Palynology research of water reservoirs of later mediaeval and post-mediaeval deserted villages in West Bohemia, Czech Republic

This paper presents palynological research of sediments in artificial water reservoirs from deserted later mediaeval villages in the Pilsen Region, Czech Republic. Coring and test-pitting of these features have shown that in some cases, their preserved fills are formed by wet sediments providing the ideal conditions for paleoecological record. Pollen profile analysis from four sites has allowed us to reconstruct the natural environment of mediaeval villages in order to asses land use and human impact on vegetation. Pollen data also recorded forest succession following the desertion of the settlement, vegetation succession and changes in forest management in the Modern Era based on spruce cultivation. In one case, the pollen profile reflects the subsequent reestablishment of the village in the post-mediaeval period and its final abandonment during the Thirty Years’ War