Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic)
Abstract The reconstruction of the settlement´s hinterland and acquisition of plant resources is one of the crucial questions in the field of environmental archaeology. Our study is focused on the reconstruction of the settlement’s structure and character of the environment from which the site drew...
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Nature Portfolio
2022-11-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24753-x |
| _version_ | 1811215900799401984 |
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| author | Tereza Šálková Libor Vobejda Ondřej Chvojka Jaromír Beneš Václav Vondrovský Martin Kuna Roman Křivánek Petr Menšík Jan Novák |
| author_facet | Tereza Šálková Libor Vobejda Ondřej Chvojka Jaromír Beneš Václav Vondrovský Martin Kuna Roman Křivánek Petr Menšík Jan Novák |
| author_sort | Tereza Šálková |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The reconstruction of the settlement´s hinterland and acquisition of plant resources is one of the crucial questions in the field of environmental archaeology. Our study is focused on the reconstruction of the settlement’s structure and character of the environment from which the site drew resources. These research questions were addressed by the interpretation of plant macroremains, charcoals, and the results of the spatial model. We have focused on the maximum size of the settlement that the surrounding countryside was able to withstand. Our results clearly demonstrated significant deforestation and intensive land use in the vicinity of the Late Bronze Age study site. As the weed taxa showed, a wide range of crops was grown in rather dry or less often in damp fields. Based on our archaeobotanical results, we were able to reconstruct several types of grasslands: dry pastures and fallow fields on plateaus and slopes, wet pastures or meadows in the floodplain. Acidophilous oak forests, alluvial forests, and shrubs were reconstructed as the most common forest habitats in the vicinity of the study site. Based on the archaeological knowledge of the region, we assume relatively low population density during the Late Bronze Age, and thus only a small part of the more or less forested landscape was significantly affected by human activities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:30:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3c15541103d64320837da5de1e2a509a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T06:30:05Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-3c15541103d64320837da5de1e2a509a2022-12-22T03:44:02ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-11-0112111610.1038/s41598-022-24753-xExtensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic)Tereza Šálková0Libor Vobejda1Ondřej Chvojka2Jaromír Beneš3Václav Vondrovský4Martin Kuna5Roman Křivánek6Petr Menšík7Jan Novák8Institute of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceInstitute of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceInstitute of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceInstitute of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of South Bohemia in České BudějoviceInstitute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, PragueInstitute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, PragueInstitute of Archaeology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, PragueDepartment of Archaeology, Faculty of Arts, University of West BohemiaDepartment of Botany, Faculty of Science, Charles UniversityAbstract The reconstruction of the settlement´s hinterland and acquisition of plant resources is one of the crucial questions in the field of environmental archaeology. Our study is focused on the reconstruction of the settlement’s structure and character of the environment from which the site drew resources. These research questions were addressed by the interpretation of plant macroremains, charcoals, and the results of the spatial model. We have focused on the maximum size of the settlement that the surrounding countryside was able to withstand. Our results clearly demonstrated significant deforestation and intensive land use in the vicinity of the Late Bronze Age study site. As the weed taxa showed, a wide range of crops was grown in rather dry or less often in damp fields. Based on our archaeobotanical results, we were able to reconstruct several types of grasslands: dry pastures and fallow fields on plateaus and slopes, wet pastures or meadows in the floodplain. Acidophilous oak forests, alluvial forests, and shrubs were reconstructed as the most common forest habitats in the vicinity of the study site. Based on the archaeological knowledge of the region, we assume relatively low population density during the Late Bronze Age, and thus only a small part of the more or less forested landscape was significantly affected by human activities.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24753-x |
| spellingShingle | Tereza Šálková Libor Vobejda Ondřej Chvojka Jaromír Beneš Václav Vondrovský Martin Kuna Roman Křivánek Petr Menšík Jan Novák Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic) Scientific Reports |
| title | Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic) |
| title_full | Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic) |
| title_fullStr | Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic) |
| title_short | Extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity, duration, and land use of the Late Bronze Age settlement site Březnice (Czech Republic) |
| title_sort | extensive archaeobotanical data estimate carrying capacity duration and land use of the late bronze age settlement site breznice czech republic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-24753-x |
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