Processing, Storage, Distribution of Food: Food in the Medieval Rural Environment. Les aliments dans le monde rural médieval: Production, stockage, distribution, consommation. Verarbeitung, Lagerung, Verteilung und Verbrauch von Lebensmitteln – Lebensmitt

Ruralia VIII, 7th–12th September 2009, Lorca, Spain. In presenting the conference papers on the theme of food in the medieval countryside, 'Ruralia' has managed to present a most useful platform in which mainstream archaeologists, historians and environmental specialists can exchange information and discuss similar issues from across Europe. The paradigms for understanding the dynamic of medieval society are seeing significant change. We increasingly understand the subtleties of the many and diverse influences that affected the production of food throughout the period. Regional variation emerges as a key observation, where different places are able to develop their own unique character, and how such exploitation can change over time. In addition to the more traditional model of subsistence economies, there is greater recognition of the market economy although views still differ on how early we can see the evidence for integrated markets. It is within this context that the distinctions between rural and urban become less clear. The interrelationships between both landscapes are being studied and will become a dominant theme over the next decade. The 33 presentations that constitute he papers arising from the present conference reflect the different approaches being pursued across the discipline. Jorge A. Eiroa Rodríguez / Fortified granaries in southeastern al-Andalus 1–9 José Ma Martín Civantos / The archaeology of irrigated spaces in southeast Spain during the medieval period 11–29 Guillermo García-Contreras Ruiz / Production and use of salt in al-Andalus: A state of the art and a perspective on its study 31–43 Helena Kirchner / Watermills in the Balearic Islands during the Muslim period 45–55 Philippe Mignot / Greniers collectifs berbères. Une relecture entreprise sous la conduite de Johnny De Meulemeester 57–70 Paolo de Vingo / Food preparation and preservation in north-west Italy: a comparative assessment in the study of early medieval eating and cooking utensils in the settlement of Sant’Antonino in western Liguria and the village of Trino Vercellese in the Po valley 71–89 Vianney Forest – Isabelle Rodet-Belarbi / Viandes animales dans le Languedoc-Roussillon rural médiéval: bilan 2010 91–112 Sophie Gilotte – Sidonie Preiss / Le grenier médiéval d’Aschères-le-Marché: structures de stockage et indices carpologiques d’une petite unité agricole du centre de la France (Loiret) 113–126 Dominique Allios / Les poteries et leurs fonctions dans l’alimentation médiévale 127–136 Niall Brady / Food production in medieval Ireland, aspects of arable husbandry 137–143 Richard Jones / Elemental theory in everyday practice: food disposal in the later medieval English countryside 145–154 Piers Dixon / Of bannocks and ale: cereal processing in Scotland, c. 1100–1750 155–172 Natascha Mehler / From self-sufficiency to external supply and famine: Foodstuffs, their preparation and storage in Iceland 173–186 Bert J. Groenewoudt / The visibility of storage 187–197 Jan van Doesburg / Archaeological evidence for pest control in medieval rural settlements in the Netherlands 199–211 Mette Svart Kristiansen / Fish for peasants and kings – a Danish perspective 213–218 Bi Skaarup / Gastronomic archaeology. How to unearth the culinary relations in our finds 219–223 Ingvild Øye / Food and technology – Cooking utensils and food processing in medieval Norway 225–234 Karin Viklund / Beer brewing in medieval Sweden – archaeobotanical and documentary evidence 235–243 Mika Sarkkinen / Fishing in the wilderness – Examples of peasant food management in northern Finland 245–254 Elisabeth Marti-Grädel – Richard Frosdick / Archaeozoological studies of the medieval food supply in north-western Switzerland 255–270 Benno Furrer / Nothing for mice to laugh. About traditional buildings and facilities for food storage 271–283 Thomas Meier / A farewell to the market! Constructing a Carolingian subsistence economy east of the Rhine 285–300 Rainer Schreg / Feeding the village – Reflections on the ecology and resilience of the medieval rural economy 301–320 Birte Heitzmann / Rural economies in urban situations: production, processing and storage of food 321–333 Susanne Arnold – Manfred Rösch / Verbreitung, Verteilung und Lagerung von Lebensmitteln unter dem Aspekt von ländlichem und städtischem Nahrungsangebot – eine naturwissenschaftliche und archäologische Betrachtung aus dem Südwesten Deutschlands 335–357 Stefan Blum / Granaries in the Black Forest 359–367 Sabine Felgenhauer-Schmiedt / Anbau, Ernährung und Aufbewahrung im bäuerlichen Milieu Niederösterreichs – verschiedene Quellen, verschiedene Aussagen 369–379 Mária Béres / Getreidespeichergruben des 10.–13. Jahrhunderts im Karpatenbecken 381–389 Edit Sárosi / Hungarian grey cattle on the European market between the 15th and 17th century 391–398 Csilla Zatykó / Aspects of fishing in medieval Hungary 399–408 Krzysztof Fokt – Jerzy Piekalski / Current problems of research on production, processing, storage and distribution of food in the medieval rural environment of Lower Silesia 409–420 Dagmar Winklerová / Zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical indicators for aspects of diet in medieval Kingdom of Bohemia 421–429 Terry Barry / Conclusions 431–433 Fortified granaries in southeastern al-Andalus / Jorge A. Eiroa Rodríguez The archaeology of irrigated spaces in southeast Spain during the medieval period / José Ma Martín Civantos Production and use of salt in al-Andalus : a state of the art and a perspective on its study / Guillermo García-Contreras Ruiz Watermills in the Balearic Islands during the Muslim period / Helena Kirchner Greniers collectifs berbères : une relecture entreprise sous la conduite de Johnny De Meulemeester / Philippe Mignot Food preparation and preservation in north-west Italy : a comparative assessment in the study of early medieval eating and cooking utensils in the settlement of Sant'Antonio in western Liguria and the village of Trino Vercellese in the Po valley / Paolo de Vingo Viandes animales dans le Languedoc-Roussillon rural médiéval : bilan 2010 / Vianney Forest, Isabelle Rodet-Belarbi Le grenier médiéval d'Aschères-le Marché : structures de stockage et indices carpologiques d'une petite unité agricole du centre de al France (Loiret) / Sophie Gilotte, Sidonie Preiss Les poteries et leurs fonctions dans l'alimentation médiévale / Dominique Allios Food production in medieval Ireland : aspects of arable husbandry / Niall Brady Elemental theory in everyday practice : food disposal in the later medieval English countryside / Richard Jones Of bannocks and ale : cereal processing in Scotland, c. 1100-1750 / Piers Dixon From self-sufficiency to external supply and famine : foodstuffs, their preparation and storage in Iceland / Natascha Mehler The visibility of storage / Bert J. Groenewoudt Archaeological evidence for pest control in medieval rural settlements in the Netherlands / Jan van Doesburg Fish for peasants and kings : a Danish perspective / Mette Svart Kristiansen Gastronomic archaeology : how to unearth the culinary relations in our finds / Bi Skaarup Food and technology : cooking utensils and food processing in medieval Norway / Ingvild Øye Beer brewing in medieval Sweden : archaeobotanical and documentary evidence / Karin Viklund Fishing in the wilderness : examples of peasand food management in northern Finland / Mika Sarkkinen Archaeozoological studies of the medieval food supply in north-western Swizerland / Elisabeth Marti-Grädel, Richard Frosdick Nothing for mice to laugh : about traditional buildings and facilities for food storage / Benno Furrer A farewell to the market! : constructing a Carolingian subsistence economy east of the Rhine / Thomas Meier Feeding the village : reflections on the ecology and resilience of the medieval rural economy / Rainer Schreg Rural economies in urban situations : production, processing and storage of food / Birte Heitzann Verbreitung, Verteilung und Lagerung von Lebensmitteln unter dem Aspekt von ländlichem und städtischem Nahrungsangebot : eine naturwissenschaftliche und archäologische Betrachtung aus dem Südwesten Deutschlands / Suzanne Arnold, Manfred Rösch Granaries in the Black Forest / Stefan Blum Anbau, Ernährung und Aufbewahrung im bäuerlichen Milieu Niederösterreichs : verschiedene Quellen, verschiedene Aussagen / Sabine Felgenhauer-Schmiedt Getreidespeichergruben des 10.-13 Jahrhunderts im Karpatenbecken / Mária Béres Hungarian grey cattle on the European market between the 15th and the 17th century / Edit Sárosi Aspects of fishing in medieval Hungary / Csilla Zatykó Current problems of research on production, processing, storage and distribution of food in the medieval rural environment of Lower Silesia / Krzysztof Fokt, Jerzy Piekalski Zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical indicators for aspects of diet in medieval Kingdom of Bohemia / Dagmar Winklerová Conclusions / Terry Barry.