Prehistoric human-animal practices: social life, land use and economic strategies on the farm and their reciprocal impact on natural systems

The project examines environmental changes in the past as a result of changes in terms of engagements between humans and the environment. The chosen period is the early Bronze Age, 2000-1600 BC. In this period, archaeologists observe a change in the archi tectural construction of settlements, as well as changes and intensification in land use and husbandry practices. Until ca 1800 BC we find longhouses composed internally of two aisles. These are interpreted as used for human habitation only. A transition takes place between 1600 and 1400 BC, to longhouses composed internally of three central aisles, separated by two lines of roof-bearing posts. In some of these houses there is evidence for one part of the house being used for human habitation, whereas in the other there is evidence for indoor stalling of domestic animals, such as cattle, sheep and pigs. In the same period, we see changes in land use, demonstrated by the development of systems of clearance cairns in combination with small, ancient fields . changes in the landscape by human agents were potentially made to aid grazing regimes. This came to change the landscape drastically, and had a number of unintended consequences which caused irreversible change to the ecosystems. Thus, archaeologically we observe changes in the organisation of the social systems within the span of the period under investigation. Simultaneously, changes are observed in the natural systems, both in terms of ecosystems and in the development of the landscape. Botanical investigations of the prehistoric ecology demonstrate massive forest clearance, and the subsequent development of heathlands. A main aspiration of the project is to consider these changes in terms of changes in the human-domestic animal relationship, wit h a focus upon the transition to indoors stalling in human living-spaces. A further aim is to deconstruct the rationale underlying present and prehistoric farming, considering its philosophical basis.