Natural environment and human settlement in later prehistoric Central Europe
This work analyses the adaptive relationship between early farming settlement and natural environment in Central Europe between 3500 (cal.) BC and AD 400. The primary data-base consists of fourteen alluvial and archaeological pollen sites from the Czech and Slovak Republics. Primary analyses trace divergent vegetation histories in temperate (Hercynian) and continental (Pannonian) bio-geographic zones, and focus on human impact on these biomes. Syn-anthropic impact is registered in agricultural floral expansion, eforestation and dry-steppe formation, vectors which are equated with higher farming population densities. A methodological review allows for an assessment of land-areas represented at the fom1een pollen sites, while the understanding of pollen taphonomy on alluvial accretion surfaces is advanced at the principal site of Vranská"ł potok. Secondary analyses then reconstruct a comparative settlement and climate history in the later Holocene of Central Europe. Importantly, settlement reconstructions exhibit a cyclical pattern of growth and decline at century-level time-scales. When compared to the primary geobotanicalrecord, an alignment of settlement maxima with high levels of human impact on t1ora and
Albert, Bruce Michael Worthington
Natural environment and human settlement in later prehistoric Central Europe. This work analyses the adaptive relationship between early farming settlement and natural environment in Central Europe between 3500 (cal.) BC and AD 400. The primary data-base consists of fourteen alluvial and archaeological pollen sites from the Czech and Slovak Republics. Primary analyses trace divergent vegetation histories in temperate (Hercynian) and continental (Pannonian) bio-geographic zones, and focus on human impact on these biomes. Syn-anthropic impact is registered in agricultural floral expansion, eforestation and dry-steppe formation, vectors which are equated with higher farming population densities. A methodological review allows for an assessment of land-areas represented at the fom1een pollen sites, while the understanding of pollen taphonomy on alluvial accretion surfaces is advanced at the principal site of Vranská"ł potok. Secondary analyses then reconstruct a comparative settlement and climate history in the later Holocene of Central Europe. Importantly, settlement reconstructions exhibit a cyclical pattern of growth and decline at century-level time-scales. When compared to the primary geobotanicalrecord, an alignment of settlement maxima with high levels of human impact on t1ora and
natural_environment human_settlement later_prehistoric central_europe work analysis adaptive relationship early_farming settlement natural_environment central_europe cal primary_data base consist fourteen alluvial archaeological pollen site czech slovak primary analysis trace divergent vegetation history temperate continental geographic zone focus human_impact anthropic impact register agricultural expansion dry steppe formation vector equate high farm population_density methodological review allow assessment land areas represent pollen site pollen taphonomy alluvial surface advance principal site secondary analyse reconstruct comparative settlement climate history later holocene central_europe importantly settlement reconstruction exhibit cyclical pattern growth_decline century level time compare primary alignment settlement high_level human_impact