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 Varies 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. Butter 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 LBS 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 wh 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 paly nology 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 micro fauna more reflective of climatic and environmental change sensitive to oscillations better indicator of immediate environment Insects York 3 rd century canal had grain flies (possibly showing granny 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.