Studying The Landscape Essay, Research Paper
Reconstruction of local area ? terrain,
availability of water ground water, susceptibility to flooding.? Conditions over different years. Loss
of sits through erosion, inundation and burial under sediment. Glaciers can give us clue to possible resources of
earlier ages Varves etc layers of sediment thickness explaining
climate Rivers: important as settlement often nearby due to
settle deposits, changing course through natural processes shows lots of
changes.? Rough chronology of sites
from rivers etc Sediments ? composition of information on
weathering, past use of soil, and soil types. Soil development: source of sediment, process of
soil formation, human modification.?
Butzer three types of human activity: Primary Cultural Deposits ? accumulate on the
surface from human activity Secondary Cultural Deposits ? primary deposits
that have undergone displacement Tertiary Cultural Deposits ? Completely removed
from original context and may have been reused ? build terracing Ancient human landscapes: human effects with
deforestation and farming ? also to build a better general picture of the
site as a whole. Analysing whether human artefacts are in their
primary context. Soil Micro morphology ? an activity take place
indoors or outdoors, what type of one etc. Movement of sediment and sediment deposits show us
Mediterranean over agricultural in some areas. Loess soil fine silt evidence of climatic change;
cold dry climate. Linked to areas of Neolithic farming 0 70@ of LBK sites
associated with this type of soil. Buried Land Surfaces ? fenland life, also half
buried water trees showing us water levels and possible droughts (Anasazi
cliff dwellers and Scott Sine droughts of 1209 ? 1350. Tree ring analysis complete ? levels of moisture,
growth, forest cover etc, helps explain why Jamestown colony occurred
during an extraordinary drought 1606 ? 1612 Organic remains richest source of evidence for
environmental reconstruction. Reconstructing the Plant Environment Main point suggest what vegetation people
encountered at different times, base of food chain, local and human life,
good reflection of climatic change Pollen Analysis ? palynology ?fluctuation in
vegetation through time.? Pollen
zones characterised by different plant communities. Ethiopia shown tropical wetter, greener, more
tropical climate years ago. Phytoliths usages of plants as they survive
for a relatively long time. Animal Environment ? complex relationship between
animals and their environment. Smaller animals or microfauna more reflective of
climatic and environmental change ? sensitive to oscillations ? better
indicator of immediate environment Insects ? York 3rd century canal had
grain flies (possibly showing granry as well as effluent). Reconstructing the Human Environment Main interest is why humans choose particular site
or location for their settlement.?
Also spiritual or non-empirical factors. Modification of the immediate human environment ?
examine closely traces of skins and fires etc Wider environment ? test water for pollution levels
etc Land management ? physical evidence boundaries etc Humans bringing their own landscapes to new parts
of the world was quickly and efficiently destructive. Easter Island prime example ? used to be a forest
but is now completely grassland as now trees left. SUMMARY Developed from inconsequential species at the mercy
of the environment to huge influence over its surroundings.? Determines WHERE and HOW people live,
battery of techniques aiding explanations. Now looks at key variables that influence operation
of cultural systems 0 no longer focus on individual sites, but on systems
and changing patterns. History of the Countryside ? Rackham Pollen Analysis ? Landscape Archaeology ? soil marks, crop marks,
wood banks, hedge banks, ridge and furrow and differences of level.