Résumé
An “Agricultural Revolution”: this is the phrase that recurs throughout the literature on medieval agriculture in the Western world. A transformation so profound that it is said to have reshaped agricultural production, farming practices, and even the very structure of cultivated landscapes. Whether in Christian or Muslim contexts, through the writings of G. Duby or A. M. Watson, the term has taken root: “revolution.” But how accurate is this claim?Over the past fifteen years, my research has sought to document the dynamics of agrarian systems and Mediterranean woodlands in the Western Mediterranean, in connection with the social, economic, and environmental transformations that unfolded throughout historical periods. At the core of this inquiry lies not only the question of change, but also that of persistence: throughout the Middle Ages, what elements remained constant? Did one system replace another entirely? And when transformations did occur, what were their underlying drivers?Following a doctoral dissertation focused on a small region analyzed through a diachronic lens, my work has progressively expanded to a broader geographic scope, encompassing much of the Western Mediterranean (southern France, Spain, and Morocco). The goal: to trace the evolution of agrarian systems and forested landscapes across the medieval millennium. Characterizing these past dynamics has required the development of sometimes complex methodologies, and, whenever possible, the integration of cross-disciplinary approaches—including archaeology, bioarchaeology, morphometry, biogeochemistry, and history—capable of capturing, with precision, the diversity of cultivated and consumed plant species, the agricultural techniques applied, and the condition of exploited landscapes. This interdisciplinary framework has been mobilized at both micro-regional and macro-regional scales, over tightly defined chronologies and over the longue durée, in order to discern what belongs to legacy, what constitutes innovation, and what reflects local specificity or broader commonalities.This synthesis of my research is structured around major thematic axes. The first focus on the history of agricultural dynamics in the Western Mediterranean; the final axis—the most recent direction of my work—explores forest dynamics. The defense will address the following key themes:1. Roots and development of medieval agriculture in Mediterranean France2. The medieval Muslim Green Revolution: towards a narrative shift?3. From grain to granary: reconstructing past agricultural diversity and practices4. Composition and condition of woodlands in the medieval Western Mediterranean5. The ANR ISEMA project: Framing the Impact of Socio-Economic changes on medieval Mediterranean Agriculture (2024–2028)6. Beyond the seas: the impact of Spanish colonization on agricultural systems in southern America