Agriculture in Roman Gaul

Ferdière, Alain

doi:10.1002/9781118970959.ch22

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…If the vision of an autarkic Gallo-Roman agriculture is still prominent in the historical and archaeological literature, recent syntheses nevertheless highlight the links between rural settlements and markets throughout the Roman Empire [40][41][42]. The Latin agronomic treatises also unambiguously describe in Italy rentier's farms clearly specialized in certain types of crops, such as olive grove and winery, of which Cato (De Re Rustica, X-XI) gives for example in the 2 nd century BCE a particularly detailed description.…”

Section: What Rural Economy In Roman Times In Southern Gaul? Autarkic...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of climate change on the agriculture and the economy of Southern Gaul: New perspectives of agent-based modelling

Bernigaud,

Bondeau,

Guiot

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

What impact did the Roman Climate Optimum (RCO) and the Late Antique Little Ice Age (LALIA) have on the rise and fall of the Roman Empire? Our article presents an agent-based modelling (ABM) approach developed to evaluate the impact of climate change on the profitability of vineyards, olive groves, and grain farms in Southern Gaul, which were the main source of wealth in the roman period. This ABM simulates an agroecosystem model which processes potential agricultural yield values from paleoclimatic data. The model calculates the revenues made by agricultural exploitations from the sale of crops whose annual volumes vary according to climate and market prices. The potential profits made by the different agricultural exploitations are calculated by deducting from the income the operating and transportation costs. We conclude that the warm and wet climate of the Roman period may have had an extremely beneficial effect on the profitability of wine and olive farms between the 2nd century BCE and the 3rd century CE, but a more modest effect on grain production. Subsequently, there is a significant decrease in the potential profitability of farms during the Late Antique Little Ice Age (4th-7th century CE). Comparing the results of our model with archaeological data enables us to discuss the impact of these climatic fluctuations on the agricultural and economic growth, and then their subsequent recession in Southern Gaul from the beginning to the end of antiquity.

show abstract

Section: What Rural Economy In Roman Times In Southern Gaul? Autarkic...mentioning

confidence: 99%

The impact of climate change on the agriculture and the economy of Southern Gaul: New perspectives of agent-based modelling

Bernigaud,

Bondeau,

Guiot

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…In the Mediterranean area of southern France, evidence from the 5th to 12th century CE suggests farming was mixed, combining cereals, oilseeds, pulses, vines and fruits with wetlands and meadows (Ruas, 2005). Ferdière (2021) identified the first cases of specialization (wine production in the Narbonne area) in Roman Gaul, although mixed farming would have largely been the rule at that time, together with the practice of crop rotation and green manuring of pastures. An agricultural revolution in the 17th century introduced legume-based pastures and sown forages in cropping systems that led to greater livestock density per unit area and promoted balanced internal recycling of nutrients.…”

Section: Towards Circular Agriculturementioning

confidence: 99%

Farming with forages can reconnect crop and livestock operations to enhance circularity and foster ecosystem services

Franzluebbers

Martin

2022

Grass and Forage Science

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Agriculture has undergone dramatic technological and cultural changes over the past century. Many would argue that the changes have been unquestionably positive with huge gains in productivity, reduced labour requirements, and alleviation of food insecurity for most people. However, the adoption of increasingly specialized and separated crop and livestock enterprises has also had widespread negative consequences resulting in (a) decline in biodiversity, (b) degradation of groundwater and surface waters with agrochemical pollutants, (c) poor soil health with monoculture crop production and frequent soil disturbance, (d) intensive greenhouse gas emissions from both specialized cropping systems relying on external inputs and concentrated animal feeding operations that accumulate wastes, and (e) general lack of ecological integrity among components of these specialized systems. Diversified agricultural systems using annual and perennial forages offer opportunities to elevate ecological synergies when crop and livestock operations are integrated. Integrated crop‐livestock systems can internalize nutrient cycling, provide cultural control of weeds, insects and diseases, and share resources in a circular‐based agroecosystem. Cover crops could be transitioned into nutritious annual forages for livestock grazing on currently specialized crop production farms with appropriate local incentives. Perennial forages in ley farming or in pasture‐crop rotations have historical relevance and are a proven practice for conserving nutrients, improving soil health and enhancing biodiversity. Redesigning contemporary agriculture with mixed‐use farming techniques could greatly reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and invigorate soil health. We suggest that incorporating different types of forages across a diverse landscape can enhance agricultural sustainability and ecological integrity.

show abstract

Understanding the development of viticulture in Roman Gaul during and after the Roman climate optimum: The contribution of spatial analysis and agro-ecosystem modeling

Bernigaud

Bondeau

Guiot

2021

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Agriculture in Roman Gaul

Cited by 3 publications

References 51 publications

The impact of climate change on the agriculture and the economy of Southern Gaul: New perspectives of agent-based modelling

The impact of climate change on the agriculture and the economy of Southern Gaul: New perspectives of agent-based modelling

Farming with forages can reconnect crop and livestock operations to enhance circularity and foster ecosystem services

Understanding the development of viticulture in Roman Gaul during and after the Roman climate optimum: The contribution of spatial analysis and agro-ecosystem modeling

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About