"Environmental archaeology is a sub-field of archaeology which emerged in the 1970s..."
The study of the interaction between humans and their environment in the past.
Introduction to Environmental Archaeology: This is a broad overview of environmental archaeology that covers the fundamental concepts, principles, and methods.
The Concept of Environment: Understanding the concept of environmental archaeology and the key concepts, including ecology and human-environment interaction.
Archaeobotany: It is the study of plant remains in archaeological contexts, including plant remains such as seeds, fruits, and plant fibers that can be used to draw conclusions about past human activities.
Zooarchaeology: The study of animal remains in archaeological contexts that provide valuable information about past human activities.
Palaeoethnobotany: A subfield of archaeobotany, it focuses on the identification of the cultural aspects of plant use in the past.
Palaeoecology: Study of past environments and ecosystems through geological records and fossils.
Geoarchaeology: Study of archaeological sediments and soils to help explore and understand the environmental context in which ancient human societies existed.
Micromorphology: A subfield of geoarchaeology, it is the study of the microscopic properties of soils and sediments.
Paleoentomology: Study of ancient insect remains, providing insight into aspects of climate, diet, and lifestyle of people in the past.
Isotope Analysis: The measurement of isotopic ratios of elements in environmental materials, including bones, charcoal, and shells, providing information on past climate, diet, and other environmental factors.
Climate Change: The study of climate change over time, including past changes in the earth's climate and the impact of human activities on the environment.
Human-Environment Interaction: The study of the relationship between human societies and the natural environment, including how people adapted to their changing surroundings and the impact of human activities on the environment.
Cultural Ecology: The intersection of culture and the natural environment, including the study of human adaptations to specific environmental conditions.
Environmental History: The study of past environmental conditions and how they influenced past human societies.
Landscape Archaeology: The study of the physical and cultural landscapes that surround archaeological sites, providing insight into the broader social and environmental contexts in which ancient societies existed.
Palaeoenvironmental Archaeology: This type of environmental archaeology uses a variety of techniques to reconstruct past environmental conditions that existed at the time of human occupation of a particular site. These techniques include pollen analysis, phytolith analysis, macrofossil analysis, and isotope analysis.
Zooarchaeology: This type of environmental archaeology focuses on the study of animal remains found at archaeological sites. It can give an idea of the types of animals that existed and the extent of human involvement with them.
Geoarchaeology: This type of environmental archaeology examines the geological and environmental context in which archaeological deposits are found. It aims to identify the processes of landscape change that occurred during the period when human activity was present at a site.
Ethnoarchaeology: This type of environmental archaeology studies the relationship between people and their natural environment through direct observation of contemporary societies. It provides an understanding of the ways in which traditional societies have adapted to and modified their environment.
Historical Archaeology: This type of environmental archaeology focuses on the period following the introduction of writing, where archaeological evidence can be combined with written records to gain a more complete picture of past environments.
Archaeobotany: This type of environmental archaeology involves the identification and analysis of plant remains found at archaeological sites. It provides an insight into ancient agriculture, food practices, and plant use.
Geochemistry: This type of environmental archaeology involves the analysis of chemical elements present in soils, sediments, and other natural materials. It can be used to identify past environmental conditions, such as soil acidity, pollution, and climate change.
Isotope Archaeology: This type of environmental archaeology uses stable isotopes found in archaeological materials to reconstruct past environmental conditions. It can provide insights into past diet and mobility patterns.
Landscape Archaeology: This type of environmental archaeology is concerned with the broader study of human-environment interactions over time, on a regional or global scale. It involves the study of land use patterns, monuments, and other man-made features in the landscape to gain an understanding of past environmental conditions.
"The field represents an archaeological-palaeoecological approach to studying the palaeoenvironment through the methods of human palaeoecology."
"Environmental archaeology is commonly divided into three sub-fields: archaeobotany, zooarchaeology, and geoarchaeology."
"Archaeobotany (the study of plant remains)"
"Zooarchaeology (the study of faunal remains)"
"Geoarchaeology (the study of geological processes and their relationship to the archaeological record)"
"Studying plant and animal remains in order to investigate which plant and animal species were present at the time of prehistoric habitations, and how past societies managed them."
"It may also involve studying the physical environment and how similar or different it was in the past compared to the present day."
"An important component of such analyses represents the study of site formation processes."
"when artifacts may be absent from an excavated or surveyed site, or in cases of earth movement, such as erosion, which may have buried artifacts and archaeological features."
"Yes, specialist sub-fields, for example bioarchaeology or geomorphology, are defined by the materials they study..."
"The term 'environmental' is used as a general template in order to denote a general field of scientific inquiry that is applicable across time periods and geographical regions studied by archaeology as a whole."
"Reconstructing past environments and past peoples' relationships and interactions with the landscapes they inhabited provides archaeologists with insights into the origin and evolution of anthropogenic environments, and prehistoric adaptations and economic practices."
"...insights into the origin and evolution of anthropogenic environments."
"...insights into prehistoric adaptations and economic practices."
"...science of reconstructing the relationships between past societies and the environments they lived in."
"provides archaeologists with insights into the origin and evolution of anthropogenic environments, and prehistoric adaptations and economic practices."
"...provides archaeologists with insights into the origin and evolution of anthropogenic environments, and prehistoric adaptations and economic practices."
"reconstructing the relationships between past societies and the environments they lived in."
"...applicable across time periods and geographical regions studied by archaeology as a whole."