Hints of economic change during the late Roman Empire period in central Italy: a study of charred plant remains from “La Fontanaccia”, near Rome |
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Authors: | Laura Sadori Francesca Susanna |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale, Università di Roma “La Sapienza”, P.le A. Moro, 5, I-00185 Roma, Italy |
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Abstract: | The archaeobotanical study of the charred macro-remains recovered from the burnt settlement of La Fontanaccia, Allumiere,
50 km northwest of Rome, a small hut from the time of the end of the late Roman Empire, provided results on the use of food
of its inhabitants, their living conditions, and the natural environment. The fire which destroyed the small settlement was
archaeologically dated to the middle of the 5th century a.d., few years before the end of the Roman Empire. This was a period in which the state structure, undermined by the barbarian
invasions which provoked famine and destruction, was in deep economic and political crisis, and the population in Rome and
in the countryside lived in precarious conditions. No archaeo-botanical data have been available until now for this period
in the region of Rome. The presence of grass peas, acorns, two-rowed barley caryopses, and small horse bean seeds demonstrate
the general state of regression in the late Roman Empire, when misery and famine were widespread. The finds of charcoal from
chestnut, deciduous oak, maple and elm suggest the presence of thermophilous deciduous woods and environmental conditions
similar to today’s. It deserves mention that this is the first site in which macro-remains (charcoal) of Castanea have been found in central Italy. |
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Keywords: | Archaeobotany Late Roman Empire Central Italy Charred seeds and fruits Charcoal |
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