Abstract:

BOTANICAL DATA FROM EXCAVATIONS are one of several sources of evidence that can be brought to bear on studies of medieval agriculture, food, diet, trade and environment. Reliable reconstructions of these aspects of medieval life are dependent on the quality of the datasets currently available for study. Here these are assessed and lacunae highlighted. The focus lies on sites where macro-remains of food and agricultural products have been found (eg seeds, grains, chaff and fruit stones). The research has raised several areas of concern, some of which relate to changes in the funding of archaeological projects since 1990 (the rise of development-led archaeology). Research priorities are formulated and suggestions for good practice recommended. The first author would like to thank both the Leverhulme Trust for a Major Research Fellowship and the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study for a NIAS Fellowship during which this project was researched and completed. The Leverhulme Trust Fellowship also funded Alistair Hill, while an early stage of data collection was conducted with the help of a grant from the Natural Environment Research Council, which funded Alexandra Livarda. Neil Christie, Helena Hamerow and Deirdre O’Sullivan kindly offered assistance with the site classifications, phasing, and information about particular sites, Allan Hall made available up-to-date lists of references from the Environmental Archaeology Bibliography and generously provided detailed species lists for many of the projects of the Environmental Archaeology Unit at York, while Niven Moledina tirelessly assisted with the structure and subsequent querying of the dataset. Many colleagues have helped by sending references, reports and information on phasing of the samples, including Rachel Ballantyne, Gill Campbell, Wendy Carruthers, Astrid Caseldine, Anne Davis, Val Fryer, John Giorgi, Frank Green, James Greig, Jacqui Huntley, Julie Jones, Lisa Moffett, Angela Monckton, Peter Murphy, Ruth Pelling, Liz Popescu and Gabor Thomas. Figures 3–6 were drawn up by Alistair Hill, with assistance from Matt Beamish, Jennifer Dickie and Debbie Miles-Williams. Richard Buckley, Wendy Carruthers, Neil Christie, Allan Hall, Ruth Pelling and Deirdre O’Sullivan offered helpful insights during discussions and/or when commenting on earlier drafts.