Managment of wooded areas, wood economy and fuel of an ancient city: charcoal analysis of three sites of Fréjus-Forum Iulii (Var, France)

Résumé 0

‪The ancient city of Fréjus-Forum Iulii has been the subject of programmed and preventive archaeological excavations for several decades. Between 2009 and 2017, four preventive operations carried out in various urban districts dating from the High Empire and, more rarely, Late Antiquity, have revealed various contexts suitable for anthracological studies: soils, pits, ovens and hearths… The aim of this article is to document the exploitation of firewood for domestic and craft activities by highlighting the interactions between man and his environment: the dynamics of exploitation and the supply area in an economic and environmental context specific to Roman Fréjus. This approach will enable us to draw up a history of fuel supplies and provide some clues about the vegetation landscapes around the ancient town. The vegetation used for fuel underwent an early regeneration process, and the town's supply area appears to have shrunk during Late Antiquity. During the High Empire, the fuel economy was based on a variety of practices, such as coppicing, adapted to technical needs: Ericaceae (heather) were particularly sought after to provide domestic fuel (faggots, charcoal), while public baths and forges used a greater diversity of species.‪