Evidence of woodland management at the Eneolithic pile dwellings (3700–2400 BCE) in the Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia?

Out, Welmoed A. (author), Hänninen, Kirsti (author), Merela, Maks (author), Velušček, Anton (author), Vermeeren, Caroline (author), Čufar, Katarina (author)

It is assumed that people practiced woodland management, i.e., coppicing and pollarding, in prehistory, but details are poorly known. This study aims for a better understanding of woodland exploitation through time in the wetland basin of the Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia, from 3700–2400 BCE (Before Common Era). To do so, uncarbonized, waterlogged wood from 16 Eneolithic pile dwellings situated in two geographical clusters that cover a time span of c. 1300 years were subjected to age/diameter analysis. It is the first time that age/diameter analysis has been applied to multiple sites from the same region. The investigated posts represent a wide range of taxa, but oak (Quercus sp.) and ash (Fraxinus sp.) represent 75% of the total, indicating selective use of wood for this purpose. Diameter selection of ash may have taken place as well. At both site clusters, the age/diameter data do not reveal any unequivocal evidence for woodland management. Only at the youngest sites do the data possibly show some gradually changing practices. The outcomes are discussed within the framework of recent discussions about woodland management in Europe.

• Language: English
• Keywords: Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia, pile dwellings, Eneolithic, dendroarchaeology, woodland management, coppicing and pollarding, age/diameter analysis
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 07.01.2023
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 19 str. (291)
• Numbering: Vol. 12, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-143707
• UDC: 630*8
• ISSN on article: 2223-7747
• DOI: 10.3390/plants12020291
• COBISS.SI-ID: 136903171

Note

Underlying data for this article is available at / Sklop podatkov, obravnavanih v članku, je dostopen na https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?id=142470

• Publication date in RUL: 10.01.2023
• Collection: This document is a collection and includes 1 document.

OUT, Welmoed A., HÄNNINEN, Kirsti, MERELA, Maks, VELUŠČEK, Anton, VERMEEREN, Caroline and ČUFAR, Katarina, 2023, Evidence of woodland management at the Eneolithic pile dwellings (3700–2400 BCE) in the Ljubljansko barje, Slovenia? Plants [online]. 2023. Vol. 12, no. 2. [Accessed 19 May 2025]. DOI 10.3390/plants12020291. Retrieved from: https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/IzpisGradiva.php?lang=eng&id=143707

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Plants
• Shortened title: Plants
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2223-7747
• COBISS.SI-ID: 523345433

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Ljubljansko barje, Slovenija, kolišča, eneolitik, dendroarheologija, gospodarjenje z gozdom, panjevec, obrezovanje, analiza starost/premer

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0015
• Name: Les in lignocelulozni kompoziti

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P6-0064
• Name: Arheološke raziskave