Integrated microscopy approaches in archaeobotany: proceedings of the 2016 and 2017 workshops, University of Reading, UK

Archaeobotany is the study of archaeological plant remains, which include macroremains, such as seeds and wood charcoal, and a range of associated microfossils, such as phytoliths, pollen, spores and starch grains. These papers showcase a range of microscopy approaches that can be applied to examine and interpret botanical and organic assemblages in the archaeological record, and to address a range of topical research themes and current debates in archaeology, such as environmental management, human responses to environmental change and sustainable life-ways spanning a broad geographical and chronological time periods. Soil micromorphology is a technique that enables the formation and post-depositional processes of archaeological deposits to be understood by reconstructing sediment histories. It allows archaeobotanical remains to be examined within their depositional context to provide a micro-contextual interpretation of the evidence, and to understand different types of archaeobotanical remains in a range of preservation conditions. As with many other proxies, formation processes and taphonomy are key issues in the study of any type of plant remains, and this is reflected in several contributions of this volume.Funding, administrative and technical support has been provided by the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science for the successful development of the IMAA workshops, and we thank the Association for Environmental Archaeology, Beta Analytic and Quaternary Scientific (QUEST) for their sponsorship. The 2017 workshop also received funding from the University of Reading's Endowment Fund. Rowena Banerjea's research was carried out within the framework of The Ecology of Crusading project, which received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/ 2007–2013) under grant agreement No. 263735. Catherine Barnett's research was funded by the Calleva Foundation as part of the wider Silchester Environs project. The work of Marta Portillo was carried out within the framework of the EU Horizon 2020 MICROARCHEODUNG project. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. H2020-MSCA-IF-2015-702529.Peer reviewe

Feeding the crusades: archaeobotany, animal husbandry and livestock alimentation on the Baltic frontier

The integrated results of micromorphology, plant macrofossil, pollen, phytolith, and non-pollen palynomorph analyses represent an important study of two thirteenth-century Teutonic Order castles at Karksi (Livonia), and Elbląg (Prussia). The research examines deposits that formed during the period of active crusading. At Karksi, the investigation of a midden and of the organic-rich sediment beneath allows the diachronic use of this area to be understood. Freshwater aquatic indicators are consistent with the occurrence of shallow stagnant water, as also suggested by a waterlaid pond sediment identified in thin-section. Coprophilous spore taxa suggest the use of the pond as a watering hole. Plant macrofossils from the midden represent a range of habitats, mostly from wet/damp areas, as well as pastures and meadows, and also woodlands. Fragments of millet are embedded within herbivore dung in thin-section showing the use of this grain as fodder. At Elbląg, parasite ova may derive from animal feces as they also occur in the dung observed in thin-section, and a range of coprophilous fungal spore taxa were extracted. The results reveal information about the range of livestock that the Teutonic Knights kept, whereabouts within the castles the animals were stabled, and what fodder was used

Integrated Microscopy Approaches in Archaeobotany 2: Proceedings of the 2018 and 2019 Workshops, University of Reading, UK

The collection of papers in this special issue arose from the 2018 and 2019 workshops in Integrated Microscopy Approaches in Archaeobotany (henceforth IMAA), hosted by the University of Reading, UK. The IMAA has an interdisciplinary ethos and not only brings together students and specialists to facilitate cross-sector exchanges of a broad variety of skills, but also the discussions that take place there are driven by a practical microscopy element. The IMAA crosses boundaries between archaeobotany, palaeoecology and wider geoscientific and archaeological specialisms, as well as between professional sectors, which is reflected in the contributions to this special issue. The papers continue to develop our interpretations and understanding of taphonomic processes in archaeobotanical assemblages, with several highlighting the important role ethnoarchaeological and experimental approaches have to play in untangling these complex processes.The 2018 and 2019 IMAA workshops were funded by the School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, UK, and thanks go to all staff, students and participants.Peer reviewe

The zooarchaeological identification of a ‘Morisco’ community after the Christian conquest of Granada (Spain, early 16th century): sociocultural continuities and economic innovations

Data availability The material analysed is archived at the Archaeological Museum of Granada (Spain).This research was developed in the framework of the ‘Landscapes of (Re)Conquest’ Project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (grant number AH/R013861/1). The archaeological excavation was funded by the Vicerretorado de Infraestructuras of the University of Granada. It was directed by G. García-Contreras Ruiz from September 2013 to August 2014, and by A. S. Moreno Pérez from September 2014 to July 2015.This article presents the results of the zooarchaeological analysis of an assemblage dating to the second quarter of the 16th century that was discovered on the current university campus of Cartuja, on the outskirts of Granada (Andalusia, Spain). During the Middle Ages, this area was largely used for agricultural purposes, including as estates owned by high officials of the Nasrid dynasty, the last Islamicate polity in the Iberian Peninsula. The Castilian conquest of Granada in 1492 brought significant changes to the area, with the construction of a Carthusian monastery and the transformation of the surrounding landscape, including changes in property structures, different agrarian regimes and the demolition of pre-existing structures. Among these transformations was the filling up of a well with construction materials, and its further use as a rubbish dump. This fill yielded an interesting and unique zooarchaeological assemblage, the study of which is presented here. The results advance our understanding of changing patterns in animal consumption during the formative transition from the Middle Ages to the Early Modern period at the heart of the former Nasrid Kingdom of Granada, and indicate the continuity of some Andalusi consumption patterns along with specialised production and distribution systems of meat products that have no archaeological precedent in the region, suggesting that the bones were dumped by a possible ‘Morisco’ community (autochthonous Muslims forced to convert to Christianity in 1502).Developed in the framework of the ‘Landscapes of (Re)Conquest’ Project funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (grant number AH/R013861/1)The archaeological excavation was funded by the Vicerretorado de Infraestructuras of the University of Granad

Geophysical survey at the frontier of medieval Iberia: the castles of Molina de Aragón and Atienza (Guadalajara, Spain)

This paper presents the results of geophysical surveys conducted within two castles in central Iberia; the fortifications of Molina de Aragón and Atienza, both located within the modern province of Guadalajara in Spain. They represent essential case studies for understanding the transformations of the frontier societies of medieval south-western Europe, since both were founded during the Andalusi period, both played a fundamental role at the time of the military confrontations between opposing Islamic and Christian states, and both became capitals within the feudal dependencies of the Crown of Castile during the Late Middle Ages. At present these castles are uninhabited and protected archaeological sites, with no modern developments within their wards; the adjacent towns have developed on the outskirts of their outer walls. Although both castles have been the focus of uneven amounts of archaeological research, geophysical surveys, the first conducted at these sites, have proved to be a fundamental tool not only for planning future archaeological investigations, but also for the data that they have provided on the potential roles of these castle wards

Applications of micromorphology to understanding activity areas and site formation processes in experimental hut floors

Experimental buildings at Butser Ancient Farm and St. Fagans (UK) and Lejre (Denmark) were sampled to investigate micromorphology of known activity areas, to contribute to our understanding of the internal use of space in excavated buildings and formation processes of house floor deposits. The experimental buildings provided important information relating to activity residues and sediments over the 16 years that the buildings were in use. Specifically, these results contribute to our understanding of the routes and cycles for transportation of materials in occupation contexts, which can be used to inform archaeological studies. It has been possible to identify internal ‘hot spots’ within the buildings for the deposition of activity residues and for the formation of specific deposit types. Analysis also highlighted postdepositional alterations occurring in internal occupation deposits, which has provided a means of identifying roofed and unroofed spaces in the archaeological record

Geophysical survey at the frontier of medieval Iberia: The castles of Molina de Aragon and Atienza (Guadalajara, Spain)

This paper presents the results of geophysical surveys conducted within two castles in central Iberia: the fortifications of Molina de Aragon and Atienza, both located within the modern province of Guadalajara in Spain. They represent essential case studies for understanding the transformations of the frontier societies of medieval south-western Europe, because both were founded during the Andalusi period, both played a fundamental role at the time of the military confrontations between oppos ing Islamic and Christian states, and both became capitals within the feudal depen dencies of the Crown of Castile during the Late Middle Ages. At present, these castles are uninhabited and protected archaeological sites, with no modern develop ments within their wards; the adjacent towns have developed on the outskirts of their outer walls. Although both castles have been the focus of uneven amounts of archaeological research, geophysical surveys, the first conducted at these sites, have proved to be a fundamental tool not only for planning future archaeological investi gations but also for the data that they have provided on the potential roles of these castle wards.School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science (SAGES) at the University of Reading. The geophysics surveys in Atienza and Molina were funded by the Society of Antiquaries of LondonThe Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)—Grant AH/R013861/1

Géoarchéologies des contextes urbains : mieux comprendre les modalités de l’artificialisation des géosystèmes

Geoarchaeological approaches to ancient urban con- texts focus on the study of the town as an artefact, and as an artificial and anthropogenic sedimentary basin. In such context the relationship between soci- eties and the geosystem generates diverse and dense pedo-sedimentary formations. The studied scales of such a complex socio-system encompass local geo- chemical substrate, artificial superficial formations, and relationship between town and hinterland. In the actual conditions of massive and accelerated artificialisation of spaces, the study of those systems can give new clues to better understand the Anthropocene. Different geoarchaeological approaches developed in Europe to study this hybrid urban object are exposed here. From the Iron Age to modern period, they deal with questions of pre-urban topography, social management of material flows, pollutions, occupation of spaces, stratigraphy, and taphonomy. The obtained results underline the diversity of the relations between societies and soils, rivers, hazards in a long-term co-construction of artificial urban systems, which are our heritage now