Landscape and forest exploitation at the ancient neolithic site of La Draga

CARUSO FERMÉ, L; PIQUÉ, R

The Holocene

Swansea University

Año: 2014 vol. 24 p. 266 - 273

1477-0911

This work is focused on the use of firewood by the first farming communities of the settlement of La Draga (Banyoles, Spain). The two occupation phases have been dated between 5324-4980 cal BC. Charcoal remains are used to represent the vegetation landscape. The comparison of the charcoal analysis data with other archaeobotanical studies carried out at the site enables an appreciation of how wood resources were used and the impact of this use on the environment. A total of 22 taxa have been identified, riparian communities and oak forests were predominant in the surroundings and provided firewood as well as wood for other uses. Deciduous Quercus sp. and Laurus nobilis make up the largest part of the identified remains. Lakeside vegetation and the deciduous forests suffered the first impact of the farming communities. In the more recent phase, Buxus sempervirens was also used intensely. The importance of box may have been the result of the greater expansion of this taxa, as a result of the degradation of vegetation in the surroundings.