Production, consumption and provenance of mountain timber since the Middle Ages : a dendroarchaeological research from Alps to Pyrenees

This paper aims to présent the first results of an ongoing postdoctoral research at the University of Toulouse. This research project focuses on production, consumption and the provenance of mountain timber since Middle Ages.
The main approaches are dendrochronology and building archeeology. Written record and soil archives are also considered in this research. The material acquired this year will open a dendro-isotopic study. Garonne basin, between northern Pyrenees and Toulouse area have been choose as laboratory.
The first results were obtained during my PhD thesis in the Mercantour massif (South French Alps). Mountain barns study reveals different forest exploitation terroirs within the same building. Furthermore, forest plots survey shows an exploitation along the elevational gradient. A first dendrochronological experiment was conducted on an altitudinal gradient in the context of the archaeological excavation of a recent mine in the Alps (18th – 20th centuries). This experiment revealed similarities of larch (Larix Decidua Mill.) groups according to their altitude (between 1500 and 2200 m.).
In the Pyrenees, the first results show a differential use of forest resources according to hydrographic networks. Silver Fir (Abies alba Mill.) mostly used in Toulouse, is a mountain species. It is, however, it’s an essence that does not appear to be used in the various mountain areas upstream of Toulouse.
The joint approach of the different sources (materials, dendrometrics, archivistics) will allow to learn more about trade, zones of influence but also about changes in forestry practices and construction in the mountains and in the plains.