Environmental archaeology in China: Progress and prospects

The aim of the study is to develop a method for determining the coding and landscape pattern historical layers in the mapping method on the historical landscape character and to reveal the contribution of the cooperation of archaeology and landscape architecture professional disciplines on this axis. In this context; although the historical past goes back thousands of years, archaeological studies and findings obtained for this research allowed us to research the 2700-year historical past. When our area is examined, the Büyük Menderes Delta, which is rich in terms of flora and fauna and where landscape pattern changes and transitions are seen intensively, was selected as the study area because it has a historical landscape character. When its historical past is examined, it provides enlightening information about the changes in landscape pattern, settlement and economic development of the local people. In this sense, this study will also open a horizon for environmental archaeology. When we look at the historical landscape character studies conducted in the world and Turkey, it is seen that there is no specific coding system. The coding made in this study will be a prototype for HLCAn (Historical Landscape Character Analysis) studies. Is it possible to make a mapping covering all historical and archaeological layers in areas with deep-rooted historical and archaeological pasts such as Anatolia? In other words, can all historical layers be presented together on a prepared map? The questions of what should be the terminology that will include different layers of history in HLCAN's mapping were sought. The study method is composed of the study principles of historical landscape character analysis and similar studies and field-specific research. The findings obtained during the research were combined in the ArcGIS environment and a historical mapping was made; In this mapping, a coding system was developed based on the CORINE LU/LC infrastructure and similar studies. Since the research evolved into an original study in terms of expressing a 2700-year historical past on the same map and transferring landscape pattern changes as well as historical and archaeological elements, it is thought that it will contribute to scientific literature and further studies.

Environmental Archaeology of Mauritius: State-of-the-Art and Future Directions

ABSTRACTThis paper presents a novel methodology and workflow successful in identifying and mapping undercanopy archaeology in woodland Mediterranean areas. The study area is characterized by dense vegetation typical of the Mediterranean area, located in southern Tuscany (Italy), within the territory of the ancient city of Rusellae next to the Tyrrhenian seaside. In February 2021, a drone‐based LiDAR acquisition was led over an area of 550 ha, with an average of ~700 points/m2. Specifically, the combination of aerial drone and LiDAR sensor enabled us to obtain high‐resolution and high‐quantity data, requiring significant processing efforts facilitated by the collaboration among various expertise in different fields, such as archaeology, computer science and geomatics. Among the most significant, this experience demonstrates the implementation of a methodology that, under certain circumstances, can be effective for the archaeological study of Mediterranean landscapes covered by dense canopy and undergrowth vegetation. The results provide new insights into these areas by shedding light on previously unknown archaeological features and enhancing our understanding of past landscapes.

After a period of urban development in historic town centres between the 1970s and the 1980s, which resulted in the destruction of many archaeological sites, archaeology has gone from being perceived and experienced as a purely unwanted obligation, to being an integral part of town planning and development. A growing awareness of the environmental and social challenges posed by urban sprawl, vehicle traffic and climate change has started to modify our vision of the town and how it should be developed. One consequence has been a marked increase in the density of urban fabric and the renewal of old town centres, encouraged by government projects designed to improve their appeal. This paper aims to retrace this evolution through the example of the Centre region of France, paying particular attention to Chartres. Through the respective and complementary actions of the state authorities (Ministry of Culture) and the archaeology services belonging to local government authorities (departments and municipalities), this study illustrates the role of archaeology in the urban environment as a means of action for local decision makers, and as a factor that can add high cultural value to local areas through building and strengthening local identities and promoting a scientific and heritage culture.

Whereas environmental studies are today an important part of urban archaeological research in many towns and cities in Europe, they often focus on individual sites and do not always result in larger syntheses. To exploit the full potential of urban environmental studies in Brussels, Belgium, a specific framework has been developed, explicitly aimed at coping with the inherent complexity of urban investigations, including the variety of research themes that need to be dealt with, the challenges of fast-evolving environmental research, and how to address the needs of different stakeholders. This article discusses how the framework was created, the challenges that have been dealt with over the past few decades, and how we can further improve the framework for the future.

Reconstructing past environments can be challenging when archaeological materials are missing. The study of organic molecules, which remain as traces in the environment over millennia, represents one way to overcome this drawback. Fecal lipid markers (steroids and bile acids) and ancient sedimentary DNA offer a complementary and cross-validating analytical tool to broaden the range of methods used in environmental archaeology. However, little is known about the benefits of combining these two approaches. We present a brief overview of the current state of knowledge on fecal lipid markers and ancient sedimentary DNA. We identify scientific and methodological gaps and suggest their potential relevance for a better understanding of dynamic, human-animal relationships of the past. With this review, we aim to facilitate new research avenues, both in established disciplines and in conjunction with analytical approaches that have rarely been combined to date.

Marine Environmental Archaeology: The Ecology of Shipwrecks in Mauritius

Debates about archaeological heritage in Egypt are commonly focused on the spectacular monuments of the Pharaonic, Greek, and Roman periods. In contrast, landscapes and the long prehistory of Northeast Africa receive far more limited attention. The Cologne Summer School (CSS), ‘Environmental archaeology: dealing with cultural and natural heritage’, organised in Dakhla Oasis (Egypt) in September 2023, brought Egyptian and German students, archaeologists and heritage professionals together to discuss how heritage management, the protection of the landscape and archaeological fieldwork can be integrated meaningfully in the region. This paper summarises the results of the discussions of the summer school, set against an outline of current site-based heritage practises in Egypt and archaeological research in and around Dakhla Oasis. A major outcome of the discussions is the realisation that a distinct narrative needs to be developed for Dakhla Oasis and the surrounding desert landscape to provide an encompassing strategy for the management and protection of its archaeological heritage, from prehistoric times through Pharaonic Egypt to the recent past.

ABSTRACT This study shows how fine and organic sediments in urban contexts can document landscape changes, anthropogenic activities and depositional processes. We focus on the transition between the late Iron Age and the Roman period in the city of Lyon (France), where an archaeological excavation conducted on Fourvière Hill aimed at understanding the evolution of a defensive site located south-west of the former Roman city. The discovery of a Gallic wall made of earth, wood and stone (murus gallicus) probably indicates the oppidum status of Lyon before the Roman colonisation. Fine-textured, organic and hydromorphic sediments containing a variety of artefacts (fine wares and amphora fragments) and abundant palaeoecological indicators (seeds, fruits, wood and charcoal fragments, pollen, shells, and parasites), were preserved at the foot of the rampart. A multidisciplinary study of these remains reveals the presence of a former hilltop pond surrounded by riparian woodlands with multi-proxy evidence of arable land or gardens, discharge from human settlements (consumption wastes, human parasites), and grazed areas (faecal inputs, animal parasites and plants tolerant to trampling). After several episodes of sediment inputs and backfill, the palaeoenvironmental record ended at the beginning of the Roman Empire, when a defensive wall was built over the site.

Environmental archeology of the Amazon has conventionally focused on terrestrial spaces, investigating crop domestication and production, agroforestry and anthropogenic soils. Aquatic environments, however, have been given less attention by archeologists and paleoenvironmental scientists alike. The Llanos de Mojos, a 135,000 km2 basin of the Amazon and mosaic landscape of savannas, wetlands and forests, has long been recognized for its archeological record. A variety of anthropogenic earthworks across the region show significant landscape modifications from Pre-Columbian times used for transportation, resource production and control of floodwaters. Here, we investigate the use and management of wetlands, and their interaction in the wider Mojos mosaic landscape, by integrating extensive archeological, paleoenvironmental and GIS datasets. We demonstrate that past human modifications of the landscape enabled the creation of complex wetland-terrestrial system of resource production, in which wetlands were managed, complementary to terrestrial crop production and agroforestry. Across short distances (40 km), land use strategies were heterogeneous despite being connected in time and space. Additionally, mixed wetland-terrestrial resource production was relatively stable during periods of lower rainfall from 1200–1500 CE, implying that this strategy provided flexibility under conditions of variable climate. The wetlands of the Llanos de Mojos are the result of millennia of human intervention and recognition of this deep heritage is required to make informed management and conservation decisions to ensure the future of this culturally and biologically diverse region.

ABSTRACT This paper provides an overview of rural surveys and environmental archaeology studies on Sicily, Cyprus and Crete during the Byzantine Empire. It re-evaluates traditional interpretations of agricultural settlement patterns, ecosystems and populations from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages (late sixth to late ninth century). The prevailing narrative that these islands were devastated by Arab incursions, leading to widespread depopulation, economic collapse and abandonment of rural sites in favour of fortified hilltop settlements, is questioned. Instead, the study employs a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, combining environmental and climatic data with historical and archaeological evidence. This method offers a more nuanced understanding of how insular rural societies adapted to changing environmental and human conditions during the Byzantine Empire's transition from an economically unified region to a fragmented Medieval Mediterranean. The findings highlight the resilient nature of land use and rural settlement patterns amidst the transformation of the empire's political, military and administrative structures.

ABSTRACT This article explores the evidence for environmental change at Beck Burn, Solway Moss, on the English/Scottish border. The analysed pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) and microscopic charcoal particles permit several palaeoenvironmental events to be interpreted, supported by radiocarbon dating. These and previously published data suggest the presence of very early Mesolithic water-edge activity, later Mesolithic woodland management, clearance and small-scale cultivation during the early Neolithic period, followed by low-level disturbance for pastoral farming in the early Bronze Age. Woodland clearance and cereal cultivation are dated to the middle Bronze Age, with significant clearance and cultivation identified during the late Iron Age or early Roman period. The medieval period is characterised by evidence for a mixed subsistence economy, with reduced activity possibly coincident with the Wars of Scottish Independence, famines and the Black Death of the fourteenth century, as well as the Little Ice Age. Renewed activity, with evidence for both arable and pastoral farming, is dated to the late medieval to early post-medieval period. Pine plantations were then created, possibly in the eighteenth century or later. The data reveal the importance of palaeoenvironmental archaeology, in the absence of significant finds or features, in creating a link with the past.

Classical scholars have long held that the saffron in widespread use throughout the ancient Mediterranean was Crocus sativus (Iridaceae), a sterile triploid descendant of the wild Crocus cartwrightianus, and indeed use of Crocus sativus in antiquity has been extensively borne out both by iconographic and phylogenetic studies. Two principal scholars of the Roman world, Dioscorides the physician and Pliny the natural historian, disagreed radically over the virtues and commercial value of saffron crocus from Sicily, with one praising its quality, and the other excoriating it. This study draws on ecophysiology, classical texts, environmental archeology, and phytochemistry to explain this disagreement and its implications. It explores the potential impact of microclimate on crocus cultivation in the ancient Mediterranean and proposes a new species identification for Sicilian crocus: Crocus longiflorus. The identification of Crocus longiflorus as “Sicilian saffron” offers an important corrective to the assumption that Crocus sativus was the sole crocus species of commercial value in the ancient Mediterranean and renews attention to the economic potential and utility of an indigenous southern Italian species overlooked in classical and later scholarship.

In a 2019 Internet Archaeology article, Elizabeth Pearson posed the question 'are we back in the Dark Ages?'. This question was made in reference to a developer-funded archaeology sector that was generating vast quantities of evidence and, particularly, in recent years, specialist environmental data, but was failing to mobilise this in a theoretical framework that generated meaningful advancement in terms of research. The introduction to the 2021 Internet Archaeology special issue on Digital Archiving in Archaeology (Richards et al. 2021) went on to address 'a digital resource that is now in jeopardy' – not only because of the risk of technical obsolescence, but also because of crucial limitations to its interoperability and discoverability. This article builds on these arguments and complements vital work underway on high-level, internationally focused data infrastructure initiatives (e.g. Wright and Richards 2018). We emphasise here the importance of parallel discussions at a community level, particularly with the people who routinely produce archaeological data, as key to enhancing data synthesis and research potential. Specifically, we report on two surveys conducted by the 'Rewilding' Later Prehistory project at Oxford Archaeology, in collaboration with Historic England and Bournemouth University, which originated in the 'Rewilding' project's concern with improving access to palaeoenvironmental data produced within Britain. Substantial amounts of zooarchaeological and archaeobotanical data remain buried in grey literature, limited-access publications and archive reports (not to mention floppy disks, CDs and microfiche), with no integrative means of searching for particular periods or categories of evidence. This lack of accessibility inhibits specialists from contextualising their findings, and was exemplified recently by the Archaeology on Furlough project tripling the known number of aurochs finds in Britain by trawling online records, journals and museum records (Wiseman 2020). The results of the surveys presented here, which targeted both environmental archaeologists specifically and the wider sector, demonstrate a significant appetite amongst archaeologists to improve data networks and for their work to contribute meaningfully to research agendas. Contextualised within a disciplinary landscape that is increasingly dynamic in its approach to tackling the openness and connectivity of 'big data', we argue that better data synthesis in environmental archaeology, and the developer-funded sector more broadly, can be more than just a mirage on the horizon, particularly once the people who produce the data are given an active voice in the matter.

ABSTRACT This study combines several categories of environmental remains retrieved from machine-assisted water flotation samples, originating from the pit field of the Late Hellenistic archaeological site of Sexaginta Prista (2c. BC – 1c. AD), located on the River Danube in North Bulgaria. The analysis of the different organic remains, such as archaeobotanical macro-remains (seeds, wood charcoal and ‘food crusts’), fish scales, molluscs and animal bones, aims at exploring the possible utilisation scenarios of the pits, including crop/food storage and preparation, disposal activities and ritual practices and also allowed for a preliminary past-environmental reconstruction of the site during the study of interest.

Grand challenge: Environmental archaeology as intersectional, translational and inclusive practice

This paper considers the value of past and prospective applications of key environmental archaeological and earth science fields relating to the historical ecology of Mauritius and the Mascarene islands more broadly: palaeoecology, geoarchaeology, zooarchaeology and climate studies. The contribution of each subfield is outlined with the aim of demonstrating the potential value of an integrated environmental archaeological approach for developing a long-term understanding of the human ecology of Mauritius and its associated islands. The paper considers the potential and limitations of existing approaches and data, as well as future challenges. Beyond solely reconstructing the nuances of anthropogenic impact on the environment in relation to the island’s history of settlement, we argue that environmental archaeology can contribute to an understanding of “biocultural diversity” as an integral element of Mauritian heritage, bridging the divide between cultural and natural heritage.

A Review on Diagnostic Phytoliths for the Application in Paleovegetation Reconstruction and Environmental Archaeology in East Asia

From the seventh century AD, successive Islamic polities were established around the Mediterranean. Historians have linked these caliphates with the so-called ‘Islamic Green Revolution’—the introduction of new crops and agricultural practices that transformed the economies of regions under Muslim rule. Increasingly, archaeological studies have problematised this largely text-based model of agrarian innovation, yet much of this research remains regionally and methodologically siloed. Focusing on the Western Mediterranean, the authors offer a theoretically informed, integrated environmental archaeology approach through which to contextualise the ecological impact of the Arab-Berber conquests. Its future application will allow a fuller evaluation of the scale, range and significance of agricultural innovations during the ‘medieval millennium’.