Field patterns and land use dynamic over time – PARCEDES

The PARCEDES project uses a number of methods and techniques from different disciplines, all of which contribute to a better understanding of the history of land parcelling:

1. Archaeogeography: the problem of the wide dispersion and heterogeneity of geohistorical data is being tackled by adopting a morphological analysis of 19th-20th century land parcels (based on old cadastral maps) using the methodological principles developed by the French school of archaeogeography over the last twenty years;
2. Disciplinary field of archaeology: the difficulty of dating agrarian boundaries is being tackled by means of:
(i) the creation of an exhaustive database of parcel ditches uncovered during excavations and diagnostics in France, in partnership with Inrap;
(ii) archaeometric dating of 12 earthworks (terraced agricultural structures) in the South-Hams (Devon, England), in partnership with Newcastle University, using the innovative “Optically Stimulated Luminescence-Profiling and Dating” technique to establish a reliable chronological profile of the age of construction of the agricultural structure and its subsequent modifications.

3. Disciplinary field of geomatics: the difficulty of local studies closed in on themselves, which hampers comparisons, will be resolved by a comparative approach between the four sites using a harmonised methodology, from an archaeogeographical point of view (see above) and from a geomatics and statistical point of view. The latter dimension is made possible by processing digital data, managed and analysed using GIS (Geographic Information System). This will make it possible to offer an innovative comparison of the four areas in the form of a 'geomatic identity card' for each of these windows, based on the geomatic and statistical analysis of the geometry of the plots. It will also lead to the updating of the plugin for QGIS called MorphAL, designed a few years ago as part of the ANR ALPAGE project on the urban space of Paris. In addition to the fact that this plugin was initially designed for another software environment (Open Jump) and that it needs to be upgraded (for QGIS), it was too limited in terms of the calculations performed (plot orientations and rectangularity) and designed for urban and not agrarian land parcels. The PARCEDES project will therefore be an opportunity to develop it to incorporate other calculations, some traditional, others more exploratory and innovative. This work is being carried out in partnership with the 'Time Machine Projects' consortium of the IR* Huma-Num, of which PARCEDES is an 'associated project'.

The results of the project will contribute to scientific research in several ways:

(i) by promoting innovative research into land parcels, combining a variety of data, particularly archaeological and planimetric data, from a long-term perspective. This will help to revitalise a field of research that has been rather neglected in archaeology since the 2000s (with the exception of fossil plots under forests), virtually abandoned in rural geography and little renewed from a methodological point of view in rural history. WebGIS will be one of the tools used for this purpose.

(ii) by adding to an «open digital manual on agrarian morphology« (MaNOMA) worldwide (https://manoma.hypotheses.org), under the patronage of the French Academy of Agriculture. The aim is to bring together the many studies that have changed the terms of analysis of agrarian planimetric forms over the last thirty years and to integrate new contributions, such as those from the PARCEDES project.

(iii) by helping to make better use of archaeological diagnosis operations as genuine tools in the service of the history of rural areas, in line with the seminar organised by Inrap in 2017 on «Archaeological diagnosis as a research tool«. Archaeological surveys are not just about finding plot ditches, but they are also the biggest source of such finds. However, as most of these are not followed up by excavations, little or no use is made of this data.

(iv) on an operational level, by helping archaeologists from regional archaeology departments in their task of prescribing archaeological work, because the mapping of plots of land and ancient roads, which are often intertwined with them, represents a predictive tool for anticipating discoveries and understanding them within the areas studied.

(v) by being a source of research subjects for Masters and theses to pursue or deepen the avenues identified. To date, the momentum generated by PARCEDES has already resulted in:
- a thesis on the Grosseto area in the Maremma (Simone Grosso, under the supervision of Christophe Petit, Magali Watteaux and Carlo Citter, co-supervision Paris 1/Rome La Sapienza);
- a Master's dissertation in the Vendée on the Gallic and ancient countryside around Le Langon (Louis Lefebvre, Rennes 2);
- a Master's work placement in Nîmes with Inrap Midi-Méditerranée to help input data into the archaeological planimetric database (Alice Merchet, Montpellier 3).
In return, these students are benefiting from a useful research 'ecosystem', both during the project itself and as a result of the dissemination activities that will follow.

PARCEDES will contribute to revitalising a field of research that is currently neglected in archaeology, virtually abandoned in geography and little renewed in rural history, through its current and forthcoming publications, the papers it has already presented or will present in the future, and the events it organises (https://parcedes.hypotheses.org/category/events). The European dimension of the project and the organisation of a session at the EAA in Belfast on 31 August 2023 also augur well for scientific developments on a European scale as a result of the project. Interesting developments are also expected in terms of training, based on the content proposed at the summer school to be held in July 2024 (https://parcedes.sciencesconf.org/).

Outside the academic field, the results obtained will also help to enhance the value of archaeological diagnoses as tools for research into agrarian areas, and will contribute to the prescription work of regional archaeological services in France by providing predictive information for future operations (see «Results« section).
During or after the project, the PARCEDES programme also plans to disseminate the results to archive, heritage and planning managers in the various areas involved, in order to show that land parcels, far from being insignificant, are useful for thinking about the sustainability of development projects, and that their history deserves to be told and integrated in order to build the resilience of tomorrow's areas. In other words, the aim will be to develop or help to develop an accessible historical discourse on agrarian boundaries as cultural and landscape elements, and to explain how landscape memories work to help build the resilience of tomorrow's territories. In practical terms, this will take the form of conferences for the general public (at least 7 in total before the end of the project), a summer school at the Historial de Vendée (July 2024), participation in discussions on the future renovation of the Historial museum as a «museum of territory«, and collaboration with the departmental archives of the two French territories. For example, an experiment is underway in the field of «participatory science« in partnership with the departmental archives of the Vendée to co-construct a website for collaborative public input of historical information contained in the sectional statements of the old land registry (research agreement between the CD-85 and the University of Rennes 2 led by the coordinator of the ANR PARCEDES). Once finalised, this platform will be presented to the people of Vendée at a conference (15 July 2024), followed by collective data entry sessions at the departmental archives.

The PARCEDES project will produce a number of deliverables, some of which are already available:
(i) 4 open-access webGIS (ArcGis Online) bringing together the geomatic data produced, as well as all the data useful for an archaeogeographic reading of an area. A first version of three webGIS has already been published: parcedes.hypotheses.org/category/webgis
(ii) 1 study report on 10 earth banks in the South Hams, describing the archaeological surveys carried out in the field and the dating of sediment samples taken in the laboratory;
(iii) 2 databases on «archaeological planimetric units« found in the course of preventive diagnostics and excavations in Sud-Vendée and the Nîmes plain (with a manual describing the database);
(iv) 1 Data Management Plan, updated mid-way through and at the end of the project;
(v) Version 2 of the MorphAL plugin, as part of a partnership with the Huma-Num IR* “Time Machine Projects” consortium, of which PARCEDES is an 'associated project';
(vi) publications and communications in a variety of media and contexts (excluding the proceedings of the closing conference, published after the project);
(vii) 3 information tools dedicated to the project: 1 Hypotheses blog (https://parcedes.hypotheses.org), 1 X/Twitter account (@ANR_Parcedes), 1 Facebook account (Anr Parcedes);
(viii) 4 Story Maps, on each of the terrains, of which a first version on the Maremma is already available: parcedes.hypotheses.org/category/multimedia_content/storymaps
(ix) written procedures and video tutorials on the geomatic processing of parcels and the quality of the necessary data;
(x) 1 YouTube channel for video tutorials.

PARCEDES has also organised a session at the EAA (European Association of Archaeologists) conference in Belfast on 31 August 2023 (#257 “Long-term Dynamics of Field Patterns and Land Use”), as well as a summer training school on the theme of analysing land parcels for archaeological and geohistorical research, to be held in July 2024 at the Historial de Vendée (https://parcedes.sciencesconf.org). A closing symposium is planned for after the end of the project.

Finally, the final report of the PARCEDES programme will be published on the blog of the projet to summarise all the activities developed and the results obtained.

PARCEDES aims to study the organisation and evolution of agrarian plots of land [“parcellaires” in French] from Protohistory to the present day, based on four French, Italian and English sites. The aim is to (i) identify and, if necessary, characterise the possible links between these changes and societal and/or geographical parameters, and (ii) propose a model of the observable phenomena of the resilience of field boundaries in the long term. Based on the advances of French archaeogeography, which evaluates the part of transformations and transmissions that affect the forms of landscapes, PARCEDES is an original project because it wishes to remove 3 scientific and methodological obstacles: (i) to solve the problem of the great dispersion and heterogeneity of the available data by starting from the morphological analysis of 19th-20th century plots visible on maps, cadastres and aerial photographs, and by building an exhaustive database of plot ditches found in excavations and preventive archaeological evaluations [“diagnostics”]; (ii) to go beyond local studies closed in on themselves by a comparative approach and a harmonised methodology; (iii) to improve our knowledge of terraced agrarian structures by dating 10 of them in Devon thanks to an innovative archaeometric method (OSL-Profiling & Dating). Finally, PARCEDES will endeavour to make a critical assessment of the data and disciplines mobilised.

PARCEDES will be led by Magali Watteaux (university of Rennes 2) for 3 years, in collaboration with 3 archaeologists and 1 geomatics engineer. The work programme will be organised into 4 work packages and 16 tasks. WP1 (2022): acquisition of data complementary to those already available. The contribution requested from the ANR (€305,280) will make it possible to finance 1 database of archaeological ditches (Vendée, Nîmes, tasks 1, 3); 200 photo-interpreted shots of a 1976 aerial mission (Vendée, task 2); 24 vectorised section sheets of the ancient cadastre (Nîmes, task 4); 1 DTM by aero-photogrammetry (Tuscany, task 5); vectorisation of a part of the Lorenese cadastre (Tuscany, task 6); photo-interpretation of 5 aerial missions (Tuscany, task 7); realisation of 10 archaeological soundings in terraced agrarian structures from which 10 sedimentary samples will be taken for dating by OSL-PD (Devon, tasks 8-9). WP2 (2023): analyses and creation of a webGIS where the data produced will be made available in open access. WP3 (2024): syntheses, modelling of results, finalisation of the webGIS. WP4: in parallel, communication, dissemination (4 public lectures) and information actions will be carried out and 5 working meetings for the team. This collective work will result in 12 deliverables: 1 webSIG (on the TGIR Huma-Num), 1 report on Devon surveys, 6 publications (peer-reviewed journals), 3 information tools (Hypotheses.org booklet, Facebook page, Twitter account), 1 Data Management Plan. To be organised: 1 session at the EAA (Sept. 2023), 1 summer school (Jul. 2024), 1 closing conference (Dec. 2024).

PARCEDES will contribute to revitalizing a field of research that is currently neglected in archaeology, almost abandoned in geography and little renewed in rural history. It will also contribute to (i) enhancing the value of preventive archaeological evaluations as research tools on agrarian spaces, (ii) the prescription work of regional archaeological services (France) by enriching the national archaeological database with predictive information for future operations. Finally, after the project, PARCEDES also envisages the mediation of the results with heritage managers and local stakeholders of management of contemporary territories because the plots are useful for thinking about the sustainability of development projects. At the coordinator's level, it will enable her to strengthen her research on plots of land, her collaborations with French archaeologists and her European network in view of future European projects.