Prehistoric upland exploitation of the Central Alps – a case study from the Karwendel Mountains

Abstract

The frequentation of the uplands and the origin of seasonal pastoralism in the Central Alps in prehistory are intensively discussed topics. This case study from the Karwendel Mountains, a mountain range situated between Tyrol (Austria) and Bavaria (Germany), illustrates on the basis of archaeological surveys and excavations as well as pollen analyses how groups of hunter-gatherers frequented and used a mountainous area since the Mesolithic. This traditional use continued well into the period that is in the more fertile lowlands characterized as Neolithic. The study also shows that the human impact on the natural vegetation in the heart of the mountain range was very modest until the Roman era, while other upland meadows of the Central Alps were used for livestock grazing since the Bronze Age. These pastoral practices deeply changed the landscape and the vegetation of the areas involved. The Karwendel, on the other hand, was at least sporadically visited but remained largely unaffected by human exploitation until modern times, as it is situated at the margin of the important communication routes and the main settlement areas.