“…The δ 15 N values in England and Italy/Iberia are similar for omnivores but show narrower ranges for herbivores in England in spite of the considerably larger environmental variability in Iberia/Italy. Given that there are no visible temporal differences, this suggests that omnivores’ feeding and crop/vegetation management practices differ considerably within medieval England 87 . Fig.…”
Here we present the Compendium Isotoporum Medii Aevi (CIMA), an open-access database gathering more than 50,000 isotopic measurements for bioarchaeological samples located within Europe and its margins, and dating between 500 and 1500 CE. This multi-isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr) archive of measurements on human, animal, and plant archaeological remains also includes a variety of supporting information that offer, for instance, a taxonomic characterization of the samples, their location, and chronology, in addition to data on social, religious, and political contexts. Such a dataset can be used to identify data gaps for future research and to address multiple research questions, including those related with studies on medieval human lifeways (i.e. human subsistence, spatial mobility), characterization of paleo-environmental and -climatic conditions, and on plant and animal agricultural management practices. Brief examples of such applications are given here and we also discuss how the integration of large volumes of isotopic data with other types of archaeological and historical data can improve our knowledge of medieval Europe.
“…The δ 15 N values in England and Italy/Iberia are similar for omnivores but show narrower ranges for herbivores in England in spite of the considerably larger environmental variability in Iberia/Italy. Given that there are no visible temporal differences, this suggests that omnivores’ feeding and crop/vegetation management practices differ considerably within medieval England 87 . Fig.…”
Here we present the Compendium Isotoporum Medii Aevi (CIMA), an open-access database gathering more than 50,000 isotopic measurements for bioarchaeological samples located within Europe and its margins, and dating between 500 and 1500 CE. This multi-isotope (δ13C, δ15N, δ34S, δ18O, and 87Sr/86Sr) archive of measurements on human, animal, and plant archaeological remains also includes a variety of supporting information that offer, for instance, a taxonomic characterization of the samples, their location, and chronology, in addition to data on social, religious, and political contexts. Such a dataset can be used to identify data gaps for future research and to address multiple research questions, including those related with studies on medieval human lifeways (i.e. human subsistence, spatial mobility), characterization of paleo-environmental and -climatic conditions, and on plant and animal agricultural management practices. Brief examples of such applications are given here and we also discuss how the integration of large volumes of isotopic data with other types of archaeological and historical data can improve our knowledge of medieval Europe.
Tabel 34: Aannames voor het opstellen van het ouderdomsdieptemodel (μ = mediaan). tabel 35: Passieve variabelen (kolom links) en categorische waarden (kolommen rechts) gebruikt bij correspondentieanalyse.
“…The cultivation of beans in areas of re-claimed salt marshland appears to have been widely practiced across north-western Europe during the Medieval period due to their tolerance of brackish soils (Behre 2004;Hanawalt 1986;Rippon 2000Rippon , 2001Rippon et al 2014). It is possible that the exploitation of coastal areas for the cultivation of beans has antecedents in the Bronze Age considering the location of many sites in close proximity to the coast (e.g.…”
Section: Research Question 2: What Was the Nature Of Crop Husbandry Pmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…In crop husbandry regimes, beans were cultivated as both a garden and field crop and the benefits of cultivating beans to improve soil fertility was well-established and clearly recognised by the Medieval period (Gross and Butcher 1995, 109; Pounds 1994, 200;Rippon 2001;Tusser 1580). Moreover, beans were extensively cultivated across north-west Europe in areas of reclaimed marshland owing to their tolerance of brackish soils (Behre 2004;Hanawalt 1986;Rippon 2001;Rippon et al 2014). Despite the importance of this crop in Medieval Europe, the potential role of Celtic bean in prehistoric Britain has not been studied in detail.…”
Archaeobotanical research on prehistoric crops in Britain has primarily focussed on cereals and the potential importance of alternative crops, such as pulses, has often been overlooked. This paper reviews evidence for Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.) in British prehistory, using a database of archaeobotanical assemblages from 75 sites. Celtic bean is rare in the Neolithic -Early Bronze Age and it only becomes frequent from the Middle Bronze Age (ca. 1500 cal BC) onwards, particularly in southern England. Though there is a paucity of evidence at many sites, it is suggested that this reflects a preservation bias and in some areas at least, Celtic bean formed an important element of past agricultural systems.Keywords: Pulse, Celtic bean, Prehistoric Britain, Archaeobotany
IntroductionWithin the last few decades, knowledge of crops in prehistoric Britain has significantly expanded and benefitted from extensive sampling programmes to recover plant remains. In particular, the expansion of developer-funded archaeology has resulted in the creation of large archaeobotanical datasets (Hall and Kenward 2006). Despite this, archaeobotanical research on prehistoric crops in Britain has primarily focussed on cereals and the potential role of alternative crops has received comparatively little study. There is considerable evidence to indicate that a wide range of crops were cultivated in prehistoric Britain, including oil crops, such as flax, opium poppy and brassicas, and also pulses, such as pea and Celtic bean (Pelling and Campbell 2013, 58). This paper draws upon a large and predominantly untapped archaeobotanical dataset for prehistoric Britain, focussing on evidence for an understudied crop, Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.).Celtic bean (Vicia faba L.) (Figs. 1 and 2), also referred to as Horse bean, is a member of the Fabaceae family. Celtic bean seeds are small, suboval and rounded in shape, although significant morphological variability exists between seeds and it is possible that sub-varieties were present across prehistoric Europe (Renfrew 1973, 108; Zohary et al. 2012, 89-92).Written sources indicate that beans were an important component of Medieval diets in Europe, being particularly valued as a protein-rich food, often amongst poorer populations where it served as a substitute for meat (Hanawalt 1986;Dyer 1989;Pounds 1994;Rippon 2001;Moffett 2006). This is clearly reflected in an extract from a late-fourteenth century document which stated that 'labourers of old were not wont to eat of wheaten bread; their meat was of beans …' (Hanawalt 1986, 55). In addition to human consumption, beans also provided a high quality animal fodder alongside other pulse crops, such as peas (Hamilton and Thomas 2012, 52; Moffett 2006, 53;Rippon 2004). In crop husbandry regimes, beans were cultivated as both a garden and field crop and the benefits of cultivating beans to improve soil fertility was well-established and clearly recognised by the Medieval period (Gross and Butcher 1995, 109; Pounds 1994, 200;Rippon 2001;Tusser 1580). Moreover...
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