A pedo-geomorphological view on land use and its potential in the surroundings of the ancient Hispano-Roman city Munigua (Seville, SW Spain)

Abstract

Abstract. This study investigates the surroundings of Munigua (municipium Flavium Muniguense), a small Roman town in the ancient province of Hispania Baetica (SW Spain). The city's economy was based primarily on copper and iron mining, which brought financial prosperity to its citizens. Local production of agricultural goods is thought to have been of little importance, as the regional soil conditions do not seem to be suitable for extensive agriculture. To evaluate the recent soil agro-potential and to find evidence for prehistoric and historic land use in the surroundings of Munigua, we applied a pedo-geomorphological approach based on the physico-chemical analysis of 14 representative soil and sediment exposures. Selected samples were analyzed for bulk chemistry, texture and phytoliths. The chronostratigraphy of the sequences was based on radiocarbon dating of charcoal samples. The site evaluation of the present-day soil agro-potential was carried out according to standard procedures and included evaluation of potential rootability, available water-storage capacity and nutrient budget within the uppermost 1 m. The results show that moderate to very good soil agro-potential prevails in the granitic and floodplain areas surrounding Munigua. Clearly, recent soil agro-potential in these areas allows the production of basic agricultural goods, and similar limited agricultural use should also have been possible in ancient times. In contrast, weak to very weak present-day soil agro-potential prevails in the metamorphic landscape due to the occurrence of shallow and sandy to stony soils. In addition, the study provides pedo-geomorphological evidence for prehistoric and historic land use in pre-Roman, Roman and post-Roman times. Catenary soil mapping in the vicinity of a Roman house complex reveals multi-layered colluvial deposits. They document phases of hillslope erosion mainly triggered by human land use between 4063 ± 82 and 3796 ± 76 cal BP, around 2601 ± 115 cal BP, and between 1424 ± 96 and 421 ± 88 cal BP. Moreover, geochemical and phytolith analyses of a Roman hortic Anthrosol indicate the local cultivation of agricultural products that contributed to the food supply of Munigua. Overall, the evidence of Roman agricultural use in the Munigua area indicates that the city's economy was by no means focused solely on mining. The production of basic agricultural products was also part of Munigua's economic portfolio. Our geoarcheological study thus supports the archeological concept of economically diversified Roman cities in the province of Baetica and in Hispania.

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“…Phytoliths, microscopic silica structures formed in plants, can endure in the soil for extended periods (Qader et al, 2023). Analyzing phytoliths therefore provides a unique perspective on ancient agricultural practices, unveiling details about plant species, land use, and cereal processing strategies, as well as paleoenvironmental conditions (Korstanje and Cuenya, 2010;Meister et al, 2017;Dietrich et al, 2019;Kirchner et al, 2022). Specifically, the distinctive presence of wavy-topped rondels found in the cobs and fruit cases of maize serve as a diagnostic indicator for cultivated maize (Bozarth, 1998;Pearsall et al, 2003;Piperno, 2006;Handley et al, 2023).…”

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“…They found drier conditions in the southern compared with the northern Upper Rhine Graben, and they confirm an earlier start of massive loess accumulation compared with the arrival of glaciers in the foreland of the Alps. Kirchner et al (2022) evaluate recent soil agro-potential and search for evidence of prehistoric and historic land use by applying a pedo-geomorphological approach in the surroundings of Munigua, a small Roman city in the ancient province of Hispania Baetica (SW Spain). The available evidence of Roman agricultural use in the Munigua area suggests that the city's economy was by no means solely focused on mining.…”