Functional interpretation of archaeobotanical data: making hay in the archaeological record

被引:11
作者
Hodgson, JG
Halstead, P
Wilson, PJ
Davis, S
机构
[1] Univ Sheffield, Dept Archaeol & Prehist, Sheffield S1 4ET, S Yorkshire, England
[2] Univ Sheffield, Dept Anim & Plant Sci, Unit Comparat Plant Ecol, Sheffield S10 2TN, S Yorkshire, England
[3] Liverpool John Moores Univ, Dept Biol & Earth Sci, Liverpool L3 3AF, Merseyside, England
关键词
hay; meadow; pasture; archaeobotany; Europe; farming history;
D O I
10.1007/BF01291778
中图分类号
Q94 [植物学];
学科分类号
071001 ;
摘要
Hay making and hay meadows have long been of fundamental ecological, economic and social importance in temperate Europe. A variety of archaeological sources suggests that hay making may date back to the Iron Age, but direct archaeobotanical evidence for this practice is problematic. Past grassland communities are imperfectly represented and preserved in archaeobotanical assemblages, and ancient meadow and pasture communities may not resemble present-day communities in terms of management practices or botanical composition. This paper explores the potential of 'FIBS' (Functional Interpretation of Botanical Surveys) in the archaeobotanical investigation of ancient grassland management. The botanical composition of present-day grassland communities was analysed in terms of functional attributes (e.g. canopy height) relevant to cutting, grazing and habitat productivity. The utility of these attributes for distinguishing between present-day meadow, pasture and unmanaged grassland communities has been evaluated. Similar analyses were performed on archaeobotanical data from Neolithic to post-Medieval northwestern and central Europe. Functional shifts over time, interpreted in the light of the functional analysis of modern grassland, suggest that hay-making was well established by the Iron Age. Avenues are suggested for the refinement and further development of the FIBS methodology in the archaeobotanical investigation of grassland management.
引用
收藏
页码:261 / 271
页数:11
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