Later prehistoric environmental marginality in western Ireland : multi-proxy investigations
This thesis assesses the environmental marginality of a site at the Atlantic fringe of the British Isles, occupied at various points throughout prehistory. Palaeoclimatic proxy records from the North Atlantic show that climatic fluctuations have occurred in the mid- and late-Holocene, at amplitudes likely to be perceptible to human communities. Coincident environmental changes occurred to affect the development of landscapes via vegetation change and pedogenesis. The degree to which prehistoric agricultural economies were vulnerable to these external fluctuations is tested in this thesis. The archaeological complex at Belderg Beg, Co. Mayo, Ireland, consists of a sub-peat stone-built field system of the sixth millennium cal. BP, a Middle Bronze Age roundhouse and adjacent areas of ridge-andfurrow cultivation. By the time of Bronze Age occupation, blanket bog already covered a significant proportion of the landscape. A combination of on- and off-site investigation strategies included AMS 14C dated sediment stratigraphic analyses, palynology, soil micromorphology, peat humification and geochemistry. Results show that peat initiation occurred during Neolithic agricultural occupation, at c. 5465 cal. BP. The initial
Verrill, Lucy
Later prehistoric environmental marginality in western Ireland : multi-proxy investigations. This thesis assesses the environmental marginality of a site at the Atlantic fringe of the British Isles, occupied at various points throughout prehistory. Palaeoclimatic proxy records from the North Atlantic show that climatic fluctuations have occurred in the mid- and late-Holocene, at amplitudes likely to be perceptible to human communities. Coincident environmental changes occurred to affect the development of landscapes via vegetation change and pedogenesis. The degree to which prehistoric agricultural economies were vulnerable to these external fluctuations is tested in this thesis. The archaeological complex at Belderg Beg, Co. Mayo, Ireland, consists of a sub-peat stone-built field system of the sixth millennium cal. BP, a Middle Bronze Age roundhouse and adjacent areas of ridge-andfurrow cultivation. By the time of Bronze Age occupation, blanket bog already covered a significant proportion of the landscape. A combination of on- and off-site investigation strategies included AMS 14C dated sediment stratigraphic analyses, palynology, soil micromorphology, peat humification and geochemistry. Results show that peat initiation occurred during Neolithic agricultural occupation, at c. 5465 cal. BP. The initial
later_prehistoric environmental marginality western ireland multi proxy investigation ass environmental marginality site atlantic fringe british_isles occupy various point throughout prehistory palaeoclimatic proxy record north_atlantic show climatic fluctuation occur mid late_holocene likely perceptible human community coincident environmental_change occur affect_development landscape via vegetation_change degree prehistoric agricultural_economy vulnerable external fluctuation test thesis archaeological complex ireland consist sub peat stone built field_system cal middle_bronze_age roundhouse adjacent area ridge cultivation time bronze_age occupation blanket bog already cover significant_proportion landscape combination off_site investigation strategy include date sediment stratigraphic analysis soil micromorphology peat geochemistry show peat initiation occur neolithic agricultural occupation cal initial