Regional patterns of settlement and woodland developments: Dendroarchaeology in the Neolithic pile-dwellings on Lake Constance (Germany)

Abstract

For the period of the Neolithic lake-shore occupation on Lake Constance (~4000–2400 bc), settlement and woodland developments are investigated in parallel using dendrotypology, a dendroarchaeological approach based on the classification of oak timber according to tree age, growth patterns, and degree of stem conversion. Along with characteristics related to architectural adaptations and settlement relocations, dendro-groups allow an insight into the structure and dynamics of the exploited forest stands. From clearing activities through intermediate coppice practices to forest degradation, dendrotypological models show a strong relationship between demographic developments and woodland use in a region largely covered by forest at that time. It appears that against a background of climate evolution, regional patterns of settlement development can be directly linked at a higher resolution of time to the management of woodland as well as to the intensity of land use. Regarding the varying ecological susceptibility of a mosaic-like landscape around Lake Constance, the consideration of the ecological components enhanced by dendrotypology allows a better balance in the interpretation of the interaction between climate impact and settlement behavior. Consequently, dendrotypology has to be seen as a reliable interface between humanology and natural sciences in wetland archaeology, and from this perspective, further prospects of this approach are presented.