Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Bronze Age woodlands: pollen reveals cycles of felling and regeneration 3,500 years ago

How were the woodlands of the Po Valley managed 3,500 years ago? A study coordinated by Professors Anna Maria Mercuri and Assunta Florenzano of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UniMORE), published in the scientific journal Nature Plants , provides some answers. By analysing fossil pollen preserved in archaeological deposits at Terramare sites, the researchers have reconstructed changes in vegetation during the Bronze Age, identifying recurring cycles of variation in the abundance of major tree species. These patterns are consistent with woodland felling and regeneration practices.

The research involved Eleonora Clò, Jessica Zappa and Giovanna Bosi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia), Andrea Zerboni and Mauro Cremaschi (University of Milan), Mauro Rottoli (Como Civic Museums) and Andrea Cardarelli (Sapienza University of Rome). The findings were also explored in a Research Briefing published by the same journal.

Between approximately 3,600 and 3,170 years ago, Bronze Age communities in the Po Valley developed a complex network of settlements and agricultural landscapes, combining crop cultivation, livestock farming and the exploitation of forest and water resources. Archaeological and geoarchaeological investigations at the sites of Santa Rosa di Poviglio and Montale have uncovered particularly detailed stratigraphic sequences, making it possible to reconstruct environmental changes and human activities at intervals of just a few decades.

The key to the discovery lies in fossil pollen. By analysing archaeological deposits, the researchers identified recurring fluctuations in the presence of several tree species, including oaks, hornbeams, ash trees, elms and willows. These variations suggest patterns of vegetation use and regrowth consistent with the intentional management of woodlands. Oak, in particular, was an essential resource for building settlements and supporting domestic activities.

“Through high-resolution analysis of fossil pollen preserved in the archaeological deposits at Santa Rosa di Poviglio and Montale, we have reconstructed changes in vegetation with exceptional chronological detail. We identified recurring fluctuations in the presence of oaks, hornbeams, ash trees, elms and willows, consistent with repeated cycles of selective felling and tree regrowth,” explains Assunta Florenzano of UniMORE.

The research builds on more than thirty years of interdisciplinary studies of the Terramare settlements, bringing together researchers and specialists from a range of disciplines to reconstruct settlement organisation, resource exploitation and environmental change in the Po Valley during the Bronze Age.

“More than 40 years of archaeological investigations at an exceptional site such as the Santa Rosa di Poviglio Terramara have enabled us to understand how, as early as the Bronze Age, people demonstrated a remarkable ability to use natural resources sustainably, including forests, water and soil. The Terramare civilisation once again shows how deeply rooted the Po Valley’s agricultural heritage is,” explains Andrea Zerboni of the University of Milan.

The findings suggest that Terramare communities may have adopted woodland management practices comparable to coppicing, a technique in which trees are cut back to encourage new shoots to grow from the remaining stumps. Such practices would have helped ensure a reliable supply of timber while allowing vegetation to regenerate.

Although the research began with archaeological evidence, its findings also have important implications for plant ecology and the study of woodland regeneration. Combining pollen, archaeological and geoarchaeological data makes it possible to reconstruct processes that would be difficult to identify through observations of present-day ecosystems alone. Understanding the ecological history of landscapes can therefore help us gain a better understanding of existing biodiversity and inform conservation and restoration strategies.

“This knowledge fundamentally changes the way we interpret present-day biodiversity and can help guide conservation and restoration strategies towards more informed decisions that take account of the ecological history of individual landscapes and, for precisely this reason, are more sustainable,” concludes Anna Maria Mercuri of UniMORE.

Image

Santa Rosa di Poviglio Terramara (Reggio Emilia): excavation area during the 2022 field season, showing numerous investigated structures, some of which are associated with the management of water resources.

 

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng