preprints.org > arts and humanities > history > doi: 10.20944/preprints202307.0495.v1

Preprint Article Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 6 July 2023 / Approved: 7 July 2023 / Online: 7 July 2023 (11:41:15 CEST)

The coombs (in Catalan comes) form an integral part of the landscape. These are small valleys, with the deepest and flattest part cultivated for agriculture. They are predominantly found in the most arid regions of Catalonia, particularly around the cities of Tarragona and Lleida. They are generally dry land areas. We propose that these coombs gained significance in the early centuries of the Middle Ages, a period marked by intense erosion. It is important to identify their locations and establish connections with medieval written documents, the settlements that thrived throughout the Middle Ages, archaeological sites such as necropolises, and the valuable data derived from to-ponymy studies. We think that understanding these coombs can greatly contribute to under-standing how the territory was organized in the Middle Ages, the extent of cultivated lands that were established, and the distribution of many settlements. Ultimately, this knowledge can aid in acquiring better understanding of the current landscape.

landscape; Middle Age; Catalonia; cultivated lands; settlement; continuity; erosion; aerial photo-graphs

Arts and Humanities, History

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