The Environment and its Exploitation Along the Lower Scheldt River During the Roman Period (Wichelen, Belgium – Late 1st to 3rd Centuries AD)

Meylemans, Erwin; Bastiaens, Jan; Bogemans, Frieda; Clerbaut, Tim; Debruyne, Sofie; Deforce, Koen; Ervynck, Anton; Lentacker, An; Perdaen, Yves; Storme, Annelies; Vanholme, Nele; Neer, Wim Van

doi:10.1080/14614103.2022.2108305

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 42 publications

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“…However, a decrease in woodland was expected in this layer since the Romans had a significant impact on the forests (Meylemans et al . 2022). Large areas were deforested as a result of population and economic growth, with the need for additional arable land and pasture, as well as the supply of firewood and construction timber (Haneca et al .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Roman to medieval landscape transformation at Aardenburg (southern The Netherlands) based on palynology and diatom analysis

André,

de Ruijsscher,

De Clercq

et al. 2023

Boreas

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The region of Bruges (Flanders, Belgium) was an economic and cultural centre during the Late Middle Ages because it was connected to the North Sea via a large tidal inlet called the Zwin, along which smaller towns developed. One of these towns was Aardenburg (Zeeland, The Netherlands), which developed from a Roman castellum to become one of the important medieval towns in the hinterland of Bruges. Unfortunately, archaeological, historical and (palaeo)environmental data about the Roman to medieval evolution of the Zwin area are scarce. However, the continuous occupation of Aardenburg during the first millennium AD and its location on a Pleistocene sand ridge bordering the coastal plain provide a unique opportunity to investigate the natural dynamics of the coastal evolution and the interplay with the human impact that shaped the Zwin region before its heyday. The variable character of the depositional environments on the dynamic coastal plain makes local environmental studies essential for understanding larger patterns, which were previously reduced to a simplistic outdated model over the entire region. Palynological and diatom assemblages of two sequences in Aardenburg allow the reconstruction of the terrestrial and aquatic palaeoenvironments from the Middle Holocene to the high Middle Ages. The results reveal landscape evolution in relation to woodlands, peat bogs, coastal environments and human presence, consistent with previous regional landscape evolution. A distinct increase in marine influence during the Roman and early medieval periods, when human activities played a significant role, was followed by an increase in inland indicators from the high medieval period onwards. This evolution is in accordance with the expansion of the town and the reclamation of the coastal landscape as it evolved to become a cultural centre in the Late Middle Ages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Roman to medieval landscape transformation at Aardenburg (southern The Netherlands) based on palynology and diatom analysis

André,

de Ruijsscher,

De Clercq

et al. 2023

Boreas

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Een midden-Romeinse rurale site in de Sigma zone Wijmeers 2 (Schellebelle, Oost-Vlaanderen)

Meylemans,

Perdaen,

Vanholme

et al. 2024

Onderzoeksrapporten Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed

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The Environment and its Exploitation Along the Lower Scheldt River During the Roman Period (Wichelen, Belgium – Late 1st to 3rd Centuries AD)

Cited by 2 publications

References 42 publications

The Roman to medieval landscape transformation at Aardenburg (southern The Netherlands) based on palynology and diatom analysis

The Roman to medieval landscape transformation at Aardenburg (southern The Netherlands) based on palynology and diatom analysis

Een midden-Romeinse rurale site in de Sigma zone Wijmeers 2 (Schellebelle, Oost-Vlaanderen)

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The Environment and its Exploitation Along the Lower Scheldt River During the Roman Period (Wichelen, Belgium – Late 1st to 3rd Centuries AD)

Cited by 2 publications

References 42 publications

The Roman to medieval landscape transformation at Aardenburg (southern The Netherlands) based on palynology and diatom analysis

The Roman to medieval landscape transformation at Aardenburg (southern The Netherlands) based on palynology and diatom analysis

Een midden-Romeinse rurale site in de Sigma zone Wijmeers 2 (Schellebelle, Oost-Vlaanderen)

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Een midden-Romeinse rurale site in de Sigma zone Wijmeers 2 (Schellebelle, Oost-Vlaanderen)