Continuity and Change in Cultural Adaptation to Mountain Environments [electronic resource] : From Prehistory to Contemporary Threats /
Lozny, Ludomir R.editor.
Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threats presents an international and interdisciplinary account of human cultural adaptation to mountainous environments over time. Mountain ecosystems are critical to the wellbeing of sizable populations in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. The book presents the evidence on continuity of human cultural adaptation to mountain ecosystems and also on contemporary threats and vulnerabilities caused by intensification in mining, agriculture, and tourism.  The essays collected here discuss human responses to key physical and cultural stressors impacting human wellbeing in mountain ecosystems, such as aridity, quality of soils, steep slopes, industrialization and infrastructural change, low productivity, adverse effects of centralized political decision-making, deforestation and erosion, tourism, and the possible effects of climate change. The contributors who are cultural anthropologists, geographers, archaeologists, ecologists, and cultural resource managers and planners all point out that mountain populations cope with the stressors by adopting specific cultural strategies, such as seasonal migrations, integration of pastoral and agricultural production, animal crossbreeding, use of crop varieties, a mixture of communal and household control of land, trade, crop diversity, diversification of activities, and technological innovations and innovative scheduling of productive activities.  Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threats will be of interest to archaeologists, cultural resource managers, anthropologists, ecologists, climatologists, and geologists because mountainous ecosystems change fast, and cultures disappear and they need to be recorded.  Most importantly, cultural responses of mountain populations provide clues for us all in this time of environmental change.
Continuity and Change in Cultural Adaptation to Mountain Environments; Copyright; Contents; Contributors; Chapter 1: Introduction; References; Further Readings; Chapter 2: Presenting the Evidence of Diversity in Mountain Paleo-Landscapes. The Case of the French Alps; Introduction; Methodology; Selection of Sites; Area of Study; Results; Levels of Vegetation; Diversity of Paleo-Landscapes; Conclusion; References; Chapter 3: A History of Long-Term Human-Environment Interactions in the French Pyrenees Inferred from the Pollen Data; Introduction; The Neolithic Conquest
The Bronze Age: A Turning PointFrom Ancient Lifestyles to the Construction of Medieval Landscapes; References; Chapter 4: The Pastures of the Bénou Plateau (Bilhères- en-Ossau), France. One Form of Exploitation of Salt Resources in a ...; Introduction; Geology of the Region; Archaeological and Historic Remains of the Region; Animal Husbandry of the Region; Water Salinity in the Region; Conclusions; References; Chapter 5: Archaeological Prospection of the Pyrenean Valleys in the Upper Lavedan, Hautes-Pyrénées; Introduction; Archaeological Prospection of the Pyrenean Cultural Heritage
Recent Pastoral StructuresBasic Terminology; Remains of Pastoral Architecture; Huts (Cabanas); Enclosures; Shelters for the Young Livestock; Leytés; Archaeological Prospection in Lavedan; Methodology of Surface Prospection; Typology of Architectural Structures; "Tumular" Structures; Other Types of Shelters; Examples of Sites; Val d'Azun: Arrens Valley; Val d'Azun: Estaing Valley; Cauterets-Valley de Lutour; Cauterets-Valley de Marcadau: Cayan Plateau; Conclusions; References
Chapter 6: Mountain Summer Shelters in the Haut Adour Region of the Central French Pyrenees: Examples from the Campan and L...Introduction; The Campan and Lesponne Valleys; Geology of the Research Area; Hydrology of the Research Area; Climate of the Research Area; Vegetation of the Research Area; Organization of Valley Shelters; Historical and Ethnographic Data; Mountain Summer Pastures of the Haut-Adour: The Conflict Zone; Mountain Summer Shelters in the Haut Adour; Topographical Location; Types of Structures; Isolated Structures; Courtaous; Huts; Cow-Sheds; Sheds; Shed-Cow-Sheds; Enclosures
LeytésLayouts Inside the Structures; The Chronological Approach; Conclusions; References; Chapter 7: Landscape Archaeology of the Commons of the Bouleste/Labas Valley, Hautes-Pyrénées; Introduction; Topography, Climate, and Vegetation of the Project Area; Pyrenean Transhumance; The Commons of the Pyrenees; Historical Ecology of the Commons; Theoretical Assumptions and Working Definitions; Definition of Cultural Landscape; Approaches to Landscape; Perception of Landscape; My Approach to Landscape; Cultural Landscape: Place and Space; Place as an Analytical Tool; Place and Ecosystem
Place and Social Memory
Includes index.
Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threats presents an international and interdisciplinary account of human cultural adaptation to mountainous environments over time. Mountain ecosystems are critical to the wellbeing of sizable populations in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. The book presents the evidence on continuity of human cultural adaptation to mountain ecosystems and also on contemporary threats and vulnerabilities caused by intensification in mining, agriculture, and tourism.  The essays collected here discuss human responses to key physical and cultural stressors impacting human wellbeing in mountain ecosystems, such as aridity, quality of soils, steep slopes, industrialization and infrastructural change, low productivity, adverse effects of centralized political decision-making, deforestation and erosion, tourism, and the possible effects of climate change. The contributors who are cultural anthropologists, geographers, archaeologists, ecologists, and cultural resource managers and planners all point out that mountain populations cope with the stressors by adopting specific cultural strategies, such as seasonal migrations, integration of pastoral and agricultural production, animal crossbreeding, use of crop varieties, a mixture of communal and household control of land, trade, crop diversity, diversification of activities, and technological innovations and innovative scheduling of productive activities.  Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threats will be of interest to archaeologists, cultural resource managers, anthropologists, ecologists, climatologists, and geologists because mountainous ecosystems change fast, and cultures disappear and they need to be recorded.  Most importantly, cultural responses of mountain populations provide clues for us all in this time of environmental change.
Anthropology.
Ecosystems.
Human geography.
Anthropology.
Ecosystems.
Human Geography.
Studies in Human Ecology and Adaptation