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Paysages agraires médiévaux en Trentine oriental et autour de Besançon
- 1. Paysages agraires médiévaux en Trentine oriental et autour de Besançon Paolo Forlin - Durham University
- 2. Progetto Apsat Ambiente e paesaggi d’altura del Trentino
- 3. Trentino Orientale Val di Cembra and Valsugana
- 4. Valsugana and Val di Cembra Roman and early medieval sites
- 6. Visibility outside the forest 14% 85% 2% Fields Vineyards and orchards Gardens
- 7. Hydrogeologic instability and surface visibility Slope and valley floor aggradation 5th-6th century AD slope instability
- 8. Lidar DTM and archaeological contexts
- 9. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Venticcia Late Iron Age finds
- 10. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Venticcia Late Iron Age finds
- 11. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Venticcia Late Iron Age finds
- 12. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Venticcia Late Iron Age finds
- 13. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Caslir Late Iron age, Roman and late Roman finds
- 14. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Caslir Late Iron age, Roman and late Roman finds
- 15. 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites Doss Caslir
- 16. Colle Tegazzo Late Iron Age finds 1. Lidar DTM and hilltop sites
- 17. Colle Tegazzo Late Iron Age finds
- 18. 2. Mining areas Mons Argentarius Medieval mining pits
- 19. Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 20. Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 21. Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 22. Automatic Features Extraction Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 23. Automatic Features Extraction Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 24. Automatic Features Extraction Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 25. Automatic Features Extraction Medieval mining area of Mons Argentarius
- 26. Terraced slopes Val di Cembra Lisignago Valsugana
- 30. Lidar mapped contexts 1m DTM resolution available for areas beneath ~ 1200 m asl
- 31. Telve and Castelnuovo alluvial fans Lidar and field systems
- 32. Telve and Castelnuovo alluvial fan Environment and field systems
- 33. Telve and Castelnuovo alluvial fans Environment and field systems
- 35. Post-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century Post-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries Medieval fields Phase 2: 13th-14th centuries Medieval fields Phase 1: before the 12th century
- 36. Marsh of PerginePost-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century
- 37. Brenta riverPost-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century
- 38. Post-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century Novaledo Dead Lake
- 39. Post-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century
- 40. Post-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century
- 41. Post-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century Post-Medieval fields Phase 1: 16th-18th centuries Medieval fields Phase 2: 13th-14th centuries Medieval fields Phase 1: before the 12th century
- 42. Post-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries
- 43. SpagollePost-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries
- 44. Maso MontelPost-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries
- 45. CaldonazzoPost-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries
- 46. CaldonazzoPost-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries
- 47. CaldonazzoPost-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries
- 48. Regular and planned field systems Caldonazzo
- 49. Post-Medieval fields - Reclamation of wetlands and stream embedment - Arable land, introduction of new rational agrarian practices - Risk management - Sanitary reasons
- 50. Spagolle Debris flow Spagolle - Late Medieval Building Before and after the excavation From post-medieval to medieval fields
- 51. Spagolle Debris flow Spagolle - Late Medieval Building Before and after the excavation From post-medieval to medieval fields
- 52. Spagolle Debris flow Spagolle - Late Medieval Building Before and after the excavation From post-medieval to medieval fields
- 53. From post-medieval to medieval fields Spagolle Debris flow Spagolle - Late Medieval Building Before and after the excavation
- 54. From post-medieval to medieval fields Spagolle Debris flow
- 55. Post-Medieval fields Phase 2: 19th century Post-Medieval fields Phase 1: 17th-18th centuries Medieval fields Phase 2: 13th-14th centuries Medieval fields Phase 1: before the 12th century
- 56. From post-medieval to medieval fields
- 57. Social actors shaping the medieval landscape - Castle aristocracy - Village communities - Bishop of Trento
- 58. Social actors shaping the medieval landscape - Val dei Mocheni
- 59. Social actors in shaping the medieval landscape - Val dei Mocheni 1213-1214 1213 The village communities of Viarago, Serso and Seregnano ask the Bishop of Trento to stop the settlement of runcatores (colons) east of Mala promoted by the domini of Castel Pergine 1213 The Bishop orders that the settlement in that valley has to be stopped 1214 The village communities claim that the settlement never ended … by end of the 13th century That valley became the Valley of the Mocheni
- 60. Alluvial fan of Lochere and Quaere Social contrast between the manorial family of Caldonazzo and the village community of Levico Medieval fields Phase 2: 13th-14th centuries
- 61. Expansion of arable land in the south-exposed alluvial fan Medieval fields Phase 2: 13th-14th centuries 1207
- 62. Expansion of arable land in the south-exposed alluvial fan Medieval fields Phase 2: 13th-14th centuries Masi di Novaledo Castelnuovo Roncegno
- 63. Medieval fields Phase 1: before the 12th century Alluvial fans exposed to south are attested before the end of the 12th century Levico Telve Caldonazzo San Desiderio
- 64. Medieval fields Phase 1: before the 12th century Alluvial fans exposed to south are attested before the end of the 12th century Levico
- 65. Medieval fields Phase 1: before the 12th century Alluvial fans exposed to south are attested before the end of the 12th century Telve
- 66. Medieval fields - Deforestation of large woodlands - Toward less attractive contexts - Environmental constrains
- 67. Matrix of central Valsugana field systems Environment and field systems Ante 12th century Expansion 12th, 13th, 14 th century Reclamation of wetlands, 18th, 19th century Reclamation of wetlands, late 19th century
- 68. Future perspective of research on fields systems evolution Environment and field systems
- 69. Lavarone plateau
- 70. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)
- 71. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Besançon
- 72. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise Trend removal (LPF 20m)
- 73. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise Trend removal (LPF 20m)
- 74. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise Trend removal (LPF 20m)
- 75. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal (LPF 20m) Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise
- 76. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal (LPF 20m) Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise
- 77. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal (LPF 20m) Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise
- 78. Lidar DTM Visualisation techniques Hill shade Slope Sky –view factor Trend removal (LPF 20m) Trend removal Equalised Aérodrome de Besançon - Thise
- 79. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Besançon, Forêt de ChailluzC. Fruchart, P. Forlin
- 80. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Besançon, Forêt de ChailluzC. Fruchart, P. Forlin
- 81. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Besançon, Forêt de ChailluzC. Fruchart, P. Forlin
- 82. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Besançon, Forêt de ChailluzC. Fruchart, P. Forlin
- 83. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Besançon, Forêt de ChailluzC. Fruchart, P. Forlin
- 84. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Bois de Roche
- 85. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Thise, Aérodrome
- 86. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Grange of St. Antoine
- 87. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) La Veze
- 88. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) La Veze
- 89. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) La Veze
- 90. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) La Veze
- 91. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Auxon-Dessus
- 92. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Auxon-Dessus
- 93. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Chalizulle
- 94. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Chalizulle
- 95. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Chalizulle
- 96. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Chalizulle
- 97. Field system Typology: Medieval Field systems Ridge and furrow on Clack Hill, to the east of Little Bowden, Leicestershire, England Auxon-dessus
- 98. South of Rosemont New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)
- 99. South of Rosemont New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)
- 100. South of Rosemont New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)
- 101. Transformation processes of the landscapes during the Middle Ages Forêt de Chailluz Marais de Saône New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD)
- 102. New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) The Rise of new agrarian landscapes during the Middle Ages Aérodrome of Thise Auxon-dessus
- 103. Continuity of ancient agrarian landscapes during the Middle Ages (?) New Insights on the hidden landscape: Lidar analysis and the archaeological agrarian landscape surrounding the city of Besançon during the Middle Ages (500 - 1500 AD) Roman Sites Thise
- 104. Fossilised agrarian landscapes and overlapping features BESANÇON EASTERN TRENTINO HUGE AMOUNT OF DATA FEW EVIDENCE Comparison between Eastern Trentino and Besançon’s area
- 105. Fossilised agrarian landscape and overlapping features BESANÇON EASTERN TRENTINO Heterogeneity (Several typologies) Homogeneity (Abandoned terraces) Comparison between Eastern Trentino and Besançon’s area
- 106. Lidar DTM grid resolution or filtering? BESANÇON 0.50 m TRENTINO 1.00 m Comparison between Eastern Trentino and Besançon’s area
- 107. A different story for the Forests? BESANÇON TRENTINO Comparison between Eastern Trentino and Besançon’s area
- 108. Stability and instability of settlements and agrarian landscapes? Dynamic and articulated landscape A conservative Alpine landscape? BESANÇON TRENTINO Comparison between Eastern Trentino and Besançon’s area
- 109. Comparison between Eastern Trentino and Besançon’s area Conclusions Fundamental role of Lidar DTM data for the analysis of the rural landscapes Diffusion and distribution of fossilised and relict evidence within the Besançon area The possibility to address archaeologically some specific aspect of the medieval landscapes evolution of field systems between Antiquity and the Middle Ages settlement network dynamics environmental and land-use evolution
Editor's Notes
- The Apsat (Ambiente e paesaggi dei siti d’altura In Trentino) project was a 3-year project centred on the study of prehistoric and historic landscapes of Trentino. It was developed from October 2009 to September 2012 (although some publications were disseminated later). It involved 3 universities (Padua, Trento, Venice) and more than 8 departments for a total of 100 people among archaeologists, geomorphologists, historians, geographers, architects. The director of the project was a medieval archeologist, prof GP Brogiolo from the University of Padua. Within this project, I focused my research on the medieval easter Trentino.
- The area I analysed was centred on two valleys of the Eastern Trentino: Valsugana and Val di Cembra.
- Since the Roman period, Valsugana represented the connection between the municipium of Trento and north Adriatic sea. The red line drawn on the map corresponds with the path of the Via Claudia Augusta Altinate, the imperial road set by Claudius which linked the lower Danube with Altino (a Roman city nearby Venice). The known archaeological sites (here roman and early medieval) occupied the valley floor areas and the lower mountain slopes. The archaeological background of this study area is unfortunately massively constituted by scattered and occasional finds, and very few -not more than 5- are the stratigraphical excavations carried out in this region. Not surprisingly, one of the most important aims of this research was to improve our archaeological dataset both in quantitative and qualitative terms, although we did not have any possibility to activate new excavations or systematic surveys due to the lack of agreement with the local Superintendence.
- Without the possibility to activate new excavations and promote large-scale filed surveys, remote sensing became the core-part of our investigation. In terms of archaeological visibility, the scholars involved in the Apsat project had to deal with the constrains typical of the Alpine regions, such as: 1- Diffuse presence of woodland Trentino Alto Adige -along with Liguria- is the Italian region with the highest rate of forest coverage. In Trentino, forests cover about the 55% of the territory.
- 2- The impact of the specialised agriculture Lowlands in Trentino are heavily impacted by a sort of ‘artificial reforestation’ of the former open fields. This is a process clearly determined by the diffusion of specialised agriculture that took place here in the last 30 year. The agriculture of Trentino is indeed devoted to the production of wine, apples and cherries and as a result the 85 percent of the arable land is nowadays covered by vineyards and orchards, with dramatical effects on the surface visibility (shown by these images quite clearly…).
- 3- Hydrogeologic instability A third constrain is represent by the fact that this is a landscape in ongoing geomorphological evolution. The valley floor -as shown by this geological map- is characterised by the distribution of alluvial fans active at least until 100-80 years ago, when fan channels were artificially embedded. Many archaeological and geological evidence attest that ancient surfaces are usually buried by >1m thick alluvial layers, with again a dramatic impact on the levels of archaeological visibility. This explains why within this study area, the control of open sections has led to the reconnaissance of more archaeological contexts than the traditional field survey.
- These elements taken together explain -on the one hand, in reforested regions- the centrality of Lidar data in our research programme, and some limitations of its use in areas where -on the other hand- say the valley floor, i.e. alluvial areas- geomorphological evolution reduced the possibility to identify archaeological features on the surface. The following slides will illustrates three kind of contexts in which Lidar analysis allowed to obtain the most significant results in terms of archaeological prospection. They were: -hilltops sites -mining areas -abandoned terraced systems
- Doss Venticcia - A hill-top site occupied during the late Iron Age
- The lidar DTM allows the identification of several archaeological figures which correspond with the remains of rock-cut huts, often but not always recognisable in the field (see next slide)
- According to the scattered finds recovered here, Doss Caslir seems to have been occupied during the late Iron age and the Roman period up to a Late Antique phase.
- Again, here the Lidar data allow to recognise the presence of sub rectangular depressions along the top area.
- Unfortunately, the top area could not be surveyed due to the dense vegetation, and only the presence of an open section along a road allowed to recognise archeological evidence. In the pictures on the left, a wall with mortar, possibly related with the Roman phase of occupation, is shot.
- A third case study is Colle Tegazzo, another late Iron Age settlement.
- The Lidar data show the presence of a regular grid of archaeological features in area A. Here the survey identified them as rock-cut features, suggesting this was the area were the Iron Age settlement was located. In area B, the most elevated point of the relief, a squared features emerged (side 6 m). This element corresponds with a squared building of which some walls were found. Due to its position, the remains could be identified with an isolated church or tower (however, not recorded by medieval or post-medieval documents). In area C, other elements are visible. Here, the survey allowed to interpret them as the remains of a post-medieval farm (with a furnace) and agricultural landscape.
- Mount Calisio also known as Mons Argentarius was of the most important silver mine in medieval Europe. It was exploited between the 11th and the 14th century and its use led to the definition of the most ancient medieval mining code (Codex Wangianus, from the name of the bishop who stimulated its creation). What we know better now thanks to Lidar data is the spatial organisation of the mines and their impressive distribution within the Calisio palteau. The following slides show how these features appear in Lidar data.
- The automatic feature extraction of mining holes from the Lidar DTM is an ongoing analysis I am currently developing at the University of Durham. The following slides show preliminary results of this research.
- The automatic feature extraction of mining holes from the Lidar DTM is an ongoing analysis I am currently developing at the University of Durham. The following slides show preliminary results of this research.
- In terms of abandoned filed-systems identification, the best results were achieved in the mapping of terraced systems. Valsugana and Val di Cembra denote a completely diverse situation in the preservation of this class of agricultural landscape. In Val di Cembra, terraces are still today widely exploited agriculturally, whereas in Valsugana they appear almost systematically abandoned and reforested. The reason is economic: Val di Cembra is one of the most important wine production areas in Northern Italy. Terraces are vital to this production and therefore still maintained.
- In Valsugana, huge terraces systems, very often spreading over large areas today completely covered by forest, seem to be interlinked with medieval castles. This spatial correlation, along with the mention of terraces (vineyards) controlled by castle-elites in many medieval documents, suggest that their realisation -in several cases- can be dated back to the Middle Ages. The following slides show case study where the topographical association castle-terraces is also supported by medieval documents
- The Lidar interpretation of my study area led to the recognition of ~700 potential archaeological sites or landscapes. However, their distribution is embedded by the availability of 1m/pixel resolution Lidar data. These data are only available for areas generally located below an altitude of ~1200 m above sea level. In the uplands, indeed, the resolution of the Lidar data drop down to 2m/pixel. As a result, in the mountainous region no archaeological sites was recovered implying Lidar data. Here, fortunately, the Infrared Orthophotos allowed to map the presence of several archaeological contexts such as isolated shepherd huts or World War I trenches and forts.
- As shown by this image the resolution of the available Lidar data is also well suited for the visualisation and analysis of field systems in the valley bottom. We can easily identify field system typologies and “units” (see for instance the different 2 terraces systems in this image) and discriminate them looking at their physical elements, orientations, spatial organisations.
- Here an example of this field system characterisation (after Rippon) within the Telve’s alluvial fan. We can observe a terraced system (blu - Telve), open fields at the foot of the fan (orange - Castelnuovo), and irregular parcels within the alluvial plains which flank the fan (purple). Roads are drawn in yellow.
- The second step of this analysis was the definition of a relative and absolute chronology. The relative chronology can be unravel considering the horizontal stratigraphy within this study area. TE01 occupies the most geomorphological stable area on the top of the fan, and benefit of the best solar irradiation, whereas CA01 was defined within an area subject to floods and less favourably exposed to solar radiation (because of the narrowness of the Valsugana in this sector). TE02 and TE03 are the younger field systems as they occupy the alluvial plains of river Moggio and Telve, only very recently embedded. In order translate this relative sequence to an absolute one, we must use chronological indicators. In this case, as in others, they are represented mainly by written documents and historic maps. This is a limit of the reseach of course, but at least it permits to define a preliminary interpretation of the agrarian evolution of the Valsugana which should be later validate with robust archaeological evidence, in my opinion. In this area, written and cartographic evidence coherently match with the relative chronology: Telve is the attested already in the 11th century, whereas Castelnuovo (chateau neuf) later in the 13th century. TE02 and TE03, however, were defined after the 1850s, as they do not appear in the Austrian cadaster.
- In order to reconstruct a preliminary evaluation of the agrarian evolution in Valsugana, a transept of the valley was selected. It runs SW-NE for about 20 km and correspond to an agrarian “continuum” of the Valsugana today, as there are not reforested areas in this valley bottom study area. The following slides show how this evolution can be interpreted using historical documents, historical maps, place names integrated with some archaeological and geomorphological evidence. Again, this framework does not mean that the agrarian landscape evolution took place as expressed here, but that this is the agricultural landscape evolution which emerges if you use the available historical and (very few) archaeological data. This is why this interpretative reconstruction should be tested in the next future.
- Proceeding with a regressive overview, we can easily selected the field system that date back to the 18th-19th century. They are planned field systems which occupy the lowest area of the Valsugana (in blu in the map). They are the result of an impressive reclamation project that removed the marshlands which characterised the Brenta river alluvial area until the 1850s. The following slides show some od these field systems
- This is the cumulative map of this “landscape of reclamation”
- Another class of post-medieval field systems is represented by again highly planned and regular fields realised, in this case, not in the Brenta river alluvial plain, but within the lateral alluvial fans. Their common element is that they are linked to (i) a single, usually large farm (maso=isolated building) that represents the focus of their spatial organisation and (ii) that they were constructed in marginal areas (as alluvial fans exposed to north) after specific hydrological works (embedment of lateral streams). The chronology of these agricultural landscapes is 16th-18th century.
- Here, the distribution of this field system class is shown in brown. The following slides illustrate some cases: please note the regular grid of this field, the presence of the maso and of the hydrological regimentation which led to the reclamation of hydrologically unstable areas.
- See CA02-03-04, realised at the beginning of the 18th century, after the reclamation of the alluvial plain of the Centa stream (later embedded S of CA04). See Lidar data (LRM) and historical map in the following slides
- This slides shows the reasons which led to the creation of the Post-Medieval fields within this study-area
- The case-study of Spagolle, an alluvial fan oriented to N, allowed to integrate remote sensing, historical document with field archaeological evidence. An abandoned building was recovered with survey in an open section at the foot of the alluvial fan (red point in the aerial photo, photos in the left before and after excavation)
- The abandoned of this building was due to a slope failure which is clearly visible on this section (lined in blue). The building (yellow arrow) was affected by this flood, and soon after demolished and abandoned. Archaeological evidence allows to date its use up to the late medieval period (15th century ca.).
- Lidar data show clearly the dimensions of the flood.
- Interestingly, this paleaoenvironmental event was also followed by a redefinition of the landscape. The affected area, indeed, was replanned through the definition of a new regular filed system (in red) which replaced the late medieval layout (in yellow), describing a clear vertical evolution of the field system in this area. The focus of the new field system was Villa Spagolle, a 17th century building.
- Before this post-medieval phases, it was possible to identify also other 2 medieval phases.
- Here, we rely heavily on the availability of written sources. This is why we have a good visibility of some specific social actors (i.e. who produced or stimulated the production of the documents, see the slides) and the process which led to its production, or the social needs that induced their writing. Not surprisingly, those were linked with social conflicts.
- One of the best examples of such a conflict is can be seen in Val de Mocheni (purple rectangle)
- You can trace this process looking at the sequence reported in the slide about the conflict between the village communities of this valley and the castle elites who were promoting the settlement in the uplands of that area. By the end of the 13th century, an extended area of the upper Fersina Valley where the village communities owned rights on forests also through the ban of any form of settlement, was transformed in a densely inhabited region by the allocation of settlers supported by the castle of Pergine. The castle elite was eager to transform this area with new settlers (farmers and miners mentioned as runcatores, i.e. “deforestators”) in order to exploit economically its natural resources. Mocheni is the ethnic of the German-speaker settlers (form Boemia and Moravia) who started to inhabit the valley from this chronological phase. Today, this is still a German-speaking linguistic island.
- The creation of agricultural landscape as a result of social processes or social conflicts was’t uncommon outside the Val dei Mocheni. We can trace the same pattern when looking at the settlement and agricultural landscape formation in some of the alluvial fans exposed to N (and so less attractive) of the Valsugana.
- Here again, wide forestal areas still existed at the beginning of the 13th century, and they were controlled by the village community of Levico. New settlers (runcatores, i.e. “deforestators”) were settled there by the castle elite of Caldonazzo during the13th century, following the same model we have seen in Val dei Mocheni, so stimulating social conflicts with the community of Levico.
- The expansion of arable land (trough deforestation) in the S exposed alluvial fans (in yellow here) is also documented in the late Middle Ages, both by documentary evidence and place names (for instance those with the same root of runcatores, as Roncegno). In this case there is no evidence of any social conflict in the documents. Could it mean that, in this case, those deforestations were activated by village communities?
- So, the older settlements (and their agricultural landscapes) which appear before the 12th century are those that we can mapo on fans well exposed to solar irradiation and characterised by an evident geomorphological stability. Avoiding any deterministic interpretation, this evidence suggests that medieval population adopted adaptive strategies (possibly linked with early medieval - roman ones?) when selecting settlement locations.
- This slide shows the overall evolution of the area according to the proposed interpretation (again, needing an archaeological validation)
- Validation that could be achieved, for instance, with a robust palaeoenvironmental and archaeological research project
- …also focused on a highly significant aspect of that: the pressure of climatic fluctuation on this fragile environment
- The approach used in my postdoctoral project in Besançon was quite different from the one I applied during my Italian PhD research.
- The most evident difference of the surroundings of Besac when compared with Trentino, was the large amount of abandoned field system recognisable with Lidar analysis almost in heavily transformed landscapes, as with the case of the Aerodrome of Besançon-Thise, previously occupied by open fields (possibly of medieval origins). The following slides try to highlight this, showing how different visualisation techniques can help us in the identification of archaeological features.
- The presence of fossil agricultural landscape is impressive within the forest of Chailluz (see PhD Fruchart). Here terraces, field strips, enclosures, earthworks are easy to be identified and mapped.
- Also outside the forest, in agriculturally exploited areas, past agrarian features are recognisable thanks to Lidar data. Again the Aerodrome…
- The grange of St. Antoine
- Or La Veze
- Open fields (ridge and furrows) in Auxon-Dessus, today converted to pasture
- And other ridge and furrows today completely reforested.
- and open fields
- Are these landscapes medieval?
- Presence of abandoned terraces in Rosemont, where the medieval topography analysed by Roland Fietier suggests the presence of vineyard (a common element with Trentino, as seen before)
- Lidar data of the banlieue de Besançon, by contrast with those of Trentino, display a highly dynamic agrarian landscape, characterised by impressive evolution through time. Abandoned fields (with chronologies that date to the Roman and medieval period) are homogeneously distributed within the study area and show an articulated land use transformation, as they were recovered in areas today devoted to forest, pasture, or arable land (however, with very diverse parcel orientations).
- In my opinion, this remarkable complexity in features preservation makes the Besançon surroundings an exceptional area where to develop projects centred on the agrarian landscape transformation trough time, from the Antiquity up to the post-medieval period, possibly focusing on selected key-questions widely addressed by the historiographical debate.
- …or the heritage of the roman landscape
- Therefore, if we consider the preservation of archaeological features related to past field systems and their overlapping with later or modern ones, Besancon area and Eastern Trentino are highly dissimilar.
- For instance, if we look at the typology of fossilised filed systems, we can easily comprehend how differentiated this set is in Besançon, where ancient enclosures, terraces, open fields, bocage are widely attested. As already discussed, in eastern Trentino, the only typology we have identified -with very minor exeptions- is represented by old terraces usually fossilised under the forest, with very sporadic attestation of other typologies such as open fields or furlongs (see the next slide).
- What’s the reason for this disparity? Can it be related with the different resolution of the Lidar data available for the 2 study areas? This does not seem the right answer: the image on the right demonstrates that also in Trentino we had the chance to recognise very shallow evidence as the furlongs emerged in the Fornace plateau, for example.
- The explanation for such a difference can lie on the different management of the forests. In Besançon the reforestation of former agricultural landscape seems linked with an active reconversion of the landscape, which could be demanded to the exploitation of forestal resources. This aspect, for instance, is quite clear when observing the economic value of the forest of Chailluz for the medieval society studied by Roland Feitier. In Trentino, by contrast, reforestation seems linked with a passive abandonment of previous economic landscape: this is evident in the case with the Mons Argentarius (called also Kallsperg, meaning naked mountain in German), or the terraced systems which can be dated back to the Middle Ages. We do not have any evidence of later exploitation of forestal resources in this areas.
- We can explore this issue using the concepts of vulnerability and resilience. As the most evident difference between the 2 study areas lies on the amount of archeological evidence of past agricultural landscapes (high in Besançon, low in eastern Trentino), it could be assumed that settlement and filed systems in Trentino where more resilient to change whereas in Besançon more vulnerable. Their vulnerability (to environmental change, social and economic evolution, etc.) would be therefore visible in the archaeological record as a result of the abandonment of the ancient landscape. On the other hand, eastern Trentino seems to denote a stronger conservativeness of its historic landscapes, maybe due to the environmental and morphological constrains (Alpine valley) which stimulated the preservation of old landscapes, reducing the possibility of experimenting new solutions when coping with change.
- As a conclusion, I would like to underline the remarkable research possibilities offered by the Besançon study area, first of all about key-research questions such as the evolution of field systems between the Roman period and the Middle Ages, the analysis of the resilience of the settlement network and the evolution of environment and land-use in the past. The Lidar analysis undertook by the MSHE of the Université de Franche-Comté represents an exceptional research tool through which to build new and innovative research programmes.