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An Introduction to Peatland Archaeology and Palaeoenvironments (Paperback)
Loot Price: R828
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An Introduction to Peatland Archaeology and Palaeoenvironments (Paperback)
Series: Studying Scientific Archaeology, 6
Expected to ship within 12 - 17 working days
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Peatlands are regarded as having exceptional archaeological value,
due to the fact the waterlogged conditions of these wetlands can
preserve organic remains that are almost entirely lost from the
majority of dryland contexts. This is certainly true, although the
remarkable preservation of sites and artefacts is just one aspect
of their archaeological importance. Peatlands are 'archives' of
past environmental changes: the palaeoenvironmental or
palaeoecological record. The waterlogged conditions preserve
pollen, plant remains, insects and other proxies that can be used
to reconstruct past patterns and processes of environmental change,
critical records of long term ecological processes for wetland and
also adjacent dryland areas. The potential to integrate and combine
records of cultural and environmental change, represents the
distinguishing feature of peatland (and wetland) archaeology, what
we might describe collectively as the 'archaeo-environmental
record'. When these records are analysed in conjunction,
exceptional interpretative synergy can be achieved; but this relies
on the development and implementation of integrated excavation and
analytical strategies and approaches. This new title in our highly
successful Studying Scientific Archaeology series provides an
accessible introduction to the ecology and formation processes of
peatlands, and to the different archaeological and
palaeoenvironmental techniques that have been developed and adapted
for the study of these environments. It provides an outline of the
major themes and methods and as a guide to other more detailed and
technical literature concerning peatland archaeology. The case
studies have been selected to illustrate, as far as possible,
examples of 'best practice'. Processes such as drainage,
agriculture, peat-cutting, afforestation and climate change
threaten peatlands and, by extension, the survival of
archaeological sites and deposits in situ. On the other side of
this environmental coin, healthy, functioning peatlands are
important for biodiversity, hydrology and as 'carbon sinks' with
the potential to mitigate global heating. Recent years have thus
seen increasing efforts to stop destruction and damage and
rehabilitate peatlands with a view to restoring these 'ecosystem
services'. The book considers these issues in terms of the past
loss and damage of archaeological sites and the future protection
of the resource in the Anthropocene.
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