Abstract: |
Papers from a 1981 conference in Durham, with a few extra. The editor's introduction (pp 1-10) stresses the need to discover exactly how far climatic change can be held responsible for events seen in the archaeological record. The time-range covered is broadly the last six millennia BC. H H Lamb writes on 'Reconstruction of the course of postglacial climate over the world' (11-32) giving the types of evidence used and the broad shape of the climate record. M Magny (33-43) reports results of a study in the subalpine zone which showed that 'Sub-boreal dryness' is not always what it appears. The Swiss theme is continued by M Joos (44-51) with further data on lake level fluctuations. A statistical approach to problems of correlating Flandrian sea-level changes and climate is adopted by Ian Shennan (52-67) who stresses the need to develop these techniques much further before sea-level records can give a reliable indicator of climatic change. The climatic implications of some British later prehistoric faunas are considered by P J Osborne (68-74), while dendrochronological aid for the study of climate 2000 BC to AD 1000 is the topic of J R Pilcher and M Hughes (75-84). H-J Beug (85-102) demonstrates the need for more detailed information before changes in vegetation 6050-50 bc can be used in climatic studies. Some conclusions from peat-bog stratigraphy are set out by K E Barber (103-13), while H M Keeley (114-26) on pedogenesis during the later prehistoric period in Britain traces five main trends: podzolization, clay movement, gleying, peat formation, and erosion; climatic factors have to be considered in the context of all soil-forming factors. The effects of land-use and climate on valley sedimentation are considered by M Bell (127-42) who shows the usefulness of studying current processes (eg following heavy storms) but nonetheless finds that land-use factors tend to mask climatic trends, in the lowland zone at least. A paper on the eastern Mediterranean region is contributed by J L Bintliff (143-61) while K-D Jager and V Lozek (162-78) have studied conditions in the Central European Urnfield Bronze Age, and J Bouzek (179-91) writing of the same region finds good correlations between climatic and cultural history. Finally, A Whittle contributes (192-210) some thoughts on the relationship between climate, grazing, and man, with a call for greater discrimination and subtlety in explanation since farmers often adjust to climatic change. |