Landscape and settlement
Adriaan Verhulst
The Carolingian landscape was for a large part, on the average more than 40 per cent and in some regions up to 80 cent, natural landscape, consisting mainly of woods. map European forests early Middle Ages, made by Charles Higounet, is still best guide study their geographical distribution. He has localised identified nearly 150 individual forests, which can be studied detail. Most them lay east Rhine along it, also adjoining eastern parts France Belgium, situation that lasted end Ages persists today. In around 1500, one-third Germany quarter were covered woodland. larger part these royal land, protected king as hunting reserves, original meaning ‘forest’ (Lat. forestis, forestum). Some consisted not only woods but included uncultivated pasture, heath, moor even arable land. central Europe Thuringian forest, middle abbey Fulda founded 742, may have been inhabited centre before arrival monks. Clearances, named capturae, took place all from beginning eighth century continued well into ninth, perhaps related military operations Charlemagne against neighbouring Saxons.
Cambridge University Press eBooks