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Archaeological land evaluation : a reconstruction of the suitability of ancient landscapes for various land uses in Italy focused on the first millennium BC

(2003) Joolen, Ester van

The aim of this thesis is to provide an overview of the potential land use
suitability of three Central- and South Italian (Agro Pontino, Salento Isthmus and Sibaritide) landscapes
in the past (from the Bronze Age until the Roman period). This suitability can be an explanation for settlement location (also in the past). The method used for the determination of the suitability
of land for special types of agriculture is called ‘land evaluation’ in this thesis. The method ‘land
evaluation’ is not new (FAO 1976), but in this research it is further adjusted and focused on archeological questions.
The method is based on two pillars: the land qualities (fysical, geomorphological and chemical
characteristics of a part of a landscape) and the land utilisation types (LUT’s: agricultural technologies
and/or crops known and used in special areas and periods). By comparing the requirements of the land
use types with the characteristics of the ground, a suitability classification can be made.
The present soil qualities in the three research areas deviate from those in the past, because of, for
example, natural and/or anthropogenic erosional and depositional processes. Due to this, landscape
reconstructions were carried out first, from which more (Agro Pontino) or less (the other two areas)
was shown what these areas appeared to be in the past, and how they could be used for agricultural
purposes. Many geomorphological investigations in the research areas gave a lot of valuable information.
In the land evaluation procedure, each research area is divided in three smaller parts, so-called
land systems, representing an area or areas with common landforms (such as hills or river valleys),
soils and vegetation (CSIRO 1963). Each land system (such as a dune-landscape) was examined according to a fixed set of possible qualities, for example, texture, soil type and stoniness in the upper
part of the soil. These results are shown in chapter three of this thesis.
Chapter four describes the land use types in Central-and South Italy, as reconstructed by Forni
(1990) for the three research periods (Bronze Age, Iron Age and Archaic/Roman period). Forni used
ancient ploughs or parts of ploughs (discoveries (the oldest plough found in Italy dates to 2000 BC)),
fossil plough furrows and land use types portrayed on ancient pottery or walls in caves, to make these
reconstructions. To carry out a thorough investigation, he did not only use literary data from the ancient
sources.
Comparing all data, for the one hand derived from the landscape-research (all landscapecharacteristics)
and for the other from the archeological/historical research (all agrarian/technological
data), was made easier by using the computer-program ALES. After entering the above-mentioned
data the suitability of a special landform for a special land use-type can be determined.
Land suitability maps show the suitability of each landform for a certain land use type during a
certain archaeological period. These maps are tested against modern land use maps (section 5.6) and
pollen analytical data (chapter 6). By carrying out pollen analysis from material from three peaty locations in the Agro Pontino, various land use types (such as cereal and olive cultivation) and anthropogenic environmental influence (deforestation) was proved. In the last chapter of this thesis, these palynological data were tested against the land evaluation data.