The lost woodlands of the Po Plain: wooden resources from the Middle Bronze Age site of Oppeano 4D (Verona, northern Italy)

In prehistoric temperate Europe, wood constituted a key resource for farming communities. Those settling the Po Plain of northern Italy made no exception. The numerous and diverse plant-derived remains recovered from the waterlogged archaeological site of Oppeano 4D (Oppeano, Verona) offer unique insights into wood processing and the relationship of the human community to the Middle Bronze Age woodlands. The materials here analysed include high quantities of wooden structural elements, charcoal and wood obtained from archaeological stratigraphy inside huts, and arboreal pollen from targeted dung-rich deposits. A wide array of trees and shrubs has been identified corresponding to hygrophilous riparian woodland, mesophilous woodland of mixed deciduous oak–hornbeam association, and woodland margins with heliophilous plants and fruit trees. Functional selection becomes evident in the comparison among different kinds of botanical remains, which testifies a careful use of woodland resources. The choice of timber for structural use was based on size and wood species, demonstrating knowledge of the material at hand. A wide range of plant species were used for fuel, and it is likely that small branches were used as bedding for livestock. Arboreal pollen, though a minor component of the archaeopalynological record from dung-rich deposits, reveals a wide range of trees and shrubs. This spectrum reflects areas exploited for leafy hay, vegetation near pastures, and the regional pollen rain signal from distant vegetation not used for construction or fuel.