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Poster: Agricultural choices in medieval rural sociéties: Driven by environmental factors or depending on social hierarchies? Examples from Lorraine region, eastern

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Julian Wiethold Inrap nord, Laboratoire archéobotanique, F-57063 Metz Cedex 2, France ; email : [email protected] Agricultural choices in medieval rural societies: driven by environmental factors or depending on social hierarchies? Examples from Lorraine, eastern France

LUXEMBOURG Carignan BELGIQUE Fig. 1. Medieval sites studied by archaeobotany in Lorraine, France. Mouzon Archaeobotanical research on early medieval agriculture in eastern France LUXEMBOURG Raucourt- th th et-Flaba Mont-Saint-Martin Since 2006 archaeobotanical studies of early and high medieval (6 -12 c. AD) Montmédy < 200 m 08 Herserange Stenay 8 > 200 m ARDENNES ALLEMAGNE rural sites in eastern France increased considerably, resulting from preventive Sierck-les-Bains Cattenom > 500 m Buzancy > 1000 m excavations, conducted by the Institut national de recherches archéologiques Audun-le-Roman THIONVILLE Fontoy Dun-sur-Meuse Yutz 25Algrange NEUENKIRCHEN HOMBURG Damvillers Spincourt Grandpré Hayange Metzervisse preventives (Inrap). Today we count more than 20 studied sites in the Lorraine Florange A Fameck Montfaucon- 16-18 Bouzonville SARREBRÜCKEN r d'Argonne H a u t s d e Moyeuvre-Grande region (fi g. 1) and more than 15 in the region of Champagne-Ardenne. In Lorraine g BRIEY 20 PIRMASENS M e u s e Rombas 21 Vigy ZWEIBRÜCKEN o Etain Homécourt Stiring-Wendel Varennes- Charny-sur Maizières-lès-Metz Marange- Boulay-Moselle FORBACH en-Argonne n -Meuse Silvange the most important investigated sites are Vitry-sur-Orne « ZAC de la Plaine » (fi g. 1, 14 15 Behren-lès-Forbach n Woippy VERDUN 4 57 Freyming-Merlebach Volmunster Ville-sur-Tourbe e Con›ans- en-Jarnisy SARREGUEMINES METZ MOSELLE n°16-18), Saint-Marie-aux-Chênes « Le Breuil – Ferré –Trésauville » (fi g. 1, n°15), W ö e v r e Saint-Avold Rohrbach- Bitche 26 lès-Bitche SAINTE- Fresnes- Ars-sur- Pange MENEHOULD Clermont- 27-28 en-Woëvre Moselle H a r d t en-Argonne Dieue-sur-Meuse « La Corvée » (fi g. 1, n°27-28), « Le Poirier le Loup » Faulquemont 55 Chambley- 51 Bussières Verny Sarralbe Souilly MEUSE Grostenquin MARNE 7 7 22 Sarre-Union Niederbronn- (fi g. 1, n°14), Hayange « Marspich » (fi g. 1, n°25) and Demange-aux-Eaux « Voie Seuil- 3 les-Bains d'Argonne - Albestro” lès-Hattonchâtel P l a t e a u Thiaucourt-9-11 Givry- Regniéville La Petite- Drulingen Pierre en-Argonne Pierreštte- des Poitiers » (fi g. 1, n°27-28). Vaubecourt 12 L o r r a i n sur-Aire Saint-Mihiel Pont-à- Delme Bouxwiller CHATEAU- 23 Fénétrange 67 SALINS Dieuze Revigny BAS-RHIN sur-Ornain Vavincourt Domêvre- Vic-sur-Seille Phalsboug Hochfelden Heiltz- en-Haye Questions of archaeobotanical research le-Maurupt Pompey 24 BAR-LE-DUC SARREBOURG B a r r o i s SAVERNE COMMERCY One of the main research questions concerns agricultural choice. Was crop choice NANCY Saint-Max Marmoutier Thiéblemont- Truchtersheim Farémont Void-Vacon Lorquin Ligny-en-Barrois 54 Réchicourt- Jarville-la-Malgrange le-Château primarily determined by environmental factors, by social factors or by individual Vandœuvre Wasselonne SAINT- 13 DIZIER MEURTHE-ET-MOSELLE Ancerville Blâmont 983 m Neuves- Saint-Nicolas LUNEVILLE choice? Maisons Cirey-sur- Vaucouleurs -de-Port Vezouze MOLSHEIM Eclaron-Braucourt- 5-6 Rosheim Sainte-Livière Montiers- Colombey-les-Belles sur-Saulx The studied sites are situated in different landscapes and environmental settings: Gondrecourt- Gerbéviller Schirmeck Chevillon le-Château Haroué Vézelise Bayon Liste des sites : alluvial plain, fertile middle and upper terraces of the valleys of the rivers Orne, Montier-en-Der Raon-l'Etape Joinville Poissons Senones Villé 1 88 Damblain, “La cave” Coussey Meuse and Moselle and calcareous plateaus. While the alluvial plains of the rivers 2 88 Frebécourt, “La Fourche” 2 Rambervillers Saales 55 Les Trois Domaines, “La Hachie” Blaiserives NEUFCHATEAU 67 Charmes 3 Châtel-sur-Moselle Provenchères- 4 55 Aubréville, “Le chien pendu” are characterized by less fertile soils developed on gravel deposited by Holocene Soulaines- Doulaincourt- PLAINE sur-Fave Dhuys Saucourt Châtenois Mirecourt 5-6 55 Demange-aux-Eaux, “Voie des Potiers” 88 SAINT-DIE Sainte-Marie- 7 55 Nubécourt, “Aux Villées” LORRAINE aux-Mines river activity, the middle and upper terraces are characterized by loamy and very Saint-Blin- VOSGES Brouvelieures 8 54 , “Les Racrutes/Devant le bois de Mexy, site 1” Dompaire Fraize Andelot-Blancheville Bulgnéville Bruyères RIBEAUVILLE 0 km 5 10 15 20 km 9-11 54 Prény, “Tautecourt” Vittel Lapoutroie EPINAL Corcieux Bourmont 54 Pont-à-Mousson, “Rue du Pré Vigneux” fertile soils, sometimes with a small loess coverage. These soil are very fertile and Echelle 1 : 600.000 (1cm = 6 km) 12 52 Kaysersberg 13 54 Chavigny, “La Haldat” époque mérovingienne 14 54 Hatrize, “Poirier le Loup” well suited to cereal cultivation, especially the culture of naked wheat which was HAUTE- Gérardmer 15 57 Saint-Marie-aux-Chênes, “Le Breuil - Ferré - Trésauville” Darney Wintzenheim époque carolingienne MARNE 1 Lamarche Vitry-sur-Orne, “ZAC de la Plaine” Xertigny 1362 m 16-18 57 La Vôge Le Honek Munster 19 57 Vitry-sur-Orne, “Voie rapide 52” most demanding concerning soil fertility and climate conditions. Moyen Âge classique Bains- Remiremont Monthureux- les-Bains Rou”ach 20 57 Mondelange, “PAC de la Sente” (Xe-XIIe s.) sur-Saône Plombières- 68 Nogent les-Bains Saulxures- 21 57 Ennery, “ZAC du Breuil” sur-Moselotte HAUT-RHIN Val-de-Meuse 22 57 Saint-Epvre, “Le Château”

Bourbonne-les-Bains GUEBWILLER 23 57 Cutting, “Les Grandes Raies” Vauvillers Le Thillot Saint- 24 57 Vic-sur-Seille, “Musée Georges La Tour” Primary crops and secondary crops Neuilly- Terre-Natale Saint-Loup- Amarin Soultz- l'Evêque Haut-Rhin 25 57 Hayange, “Marspich” 70 sur-Semouse Faucogney- Cernay 26 57 Laquenexy, “Rue d u Noyer” Laferté- HAUTE-SAONE et-la-Mer Cultivation of cereals and pulses was one of the most important activities of the sur-Amance Jussey Luxeuil-les-Bains THANN 27-28 55 Dieue-sur-Meuse, “La Corvée”, “Le Grand Rattentout” Masevaux -sur- Amance Saint- Mance Sauveur Rougemont-le- early medieval settlers (fi g. 2). The frequencies of the presence of cereal taxa within Giromagny Fayl-la-Forêt Mélisey 90 Château 0 km 5 10 15 20 km a series of archaeobotanical samples are indicating which of the different crops

Sites Taxa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 were most important (fi g. 3). Naked wheat (Triticum aestivum/durum/turgidum), Number of investigated features 7 9 78 18 8 50 7 39 17 15 47 5 4 16 85 26 33 47 1 50 2 3 30 22 60 26 27 66 Number of samples 8 13 79 18 8 48 7 78 32 15 50 11 4 19 85 27 33 48 2 55 2 7 33 26 60 28 29 66 most probably bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), was the main crop found in high Volume/l 54 117 392 63 110 630 60 449 77 26 111,3 97,0 125 165 609 200 260,5 345,5 10 611 ? 42 342 ? 445 220 285 675 Total number of plant remains 2220 92 1023 503 511 4948 1510 1695 109 93 2971 557 204 3516 2383 4118 3323 6904 6473 333 86 601 94 635 1818 519 455 1759 frequencies on most of the investigated sites. It was accompanied by cultivated oat Cereals Triticum aestivum s.l./durum Naked wheat/bread wheat                             (Avena sp./Avena sativa L.) and hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare). At Triticum sp. Wheat, undetermined                          Avena sp. Oat                             some sites hulled barley seems to have been the main crop and naked wheat was on Hordeum vulgare Hulled barley                           Secale cereale Rye                          the second place. Rye (Secale cereale L.; fi g. 4) was important at some sites, where Triticum spelta Spelt         ? ? ?  ?          Triticum monococcum Einkorn                   ?     the local soils were less fertile, mainly on gravel-rich soils in the river valleys. Triticum dicoccon Emmer wheat ? ?  ?  ? ?    Panicum miliaceum Broomcorn millet    ? Setaria italica Foxtail millet 100 Pulses Lens culinaris Lentil                    Demange-aux-Eaux (9th-12th c. AD) Vicia faba var. minor Broad bean ?            Dieue-sur-Meuse (9th-11 c. AD) Pisum sativum Pea                ? ?  ? 90            Vicia sativa Common vetch ? ? Vitry-sur-Orne (9th-12th c. AD) Vicia ervilia Bitter vetch  Medicago sativa Lucerne 80 Hatrize (9th-12th c. AD) Oil and fibre plants Linum usitatissimum Flax, cultivated   ?  St Marie-aux-Chênes (8th-11th c. AD)     Cannabis sativa Hemp ? 70 Papaver somniferum Opium poppy Hayange (9th-11th c. AD) Brassica rapa/B. oleracea Turnip/cabbage      Camelina sativa Gold of pleasure Condiments and medicinal plants 60 Anethum graveolens Dill    Apium graveolens Celery  Coriandrum sativum Coriander   50 Juniperus communis Juniper  Hyssopus officinalis Hyssop  Brassica cf. nigra Black mustard  40 Cultivated fruits Vitis vinifera Cultivated grape          Juglans regia Walnut          Prunus domestica Prunier           30 Pyrus cf. communis Cultivated pear     Prunus avium/cerasus Sweet/Sour cherry     Prunus cerasus Sour cherry ?   20 Malus domestica Cultivated apple     Prunus cf. cerasifera Cherry plum  Physalis alkekengi Bladder cherry  10 Fig. 2. Cultivated cereals, pulses, oil and fi bre plants, condiments and medicinal plants and cultivated fruits from early and high medieval sites in Lorraine.

0 Naked wheat/ Wheat, Rye Oat (cultivated) Hulled Barley Engrain Spelt Emmer wheat bread wheat undetermined Hulled wheats: only secondary crops Fig. 3. Frequencies of cereals from six early medieval sites in Lorraine, eastern France. During early medieval times, spelt (Triticum spelta L.; fi g. 5) and einkorn (Triticum monococcum L., fi g. 6) were only secondary crops. Spelt was particularly important at the site of Mexy (fi g. 1, n°14), the only site where it was the main crop. Mexy is situated on a calcareous plateau of the Pays-Haut at the border with Belgium, a region with rougher climate conditions. Additionally, spelt is tolerating summer drought on the calcareous soils more easily than bread wheat. It seems that environmental factors are the reason for the dominance of spelt cultivation at Mexy. Archaeobotanical results show that emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccon Schrank.) disappeared as a cultivated crop, while einkorn (Triticum monococcum L.) was still locally cultivated during the early middle Ages, despite its relatively low yields. At Chaillon “Aux Quartiers” einkorn chaff was used to fi re pottery kilns dated to the 10th- 12th c. AD. Einkorn is robust wheat species, tolerating poorer soils and less favourable climate conditions. Its long and very strong straw was used for basketry and for fi xing the grapes to their supporting posts. Einkorn cultivation during early and high medieval times can also be related to feasting or to the use of its straw.

Results Fig. 4. Rye (Secale cereale L.) was Fig. 5. Spelt (Triticum spelta L.) is Fig. 6. Einkorn (Triticum mono- Naked wheat, hulled barley and oat were cultivated on all early medieval sites. Cultivation of rye, spelt and mainly cultivated on poorer soils at a hulled wheat tolerating rougher coccum L.) is a hulled wheat develop- sites on the alluvial plain of the river climate conditions. ing in most cases only one fertile einkorn cultivation was less important. Cultivating these secondary crops was depending on environmental valleys. Photo : J. Wiethold, Inrap. Photo : J. Wiethold, Inrap. grain per spikelet. factors like soil fertility and local climate conditions. Nevertheless, the choice to maintain still einkorn as Bibliography : cultivated crop while emmer wheat disappeared with the beginning of the medieval period is suggesting that E. Bonnaire, J. Wiethold, L’alimentation médiévale dans l’Est de la France à travers des études carpologiques de sites individual or social choices, for example feasting, the use of its straw for basketry or for fi xing the grapes played champenois et lorrains. In : C. Delhon, I. Théry-Parisot, S. Thiébault dir., Des hommes et des plantes. Exploitation du milieu et gestion des ressources végétales de la préhistoire à nos jours. XXXe rencontres internationales d’archéologie et also a role in agricultural choice. Further investigations, based on a more confi rmed dataset, will be necessary. d’histoire d’Antibes. Antibes : Editions APDCA, 2010, p. 161-192

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