Prehistoric to Medieval Woodland Management and Agriculture in the Westernmost Carpathian Basin and the Surrounding Northern Dinaric Karst: A Case Study of Archaeobotanical Analyses from the Multiperiod Site at the Obrežje International Border Crossing

Fruits/seeds and wood (charcoal) remains accumulated in archaeological deposits provide a valuable tool for reconstruction of past vegetation and its use. They can offer evidence complementary to pollen analysis or be the main source on past vegetation in areas where no pollen preservation is available. The study assembles seeds/fruits and charcoal evidence from the multiperiod site at the Obrežje, international border crossing between Slovenia and Croatia, in the immediate vicinity of the Gorjanci hills of the northern Dinaric Karst. The evidence is presented in the archaeological and archaeobotanical contexts of the region. The data is interpreted in terms of land use related to woodland management and exploitation of woodland resources during three chronological phases: the Late Bronze Age (cemetery and associated settlement foci), the Early Roman period (Middle Augustan vexillation fortress, small 1st-century rural settlement (farmstead) and associated cemetery) and Late Medieval period (settlement). The main vegetation type targeted by prehistoric population was thermophilous, mixed deciduous oak communities, which contained diverse undergrowth of fruit/nut bearing trees, shrubs and herbs. Those plant communities were the major source of fuel wood and gathered fruits/nuts. Agriculture is evidenced as well, with at least 11 cultural and some weed taxa together with some imported fruits from the Mediterranean (peach and possibly grape).