Prehistoric Flint Mines in Europe presents the results of the UISPP Commission, Flint Mining in Pre- and Protohistoric Europe. It offers a review of major flint mines dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The eighteen articles were contributed by archaeologists from ten countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden – using the same framework in order to propose a uniform view of the mining phenomenon. At the same time the book reflects various research methods and traditions. Each article deals successively with the geographical and geological context, mining zone topography, research history, methods of exploitation of raw material, dating of archaeological features and structures, characteristics of lithic production, organization of labour, miners' settlements, distribution of products and symbolic aspects of mining activity. Part I includes the well-known flint mines at Spiennes in Belgium, Grime’s Graves in England and Rijckholt-Sint Geertruid in the Netherlands, as well as the equally fascinating Defensola mine from Italy. Part II contains presentations of other European flint mines. The book is abundantly illustrated with large, colour photographs and drawings, and is aimed not only at archaeologists, who will find valuable data and further literature, but also at any reader seeking up-to-date information on prehistoric flint mining communities in Europe.
The two volumes bring together the contributions of the members of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), to a project launched in 2017, with the support of the International Academic Union (UAI), under the title Human societies facing climate change in prehistory and protohistory: from the origins of Humanity to the beginning of historical times.The first volume concerns prehistory from the earliest humans to the end of the Pleistocene, twelve thousand years ago. For three million years human societies have experienced a great alternation of glacial and interglacial periods. Which climates have been most favorable to human settlement? Which the least favorable? And did they involve the abandonment of territories, the collapse of societies and extinction of some human populations? When and in what climates did human groups colonize each of the continents of the planet? Is a period of climatic improvement with a hot and humid climate more or less favorable to the development of human societies than a period of climate depreciation? Is climate change a factor of change for human societies, forcing them to adapt and find sustainable solutions?
The two volumes bring together the contributions of the members of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), to a project launched in 2017, with the support of the International Academic Union (UAI), under the title Human societies facing climate change in prehistory and protohistory : from the origins of Humanity to the beginning of historical times.The second volume concerns protohistory, from the beginning of the Holocene to historical times. In what climate and at what latitudes have the innovations represented by farming and animal husbandry succeeded in sustaining themselves? How did agro-pastoral societies adapt to the progression of Holocene aridity after the exceptional wet period at its beginning? Is nomadic pastoralism a specialization of an agro-pastoral society in the context of increasing aridity and/or an adaptation of animal domestication to steppe and semi-desert areas? How have agro-pastoral societies adapted to multi-century periods of climate change such as those known from protohistoric and historical periods (the crises of 8200 BP, 4200 BP, 1200 BC and 800 BC; the Roman climate optimum; the crisis of the Later Roman Empire and barbarian invasions; the medieval climate optimum; the Little Ice Age)? And how did they survive episodes of adverse weather lasting several years that caused scarcity and famine?
Prehistoric Flint Mines in Europe presents the results of the UISPP Commission, Flint Mining in Pre- and Protohistoric Europe. It offers a review of major flint mines dating from the Neolithic to the Bronze Age. The eighteen articles were contributed by archaeologists from ten countries – Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden – using the same framework in order to propose a uniform view of the mining phenomenon. At the same time the book reflects various research methods and traditions. Each article deals successively with the geographical and geological context, mining zone topography, research history, methods of exploitation of raw material, dating of archaeological features and structures, characteristics of lithic production, organization of labour, miners' settlements, distribution of products and symbolic aspects of mining activity. Part I includes the well-known flint mines at Spiennes in Belgium, Grime’s Graves in England and Rijckholt-Sint Geertruid in the Netherlands, as well as the equally fascinating Defensola mine from Italy. Part II contains presentations of other European flint mines. The book is abundantly illustrated with large, colour photographs and drawings, and is aimed not only at archaeologists, who will find valuable data and further literature, but also at any reader seeking up-to-date information on prehistoric flint mining communities in Europe.
The two volumes bring together the contributions of the members of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), to a project launched in 2017, with the support of the International Academic Union (UAI), under the title Human societies facing climate change in prehistory and protohistory: from the origins of Humanity to the beginning of historical times.The first volume concerns prehistory from the earliest humans to the end of the Pleistocene, twelve thousand years ago. For three million years human societies have experienced a great alternation of glacial and interglacial periods. Which climates have been most favorable to human settlement? Which the least favorable? And did they involve the abandonment of territories, the collapse of societies and extinction of some human populations? When and in what climates did human groups colonize each of the continents of the planet? Is a period of climatic improvement with a hot and humid climate more or less favorable to the development of human societies than a period of climate depreciation? Is climate change a factor of change for human societies, forcing them to adapt and find sustainable solutions?
The two volumes bring together the contributions of the members of the International Union of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (UISPP), to a project launched in 2017, with the support of the International Academic Union (UAI), under the title Human societies facing climate change in prehistory and protohistory : from the origins of Humanity to the beginning of historical times.The second volume concerns protohistory, from the beginning of the Holocene to historical times. In what climate and at what latitudes have the innovations represented by farming and animal husbandry succeeded in sustaining themselves? How did agro-pastoral societies adapt to the progression of Holocene aridity after the exceptional wet period at its beginning? Is nomadic pastoralism a specialization of an agro-pastoral society in the context of increasing aridity and/or an adaptation of animal domestication to steppe and semi-desert areas? How have agro-pastoral societies adapted to multi-century periods of climate change such as those known from protohistoric and historical periods (the crises of 8200 BP, 4200 BP, 1200 BC and 800 BC; the Roman climate optimum; the crisis of the Later Roman Empire and barbarian invasions; the medieval climate optimum; the Little Ice Age)? And how did they survive episodes of adverse weather lasting several years that caused scarcity and famine?