Dendroarchaeological contributions to the history of forest exploitation: the case of the Gallo-roman settlement of Oedenburg (Alsace, France) between 10 AD and 180 AD

International audienceDendro-archaeological contribution to the history of forest exploitation. The case of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Oedenburg (Alsace, France) between 10 and 180 AD summary Dendrochronology has never been considered as simply a dating tool. In addition to the dates, which are always based on a regional scale signal, tree-ring series can provide information about forest structure and woodland development. Our study of the settlement of Oedenburg, established in the Rhine Limes of the Roman Empire, was conducted within this framework. The dated series provide a description of some structural aspects of oak-stands that were exploited for construction. In this aim, the analytic tools employed are "age trend patterns" and series classification or dendro-typology. The archaeological series were also compared to modern forest characteristics. Throughout the chronology, woodland development appears dominated by two stages. The first is oak tree harvest. We observe that (1) series patterns from a single archaeological structure are more similar than between structures, and (2) wide tree rings are present during the juvenile phase. These rings are wider than those observed consecutively in modern logging. The effect of oak tree harvesting is local high-forest clearing. During the second stage, the high forest is in the process of recovery. After a few years of aging, Gallo-Roman oak ring width becomes sharply inferior to that observed in the actual forest. This can be explained by the high degree of competition between trees due to a poor thinning grade during recovery. Within the chronology, stands were first exploited using a harvest and recovery system; second, supply may have focused Key words forest structure / Gallo-Roman logging / dendro-typology / age growth trend / Quercus sp. on preserved trees; and third, the regeneration rate was respected , but harvest age was lowered, resulting in stronger thinning of a stand, although they appear denser than present day managed high forests