Résumé
A traditional anthracological approach documents the floristic composition of past woodland but it does not allow us to specify the growth habit of the trees. Consequently, the physiognomy and structure of the Holocene Ericaceae formations remain unknown, despite their abundance in the landscape and their potential for exploitation in pre-and protohistoric human activities. To address this issue, we have developed a quantitative eco-anatomical approach for the characterisation of size patterns of Arbutus unedo. This method is based on the measurement and quantification of wood structural and vascular elements whose abundance and size are influenced by natural or anthropogenic ecological parameters. Modern wood samples are used to build a predictive model that can be applied to archaeological specimens.
Results from statistical analyses indicate that tree height and branch size are recorded by eco-anatomical features. Moreover, it has been shown that tree height is correlated with anatomical features such as ray size and vessel density. Applied to archaeological samples of Arbutus, the eco-anatomical analysis highlights the presence of tall Arbutus trees during the early Neolithic period, while low macchia appears to be the dominant vegetation type during the Bronze and Iron Ages. These results confirm hypotheses previously formulated from pollen and charcoal data and provide further insight into the impact of human activities on the landscapes.