During the Andalusí period (8th–12th centuries), the Upper Henares region functioned as a peripheral territory of the Marca Media, characterized by a peasant economy centered on the exploitation of salt, cereal, and livestock resources within a frontier context. This study presents the carpological and anthracological results of fruit remains from the sites of Bonilla (Olmeda de Jadraque), Atienza, and Molina de Aragón, revealing distinct strategies of plant exploitation, diet, and exchange closely tied to both settlement patterns and the role each site played within the territorial network.Bonilla, a rural settlement located on a mid-slope and associated with salt pans, exhibits the most taxonomically diverse assemblage, including chestnut, plum, and grapevine (Castanea sativa, Prunus domestica, and Vitis vinifera), reflecting a relatively heterogeneous subsistence economy. Atienza, as a regional hub of power and settlement, yields evidence of cherry/sour cherry, grapevine, and fig (Prunus avium/cerasus and Ficus carica), with archaeological contexts suggesting centralized storage dynamics linked to its higher rank in the territorial hierarchy. Finally, Molina de Aragón—another power center in its area—displays a taxonomic record represented exclusively by grapevine, indicating specialized production and storage strategies distinct from the other settlements. The presence of grapevine as the only fruit taxon shared across all three sites underscores its pivotal role in peasant subsistence strategies, serving as a structural element that transcends functional and hierarchical differences between settlements. Overall, this work integrates archaeobotanical findings into broader historical debates concerning the organization of Andalusian rural settlement, the relationships between peasant communities and power centers, and the economic dynamics of a frontier region still poorly understood from an archaeobotanical perspective.
- Fruticultura andalusí en el Alto Henares (ss. VIII-XII): lectura arqueobotánica de las estrategias económicas en los yacimientos Bonilla, Atienza y Molina de Aragón
- Nicolás Losilla - Universidad de GranadaRodrigo Suárez Pinto - Universidad de GranadaMarie Larrieu - Université de Montpellier, ISEM - Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution - MontpellierJakez Moreau - Université de Montpellier, ISEM - Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution - MontpellierSergio Adamuz - Universidad de GranadaJuan Manuel Gutiérrez Andrades - Universidad de GranadaJérôme Ros - Université de Montpellier, ISEM - Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution - MontpellierGuillermo García-Contreras - Universidad de Granada
- Journée d’étude internationale "Cultivo, Poda y Dieta. Una lectura arqueobotánica de los frutales medievales" (Casa de Velazquez, Madrid, Spain, 19/05/2026–19/05/2026)
- 99243509709311
- ISEM - Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution - Montpellier
- Spanish
- Conference proceeding
- halshs-05628074