The late Holocene history of cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.) in the Italian peninsula: New perspectives from archaeobotanical data

Abstract

The objective of this research is to reconstruct the recent Holocene history of Cupressus sempervirens from the Bronze to the Roman Age in Italy. Our work consisted both in a review of published data and in the identification of novel archaeobotanical remains stored in the deposits of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and of the Archaeological Park of Pompeii. The literature permitted to collect information linked to different plant remain typologies of the Italian cypress; 362 botanical remains were counted, of which 292 were from the Vesuvian area and 70 from other archaeological sites of the central and western Mediterranean. Data chronology spans from the second century BC to the AD fifth century for the archaeological area of ancient Campania and from the 14th century BC to the AD fourth century for the sites located in different regions. It is clear that the ‘cypress culture’ is confirmed by the archaeobotanical data found in the Roman world. Romans especially appreciated its timber but cypress was also used for many other purposes. Furthermore, the employment of timber for wells was documented in pre-Roman sites and the presence of fruits/seeds in central Italy confirms its importance also in the Bronze Age.

Recent History, Use and Forgetfulness of the Cypress Forest of Fontegreca (Southern Italy)

“…The archpriest of the Cathedral of Isernia, in the work "Memoria historica del Sannio" [70], is the first to unearth and describe the forest as a private high stand that managed to produce planks and beams thanks to the technological properties of the wood. Historically, since the pre-Roman times [28], in the Mediterranean area, cypress stands were considered a valid resource for its physical and mechanical wood properties [77,78]. This means that, by the middle of the 17th century, this forest was used for timber production.…”

“…In the recent Holocene, the Italian cypress was cultivated in many countries around the Mediterranean Sea [27]. In the Italian peninsula, the high abundance and heterogeneity of the botanical remains of C. sempervirens (wood, charcoals and cones) found during the archaeological excavations conducted in the Vesuvian area confirmed the presence of a varied use of this species and of its precious and highly appreciated timber during the Roman period [28].…”

“…In particular, the finding of a plantation of cypress in the ancient Campania suggests the intention of local populations of producing structural timber of the highest quality [28,29]. Interestingly, the ancient Romans gave a high economic value to cypress plantations and considered the cypress wood of thirteen years old as "dowry of the daughter" [30].…”

“…The widespread use of this species during the Roman period provides us with indications on the in-depth knowledge, by the local population, of the technological properties of cypress wood, such as its resistance to fungi and insects [31]. Archaeobotanical data suggest that these characteristics were also well-known in pre-Roman populations of a large area of the Italian peninsula; indeed, during the sixth and fifth centuries BC, the cypress was used as a coating for the wells [32,33], and, before then, the presence of cones and seeds in Bronze Age sites of Central Italy [34] suggests that the Italian cypress was, also, previously used in the Italian peninsula [28].…”