Research master thesis | Archaeology (research) (MA/MSc)
open access
It is currently believed that there was no hominin presence on the British Isles during the Eemian interglacial stage, which lasted from 130 kya to 115 kya. However it is unclear what the reason...Show moreIt is currently believed that there was no hominin presence on the British Isles during the Eemian interglacial stage, which lasted from 130 kya to 115 kya. However it is unclear what the reason for this apparent absence is. This is especially the case considering that during the Eemian, temperatures in north-west Europe are known to have been several degrees warmer than even today, making it a potent habitat for early hominins. Several theories have existed in order to explain this, which include a complete absence in north-west Europe due to constraints in mental fortitude and an ecology that would have been unsuited for hominins to survive, as well as an early disappearance of the land bridge that connected France to Great Britain during the glacial periods. This was based on the fact that hominin sites that date back to the Eemian are exceedingly rare in north-west Europe, with the first examples only having been discovered relatively recently. This thesis aims to further explore these possibilities by making an ecological reconstruction of the site of Waziers, which is located in northern France and dates back to the Eemian. It does this based on carpological and palynological material that was found at the site. In addition to this a correlation of pollen records was made using several other Eemian type sites located in both France and Great Britain. This data is then combined with pre existing literature of other Eemian sites in north-west Europe with signs of hominin activity, in order to correlate these sites together so that Waziers can be placed in a wider chronological and climatological framework. In addition to this several other biological factors that were encountered at Waziers, are compared to the climatological conditions that were prevalent in the wider region as well. In doing so it was found the hominin activity that was detected at Waziers took place very early in the Eemian, when the stage had just transitioned from the Saalian glacial stage. In addition to this it could also be concluded that this early period was much warmer than originally anticipated. This could be seen in the presence of such indicator taxa as Lemna cf. minor, Hedera helix, and Salvinia natans, which could all be found within the vegetational record of the site. Because of these factors it is concluded that while there was already a hominin presence very early in the Eemian interglacial, which indicates that climatological conditions were at least adequate to sustain a hominin presence. It also shows that these hominins did not lack the mental fortitude to exist in these conditions, as was suggested by earlier theories. Despite this it is likely that, due to the high temperatures melting the land based ice locked in the glaciers during the Saalian, the land bridge that had existed between France and Britain during the glacial stage had already disappeared, inhibiting further hominin dispersal to the British Isles.Show less
Humans have been modifying landscapes in the southwestern Amazon for 10 000 years. Yet this modification did not comprise the intensive horticultural activities generally defined as ‘agriculture’...Show moreHumans have been modifying landscapes in the southwestern Amazon for 10 000 years. Yet this modification did not comprise the intensive horticultural activities generally defined as ‘agriculture’ within archaeological discourses. Instead of pursuing plant species’ domestication, local communities prioritised mixed-resource economies, in situ cultivation, and intentional biodiversity. These subtle but complex practices left a marked footprint on Amazonian soils, tree distributions, and biodiversity patterns. This thesis brings together palaeoenvironmental evidence of this footprint, to paint a picture of how humans managed landscapes in southwest Amazonia in the early and middle Holocene. It then approaches this ecological and archaeological data using anthropological theory and ethnographic evidence; these disciplines can (a) clarify the visibility of human-plant interactions in the eco-archaeological record, and (b) aid in interpreting what this record signifies about past lifeways. This transdisciplinary approach acknowledges the importance of considering cosmology when studying human-plant interactions, and how they can manifest materially. Human-nonhuman reciprocity is a prominent principle in many contemporary Amazonian ontologies, and is used in this thesis as a central paradigm for studying human ecological manipulations through time. Where conventional archaeological models of agriculture emphasise the central role of landscape domestication, the evidence from southwest Amazonia indicates that human horticultural activities comprised a process of active landscape co-creation. This thesis thus emphasises the need to rethink how we study human-plant interactions in archaeology, with critical implications for how we understand ‘agriculture’ as a whole – in Amazonia and elsewhere.Show less
