Description
Book SynopsisThis wide-ranging study uses historical and archaeological evidence to consider humanity's interactions with the environment, fashioning agricultural, gardening and horticultural regimes over a millennium and a half. The discussions of archaeological finds of seeds from discarded rubbish including animal fodder and bedding show the wide range of wild species present, as well as cultivated and gathered plants in the diet of inhabitants and livestock. Pollen analyses, and studies of wood, mosses, and beetles, alongside a look at the local natural environment, and comparison with medieval written records give us a tantalizing picture of early Winchester. The earliest record is by Ælfric of Eynsham in his 11th-century
Nomina Herbarum. From medieval records come hints of gardens within the city walls, and considerable detail about agriculture and horticulture, and produce brought into the city. Wild fruit and nuts were also being gathered from the countryside for the town’s markets and mills. At St Giles’ Fair exotic imported spices and fruits were also sold. All these sources of evidence are brought together to reveal more fully the roles of agriculture and the environment in the development of Winchester.
Trade Review'This is a comprehensive study of organic remains from important Romano-British, Anglo-Saxon, and later medieval archaeological sites in Winchester. Most usefully the archaeobotanical data, which were collected in the 1960–80s, have been integrated with documentary and historical evidence thereby enabling a better understanding of the development of the early historic city.' – Keith Wilkinson, Professor of Geoarchaeology and Director of ARCA, University of Winchester
‘This tenth volume of the Winchester Studies series focuses on the environmental and historical evidence for food consumption in Winchester itself and for agricultural production and local vegetation in its immediate environs. The archaeological data presented here derive from excavations within the walled city between 1961 and 1971, and cover the early Roman to Late Middle Ages. It is a well-produced volume, with the text divided into three parts, outlined below, followed by a concordance of samples, a general index and an index of plant and insect names.’ – Marijke Van Der Veen (2023): Medieval Archaeology Volume 67, Issue 2
Table of ContentsPreface ;
I: Introduction and Environment ;
1. Introduction –
Martin Biddle, Jane M. Renfrew with contributions by Francis J. Green and Patrick Ottaway ;
2. The Natural Environment of the Winchester Region –
Jane M. Renfrew and Patrick Ottaway ;
II: The Written Evidence ;
3. Aelfric's Nomina Herbarum and the Plant Remains from Anglo-Saxon Winchester –
Debby Banham ;
4. Agriculture and the Use of Plants in Medieval Winchester: the Documentary Evidence –
Derek J. Keene ;
5. Gardens in Medieval and Later Winchester: the Castle, Wolvesey Palace and Eastgate House –
Beatrice Clayre and Martin Biddle ;
6. Field Crops and their Cultivation in Hampshire, 1200-1350, in the Light of Documentary Evidence –
Jan Z. Titow ;
III: The Archaeological Evidence ;
7. Pollen Analysis of Archaeological Deposits in Winchester –
Erwin Isenberg and Jane M. Renfrew ;
8. The Identification and Utilization of Wood in Early Winchester –
Suzanne Keene ;
9. The Roman Plant Remains –
Peter Murphy ;
10. The Plant Economy and Vegetation of Anglo-Saxon Winchester –
Michael Monk ;
11. Plant Remains and Agriculture in Norman and Later Medieval Winchester –
Francis J. Green ;
12. Roman and Post-Roman Moss from Lower Brook Street Moss –
Dorian Williams and Jane M. Renfrew ;
13. Insect Fauna from Lower Brook Street –
Peter J. Osborne ;
14. Conclusion –
Patrick Ottaway ;
Concordance of Samples ;
Index 1: General Index ;
Index 2: Insects and Plants
