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Medieval Farmers Showed Remarkable Efficiency in Land Use, New Study Reveals

Beneath the temperate forests of western Czechia lies evidence of medieval agricultural ingenuity, revealing how farmers prioritised cereal crops, practised fertilisation, and carefully organised their land. A new study has uncovered these insights through soil analysis, offering a unique glimpse into the economic and ecological practices of the Middle Ages.

The research, led by researchers at Charles University, focused on a 13th-century Cistercian abbey in Plasy. Published in Scientific Reports, the study used stable isotope analysis to reveal that grain cultivation dominated the abbey’s manor, supported by clear evidence of fertilisation practices. “By analyzing carbon and nitrogen isotopes in soils, we have a novel method for reconstructing historical agricultural practices that have remained undetected until now,” said Martin P. Janovský, the study’s lead author.

The findings allow researchers to distinguish with precision between crop cultivation and grazing activities, shedding light on how medieval farming practices shaped the environment over centuries. This approach also offers critical insights into how human activities influenced soil and ecosystems in the long term.

The study also combined isotope analysis with remote sensing technologies like LiDAR to map and interpret historical land use. This integrated approach provides a comprehensive view of economic and environmental changes over time and highlights the value of blending scientific tools with archaeological research.

Overview of linear surface features interpreted as field systems based on LiDAR survey in the area of the study site. A: ‘COURT’; B: ‘MEDIEVAL FIELD’; C: ‘(MODERN) FIELDS’; D: ‘MEDIEVAL VILLAGE’ – image courtesy Charles University

By examining the balance between agricultural planning and ecological impact, this study reveals how medieval communities like the Cistercians in Plasy adapted to and shaped their landscapes, offering lessons on sustainable land use from centuries past.

The article, “Stable isotope analysis in soil prospection reveals the type of historic land-use under contemporary temperate forests in Europe,” by Martin P. Janovský, Laszlo Ferenczi, Jakub Trubač and Tomáš Klír, appears in Scientific Research. Click here to read it.

Top Image: Reconstruction of the Cistercian manor and its surroundings. Image courtesy Charles University