Latest developments of dendro-archaeology in the French Alps: Assessing changes in mountain forests exploitation over the last millennium

• Published in: Dendrochronologia (Verona) 2022-12, Vol.76, p.126019, Article 126019
• Main Authors: Labbas, Vincent, Roy, Melaine Le, Shindo, Lisa
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Dendro-archaeology; French Alps; Historical sources; Larix decidua; Timbers; Woodland management
• ISSN: 1125-7865; 1612-0051
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dendro.2022.126019

Dendrochronological studies are carried out on rural buildings in the French Alps for twenty years. In this contribution, we examine an extensive dataset of larch timbers (n = 1294) that were dendrochronologicaly dated at 139 buildings. This material yielded felling dates spanning the 11th century to the 20th century and contributed to improve our knowledge of human occupation and exploitation of mountain forests during the second millennium CE. From the 11th to the 14th century, rural populations increasingly exploited older forests. The crises of the 14th century led to a significant decrease in construction and by extension in tree cutting. The beginning of the 15th century marks a resumption of construction and felling which is continuous until the beginning of the 20th century. There is a relationship between the age of harvested trees, the number of dates and population fluctuations, which corroborates findings at the European scale. Regional trade probably influenced the stem diameters used in constructions in the immediate vicinity of the forests. Logging regulations can be perceived through variations in the age of harvested trees. The 14th century gap in felling dates would also mark a transition period in the exploitation of mountain forests and by extension a transformation of the economy.