Brinkkemper, O..

De betekenis van de archeobotanie voor boshistorisch onderzoek.

Historisch geografisch tijdschrift 31 (2013) 162 - 171.

Onderzoek van plantenresten uit archeologische opgravingen levert informatie over onze bossen die veel verder terugreikt dan historische bronnen. De gefaseerde immigratie van verschillende boomsoorten sinds de laatste ijstijd en de structuur van bossen in het verleden kunnen ontrafeld worden. Bewuste houtselectie door de prehistorische mens heeft vaak plaatsgevonden en dat bemoeilijkt reconstructies.

The significance of archaeobotany for historical research of forests

Archaeobotany is the research of plant remains from archaeological excavations. It includes analyses of pollen, botanical macro remains (seeds, fruits, etc.) and wood or charcoal. Whereas pollen and macro remains inform us about the successive arrival of different species of trees after the last Ice Age, it has proved to be highly problematic to derive information about the structure of forests from these data. Especially problematic is that botanical macro remains from archaeological excavations are very rarely from trees or forest plants, which in itself is logical as these studied remains originate from human settlements. Remains of waterlogged wood give the most direct information about former forest structures, and therefore might contribute to the discussion about an unbroken primeval forest versus an open woodland during the Atlantic Period (7000 - 4000 BC) which Frans Vera raked up in his thesis. Arguments in favour of one or the other alternative can be derived from the results of the examination of samples of trees used for the construction of a bog track way (Nieuw-Dordrecht) from 2549 - 2548 BC, for which, according to Casparie, 2000 trees (oaks, birches and alders) from deliberately managed forests were felled, and the examination of samples of trees from a natural forest from the Roman Period (Zwolle) consisting of large trees without side branches. The latter points to an unbroken primeval forest. For a Roman ship found near VIeuten, use of both oaks without side branches (for the 23 meters long longitudinal elements) as well as oaks with side branches (for the cross frame consisting of more than 30 elements) demonstrate the decisive role played by humans in the selection of the wood. Only the twenty trees from the Atlantic period found near Nijmegen show a glimpse of features of an Atlantic Forest. One tree has dozens of side branches in all directions, one has side branches in one direction and the remainder is branchless over considerable lengths. It is highly desirable that this set of data is extended. Year ring analyses might be able to add a so far unexplored contribution to the discussion of the structure of Atlantic forests.