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- Title
Mid-Holocene Palaeoenvironment, Plant Resources and Human Interaction in Northeast Iberia: An Archaeobotanical Approach.
- Authors
Piqué, Raquel; Alcolea, Marta; Antolín, Ferran; Berihuete-Azorín, Marian; Berrocal, Anna; Rodríguez-Antón, David; Herrero-Otal, Maria; López-Bultó, Oriol; Obea, Laura; Revelles, Jordi
- Abstract
The role of the adoption of farming economies in the transformation of mid-Holocene landscapes in Northeast Iberia is under discussion given that the Neolithization coincides with the cold climatic phase dated ca. 7500–7000 cal BP. The main aim of this paper is to assess whether human activities or climate were the main driver of vegetation changes during the Middle Holocene through the study of the archaeobotanical data from three case studies: Cova del Sardo, La Draga, and Coves del Fem. The application of diverse archaeobotanical techniques to the different plant remains provides a complete picture of the vegetation composition and plant uses. During the early Neolithic, settlement surroundings were intensively exploited for firewood, wood raw material, timber, and plant fibers. The resources were obtained mainly from deciduous and pine forests, depending on the site localization, but also from riparian zones. The diversity of plants exploited was high, not only trees but shrubs and herbs. Evidence of deforestation has been identified in the settlement surroundings in La Draga and Cova del Sardo. The combination of plant exploitation with other agropastoral activities favored the expansion of colonizing species and enhanced biodiversity at a local scale.
- Subjects
IBERIAN Peninsula; SOCIAL interaction; PLANT fibers; PLANT diversity; HUMAN resources departments; RIPARIAN areas
- Publication
Applied Sciences (2076-3417), 2021, Vol 11, Issue 11, p5056
- ISSN
2076-3417
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3390/app11115056