Into the woods of ancient Corinth: wood charcoal analysis & human-woodland associations in Hellenistic and early Roman Greece

This paper explores the historical periods of Hellenistic and Early Roman Greece, which brought important changes to the region during the second half of the 1st millennium BCE. While these periods hold great historical and cultural importance, the understanding of how individuals interacted with their environment remains insufficiently explored. The present study aims to address this gap, with focus on human-woodland interactions in Hellenistic and Early Roman Greece. A total of 1,617 charcoal fragments deriving from 20 soil samples, comprising 79 subsamples in total, were analysed and 19 plant taxa associated with four different vegetation types were identified. Archaeobotanical data yield fresh insights on the environmental conditions on a local level. Finally, variations in the type of firewood utilized indicate wood selection criteria and management strategies, shedding light on the resilience and adaptive capacity of the ancient Corinthian population during these periods.