Shaping Mediterranean landscapes: The cultural impact of anthropogenic fires in Tyrrhenian southern Tuscany during the Iron and Middle Ages (800–450 BC / AD 650–1300)
Mauro Paolo Buonincontri|Pierluigi Pieruccini|Davide Susini|Carmine Lubritto|Paola Ricci|Fabian Rey|Willy Tinner|Danièle Colombaroli|Ruth Drescher-Schneider|Luisa Dallai|Lorenzo Marasco|Giulio Poggi|Giovanna Bianchi|Richard Hodges|Gaetano Di Pasquale
Charcoal analysis, applied in sediment facies analysis of the Pecora river palaeochannel (Tyrrhenian southern Tuscany, Italy), detected occurrence past fire events two different fluvial landforms at 800–450 BC and again AD 650–1300. Taking place a central Mediterranean district adequately studied through palaeoenvironmental archaeological research, investigation determined land changes, time phases socio-economic driving forces involved dynamic processes fire. The sequences had purely anthropogenic origins were linked to forest opening reduction by local communities. Introduced Etruscans, fires dated mainly cover on hilly slopes, ensuring agricultural exploitation. From 650, contributed Medieval upstream reclamation vegetation clearing flat swamplands. 850 1050, use spread over wider area valley, increasing arable lands. Between 1150 1300, belonged regional clearance phase. episodes paramount importance shaping determining character Tuscan landscape. 850, influenced history contributing decline dominant deciduous Quercus woodland. Open habitats became new form clearly detectable landscape from 950. resulting changes valley depended political strategies adopted authorities marked, fact, progression cultural still characterizing Tyrrhenian Italy.
The Holocene|edoc (University of Basel)|Use Siena air (University of Siena)