The byres tale: farming nutrient-poor coversands at the edge of the Roman Empire (NW-Belgium)

Archaeological research at the edge of the Roman Empire in northwest Belgium reveals that sunken byres, or 'potstallen,' were likely used for intentional fertilisation rather than simply as stable floors. The study suggests a gradual process of deepening these features over time, with evidence pointing to the application of plaggen fertilisation—mixing dung with sods—in at least some phases of use. This challenges the assumption that such byres were dug out post-occupational or levelled after abandonment. The research combines field observations, analytical data, and micromorphological analysis to reconstruct the infill process and origin of these remarkable features in nutrient-poor cover sands.

Hinsch Mikkelsen, J., Langohr, R., Vanwesenbeeck, V., Bourgeois, I., & De Clercq, W. (2019). The byres tale: farming nutrient-poor coversands at the edge of the Roman Empire (NW-Belgium). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.3421029