Detailed historical reconstructions require high-quality data. In the traditionally densely settled higher and drier Pleistocene sandy areas (‘drylands’) of the North European Plain (the European aeolian sand belt) and comparable regions elsewhere evidence-based reconstructions are hampered by poor preservation of archaeological remains and archaeologically relevant deposits. This problem can be partially solved by combining, on a microregional level, dryland data with data from nearby wetland pockets (‘wetlands’), in particular stream valleys. This asks for an integrated and systematic inventory of all available data. For this purpose an instrument was developed: the Landscape-Land use Diagram (LLAND). Because data from dry and wet contexts are to some degree supplementary, integrated analysis is essential for obtaining information on the full range of economic and ritual practices. This is demonstrated by research carried out in the valley of the small river Regge (the Netherlands), the results of which are being treated as a stratified landscape-archaeological sample. This paper does not focus on cultural interpretation but on methodology, specifically the potential of data and the benefits of an integrated approach.
Weniger anzeigenVery little is known about local scale transport in the Roman period in the Netherlands, and therefore this paper aims to reconstruct and examine local transport networks through an integrative approach, using data and research from palaeogeography, physiology, archaeology and computational archaeological approaches. This study particularly focusses on the role of different modes of transport and the role of the natural environment. Firstly, a palaeogeographic reconstruction is presented encompassing both the natural and the cultural landscape. Transport networks for several modes are then reconstructed by calculating least cost paths that incorporate functions from physiological research. These networks are analysed using standard network analytical procedures. Interesting interpretations can be inferred from the results of these procedures, including some relating to the different characteristics of the transport modes but notably also the relative important role of stone- built settlements in the networks and the relative lack of control that the Roman forts have over the transport network.
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