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Durham E-Theses The Frontier of Islam: An Archaeobotanical Study of Agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula (c.700 1500 CE) TREASURE, EDWARD,ROY How to cite: TREASURE, EDWARD,ROY (2020) The Frontier of Islam: An Archaeobotanical Study of Agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula (c.700 1500 CE) , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/13617/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The Frontier of Islam: An Archaeobotanical Study of Agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula (c.700 – 1500 CE) Edward R. Treasure Volume 1 of 2 Text A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Archaeology Durham University 2019 ABSTRACT Edward R. Treasure The Frontier of Islam: An Archaeobotanical Study of Agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula (c.700 – 1500 CE) This PhD uses new archaeobotanical research and crop stable carbon (δ13C) isotope analysis to investigate medieval agriculture in the Iberian Peninsula (6th-15th centuries). It takes as its central theme an analysis of the long-standing debates surrounding the impact of the Islamic conquests (c.8th century) on agriculture. Were there major innovations after the conquests, or alternatively, was agriculture characterised by longer-term continuity? There is a long tradition of researching this topic in the Iberian Peninsula using documentary and archaeological evidence, yet archaeobotany has had little impact to date. Archaeobotanical research was undertaken on eight medieval sites in two study areas in the north-east of the peninsula. The first study area examined two Islamic sites (10th-12th centuries) in Teruel, whilst the second examined six sites dating between the early medieval, Islamic and later medieval periods (6th-15th centuries) in the Huecha Valley, Zaragoza. The archaeobotanical results point towards an overall pattern of continuity in the range of crops cultivated, although a general trend towards increasing crop diversity can be identified through time, reflecting broader patterns seen across medieval Europe and the Mediterranean. Stable carbon isotope analysis of 290 single-entity samples (cereals, pulses) provided insights into crop husbandry practices, highlighting the use of rainfed and irrigated areas for cultivation. The results of this PhD are placed within a wider regional and pan- regional context through a synthesis of previous archaeobotanical research undertaken on Roman to later medieval sites in the Iberian Peninsula. Taken together, it is suggested that the Islamic conquests did not lead to a clear and definable break in agriculture, but rather a series of more incremental and gradual changes can be identified through time. The results have wider implications for understanding the longer-term continuity of Mediterranean agriculture. Volume 1 - Text Table of Contents 1 The frontier of Islam ................................................................................................. 16 1.1 Aims and objectives ..................................................................................................... 17 1.2 Study areas .................................................................................................................. 18 1.3 Historical and archaeological context: the north-east of Iberia .................................. 18 1.3.1 Before Islam: late Roman and early medieval period (5th-8th centuries) ........... 18 1.3.2 ‘Conquest’ and consolidation of Islamic rule in the Upper March (8th-10th centuries) ............................................................................................................................ 19 1.3.3 The Christian ‘conquests’ and the later medieval period (11th-15th centuries) . 20 1.4 Research themes ......................................................................................................... 21 1.4.1 An Islamic agricultural revolution? ...................................................................... 21 1.4.2 Irrigated agriculture ............................................................................................. 27 1.4.3 Migration and conversion to Islam ...................................................................... 28 1.4.4 Urbanisation and rural landscapes ...................................................................... 29 1.5 Organisation of thesis .................................................................................................. 32 2 Methodology ............................................................................................................ 34 2.1 Archaeobotanical Data Collection ............................................................................... 34 2.1.1 Sites and data collection ...................................................................................... 34 2.1.2 Sampling and recovery ........................................................................................ 35 2.1.3 Sorting ................................................................................................................. 35 2.1.4 Identifications ...................................................................................................... 36 2.1.5 Preservation ........................................................................................................ 37 2.1.6 Dating evidence ................................................................................................... 38 2.2 Identifying crop husbandry practices I: crop-processing and arable weeds ................ 39 2.2.1 Methodological framework ................................................................................. 39 2.2.2 Analysis of weed assemblages ............................................................................. 41 2.3 Identifying crop husbandry practices II: stable isotope analysis .................................. 43 2.3.1 Methodological framework ................................................................................. 43 2.3.2 Sample selection and preparation ....................................................................... 50 2.3.3 Stable Isotope Analysis ........................................................................................ 52 2.3.4 Interpretation of data .......................................................................................... 52 3 Teruel case-study area (Islamic sites, 10th-12th centuries) ..................................... 53 3 3.1 Regional setting ........................................................................................................... 53 3.1.1 Present-day climate and topography ................................................................... 53 3.1.2 Historical and archaeological context .................................................................. 54 3.2 The sites: archaeobotanical and crop isotope evidence .............................................. 55 3.2.1 Cabezo de la Cisterna, Alba del Campo (11th-12th centuries) ............................. 55 3.2.2 El Quemao, Sarrión (10th-12th centuries) ........................................................... 58 3.3 Discussion .................................................................................................................... 68 4 Huecha Valley, Zaragoza, case-study area (early medieval, Islamic and later medieval sites, 6th-15th centuries) ................................................................................. 73 4.1 Regional setting ........................................................................................................... 73 4.1.1 Present-day climate and topography ................................................................... 73 4.1.2 Historical and archaeological context .................................................................. 75 4.2 The sites: archaeobotanical and crop isotope evidence .............................................. 79 4.2.1 Bureta (early medieval, 6th-early 8th century) .................................................... 79 4.2.2 La Mora Encantada, Bulbuente (Islamic, 10th-12th century) .............................. 89 4.2.3 Iglesia de San Miguel, Ambel (Islamic, early 12th century) ................................ 100 4.2.4 Palacio de Bulbuente, Bulbuente (later medieval, 14th century) ...................... 102 4.2.5 Castillo de Grisel, Grisel (later medieval, 14th century) ..................................... 111 4.2.6 Casa Conventual de Ambel, Ambel (later medieval, 15th century) .................... 113 4.3 Discussion .................................................................................................................. 115 4.3.1 Cereals ............................................................................................................... 117 4.3.2 Millets ...............................................................................................................