Medieval city of Prague studied by the means of pollen analysis and multivariate statistics Radka Ko

1
Medieval city of Prague studied by the means of
pollen analysis and multivariate
statisticsRadka Kozáková1, Petr Pokorný1,
Vlasta Jankovská21Institute of Archaeology,
Prague 2Institute of Botany, Brno
The 151 samples data set from 13 sites dated to
Medieval times within the center of Prague was
analyzed by correspondence analysis (PCA) and
redundancy analysis (RDA) to study main trends in
the data.

• The aim was to answer these questions
• Which factor cause the main structure in the
  data? How strongly are they influenced by known
  parameters age, species diversity and type of
  sediment?
• Is there any significant difference between Early
  and High Medieval pollen spectra?
• Is it possible to consider some species as
  indicators of specific environmental conditions
  or age?

Fig. Sites of archaelological excavations from
which pollen results were tested A Praský Hrad,
B Trite, C Valdtejnská, D Mostecká, E Alovo
nábreí, F Klementinum, G U Radnice, H,I Ungelt,
J Na Príkope, K Olivová, L Václavské námestí
1282, M Námestí Republiky
PCA Species from 9 representation are
shown Explained variability on first three
axis 8,2 5,8 3,5
RDA, p 0,002 Species from 5 representation are
shown Explained variability on first three
axis 4,3 2,6 1,6
RDA, p 0,002 Species from 10 representation
are shown Explained variability on first three
axis 6,2 6,2 4,2

• Conclusions
• The very main structure in the data is determined
  by two extremes of environment cultural and
  natural, expressed by the means of pollen
  analysis as pollen spectra with high percentage
  representation of cereals pollen on the one hand
  and of arboreal pollen on the opposite.
• Diversity and type of sediment are much stronger
  parameters influencing data than the age.
• The attributes of High Medieval in contrast to
  Early Medieval times (here the boarder being the
  year 1200) are as follows
• First or more numerous finds of Secale cereale
  and Centaurea cyanus pollen
• High number of several ruderal species often
  nitrophilous e.g.. pollen types Chenopodiaceae,
  Fenestratae, Alchemilla
• Slightly lowered species diversity in general.
  This is probably caused by increasing
  eutrophication of the environment and maybe it
  also reflects some differences in organization of
  the society during the second half of 13th
  century.
• Particular types of sediment as flood loams,
  dumping deposits, cultural layers and others have
  no concrete pollen indicators but there are
  groups of species which tend to have higher
  pollen counts in a specific environment
• trees, ferns, water, wetland and waterside
  species in flood loams. It is very probably
  caused by the alochthonous origin of these pollen
  grains and spores.
• cereals, other crops and weeds in dumping places
  (drainage, wet moat used as dumping place,
  cesspit). This trend shows that the source of
  pollen grains in such places is some kind of
  waste (kitchen, faecal) intentionally deposited
  by people.

RDA, p 0,002 Species from 10 representation
are shown Explained variability on first three
axis 6,2 2,7 5,9
RDA, p 0,002 Species from 10 representation
are shown Explained variability on first three
axis 3 8,1 5,2
Abbreviations, pollen types Abi Abies alba,
Adaest Adonis aestivalis Type, Alchem
Alchemilla, Aln Alnus, Anther Anthericum,
Anthoc Anthoceros punctatus, Astragal
Astragalus, Artem Artemisia, AsterT Aster
Type, Bet Betula, Brass Brassicaceae, Bupl
Bupleurum falcatum Type, Callun Calluna
vulgaris, Carp Carpinus, Cency Centaurea
cyanus, Cenjac Centaurea jacea Type, CenscaT
Centaurea scabiosa Type, CerasT Cerastium Type,
Cereal Cerealia, Cerint Cerinthe, Chaerhir
Chaerophyllum hirsutum, Chenop Chenopodiaceae,
Coryl Corylus avellana, Cuscut Cuscuta, Cyper
Cyperaceae, Dauc Daucus carota, Epiang
Epilobium angustifolium, Erant Eranthis Type,
Ering Eryngium campestre Type, Eugen Eugenia,
Euon Euonymus europaeus, FalcT Falcaria Type,
Fag Fagus silvatica, Fagop Fagopyrum
esculentum, Fenes Asteraceae liguliflorae/Fenest
ratae, ferns fern spores, Filip Filipendula,
Franal Frangula alnus, Fraxi Fraxinus
excelsior, GalBalT Galeopsis-Ballota Type,
GenT Genista Type, Gram Gramineae, Hede
Hedera helix, Helian Helianthemum, Heracl
Heracleum sphondylium, Hotton Hottonia
palustris, HumCan Humulus/Cannabis Type, HyperT
Hypericum perforatum Type, Impat Impatiens
noli - tangere, Jug Juglans regia, Lam
Lamiaceae, Liliac Liliaceae, Listera Listera
Type, Lotus Lotus corniculatus, Lycann
Lycopodium annotinum, MatrT Matricaria Type,
Medic Medicago Type, Melamp Melampyrum, MenT
Mentha Type, Mentri Menyanthes trifoliata,
Merann Mercurialis annua, Nigarv Nigella
arvensis, OdonT Odontites Type, Paprh Papaver
rhoeas Type, Planlan Plantago lanceolata,
Planmm Plantago major-media, Polavi Polygonum
aviculare, PoteT Potetilla Type, PrunT Prunus
Type, PulmT Pulmonaria Type, Pulsat
Pulsatilla, Quer Quercus, RanacT Ranunculus
acris Type, Ranaq Ranunculus aquatilis Type,
Ranfam Ranunculaceae, Resed Reseda, RhinT
Rhinanthus Type, RosaT Rosa Type, Rumac Rumex
acetosa Type, Scroph Scrophulariaceae, Secal
Secale cereale, Solnig Solanum nigrum, Sorb
Sorbus Type, Thecaph Thecaphora, Trifprat
Trifolium pratense Type, TrifrepT Trifolium
repens Type, Trifoliu Trifolium sp., trilsp
trilete spore, Ulm Ulmus, Umbell
Umbelliferae/Apiaceae, Valla Valerianella,
Valoff Valeriana officinalis Type, VerT
Veronica Type, Vicfam Viciaceae, VicT Vicia
Type environmental parameters cultlay cultural
layer, dry moat part of a defense system, wet
moat used as a drainage of a dry moat, path
sediment deposited within a path, flood flood
loams, diversit species diversity index,
from1200 high medieval time, till1200 early
medieval time
This contribution was made possible thanks to
project no. 404052671 (GA CR head Ivana Bohácová)