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Long-strip and terraced fields systems form significant elements of the current cultural landscape. When evaluating their significance, it is necessary to determine their origins and to further specify their development. However, archeological researchers have encountered problems in dating field systems that were exposed to intensive agriculture in the 20th century AD. In this study, we describe a combination of approaches used to confirm the current landscape's High Medieval origin of the long-strip terrace-like field system of the former village of Malonín, which is located in the Bohemian Forest Mts., Czech Republic. The methods employed are radionuclide dating, geographic information system (GIS)-based reconstruction using old maps, historical documents, and archeological and palaeobotanical records. Our study evaluated the historical significance of field boundaries in the form of hedgerows, which have stabilized the pattern of the agricultural landscape since medieval times. The results of this study provide a basis for further land use planning and for conserving the cultural landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of archaeological, historical and geoarchaeological records represents a significant contribution to research into the medieval landscape. This study focuses on the medieval field system in the deserted village of Debrné, located in northeastern Bohemia, Czechia. The village features a well‐preserved croft plužina field system, a typical historical landscape of central Europe. The main and most visible elements of the field system are the earthen field boundaries, which were the focus of the geoarchaeological investigations. Archaeological excavations in trench S1 revealed a collection of larger stones at a depth of 1 m, potentially serving a drainage function akin to the observed plužina. Additionally, a boulder paving, identified as a remnant of a path between fields, provided insights into the historical use of the area. In trench S2, positioned closer to the village's core, layers with increasing stone content were recorded at a depth of 130 cm. However, the drainage structure observed in trench S1 was not replicated. The dating of earthen field boundaries indicated the creation of the terrace in the second half of the 16th century in trench S1. In trench S2, radiocarbon dating at a depth of 70 to 80 cm ranged from 1025 to 1175 A.D., predating the first written source about Debrné. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating in trench S2 suggested exposure to sunlight during the third century A.D. Archaeobotanical analysis of charred macroremains from trench S1 revealed 236 plant macroremains belonging to approximately 20 taxa, showcasing wild‐growing, collected useful species such as raspberry, blackberry and elderberry. Trench S2 yielded 23 plant macroremains belonging to 11 taxa, with similar species as trench S1. Pedological and micromorphological examinations displayed distinct layering in both trenches, showing up to six layers. Micromorphological analysis unveiled vuggy microstructures, varying grain sizes and elemental patterns, shedding light on different periods of occupation. Multidisciplinary investigations of the buried soils forming the earthen field boundaries discovered that the original soil cover comprised automorphic lixisols and cambisols, which also form under present conditions. These results underscore the importance of integrating pedological, geoarchaeological, archaeobotanical and physical data to comprehend the intricate nature of anthropogenic landscape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In various research fields, from archaeology to landscape history and ecology, it is important to know the date of the origin of historical settlements (i.e. towns, villages, hamlets, isolated farms) as precisely as possible. In Central Europe, there are two primary ways to obtain the date when a settlement was founded: "historical dating" (based on historical written sources) and "archaeological dating" (based on archaeological findings). Historical dating usually does not reflect the real time of origin, since the first reference to a settlement in written sources can be recorded many years after the real origin of the settlement. However, the time lag is unknown. Until now, no study has attempted to show exactly how the time lag differs in different centuries, or whether the time lag has been affected by any geographical factors. This paper compares the dates of origin from archaeological data and from written sources of medieval and early modern settlements (n = 527, AD 850–1600) in the present-day Czech Republic. We also tested the influence of local environmental conditions on the time lag. Our comparison shows that the time lag has been decreasing with the passing of calendar years (from a time lag of 250 years for AD 1000 to approx. 80 years for AD 1400). Towns and places close to major towns also have a shorter time lag in their historical dating (the difference is almost 100 years). These results make an interpretation of the historical dating of medieval towns and villages more complicated. The length of the time lag and its dispersion means that, for the purposes of settlement dating, historical dating needs to be combined with other dating methods (especially in the medieval period). Our results also identify a possible bias in the chronology of landscape transformation. • Written sources are not reliable for dating medieval settlements in Central Europe. • We have assessed the concordance between written sources and archaeological data. • The usual time lag in written sources decreases with increasing calendar year. • Around AD 1200, the typical time lag of written sources is 150 years. • Around AD 1600, written sources agree with archaeological data in 70% of the cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]