History of the Litovelské Pomoraví woodland (NE Czech Republic): A comparison of archaeo-anthracological, pedoanthracological, and pollen data (original) (raw)
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Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2008
Pollen data from the Czech Republic was used to detect the early Holocene impact of hunter-gatherers on vegetation based on a selection of 19 early Holocene pollen profiles, complemented with archaeological information regarding the intensity of local and regional Mesolithic human habitation. Archaeological evidence was assigned to simple categories reflecting the intensity of habitation and distance from pollen sites. Multivariate methods (PCA and RDA) were used to determine relationships between sites and possible anthropogenic pollen indicators and to test how these indicators relate to the archaeological evidence. In several profiles the pollen signal was influenced by local Mesolithic settlement. Specific pollen types (e.g. Calluna vulgaris, Plantago lanceolata, Solanum and Pteridium aquilinum) were found to be significantly correlated with human activity. The role of settlement proximity to the investigation site, the statistical significance of pollen indicators of human activity, as well as the early occurrence of Corylus avellana and its possible anthropogenic dispersal, are discussed.
Archaeological excavations at North-Bohemian sandstone rock shelters have uncovered complex evidence of intermittent human presence since the Late Palaeolithic to recent times. In this paper, we investigate the history of Holocene woodlands based on charcoal assemblages from stratified sandy accumulations under archaeologically investigated rock shelters. In total, we carried out anthracological analyses of eight profiles excavated under rock shelters. Our study shows that the number of charcoal taxa correlated with local environmental diversity around the rock shelters. Charcoals of Pinus sylvestris were abundant in all the profiles analysed. Profiles in bottom parts of valleys recorded a higher abundance of broadleaf tree charcoal. The abundance of oak gradually decreased from the Bronze Age onwards, as oak got replaced by pine, and locally beech, fir and spruce. Today, several of the recorded woody species are rare or even absent in the sandstone region under study. We focused on comparing anthracological results with results of pollen analyses carried out in the same areas. Our results demonstrate that when results from different types of archives are compared, it is possible to gain a more differentiated insight into local vegetation composition. This may carry wide methodological implications.
Quaternary International, 2015
Archaeological excavations at North-Bohemian sandstone rock shelters have uncovered complex evidence of intermittent human presence since the Late Palaeolithic to recent times. In this paper, we investigate the history of Holocene woodlands based on charcoal assemblages from stratified sandy accumulations under archaeologically investigated rock shelters. In total, we carried out anthracological analyses of eight profiles excavated under rock shelters. Our study shows that the number of charcoal taxa correlated with local environmental diversity around the rock shelters. Charcoals of Pinus sylvestris were abundant in all the profiles analysed. Profiles in bottom parts of valleys recorded a higher abundance of broadleaf tree charcoal. The abundance of oak gradually decreased from the Bronze Age onwards, as oak got replaced by pine, and locally beech, fir and spruce. Today, several of the recorded woody species are rare or even absent in the sandstone region under study. We focused on comparing anthracological results with results of pollen analyses carried out in the same areas. Our results demonstrate that when results from different types of archives are compared, it is possible to gain a more differentiated insight into local vegetation composition. This may carry wide methodological implications.
Charcoal and pollen analyses and vegetation reconstruction of the Alpine foreland in West Hungary
In the area of archaeological excavations that were performed prior to the construction of Main Road No. 86 in Vas County (West Hungary) in the Alpine foreland new geoarchaeological analyses have been conducted. We used anthracology and pollen analyses to reconstruct the former vegetation cover at the study site. Charcoal data provide site-related information about the local woodland composition, management and human impact, while pollen data provide information on the arboreal and non-arboreal vegetation on a regional or local scale. Adequate samples for anthracological analyses derive from the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Imperial and Migration Periods and Middle-Ages archaeological objects. The core for pollen analyses originates from alluvial sediments of the Borzó Creek and covers the late Pleistocene and the Holocene until the Medieval Period. Charcoal analyses show the dominance of Quercus trees in the vicinity of the human settlements that might indicate a strong human selection, or the fragmentation of samples. Pollen analyses indicate thermophilous vegetation from the beginning of the Holocene, with increasing values of Fagus and Carpinus. Pollens of cereals indicate human activity, which is also demonstrated by the presence of pollen from Juglans and Vitis in the Iron Age sequence. Extensive forest clearance occurred in the Late Iron Age and the Imperial Period.
Veg e ta tion changes in the Lower San Val ley near Jaros³aw are re con structed from the Youn ger Dryas to the pres ent time on the ba sis of palynological anal y sis of the peat core. The pol len pro file came from a an old riverbed and was sup ple mented by ra dio car bon datings. The Youn ger Dryas and early Preboreal veg e ta tion was char ac ter ised by a high pro por tion of for est com mu ni ties with pine (Pinus sylvestris and P. cembra) and birch (Betula), while patches of open area were dom i nated by the steppe with Ar te mi sia. Cli ma tic ame lio ra tion dur ing the Preboreal chronozone led to the rapid spread of elm (Ulmus), which was prob a bly a dom i nant taxon on the low est ter races of the val ley. Terrestrialization of the wa ter body ex ist ing in the palaeomeaner and the sub se quent be gin ning of peat ac cu mu la tion caused a dete ri o ra tion in pol len pres er va tion. Hence, the in ter pre ta tion of the pro file sec tion span ning the pe riod be tween the Boreal and Subatlantic chronozones was se ri ously dis turbed due to se lec tive cor ro sion and the overrepresentation of Pinus sylvestris type and Filicales monolete sporomorphs. Be tween ca. 336 and 1152 AD fluc tu a tions in wood land cover were re corded. Im por tant com po nents in those for ests, de spite the dom i na tion of Pinus sylvestris, were Quercus, Carpinus betulus, Fagus sylvatica and Abies alba. The first pol len grains of ce re als (Cerealia type) were found be fore ca. 1605-1414 BC and may be at trib uted to the ag ri cul tural ac tiv ity of the Neo lithic and/or early Bronze tribes. Pe riods of strong de for es ta tion caused by hu mans were prob a bly re lated to the time when the Tarnobrzeska Group of the Lusatian Cul ture and the Przeworska Cul ture were ac tive. The first groups of Slavs did not sig nif i cantly in flu ence the en vi ron ment, but the sub se quent de vel op ment of those groups led to more vis i ble de for es ta tion, which was trig gered af ter the es tab lish ment of Jaros³aw in the 11 th cen tury AD.
Tracing the history of synanthropic flora and vegetation in the Czech Republic
PhD thesis, Charles University in Prague, 2017
Plant macro remains from archaeological situations were studied in order to trace the history of gradual formation of today’s synanthropic vegetation. Synanthropic plants represent a heterogeneous group of species with various qualities and strategies, as well as with various immigration histories. In general, the synanthropic flora is rich in aliens, so it is important to know, when exactly these species immigrated to our territory (to know their residence time). Besides the determination of the residence time of alien plants, also the dynamics of formation of urban flora and vegetation was studied. Special attention was paid to the Medieval Period, when the urbanisation process started. The emergence of urban agglomeration may have been the cause of the emergence of new habitats, followed by formation of new plant associations - the predecessors of the today’s ones. In general, towns represent a special case of anthropogenic environment with many various synanthropic habitats, causing their species richness. Questions 1. When exactly the synanthropic flora of medieval towns emerged? Was the transition from the Prehistory to the Medieval Period rather gradual or sudden? 2. What particular species took place in the medieval change of synanthropic vegetation? Where did these species come from? Was the emergence of medieval towns right the main cause of the observed change in species composition? 3. In which way was the local diversity of synanthropic flora influenced by medieval urbanisation? Did rather the new species emerge or, contrarily, the previously common ones extinct? 4. What factors influenced the spread of new species during the Medieval Period? Materials and Methods The data were based on the analyses of plant macroremains, sometimes in combination with other methods (mainly the pollen analysis). The case studies were focused on particular localities in Central Bohemia, tracing gradual changes taking place in each locality. To trace general trends and to answer the questions, the Archaeobotanical Database of the CR was used, covering the time span since the Neolithic to the High Middle Ages. Results and Discussion 218 archaeophytes were found in macro-remain material from high medieval towns, representing ca. 90% of unintentionally introduced alien plants. The majority of them have been present in our territory since the Prehistory; forty new aliens immigrated during the Early Medieval Period (EM). On the contrary, only several new aliens were introduced in High Medieval (HM). It means that the main wave of immigration took place in EM, which implies that the medieval immigration couldn’t be connected with the urbanisation process. Medieval urbanisation influenced plant diversity in the similar way as present processes connected with urban enlargement. The diversity of semi-natural vegetation in the suburbs drops as a result of vanishing of suitable habitats, whereas the abundance of common ruderal species increases. The increase of diversity via immigration of new alien species is connected mainly with the intensity of long-distance trade (mediated by increased propagule preasure). The frequency of alien species in medieval towns was also influenced by their residence time. The comparison of the OLD (present since the Prehistory) and NEW (since the Middle Ages) alien plants shows similar pattern as today’s comparison of archaeophytes vs. neophytes.
Combining pollen and charcoal: evaluating Holocene vegetation composition and dynamics
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2010
Pollen analysis reveals vegetation change on a local and regional level over (ideally) continuous time spans but with complications when it comes to the reconstruction of spatially precise species occurrence and composition. Wood charcoal analysis provides site-related information on species occurrence and woodland composition, especially when sediments containing pollen are lacking, but is normally discontinuously available and has the danger of human bias due to potential selection of certain species for e.g. fire making, house construction or charcoal making. Combining the two methods e assuming that suitable palaeoarchives are neighbouring e might compensate for their disadvantages and strengthen the interpretations on vegetation composition and dynamics on a local, extra-local and regional scale. Three examples are given where pollen analysis from "classical" archives e mires and lake sediments e was carried out, and where additionally species identification of wood charcoals was done on samples extracted from close-by archives. The first example (Kugelstattmoos, Bavarian Forest, Germany) combines a Holocene pollen diagram derived from a small mire with late medieval/early modern times charcoal spectra from charcoal production sites which are situated on the margin of the mire. Results show the local occurrence of the main woodland species Fagus sylvatica and Abies alba, and raises new questions on the montane species composition of the formerly natural forests in the Bavarian Forest. The second example (Bargstedter Moor, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany) combines Holocene pollen diagrams from a peat bog with late medieval/early modern times charcoal spectra from charcoal production sites in a woodland close to the bog. It shows the role of Quercus, Fagus, Alnus and Carpinus in medieval and early modern times woodlands and its use by man. The third example (Kleiner Tornowsee, Brandenburg, Germany) combines pollen data from sediments of a small lake with charcoal data derived from Holocene colluvisols and soils. The examples show that anthracological and palynological data complement one another to create a more detailed picture of woodland history and landscape change than one method alone would provide.