Agropastoral Economies and Land Use in Bronze Age Western Anatolia

AbstractKnowledge about the vegetation history of Sardinia, the second largest island of the Mediterranean, is scanty. Here, we present a new sedimentary record covering the past ~ 8,000 years from Lago di Baratz, north-west Sardinia. Vegetation and fire history are reconstructed by pollen, spores, macrofossils and charcoal analyses and environmental dynamics by high-resolution element geochemistry together with pigment analyses. During the period 8,100–7,500 cal bp, when seasonality was high and fire and erosion were frequent, Erica arborea and E. scoparia woodlands dominated the coastal landscape. Subsequently, between 7,500 and 5,500 cal bp, seasonality gradually declined and thermo-mediterranean woodlands with Pistacia and Quercus ilex partially replaced Erica communities under diminished incidence of fire. After 5,500 cal bp, evergreen oak forests expanded markedly, erosion declined and lake levels increased, likely in response to increasing (summer) moisture availability. Increased anthropogenic fire disturbance triggered shrubland expansions (e.g. Tamarix and Pistacia) around 5,000–4,500 cal bp. Subsequently around 4,000–3,500 cal bp evergreen oak-olive forests expanded massively when fire activity declined and lake productivity and anoxia reached Holocene maxima. Land-use activities during the past 4,000 years (since the Bronze Age) gradually disrupted coastal forests, but relict stands persisted under rather stable environmental conditions until ca. 200 cal bp, when agricultural activities intensified and Pinus and Eucalyptus were planted to stabilize the sand dunes. Pervasive prehistoric land-use activities since at least the Bronze Age Nuraghi period included the cultivation of Prunus, Olea europaea and Juglans regia after 3,500–3,300 cal bp, and Quercus suber after 2,500 cal bp. We conclude that restoring less flammable native Q. ilex and O. europaea forest communities would markedly reduce fire risk and erodibility compared to recent forest plantations with flammable non-native trees (e.g. Pinus, Eucalyptus) and xerophytic shrubland (e.g. Cistus, Erica).

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Neolithic/Early Bronze Age Pit Circles and their Environs at Oakham, Rutland

Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society ◽

10.1017/s0079497x00002255 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 64 ◽

pp. 293-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Patrick Clay ◽

Clive R. Jones ◽

Elaine L. Jones ◽

Gary Haley ◽

Elizabeth Healey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Bronze Age ◽

Early Bronze Age ◽

Land Use Patterns ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Surrounding Areas ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship

Fieldwork east of Oakham, Rutland has located evidence of prehistoric settlement, land use patterns, and ceremonial monuments. Part of this included the excavation of a cropmark site which has revealed an unusual sequence of Neolithic/Early Bronze Age pit circles and a burial area. This is complemented by a fieldwalking survey of the surrounding areas, allowing consideration of the relationship of juxtaposed flint scatters and the excavated ceremonial area.

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Surface surveys in the northern Troad and the identification of Çiğlitepe as ancient Arisbe

Anatolian Studies ◽

10.1017/s0066154617000011 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 67 ◽

pp. 129-144 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Nurettin Arslan

Keyword(s):

Bronze Age ◽

Western Anatolia ◽

Late Bronze Age ◽

Sea Of Marmara ◽

Large Cities ◽

Archaeological Material ◽

Archaeological Data ◽

Literary Sources ◽

Ancient City

AbstractThe region known as the Troad in western Anatolia is famed not only as the setting of Homer's Iliad but also for the Hellespont strait (modern Çanakkale Boğazı) linking the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean. In addition to large cities such as Sigeum, Abydus and Lampsacus, ancient writers also mention smaller cities located on the Hellespont. In this article, the location of the ancient city of Arisbe, presumed to have existed between Abydus and Lampsacus, is examined in the light of new archaeological data. Between 2002 and 2010, the author conducted surveys in the northern Troad. These surveys revealed an ancient settlement with archaeological material belonging to the Late Bronze Age, late Geometric, Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic periods. The location of this settlement, the archaeological data and information from ancient literary sources all indicate that this site should be identified as Arisbe.

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Journal of Greek Archaeology Volume 6: Editorial

JOURNAL OF GREEK ARCHAEOLOGY ◽

10.32028/9781789698886-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. v-v

Author(s):

John Bintliff

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Material Culture ◽

Bronze Age ◽

Iron Age ◽

Regional Economics ◽

Greek Archaeology ◽

Contemporary Politics ◽

The Rich ◽

Landscape Survey ◽

Rich Data

Our latest volume maintains our goal to cover the broad chronological spread of Greek Archaeology, ranging from a new review of the Mesolithic occupation at Theopetra, one of the most important hunter-gatherer sites in Greece, to a detailed analysis of how the distribution of Middle Byzantine churches in the Peloponnese enlightens us into the evolution of human settlement and land use. Prehistory is richly represented in further articles, as we learn about Middle Bronze Age society on Lefkas, the dispute over exotic primates portrayed on the frescoes of Santorini, a new Minoan-style peak sanctuary on Naxos, and Post-Palatial settlement structure on Crete. Bridging prehistory to historical times, a detailed study rethinks the burial and settlement evidence for Early Iron Age Athens, then entering the Archaic period, an original article links textual analysis and material culture to investigate dedicatory behaviour in Ionian sanctuaries. As a special treat, that doyen of Greek plastic arts Andrew Stewart, asks us to look again at the evidence for the birth of the Classical Style in Greek sculpture. Greek theatres in Sicily are next contextualised into contemporary politics, while the sacred Classical landscape of the island of Salamis is explored with innovative GIS-techniques. For the seven-hundred years or so of Roman rule we are given an indepth presentation of regional economics from Central Greece, and a thorough review of harbours and maritime navigation for Late Roman Crete. Finally we must mention a methodological article, deploying the rich data from the Nemea landscape survey, to tackle issues of changing land use and the sometimes controversial topic of ancient manuring.

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High-resolution mapping of Neolithic and Bronze Age chalkland landscapes and land-use:

Plants in Neolithic Britain and Beyond ◽

10.2307/j.ctvh1dtbb.7 ◽

2000 ◽

pp. 9-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Michael J Allen

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

High Resolution ◽

Bronze Age ◽

High Resolution Mapping ◽

Resolution Mapping

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Holocene evolution of closed depressions and its relation to landscape dynamics in the loess areas of Poland

The Holocene ◽

10.1177/0959683618824792 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (4) ◽

pp. 543-564 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Renata Kołodyńska-Gawrysiak

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Bronze Age ◽

Middle Ages ◽

Central Europe ◽

Iron Age ◽

Landscape Dynamics ◽

Early Iron Age ◽

Late Bronze Age ◽

Atlantic Period

Past Pleistocene topography of the loess uplands is rich in local sinks (closed depressions (CDs)) influencing sediment fluxes. Soil-sediment sequences from CDs constituting geoarchives where landscape changes under natural and anthropogenic conditions have been recorded. Pedo-sedimentary archives from 10 CDs in the Polish loess belt and human settlements were analysed. Phases of the Holocene evolution of the CDs were correlated with landscape dynamics in loess areas in Poland and Central Europe. Phases of infilling of CDs occurring (2) from the late Boreal/early Atlantic Period until the (middle) late Bronze Age/early Iron Age and (4) since the early Middle Ages until today were documented. These were phases of long-term soil erosion and colluviation corresponding to the increasing agricultural land use of Polish loess uplands. Phases of soil formation related to geomorphic stabilization of CDs occurred (1) from the late Vistulian until the late Boreal/early Atlantic Period and (3) from the late Bronze Age/early Iron Age until the early/high Middle Ages. These were phases of decreased soil erosion and landform conservation in a considerable part of Poland’s loess areas. Pedo-sedimentary archives from the CDs have recorded soil erosion strongly related with human-induced land-use changes. The mean soil erosion rate in the catchment of CDs was 0.33 t·ha−1·yr−1 during prehistory and 4.0 t·ha−1·yr−1 during the last approximately 1000 years. Phases of CD evolution are representative for the main phases of sediment and landscape dynamics in Poland’s loess areas recorded in various archives, and are not synchronous with some of these phases in Central Europe.

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Long-term trends of land use and demography in Greece: A comparative study

The Holocene ◽

10.1177/0959683619826641 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 742-760 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

Erika Weiberg ◽

Andrew Bevan ◽

Katerina Kouli ◽

Markos Katsianis ◽

Jessie Woodbridge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Comparative Study ◽

Bronze Age ◽

Climatic Variability ◽

Agricultural Practices ◽

Archaeological Site ◽

Demographic Development ◽

Radiocarbon Dates ◽

The Impact

This paper offers a comparative study of land use and demographic development in northern and southern Greece from the Neolithic to the Byzantine period. Results from summed probability densities (SPD) of archaeological radiocarbon dates and settlement numbers derived from archaeological site surveys are combined with results from cluster-based analysis of published pollen core assemblages to offer an integrated view of human pressure on the Greek landscape through time. We demonstrate that SPDs offer a useful approach to outline differences between regions and a useful complement to archaeological site surveys, evaluated here especially for the onset of the Neolithic and for the Final Neolithic (FN)/Early Bronze Age (EBA) transition. Pollen analysis highlight differences in vegetation between the two sub-regions, but also several parallel changes. The comparison of land cover dynamics between two sub-regions of Greece further demonstrates the significance of the bioclimatic conditions of core locations and that apparent oppositions between regions may in fact be two sides of the same coin in terms of socio-ecological trajectories. We also assess the balance between anthropogenic and climate-related impacts on vegetation and suggest that climatic variability was as an important factor for vegetation regrowth. Finally, our evidence suggests that the impact of humans on land cover is amplified from the Late Bronze Age (LBA) onwards as more extensive herding and agricultural practices are introduced.

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