Olive yards and pastures in the cultural landscape of Piazza Armerina(Enna, Sicily) in the Middle Ages by pollen analysis

An archaeopalynological project has recently been set up at PiazzaArmerina, promoted by the Planning and Restoration Regional Centreof the Sicilian Region. It includes archaeopalynological analyses atthe Roman Villa (the renowned “Villa del Casale”) and medievalsettlement recently unearthed in the southern area of the Villa(excavations directed by P. Pensabene) as well as analyses of recentpollen samples. Aim of the project is to reconstruct the history of thecultural landscape of the site, to compile a list of useful plantsavailable in the past and to prepare pollen materials for the localindoor/outdoor museum. In 2007 around 100 samples were collected.This paper presents provisional results concerning the medievalsettlement. The samples belong to two cultural phases. Based onarchaeological records,11/02/09 15.52 Page 1 of 2Breve descrizione dei contenuti (Abstract) Phase I was dated in the transition between the Arab and Norman age(10th – 12th century AD) and Phase II in the Norman age. Thesamples showed a sufficient pollen concentration, good state ofpreservation, and high floristic diversity (ca. 150 pollen taxa havebeen identified so far). Pollen flora and vegetation testified plantspecies and communities from different vegetation belts (e.g. Abies,Carpinus, Castanea, Fagus, Myrtus, Quercus cf. ilex, Pinushalepensis, Phyllirea, Pistacia, Quercus deciduous, Ulmus) as well asfresh water plant communities (Alnus, Carex type, Nymphaea,Populus, Salix, Typha angustifolia type). Besides woody plantssuitable for timber, pollen suggested a number of useful plants,cultivated or exploited in the wild, for food, decoration or other uses(e.g. Avena-Triticum group, Beta, Corylus, Cynara cf., Hordeumgroup, Nerium oleander, Olea, Platanus, Pinus cf. pinea, Prunus,Secale cereale, Vitis). The plant landscape was open (arboreal pollen< 30-40%), and mainly characterized by olive yards and pastures.Olive yards were more spread in the Arab-Norman Phase I, andpollen morphology of Olea (pollen size, polar amb, muri andcolumellae depth, lumina size) suggested that more than one varietyhad been cultivated. Pastures were more spread in the Norman PhaseII. They are testified by Cichorioideae and Gramineae, and manyother herbs (e.g. Aster type, Anthemis type, Leguminosae, Menthatype, Umbelliferae). On the whole pollen spectra described a hillyMediterranean cultural landscape, not far from a river and wellmanaged by the inhabitants of the settlement.