Paleosol charcoal: Reconstructing vegetation history in relation to agro-pastoral activities since the Neolithic. A case study in the Eastern French Pyrenees

Abstract

This article uses a method that combines pedoanthracological and pedo-archaeological approaches to terraces, complemented with archaeological pastoral data, in order to reconstruct the history of ancient agricultural terraces on a slope of the Enveitg Mountain in the French Pyrenees. Four excavations revealed two stages of terrace construction that have been linked with vegetation dynamics, which had been established by analyses of charcoal from the paleosols and soils of the terraces. Pedo-archaeological descriptions of these terrace soils reveal their ancient origins and their long-term use. Their chronology was established by radiocarbon dating of single charcoal fragments and charcoal lenses originating in the paleosols. Combining radiocarbon dating with pedo-archaeology resulted in a more reliable chronology. Moreover, the Bronze Age was found to be a crucial period in the history of land-use. This study also highlights the role of fire in the construction of this land-use pattern.