Место издания:Schrijen-Lippertz, Voerendaal Maastricht
Первая страница:375
Последняя страница:375
Аннотация:Swidden cultivation is believed to be one of the most-geographically-ubiquitous agricultural systems in the world, spanning from the tropics to the boreal forest zone in both hemispheres . Chronologically, it has been utilized from 3rd millennium BC to 20th cent . AD . Presumably, the swidden technology should be associated with a certain social structure and settlement pattern of agricultural societies . Local technologies may vary in details, but all varieties of swidden cultivation involve deep combustion of wood, aiming to turn charcoal into ash, 2) sowing into ash with a minimal application of tillage tools, 3) short-term use of a cleared land for crops (1-5 years), and 4) a prolonged fallow stage (afforestation) required for the soil rehabilitation . Swidden agriculture is targeting a wide variety of vegetation types, developed mainly on coarse to medium-textured soils in well-drained positions . The short duration of productive stages and long pre- and post- harvesting stages of this agricultural system suggest that all areas suitable for swiddens within the temperate forest zone would be utilized by local populations rapidly, within decades . However, swidden cultivation does not require any durable implements and does not leave distinct archaeological records . Application of a novel combination of stratigraphic, palynological, pedoanthracological, and phytolith analyses in the areas adjacent to archaeological sites allowed us to reveal a specific signature left by the swidden cultivation . The paper presents first results of applying the recently developed techniques to reconstruct traces of swidden cultivation in Russian and Canadian sites located within the temperate forest zone .