Mensch und Umwelt ‒ Ökoarchäologische Probleme in der Frühgeschichte

Archaeological science is starting to focus on the relationship between humans and their environment. At the 17th international symposium “Grundprobleme der frühgeschichtlichen Entwicklung im mittleren Donauraum” archaeologists, archaeobotanists and zooarchaeologists addressed questions concerning climate and environment in Early History. The contributions in this proceedings volume highlight the importance of a close interdisciplinary cooperation between the disciplines of archaeology, prehistory and early history, dendrochronology, palaeoecology, archaeobotany, zooarchaeology and quaternary malacology. The first part of the volume deals with new methods and strategies used by related scientific disciplines for the reconstruction of historical climates and environments. The second part focuses on agriculture from the Early Iron Age to the Early Middle Ages. The archaeological examinations found in this section are largely based on agricultural tools which are one of the most important archaeological sources as they reflect all technological changes and innovations concerning food acquisition and agriculture. The archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological analyses in this part of the volume provide data concerning cultivated plants as well as the spectrum of domesticated and wild animals. The third part of the proceedings focuses on written sources from Classical Antiquity and the Early and High Middle Ages. While the texts dating back to Classical Antiquity form the basis for a better understanding of economy and politics in Gaul and the Roman Empire, Early and High Middle Age texts are a rich source for the research into the conditions and material culture of the Middle Ages.