so little value. In the beginning of the Christian era, people probably started to realise the value and versatility of sweet chestnut wood, leading to a slow spread of the cultivation of C. sativa trees, a theory that is supported by pollen data and literary sources, as well as the increased use of sweet chestnut wood as poles and in supporting structures, wood works and pier building between A.D. 100 and 600.

Increasing sweet chestnut pollen appearances in Switzerland, France,