Palaeoecology of human impact during the historic period: palynology and geochemistry of a peat deposit at Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway, Ireland
Palaeoecology of human impact during the historic period: palynology and geochemistry of a peat deposit at Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway, Ireland
Understanding the present condition of the cultural landscape requires a palaeoecological perspective with a particular emphasis on the growing intensity of human impact over the last few centuries. Detailed palynological investigations of the uppermost metre of peat at Abbeyknockmoy Bog were supplemented by silicon and titanium analyses to give additional proxy records for the intensity of human impact on the local landscape. The AMS radiocarbon chronology for this profile is constrained by the presence of the Hekla-1 tephra isochron of AD 1104. The palaeoenvironmental evidence correlates closely to the local historical and archaeological records. The results indicate a late Iron Age lull in human impact in the early centuries AD, which is followed by increasing agricultural activity during the early Christian period. The establishment of the Cistercian monastery of Abbeyknockmoy in the twelfth century AD had a significant impact upon the landscape. A peak in deforestation and farming activity is registered in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries AD. The silicon and titanium records correlate strongly with the pollen indicators for increased human disturbance.
human impact, palaeoecology, historical period, late holocene, geochemistry, pollen analysis, silicon and titanium, analyses, tephra, ireland
721-731
Lomas-Clarke, S.H.
0b9b6588-020c-4045-b10a-81b6f1a97e00
Barber, K.E.
83d1acae-326d-4cb5-94b6-3d1dc78d64e9
2004
Lomas-Clarke, S.H.
0b9b6588-020c-4045-b10a-81b6f1a97e00
Barber, K.E.
83d1acae-326d-4cb5-94b6-3d1dc78d64e9
Lomas-Clarke, S.H. and Barber, K.E.
(2004)
Palaeoecology of human impact during the historic period: palynology and geochemistry of a peat deposit at Abbeyknockmoy, Co. Galway, Ireland.
The Holocene, 14 (5), .
(doi:10.1191/0959683604hl750rp).
Abstract
Understanding the present condition of the cultural landscape requires a palaeoecological perspective with a particular emphasis on the growing intensity of human impact over the last few centuries. Detailed palynological investigations of the uppermost metre of peat at Abbeyknockmoy Bog were supplemented by silicon and titanium analyses to give additional proxy records for the intensity of human impact on the local landscape. The AMS radiocarbon chronology for this profile is constrained by the presence of the Hekla-1 tephra isochron of AD 1104. The palaeoenvironmental evidence correlates closely to the local historical and archaeological records. The results indicate a late Iron Age lull in human impact in the early centuries AD, which is followed by increasing agricultural activity during the early Christian period. The establishment of the Cistercian monastery of Abbeyknockmoy in the twelfth century AD had a significant impact upon the landscape. A peak in deforestation and farming activity is registered in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries AD. The silicon and titanium records correlate strongly with the pollen indicators for increased human disturbance.
This record has no associated files available for download.
More information
Published date: 2004
Additional Information:
Pioneering research on silicon and titanium analyses, allied to high resolution pollen analyses, as proxies for farming activity during the under-researched historic period. Used historic tephra, Hekla AD 1104, to tie data to the founding of the local Cistercian monastery and links palaeoecology to documentary history. NERC funded.
Keywords:
human impact, palaeoecology, historical period, late holocene, geochemistry, pollen analysis, silicon and titanium, analyses, tephra, ireland
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 15524
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/15524
ISSN: 0959-6836
PURE UUID: ebfcd27a-b6ea-42f8-9935-9f9315de5082
Catalogue record
Date deposited: 20 Apr 2005
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 05:41
Export record
Altmetrics
Contributors
Author:
S.H. Lomas-Clarke
Author:
K.E. Barber
Download statistics
Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.
View more statistics