 4 2 Various coring surveys (Aalbersberg 2006, etc.) 500100 BC AD 100 CE M. Bakker (Bewerkt naar: Vos & Knol 2013) Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 11 Research history Observations (Van Giffen, Cnossen, Santema, Halbertsma, Janssen, etc.)

Excavations e.g.: 1) Wartena-Warstiens (Elzinga: 1965) 5

Settlement shape: (Wartena-Warstiens 1965  iconic)

1. Settling on clay-on-peat soil Mound of clay- 2. Always on small mounds and peat sods

3. Round mounds with circular ditch

4. Small farmsteads/sheds

BRUINSMA, P., 1968. Enkele beschouwingen naar aanleiding M. Bakker van het onderzoek van een ondergeslibde terp bij Wartena- Warstiens, verricht 5-28 april 1965. It Beaken 30. 165-184. (Wartena-Noord 2013)

Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 13 (Sneek-Harinxmaland 2014) Recent fieldwork-campaigns

Excavation campaigns: 1. Arkum (2012) 2. Wartena-Noord (2013) 3. Sneek-Harinxmaland (2014) Leeuwarden- 4. Leeuwarden-Bullepolder (2015) L’wardenBullepolder-Bullepolder

Wartena-Noord Wartena-Noord Locations based on: - Importance for research

- Permission Sneek-Harinxmaland Sneek-Harinxmaland Arkum Arkum Besides excavations, also additional coring surveys are carried out and other kinds of 500100 BC AD fieldwork. 100100 AD AD = New excavations = Important old excavations Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 14 Settling the peat area: the onset

Not only on clay-on-peat! MA-Rec

Also on fen peat: ROM • Arkum (150 BCE ± 50) • Wartena (70 CE ± 25)

M-ROM Phase 2 Even on raised bogs: • Sneek-Harinxmaland (0 CE ± 25) NAT Phase 1 • Leeuwarden-Bullepolder (350 BCE ± 50) NAT Phase 0 500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 15 Settling the peat area: the onset

Not only on clay-on-peat! MA-Rec

Also on fen peat: ROM • Arkum (150 BCE ± 50) • Wartena (70 CE ± 25)

M-ROM Phase 2 Even on raised bogs: • Sneek-Harinxmaland (0 CE ± 25) NAT Phase 1 • Leeuwarden-Bullepolder (350 BCE ± 50) NAT Phase 0 500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 16 Settling the peat area: the settlement character

In the reclaimed peat lands: • Single farmsteads • High density: 5-6 sites per square km

Type of peat • Bog peat  initially no mound (flachsiedlung) • Fen peat  Early sites initially no mound (Arkum); younger sites seem always on a mound (area around Wartena)

Dwelling mounds: Initially also rectangular farm yards 500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Wartena-Warstiens 1965 vs Wartena-Noord 2013

Wartena-Noord (2013) Wartena-Warstiens (1965) Also Wartena-Warstiens 1965 was rectangular Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 18 Settling the peat area: about abandonment

In general, settlements seem to be abandoned after about 4 generations

• Most likely cause: drainage problems due to continuing subsidence of peat land

• After abandonment , the peat land became backwater swamp or marsh (clay-on-peat)

Where do they go?

• Not all reclamations date from the same period

• Younger reclamations lay deeper in the peat area  People move on to new stretches of peat land

500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 19 Settling the peat area: temporary abandonment

Initial abandonment, but not neccesarily the end: Later silting up and medieval usage

After some time sites were Middle-Roman Period often reused for habitation or other activities Peat growth & silting up

Arkum is a good example  Early Roman Period Peat regrowth Late Iron Age

500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 20 Settling the peat area: temporary abandonment

Roman Period Some sites even transformed in Radial ditch Circular ditch moderate terps Excavation 2001 (ARC) Excavation 2015 (GIA) Ditch Circular ditch Leeuwarden-Bullepolder Iron Age: Water well • Started in the 4th century BCE as a farmhouse on a reclaimed bog peat • Linear ditch pattern

Leeuwarden-Bullepolder Roman Period: • Reoccupied  now clay-on-peat • In the 3th century CE it was a terp 500100 BC AD of c. 2 ha with a radial allotment 0 10 20 40 60 80 100 Meters Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 21 The end of these reclamations

Like a large part of the Frisian salt marshes: • Most reclamations stop during the 3rd century CE • The last settlements were likely abandoned in the early 4th century CE (Sneek- Jachthaven)

After abandonment: • Often renewed peat growth in the abandoned peat lands (Tinga-complex) • And/or silting up with marine clays

500100 BC AD

M. Bakker Exploitation & Settlement Dynamics of the Frisian Coastal Peat Zone during the Iron Age and Roman Period 6-12-2016 | 22 Summary • The early Frisian peat reclamations started (at least) around the 4th century BCE and took place as well on fen-peat as on bog-peat.

• Individual farmsteads (einzelhöfe), but high density (5-6 per sq. Km) and initially not always a dwelling mound  younger fen-peat reclamations always a mound, like the area of Wartena.

• The initial shape of a mound  always rectangular and never round (later caused by trampling, terp expansion and silting up of clay.

• After time abandonment (due to problems with water table)  reclamation of new stretches of peat land  youngest reclamations are positioned the furthest in the peat area

• When balance was restored in abandoned reclamations  renewed interest, even re-habitation and expansion of former terp settlements

• The early Frisian peat reclamations end in the 3rd and early 4th century CE. Thank you for your attention

Any questions?

Funding PhD-research:

Funding fieldwork-campaigns and publications: