The urban landscape of Reggio Emilia as shown by Palynology (I-XVI century A.D., northern Italy)

Archaeopalynology is an important instrument in reconstructing changes in vegetation, and in understanding how both climate and anthropic influence shaped landscapes. When considering urban deposits, it can be hard to disentangle anthropic pressure, always present in urban contexts, from climatic influence whose effects can be partially masked by human actions. To deepen our understanding of the evolution of urban areas we selected two sites located in the city centre of Reggio Emilia: Vittoria Park (24 samples) and San Prospero square (40 samples). In the first site, near the northwestern edge of the Roman town, the area was used for productive and later residential purposes (I B.C.-III A.D.); in San Prospero square, in the heart of the Roman town, a ditch and a burial ground dated to the early Medieval period, and, below layers of debris, there were residential structures from the early Imperial age. Pollen samples cover a period from around the I-II century A.D. to around the XVI century A.D. The data obtained describe a mostly open area, with low percentages of arboreal pollen (mean 14%) and oak woods, kept open during all the analysed periods. Some plants important for edible fruits are recorded, like Castanea, Juglans and Vitis. Most of the environmental changes were connected to the availability of water, while anthropic influence was constant during the analysed period. The main land use seems to have oscillated between cereal fields and pastoralism. This reconstruction allows for a better understanding of how citizens used the town centre of Reggio Emilia in the past and how the landscape around the town was shaped by anthropic and climatic influences.