Vincent Lebreton

Early oleiculture or native wild Olea in eastern Maghreb: new pollen data from the sebkha-lagoon Halk el Menjel (Hergla, Central Tunisia)

Abstract Pollen analyses from the sebkha-lagoon Halk El Menjel document the vegetation history in Central Tunisia, linked to climate change since the Middle Holocene. Steppes are the main biomes developed under semi-arid conditions between 4965 ± 35 and 3410 ± 40 BP. At 4365 ± 50 BP Pistacia is replaced by Olea and high representation of Olea pollen grains are reported between 4365 ± 50 and 3410 ± 40 BP, illustrating a humid episode at the Mid-to-Late Holocene transition. Thus, the semi-arid area of Central Tunisia could correspond to the native biome for oleasters at the beginning of the Late Holocene. Early olive cultivation is not yet evidenced in the Neolithic sites of the eastern Maghreb, and the Phoenicians are assumed to have introduced olive cultivars in Tunisia. However, an early cultivation of Olea from local native oleaster and dissemination of native cultivars in Central Tunisia can be hypothesised even if it has to be still demonstrated with further archaeological and archaeobotanical evidences.

First results of archaeobotanical analysis from Neolithic layers of Buran Kaya IV (Crimea, Ukraine)

Abstract This paper contributes to understand the palaeoenvironment and the exploitation of vegetal resources during the Mid-Holocene in the southern Crimean Mountains. To address these questions, we apply a multi-proxy approach based on charcoal, seeds/fruits and phytoliths analyses from Neolithic layers (5800–5300 cal BC) of Buran-Kaya IV, a rock-shelter located in the south of Crimean Peninsula. Charcoal analysis shows that the Neolithic groups have exploited the Quercus petraeae forest belt composed mainly of Quercus, Carpinus and Acer. The identification of Fagus and a fragment of gymnosperm, which developed in upland areas, suggests the mobility of inhabitants of BK IV. According seed and phytolith analyses, it is more likely that the Neolithic groups did not practice agriculture on the site, and that their diet was not based on crop production. Furthermore, considering the probable absence of domestic animals in the layer 2, the economy may essentially be based on hunting-gathering at Buran Kaya IV.

The Holocene history of low altitude Mediterranean Fagus sylvatica forests in southern France

Co-ordinating Editor: Thomas Giesecke Abstract Questions: As the dominant tree in many European forests, Fagus sylvatica functions as an ecosystem engineer, yet its istory remains little understood. Here we ask: (a) are there indications for its presence in southeast France during the last Glacial period; (b) what was the timing of the expansion and decline of F. sylvatica dominated forests; (c) which factors influenced their dynamics and in particular to what extent did past precipitation changes impact upon them; and (d) at which altitudes did these beech forests occur within the region? Location: Languedoc, the French Mediterranean area. Method: This article presents a well dated and highresolution pollen sequence covering the last 7,800 years from the Palavas Lagoon in the Languedoc together with a review of Fagus charcoal occurrences in the Languedoc and the lower Rhône Valley, and a review of pollen data from a compilation of 69 sites in southeast France. Results: The Palavas pollen sequence provides a regional summary of F. sylvatica abundance changes near the Mediterranean coast. Around 6,000 years cal BP, an abrupt transition from small beech populations to welldeveloped forests is recorded. The maximum development of beech forests occurred between 4,000 and 3,000 years cal BP, while F. sylvatica started to regress after 3,000 years cal BP. Conclusion: Scattered F. sylvatica populations probably survived throughout southern France during the last Glacial period. F. sylvatica started to spread around 8,000 years cal BP while beech forests never expanded before 6,000 years cal BP. The complex patterns of F. sylvatica expansion in southern France after 6,000 years cal BP suggests that a combination of global (climate change) and local (human impact) factors were responsible for this major change. Recurrent abrupt climate changes, the aridity trend and human deforestation caused beech forests to decline after 3,000 years cal BP.

Pollen-Based Landscape Reconstruction and Land-Use History Since 6000 BC along the Margins of the Southern Tunisian Desert

In south-eastern Tunisia, the role of human societies in current desert margin degradation is assumed to have involved the modification of woodland vegetation over the past 2000 years, leading to the current sparse herbaceous vegetation. In this paper, we present key results of a study based on a new multiproxy record (14C dates, pollen and clay mineralogy) from Sebkha Boujmel, Tunisia which reconstructs climate and human/landscape interactions over the past eight millennia. These new data emphasize the central role played by a Middle- to Late Holocene climate aridity trend that shaped landscapes by driving a gradual decline of Mediterranean woodland vegetation and the establishment of present-day semi-desert landscapes. The anthropogenic impacts of Neolithic pastoral societies remained limited, however human-mediated environmental change became more pronounced during the historical period and took place in a herbaceous landscape through agricultural activities during the Carthaginian-Roman periods. An abrupt environmental change is recorded during the 20th century. This significant change was related to socio-economic modifications in the way of life of the local populations, leading to over-exploitation of limited and fragile arid land resources through intensive agriculture and pastoral activities. Overall, the Holocene landscape history of southern Tunisia highlights the fragility of desert margins to both climate change and human impacts. The latter seems relatively limited during periods of pastoral subsistence characterized by high levels of mobility. However, sedentism associated with intensive grazing and agriculture has disrupted the delicate human/landscape equilibrium. These results highlight the importance of: (i) the socio-economic organization of the population; and (ii) historical events, in the exploitation and shaping of the landscape, while a direct link between climate and human activities is not evident.

Analyses polliniques en contexte anthropisé : le cas du site holocène SHM-1 (Hergla, Tunisie centrale)

Palynological samples collected in the stratigraphic layers and in a human burial from the SHM-1 early-middle Holocene site in Central-Eastern Tunisia are studied. A particular attention is given to the pollen taphonomy. The pollen spectra from SHM-1, though revealing strong alterations, deliver some interesting palaeoecological and palaeoethnobotanical information. Resume Des echantillons palynologiques preleves dans les niveaux stratigraphiques et dans une sepulture humaine sur le site de l’Holocene ancien-moyen SHM-1 en Tunisie centre-orientale sont etudies. Une attention particuliere est portee a la taphonomie du materiel sporopollinique. Les spectres polliniques de SHM-1, tout en temoignant de fortes alterations, offrent des donnees paleoecologiques et palethnobotaniques interessantes.