THEME 4 “Environment and Subsistence: Geosphere, Ecosphere and Human Interactions:pp. 362. (original) (raw)
With the growing concern about the consequences of environmental changes on human life, the study of past and present environments and their impact on culture have gained pace. In order to develop models for research, defining the interface between natural and cultural environments in the past has become a challenge. This is especially evident when looking at the changes in adaptive strategies in subsistence patterns. In earlier years, the primary focus was on developing global models targeting the various possibilities and limitations of different habitats. Revolutionary developments in the natural sciences, while broadening the spectrum in looking at past environments, have also made it possible to obtain data much more precisely than the early years of research. Progress in geochronology, geochemistry and isotope studies, as well as growing evidence from paleoclimatology, tectonics, geomorphology, and sourcing of raw materials have provided new means to define the interface between the antropo, geo and bio environments. It has also become evident that conditions during the past were as multi-various as at the present and that there is a greater need for detailed regional studies. These and other achievements in understanding the past have provided new possibilities in environmental archaeology. The theme is intended to cover a wide spectrum of topics concerning geoarchaeology, bioarchaeology, environmental archaeology, geochronology, settlement and landscape archaeology. It brings together not only case studies, but also methodological approaches, including extensive use of GIS, data mining and numerical modelling techniques.
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