Bronze Age upland settlement decline in southwest England: testing the climate change hypothesis
Amesbury, Matthew J., Charman, Dan J., Fyfe, Ralph M., Langdon, Peter G. and West, Steve (2008) Bronze Age upland settlement decline in southwest England: testing the climate change hypothesis. Journal of Archaeological Science, 35, (1), 87-98. (doi:10.1016/j.jas.2007.02.010).
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Description/Abstract
The division of land on Dartmoor during the Bronze Age by the construction of moor-wide
boundaries known as reaves represents a significant development in agricultural practice and land tenure.
Previous research relating to the Dartmoor reaves suggests this way of life may have continued for no
longer than 200-400 years. It has been suggested that their abandonment occurred as the result of a
deteriorating climate, although there are no published palaeoclimatic reconstructions from the area. We
therefore test the hypothesis that on Dartmoor, a marked climatic deterioration occurred in the late Bronze
Age that can be linked to the abandonment of the reaves. A palaeoclimatic reconstruction derived from
testate amoebae and peat humification analyses is presented from Tor Royal Bog, central Dartmoor, the first
such record from southwest England. A major shift to a cooler and/or wetter climate is inferred from ca.
1395-1155 cal BC that is coincident with the period hypothesised as encompassing the abandonment. This
climatic deterioration is replicated in sites in northern Britain, suggesting it was a widespread event. It is
concluded that while the evidence supports a climatically forced retreat, there are a range of other socioeconomic
factors that must also be taken into consideration.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| ISSNs: | 0305-4403 (print) |
| Related URLs: | |
| Keywords: | dartmoor, palaeoclimate, bronze age, reaves, environmental determinism, testate amoebae, peat humification |
| Subjects: | G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GF Human ecology. Anthropogeography G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GB Physical geography |
| Divisions: | University Structure - Pre August 2011 > School of Geography > Environmental Processes and Change |
| Item ID: | 64235 |
| Date Deposited: | 17 Dec 2008 |
| Last Modified: | 14 May 2013 01:05 |
| Contributors: | Amesbury, Matthew J. (Author) Charman, Dan J. (Author) Fyfe, Ralph M. (Author) Langdon, Peter G. (Author) West, Steve (Author) |
| Date: | January 2008 |
| Status: | Published |
| Contact Email Address: | pgl@soton.ac.uk |
| URI: | http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/64235 |
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