Pollen and land-snail analysis of calcareous soils

Dimbleby, G. W.; Evans, J. G.

doi:10.1016/0305-4403(74)90038-7

Cited by 47 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…As just indicated pollen may be very well preserved in acid soils (pH < 5-5). Nevertheless, in some circumstances it can be found even in calcareous soils, in which case its distribution may be of exceptional significance (Dimbleby & Evans, 1974). Many natural soils contain pollen throughout the soil profile, and this can give an indication of past history.…”

Section: Archaeological Sites and Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anthropogenic Changes From Neolithic Through Medieval Times

Dimbleby

1984

New Phytologist

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SUMMARYThe long period covered by this paper probably saw the most drastic changes wrought by man on the plant cover of these islands in the whole of postglacial history. Much of our information about vegetation changes comes from those parts of the country where peats and mires are abundant, which leaves those areas which were the cradle of successive cultural groups largely unrepresented. Sources of environmental evidence are now emerging even from this unpromising background, an important element amongst which are man's own works. The evidence of changes wrought by man may come from non-botanical as well as botanical material. Pollen, charcoal, phytoliths, seeds, mosses, and other macroscopic plant remains may be extracted, but indirect evidence may also be obtained from land snails, insects, bones (including small vertebrates), as well as from preserved soils and land surfaces.In the various environments considered a trend from forest through clearance to pastoral or arable agriculture can usually be demonstrated. These changes may ultimately result in site deterioration on a large scale, the nature of which will depend upon the ecological conditions and the practices at work. In extreme cases peat may form or soil erosion take place. On base-poor soils, soil acidification may become so intense that the land is no longer usable for traditional agriculture and is allowed to degenerate to moorland or heath. In early historic times much degraded land came into use again for hill-grazing, a process which further depauperated both the flora and the soils.

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Section: Archaeological Sites and Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Microscopic fragments of charred plant material may prove to be of quite different provenance from wood charcoal. For instance, charred pteridophyte tracheids have proved to be significant in chalk soils (Dimbleby & Evans, 1974).…”

Section: Archaeological Sites and Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic Changes From Neolithic Through Medieval Times

Dimbleby

1984

New Phytologist

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“…Recent evidence form the south of England definitely suggests that the use of bracken as compost was known even in Neolithic times (Dimbleby & Evans, 1974). A midden from the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae, Orkney, which contains a great deal of Pteridium and other plant material, and dates from It must not be forgotten that old fern thatch, enriched with soot, and bracken litter, enriched with dung and urine, would eventually find their way to the dung heap, even when bracken was not cut primarily as compost.…”

Section: Use As Compostmentioning

confidence: 99%

The history and ethnobotany of bracken

Rymer

1976

Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society

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The fossil record shows that Pteridium has been present in all the temperate stages of the Quaternary, but that for most of this period it formed a component of the herb layer of deciduous woodlands. Bracken did not begin to reach its present abundance and importance until widespread forest clearance began with the arrival of Neolithic man about 5000 years ago. Some of the factors that have played a role in the history of bracken are illustrated by a discussion of the spread of bracken in Scotland that occurred contemporaneously with the change from cattle‐ to sheep‐farming in the 18th century. It is shown that man has played a dominant role in influencing the spread of bracken in Scotland, but that bracken was considered of great positive economic value. The ethnobotany of bracken is discussed, and it is suggested that it was once an important source of potash for the glass, soap and bleaching industries. The use of the plant as fuel, thatch, litter, compost and food, and for medicinal purposes is considered, and mention is made of various minor uses of the plant. Unfortunately it is difficult to estimate the amount of bracken consumed by these various employments, but it is suggested that the increased abundance of the plant may have been exaggerated because what was once a useful resource has now become a pest.

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“…These comparisons intend to reduce the palaeoecological uncertainties of cave pollen assemblages. In fact, epiphenomenona processes, such as oxidation, increase of temperature and/or alkalinity, compaction phenomena can cause a differential preservation or a massive deterioration of certain palynomorphs [17,21,34]. Several workers [16,55,61] have stigmatised archaeopalynology as a technique with many limitations such as selective transport, differential dispersion, reworking, contamination by intrusive pollen or undetected sedimentary hiatuses [33,24,71,14,18,10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%