Environmental archaeologists mainly study past people’s behavior and deal with the natural environment around them. They live in close interaction with the natural environment where plants, animals, rivers, and landscapes encompass the beauty of the entire earth. It is one of the sub-branch of archaeology and under this, the archaeologists basically study the origin and evolution of anthropogenic environments during that era and also the prehistoric adaptations and economic practices.
Environmental archaeologists mainly study how the people of the prehistoric period adapted to the natural environment, how they obtained diverse sources from the environment, and what steps they followed in altering the natural environment which suits their day-to-day lifestyle. This branch of archaeology also studies the remains of plants and animals in order to find out what species existed during that period and how the people adjusted with them by living in peace and harmony. It also deals with the physical environment and its attributes and also researches how similar or different it was from the present-day environment.
Environmental archaeology is a vast field to be studied by archaeologists as it not only studies the natural environment where plants and animals dwell but it also deals with the archaeological study of the landscapes, how they were formed and what role people played in relation to the heritage management, protecting ancient monuments and making specific policies and regulations in managing the surroundings around them. Past human action alone cannot be studied in isolation from the natural surroundings as they both are interrelated to each other to a great extent.
Environmental archaeologists while dealing with the past era mainly find the dead remains of plants and animals' bones which can be studied as part of the ancient economy. Also, some other excavations can also be traced in relation to the prehistoric period like wetland sites where because of waterlogging it reduces the capacity of microbial activity which in turn enables the organic materials to remain preserved for a longer period of time. These materials, therefore, range from pollen grains to wooden buildings which can definitely stay intact for years without any destruction.
Branches of Environmental archaeology
Environmental archaeology can be divided into sub-branches that deal with all the aspects of nature in detail along with their specific features and importance.
⦁Archaeobotany
Archaeobotany is basically the study of the remains of plants in the prehistoric period. By studying the historical perspective of these plants, archaeologists can find out the diet of ancient humans and how they behaved in relation to their surroundings. This branch of archaeology deals mainly with the social and cultural behavior of past people. Archaeobotanists also study the remains of the plants' pollens or starch and the fruits and seeds that are most predominant during that period. To study the relationship between plants and humans more properly one branch under archaeobotany has been implemented i.e. ethnobotany which looks more minutely at the relationship between plants and humans, and the cultural impacts plants have had and continue to have on human societies. Archaeologists used to study the various uses of plants during the ancient time and how these usages helped people in various ways be it for eating or as medicine.
⦁Zooarchaeology
Zooarchaeology is a branch of archaeology that studies the dead remains of animals and how these animals lived and survived along with humans during the prehistoric era. These dead remains of the animals can provide evidence of whether the animals are mostly living in the wild or domesticated by people in their homes. Through this branch, it can also discover the dead bones of past animals that are living in the ancient era, or DNA in certain areas can also be helpful in knowing the nature of the landscape and its surroundings and what the animals used to eat for their survival.
⦁Geoarchaeology
Geoarchaeology is a vast field of study under the environmental archaeology branch as it mainly deals with the landscapes and the various geological processes that took place during the prehistoric period. They deal with a lot of natural factors like global climate, the natural distribution of resources such as stone used for making certain tools like spears, arrowheads, etc., and clays used to make pots and other vessels for household purposes. Also, the archaeologists deal with the local climate and topography which will help them to find how fertile the soil was during the ancient time, and also a comparison can be put forward between the past and present soil patterns. Often along with visual observation, computer programming, and satellite imaging are used to study the geographical landscapes of that period and excavate them according to their necessity and uses. Therefore, this branch studies an important part of nature of the ancient times.
Methods used by Environmental archaeologists
Environmental archaeologists use various kinds of methods for the observation and findings of the past remains of plants and animals. The most important methods used by them are evaluation and excavation.
⦁Evaluation
Evaluation basically means observing the past remains of plants or animals and analyzing them from the archaeological point of view. Here, the archaeologists will evaluate each and every minute detail of the artifacts found in the prehistoric period and study the importance that they had during that time among the population. Only after evaluation properly, excavation can be done otherwise some problems may arise.
⦁Excavation
Excavation, as we all know refers to gathering all the past remains of plants and animals and collecting them, and showcasing them to the present-day world through certain museums and government centers. The samples that are collected from the ancient archaeological sites mostly contain pollens and starch, dead animal bones, wood and coal, insects, and so on. All these ancient remains are generally excavated by environmental archaeologists and made use of them in many beneficial ways for the present society. With respect to geoarchaeology, computer systems for topography and satellite imaging are often used to reconstruct landscapes and structure them in such a way that will be beneficial for the human beings of that time.
Significance of environmental archaeology
Environmental archaeology plays a significant role in understanding the past relationship between the environment and humans in relation to the food, animals, plants, tools used, production, and so on. While in today's world, humankind has altered the past environment to a great extent by adopting new methods of agriculture, production of new goods, predation, and so on. By understanding the past environments, changes can be made in the present day by certain restorative processes through the excavation of the ancient remains.
Environmental archaeology also studies sustainability during the past era and it also deals with why certain cultures survive for a longer period and others do not. Through this field of archaeology, many aspects of the natural environment and its surroundings can be studied in a detailed manner and analyzed for the benefit of the present generation.
Environmental archaeology, therefore, studies the different aspects of the environment in relation to humans kinds, plants, and animals as a whole. This branch of archaeology played an important role in dealing with nature at its best.
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