Could the local population of the Lower Rhine delta supply the Roman army? Part 2: Modelling the carrying capacity of the delta using archaeological, palaeo-ecological and geomorphological data

Abstract

In this part two of a diptych of articles, we modelled and quantified the carrying capacity of the landscape and the demand and supply of the Roman army in the western Lower Rhine delta with wood and food in the period A.D.  – . The absolute volumes of the wood and food were calculated (in m and kCal) and converted into surfaces needed (in km ). In addition, the acreage of available land in the area was quantified (in km ). A comparison of these various values reveals that the carrying capacity of the landscape was larger than hitherto assumed. Initially, the landscape was not limiting for the total demand. However, the pressure on the landscape increased due to a growing population, and because of this the upper limits on the possibilities of production set by the landscape may have been reached in the second century A.D. Furthermore, our calculations show that wood and food, especially cereals, could be procured from agrarian settlements in the immediate surroundings. Therefore, the local population was probably much more involved in the provisioning of the Roman army in the Lower Rhine delta. It seems likely that the Roman army combined local provisioning with extra-regional supply and long-distance transport.