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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.
The measurement and analysis of space is central to archaeological
study, such as through the recording of site plans and sections and
the interpretation of spatial relationships between artefacts and
features. Modelling Hidden Landscapes details a different approach
to the study of past patterns of environmental change within the
broader framework of landscape archaeology. It utilizes a range of
quantitative and qualitative methodologies and GIS modelling to
investigate spatial and temporal patterns of Holocene landscape
change for two raised mires in south Yorkshire: Hatfield and Thorne
Moors. Whilst concerned with specific aspects of landscape
evolution, such as peat growth and spread, the volume aims to
illustrate the synergy which is generated through integrating
spatial models with chronological modelling and stratigraphic,
cartographic, topographical, environmental and archaeological
information in order to better understand past landscapes, human
activity and the archaeological record. Building on a rich legacy
of previous palaeoenvironmental research on these moors, the data
generated by this combined methodology has practical applications
for current management concerns, including in situ preservation,
heritage and policy.
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