The Middle Ages in pollen-analytical research on the territory of the Czech Republic Vlasta Jankovská Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Lidická 25/27, 602 00 BRNO, Czech Republic vlasta.jankovska@ibot.cas.cz This research was supported by the grant 206/09/1564 of the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic and research plan AV0Z 60050516. This lecture presents an orientation survey of mostly own results of pollen analyses of samples of medieval ages from archaeological situations in the Czech Republic. The aim of several-years cooperation with archaeologists was to find out whether and in what extent the results of pollen analyses are able to specify more exactly the outcomes of archaeological research. Pollen-analytical research in the Czech Republic, which is made specific for archaeologists, have not a longer tradition. On the contrary the intensive cooperation of specialists in macroremains-analyses with archaeologists enjoys a longer tradition (dr. E. Opravil, dr.V.Čulíková, ing.E.Hajnalová et others). Fig 1 - Map This map shows survey of localities with my own pollen-analytical research (exception Pohansko). Only some results were publicated – sorry! As an example of pollen-analytical research, the pollen diagram from the town Most (NW part of the Czech Republic – Bohemia) is presented. The medieval town Most was destroyed by mining of brown coal. Alluvial deposits of the small river Bílina from the centre of „old“ town Most provided pollen-analytical information about the environment of this town in Early and High Middle Ages. Most1%2011 Most2%2011 Most3 4%_2011 As an example of pollen-analytical research from the Early Middle Ages (8-9.century) serves pollen diagram from Prague, locality Mostecká cesta. It is localizated on the left bank of Vltava river, not far from Prague Castle. All samples were taken on this locality, but in different places (not continuous profile). Mostecká cesta 1 Mostecká cesta 2 Mostecká cesta 3 Prague – Náměstí republiky: List of found pollen grains, spores and NPP taxons (mainly High and Late Middle Ages) Myrtus typ_Praha_Karl Myrtus type, Praha, Karlovo náměstí Osmunda typ_Most2 Osmunda typ_Most Adianthum type, Most Vitis_Praha_nam Vitis, Praha Náměstí Republiky Myrtus typ_Nymburk Myrtus typ_Praha_Vc Myrtus typ_Praha_Vc Myrtus_Prachatice Myrtus_Prachatice2 Myrtus type Nymburk Praha, Václavské náměstí Prachatice Borago_Praha_Vc Borago_Praha_Vc Borago officinalis, Praha, Václavské náměstí Calluna Calluna, Praha Myrta typ, opava, Drůbeží trh 1 Myrta typ, opava, Drůbeží trh 2 Myrtus type Opava, Drůbeží trh Loranthus, Prachatice Loranthus Prachatice Fagopyrum_ Karl Fagopyrum_ Karl Fagopyrum_ Opava_Drub Fagopyrum_ Opava_Drub Fagopyrum_ Opava_Drub Fagopyrum_ Praha_nam Fagopyrum_ Praha_nam Fagopyrum cf. esculentum Praha, Karlovo náměstí Chotěbuz Praha, Náměstí Republiky Opava, Drůbeží trh Fagopyrum_ Praha_nam Fagopyrum_ Praha_nam Praha, Náměstí Republiky CH_60_Mir Fagopyrum Fagopyrum CH – 60 cm - Mir. CH_60_Mir_Fagopyrum Fagopyrum CH – 60 cm - Mir. Centaurea cyanus_Opava2 Centaurea cyanus_Opava3 Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Centaurea cyanus_Opava Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Centaurea cyanus Praha, Náměstí Republiky Centaurea cyanus_Praha_Vc Centaurea cyanus_Praha_Vc Praha, Václavské náměstí Centaurea cyanus_Praha_Vc Centaurea cyanus a ZOO Centaurea cyanus and ZOO Praha, Náměstí Republiky Centaurea cyanus_Praha_nam Ambrosia_Krkonoše2 Ambrosia_Krkonoše3 Ambrosia_Krkonoše Ambrosia_Tatry Ambrosia cf. artemisifolia Vysoké Tatry, SK (long distance transport 2007) Krkonoše, CZ (long distance transport 2007) CH_60_Mir Ambrosia-Xanthium a Chotěbuz, 60 cm Xanthium_Most Xanthium cf. strumarium, Most Ambrosia cf. artemisifolia Secale Triticum typ_Most Triticum_Most_Hrdl Cultivated plants Secale, Praha Triticum type, Most Pisum_Prachatice cf. Pisum, Prachatice Vicia sativa typ_Prachatice Vicia cf. sativa, Prachatice CH_60_Mir Triticum type Triticum type, Chotěbuz, 60 cm Vicia typ_Praha_nam Vicia cf. sativa, Praha, Náměstí republiky Pisum_Praha_nam cf. Pisum, Praha, Náměstí republiky CH_P10a_P14 Fagopyrum Fagopyrum, Chotěbuz, P 10 Chenopodiaceae_Praha_nam Chenopodiaceae, Praha, Náměstí Republiky Lilium typ_Praha_nam Lilium type, Praha, Náměstí Republiky Polygonum convolvulus_Most Polygonum convolvulus, Most CH_60_Mir Cerastium type Cerastium type Chotěbuz, 60 cm CH_60_Mir Polygonum persicaria type Polygonum persicaria type Chotěbuz, 60 cm CH_60_mir Scleranthus annuus Scleranthus annuus Chotěbuz, 60 cm Consolida typ_ Z 06076 Consolida typ_Praha, Náměstí Republiky Mercurialis annua_Praha_Náměstí Republiky Mercurialis annua? Praha, Náměstí Republiky Nigella type, Praha, Náměstí Republiky Cerinthe type, Praha, Václavské náměstí Cerinthe, Praha, Václavské náměstí Plantago lanceolata, České Budějovice Plantago lanceolata, České Budějovice Rhinanthus type, Praha, Václavské náměstí2 Rhinanthus type, Praha, Václavské náměstí Agrostemma_Opava_Drub Calystegia_Praha_nam Calystegia, Praha, Náměstí Republiky Convolvulus, Praha, Náměstí Republiky Convolvulus arvensis_Most Convolvulus arvensis, Most XX Agrostemma type, Opava, Drůbeží trh Convolvulus_Praha_Náměstí Republiky CH 60_cm_Mir -Anthoceros punvtatus CH 60_cm_Mir_a -Anthoceros punvtatus CH_60_Mir Anthoceros laevis CH_P10-P14_Anthocerus punctatus a Anthoceros punctatus Anthoceros laevis Chotěbuz, 60 cm Chotěbuz, 60 cm Chotěbuz, P10 Anthoceros laevis_Prachatice Prachatice Anthocerus punctatus_Vlkaneč Vlkaneč – from clay-brick Chotěbuz, 60 cm Anthoceros punctatus Ascaris_Opava_Drub Centaurea cyanus a Trichuris_Opava Trichuris a Ascaris_Opava Trichuris_Brno_Dornych Ascaris cf. lubricides, Opava, Drůbeží trh Trichuris cf. trichiura, Brno, Dornych Centaurea cyanus and Trichuris, Opava Trichuris and Ascaris, Opava Vermes Vermes_Brno_Dornych Vermes? Brno, Dornych Trichuris_Nymburk Trichuris trichiura_Praha Trichuris cf. trichiura Praha Ascaris Ascaris_Kadan Ascaris, Kadaň Trichuris cf. trichiura Nymburk Vermes Vermes XY_nam ZOO_Brno_Dornych ZOO_Praha_nam ZOO_Praha_nam ZOO_Praha_nam Non-Pollen-Palynomorphs ZOO?, Brno, Dornych ZOO?, Praha, Náměstí Republiky ZOO?, Praha, Náměstí Republiky Vermes_Krkonoše2 Vermes_Krkonoše Vermes? Krkonoše (long distance transport 2007) CONCLUSION The following was determined: 1 – Pollen and other palynomorphes do occur in the fill of different archaeological structures – it means – in cesspits of various function, in wells, cisterns, water ditches, ponds and soil layers of the medieval ages. 2 – It is possible to provide palaeoreconstruction of the environment for Middle Ages on the basis of pollen-analytical research when we have quantitative and qualitative enough pollen-analytical informations. 3 – Thanks to big number of pollen-analytical results from Middle Ages it was possible to distinguish pollen spectra of Early and High Middle Ages – specially from the large medieval towns. 4 – Interesting informations about the history of some plants serve botanists like as information about finds of intestinal parasites serve zoologists. 5 – For historians and other specialists are interesting of course pollen-analytical informations about origin and function some mysterious structures (e.g. Kounovské řady – Raw), like a results of pollen analyses of dust from old medieval books. 6 – Final conclusion: results of pollen analyses are usefull for many specialists of biotic and abiotic disciplins. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Fagopyrum_%D0%B3%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%B0.j pg CH_P10a_P14 Fagopyrum Fagopyrum tataricum - Kops.jpg Tafel_595_01_Stamp.jpg (8046 Byte) Centaurea cyanus a Trichuris_Opava Trichuris a Ascaris_Opava Thank you for your attention!