Early farmers, megalithic builders and the shaping of the cultural landscapes during the Holocene in Northern Iberian mountains. A palaeoenvironmental perspective.

Abstract

The study of anthropogenic activities in prehistoric landscapes has increased greatly in recent decades in theNorthern Iberian Peninsula, particularly through pollen records from low altitude areas where settlement wasmore frequent throughout Prehistory. However, little is known about the evolution of landscapes in highlands,particularly in the Basque-Cantabrian mountains (Northern Iberia). In this paper, we analyze human dynamics inmountain landscapes through the multiproxy analysis of Arbarrain mire from c. 8200 cal BP. Obtained mainresults show the predominance of deciduous forests in the whole sequence, with presence of pinewoods at aregional scale. Thefirst evidence of anthropization of mountain environments is dated c. 6800 cal BP, in relationwith the early Neolithic. During the Mid-late Neolithic evidences of human impact on the landscape increases inparallel to the development of the megalithic structures. The Chalcolithic shows a decrease in the anthropogenicactivities in mountains. Finally, during the Bronze Age, Iron Age and Historical Period, from c. 4000 cal BP,mountain ecosystems reflect the expansion ofFagus, clearly linked with a further increase in human activity,origin of current landscape configuration.