Arqueologia del paisatge de Catalunya

Els estudis d'arqueologia del paisatge han de permetre que entenguem com es va organitzar el paisatge actual al llarg dels segles. Ha de fer possible comprendre com es crearen els pobles, les vies, els camps o els límits. D'una manera especial ens interessarem per les grans transformacions que s'esdevingueren al llarg de l'edat mitjana (segles VI-XV), tot i que sigui bàsic, a l'hora de fer aquesta mena de recerques, tenir una perspectiva de llarga durada.

Saturday, February 06, 2010

Landscape formation in Catalonia


Jordi BOLÒS, "Landscape formation in a Mediterranean county of the Middle Ages. Changes and continuity in Catalonia between the sixth and the fifteenth century", Landscape History, vol. 30, issue 2, 2009, p. 21-36.
The history of settlements in Catalonia during medieval times bears a strong resemblance to that of other Mediterranean European countries. The origins of these medieval settlements can be traced to when Roman villae were abandoned during the Visigothic times. The work done so far proves that, up to the eleventh century, one could find, apart from cities, the presence of a large number of hamlets scattered throughout the territory and an equally large number of churches. During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, a network of settlements was consolidated around churches and castles in relation to new villages. Additionally, many areas saw an increase in scattered farmsteads. In those areas conquered by the Muslims, there
was continuity in the types of settlement. As in Europe, the crisis of the fourteenth century brought about the abandonment of some villages and many farmsteads.