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- To understand how humans in the past functioned we must know what their world was like. Environmental archaeology is the study of human interaction with the natural world. To investigate environment on a global scale, archaeologists utilize data gathered from such techniques as deep-sea coring which provide climatic information though the analysis of organic molecules in sediment.
- Geoarchaeology employs methods for determining the effects of changing climate on the terrain itself. From this archaeologists can assess the environment faced by a site's inhabitants at different time periods. Geoarchaeology can be combined with traditional excavation to produce a more comprehensive picture of a site.
- Much information about the past environment can be gained through microbotanical remains, plant remains that can only be seen through a microscope. Palynology, the study of ancient pollen grains, can give archaeologists some idea of fluctuation in vegetation types over time. Phytoliths, the particles of silica from the cells of plants that survive after the plant has decomposed, can be used to recover similar information. Phytoliths often survive in sediments where pollen will not be preserved. Macrobotanical remains, those that can be seen by the human eye such as seeds, fruit, and wood, provide information about what plants grew near sites and which were consumed by humans.
- Animal remains supply interesting clues about past climatic conditions. The remains of large animals found at archaeological sites, known as macrofauna, mainly help us build a picture of past human diet. Micro-fauna, such as rodents, molluscs, and insects, are better indicators of environment than larger species as they are more sensitive and adapt more quickly to climate change.
- All human groups have had an impact on the environment: the domestication of plants and animals, the controlled use of fire, the pollution of air and water, and the use of field systems are only some of the ways that people have changed the world around them and it is clear that modification of the immediate environment is fundamental to human culture.
Key Concept Identifications
You should be familiar with the meaning and importance of each of the following terms:
Investigating Environments on a Global Scale
- Environmental archaeology, p. 231
Reconstructing Climates from Sea and Ice Cores
- Deep-sea cores, p. 232-3
- Ice cores, p. 232-3
Climatic Cycles: El Niño
- Climatic cycles, p. 234
- El Niño, p. 234
Ancient Coastlines
- Echo-sounding, p. 236
- Raised beaches, p. 236
- Tectonic movement, p. 236
- Seismic reflection profiling, p. 236
- CLIMAP, p. 238
- Isostatic uplift, p. 236
Studying the Landscape
- Fossil ice wedges, p. 239
- Geomorphology, p. 241
- Loess sediments, p. 243
- Sedimentology, p. 243
- Buried land surfaces, p. 244
- Tree rings and climate, p. 245
Reconstructing the Plant Environment
- Pollen analysis, p. 245
- Diatom analysis, p. 249
- Phytoliths, p. 249
- Fossil cuticles, p. 248
- Flotation, p. 251
- Rock varnishes, p. 250
Reconstructing the Animal Environment
- Isotope analysis, p. 260
- Paleofeces, p. 260
Reconstructing the Human Environment
- Gardens, p. 262
- Land management using field systems, p. 267
- Reaves, p. 267
- Chinampas, p. 267
Site Catchment Analysis
- Site Catchment Analysis, pp. 264-65
- Site Exploitation Territory, pp. 264-65
Human Impact on Island Environments
- Human impact on island environments, pp. 271-73
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