Plant economy and woodland use in the Roman province Moesia Inferior during the 2nd to 3rd century ce: archaeobotanical perspectives from Tash Bair, Site 2 (northern Bulgaria) and its wider region

Archaeobotanical analyses of sites in the Roman province Moesia Inferior have largely focused on urban centres and military camps. Despite rural sites forming the basis of plant economies and plant-based food supplies, they have mostly been neglected by archaeobotanical research in this region. To fill this gap, this study provides qualitative and quantitative analyses of a large quantity of well-preserved charred plant remains uncovered at the rural Roman site “Tash Bair, Site 2” (TBS2), located in present-day northern Bulgaria and dating to the end of the 2nd and beginning of the 3rd century ce. Carpological analysis revealed over 110 taxa, with a particular predominance of grassland and ruderal vegetation, accounting for around 60% of the assemblage’s taxonomic diversity. Free-threshing wheat (Triticum aestivum s.l./durum/turgidum) was the main staple crop, accompanied by millets (Panicum miliaceum, cf. Setaria spec.) and hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare) as well as pulses like lentil (Lens culinaris) and common pea (Pisum sativum). The anthracological analysis points towards the strong anthropogenic reduction of oak forests. Secondary and riparian vegetation dominated by hornbeam (Carpinus/Ostrya) and elm (Ulmus) respectively were predominantly recovered from fuel- and potentially construction wood samples. The results of this study were compared with those from other archaeological sites in the region, including Roman military camps, urban centres, and a Hellenistic pit field. This contributes to a broader understanding of the economic strategies employed in the Roman province of Moesia Inferior.