ARCHAEOLOGICAL INDICATIONS OF AGRICULTURAL INNOVATION IN SICILY, 9-11TH CENTURY
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2020-11-08

In Sicily, farming practice, the cultivated crops, and the resulting commodities that were traded, varied in emphasis during the Byzantine, Islamic and Norman periods. Our contribution combines the evidence of plant remains (Fiorentino, G., V. Zech-Matterne 2017), pollen analysis (Sadori et al 2016), animal husbandry, pottery, settlement and landscape (Molinari 2015) to present a critical evaluation of the innovations in agriculture predicted by Andrew Watson’s ‘Green Revolution’ (1983).  Current research by the authors finds that there are indications of investment in new crops and ways of growing them, new animal stock and new modes of dining, as well as an increased creation of wealth reflected in the rise of exports. However the impact is not felt until the installation of the Fatimid regime in the mid 10th century, and is then uneven in its application. In parts of the island, and in certain sectors of the population, the impact is slight. Elsewhere the innovations in agriculture augment, rather than replace, traditional modes of production and dietary preference. These variations are allowing us to illuminate the patterns of power and differences in belief in Fatimid Sicily. The research is being conducted under the aegis of the ERC project Sicily in Transition (sictransit) which also encompasses studies in diet drawn from stable isotopes (to be presented by team member Alice Ughi in the same session).


Author(s): Carver, Martin (University of York) - Fiorentino, Girolamo - Primavera, Milena (University of Salento) - Aniceti, Veronica (University of Sheffield) - Molinari, Alessandra (University of Rome Tor Vergata)