Woodlands, tree management, and fuel economy in Bronze Age eastern Crete: An anthracological approach

Abstract

Analyses of plant macro-remains have recently become important in assessing past landscapes, economy, and society in prehistoric Crete. The present study focuses on the anthracological datasets from Bronze Age sites in eastern Crete. The studied sites are all coastal settlements, namely Mochlos, Papadiokambos, Palaikastro and Chryssi island, located in different natural settings along the northern coast and off the southern coastline. They preserve Middle and Late Minoan phases of variable spatial organization and different socio-economic characteristics. Most of the studied wood charcoal assemblages originate from buildings without evidence of destruction by fire, thus representing firewood debris. The study, therefore, focuses on firewood procurement and consumption patterns. We assess the role of fuel and firewood in the economy as well as the nature of woodlands and their management by Bronze Age communities in eastern Crete. Diversity of woody vegetation types are documented in the different areas. Still, similar firewood provisioning trends are shared between the sites in east Crete, shifting from an important exploitation of wild woodlands in the Middle Minoan towards an intense use of olive management by-products as fuel during the Late Minoan, in accordance with the broader productive model. Firewood provisioning practices are defined for the islet of Chryssi during the Late Minoan related to their geographic and economic particularities.