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Quaternary International
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/quaint
Editorial: Casting a glance over the mountain –multi-proxy approaches to
the understanding of vertical mobility
This Quaternary International Special Issue comprises contributions
presented in the session “Casting a glance over the mountain –multi-
proxy approaches to the understanding of vertical mobility”at the
Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in
Glasgow in September 2015. In the framework of this session, archae-
ologists, archaeozoologists, archaeobotanists and scholars from related
scientific disciplines discussed ‘vertical mobility’and ‘niche construc-
tion’through time using different approaches and perspectives.
‘Mobility’is one of the central topics in archaeological research, and
reconstructing pre- and protohistoric movements is crucial for under-
standing the past. ‘Vertical mobility’(used in a geographic sense) is
most important for archaeological research in mountainous areas.
Mountain vertical mobility is practised by people, usually with their
herds of domestic animals. Transhumance, the movement of animals
between high mountain pastures in summer and pastures or stalls in the
valleys or lowlands in winter is known from all over the world and has
been practiced since prehistoric times. To really understand the me-
chanisms of past altitudinal movements it is essential to approach this
topic using not only archaeological but also scientific methods, in-
cluding archaeobiological techniques and stable isotope analysis.
All seven papers that are published in this thematic volume deal
with vertical mobility and apply a large range of methods. The seasonal
use of high altitude sites is one of the central aspects and is approached
using isotopic analyses of animal remains (Knockaert et al. 2018, in this
issue; Reitmaier et al. 2018, in this issue; Tornero et al. 2018, in this
issue), the presence of archaeological structures (Agirre-García et al.
2018, in this issue) and finds (Hafner and Schwörer 2018, in this issue),
palaeo- and archaeobotanical analyses (Antolín et al. 2018, in this
issue; Jacquat and Della Casa 2018, in this issue; Hafner and Schwörer
2018, in this issue), and surveys and GIS-based landscape modelling
(Reitmaier et al. 2018, in this issue). The contributions cover a large
time span from the Neolithic to the Present, with an emphasis on Pre-
history. They also cover several geographic areas: the Alps, and the
Pyrenees.
In their contribution “Vertical mobility around the high-alpine
Schnidejoch Pass. Indications of Neolithic and Bronze Age pastoralism
in the Swiss Alps from paleoecological and archaeological sources”,
Hafner and Schwörer (2018, in this issue) combine archaeological data,
i.e. artefacts from a melting ice field at the Schnidejoch pass (2756 m
a.s.l.) in the Swiss Alps, and pollen data from the nearby lake Iffigsee at
2065 m a.s.l. An important series of radiocarbon measurements attests
vertical mobility, probably in connection with pastoral activities, since
the early 5
th
millennium BC. This is supported by typological features of
a wooden bowl, which concurrently hints at prolonged stays in this
early phase already. The importance of pastoralism becomes obvious in
the Early Bronze Age. Wooden rings made with plaited twigs are in-
terpreted as parts of a mobile fence which was used to pen up the li-
vestock. The palaeoecological data from the lake’s sediment cores
support human impact in this high-altitude area and underline the
hypothesis of animal herding since the Neolithic. There is even evi-
dence of people actively setting fire to the forest at the timberline to
expand the pastures for livestock grazing from 5000 cal. BC onwards.
The results illustrate that high altitudes were important niches in the
ecosystem since the establishment of sedentary communities. People
exploited these areas by vertical mobility and used them for seasonal
pastoralism but also to get from one valley system to another. The
preservation of organic finds is a fortunate case which highlights the
significance of such items in understanding and reconstructing human
activities in the mountains.
Reitmaier et al. (2018, in this issue) address the issue of vertical
mobility from an animal herd’s point of view in the contribution
“Alpine cattle management during the Bronze Age at Ramosch-Mottata,
Switzerland”. Archaeological evidence is combined with several ap-
proaches, particularly high-resolution strontium isotope analysis
(
87
Sr/
86
Sr). The study focuses on cattle management in the valley
during the Bronze Age (1750–800 cal. BC), a period for which stron-
tium isotope values in cattle (Bos taurus) teeth indicate an evolution of
the mobility patterns. The later phase is characterised by more static
patterns as year-round grazing was practised either in the vicinity of the
site or in regions with similar geology, within a landscape characterized
by more open areas as evidenced by palaeoenvironmental studies. This
article sheds light on the seasonal use of alpine pastures and the origin
of summer farming in a region strongly associated with pastoralism and
alpine animal husbandry today. It suggests a fundamental change in
animal husbandry at the end of the 2
nd
millennium BC, perhaps linked
to an immigration of people with a different cultural background. The
authors use several approaches to point to a change in animal breeding
and an important transition from primary to secondary production
exploitation, among which dairying gains its importance.
Botanical data are repeatedly used to specify the type of occupation,
subsistence, local human impact, and contact with the subalpine range.
A good example is presented in the article “Airolo-Madrano (TI):
Palaeoenvironment and subsistence strategies of a hilltop settlement in
the southern Swiss Alps during the Bronze and Iron Ages”by Jacquat
and Della Casa (2018, in this issue). In this alpine valley, pollen, seed
and charcoal analysis have been performed. The authors found a diet
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2018.05.030
Quaternary International 484 (2018) 1–2
1040-6182/ © 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
T
based on crops and gathered plants, and either an open forest en-
vironment or one surrounded by shrubby species. The exploitation of
the local environment for domestic purposes reveals a variety of sub-
sistence and husbandry activities, even forest pasturing. This can be
described as a mountain form of forest subsistence economy, with
clearing and small-scale cultivation, gathering, herding, and forest ex-
ploitation, e.g. for firewood. Human presence at the subalpine level is
evidenced by finds of macroscopic and microscopic plant remains. Even
if these are punctual, they indicate a certain vertical mobility during
this period. The question of high altitude cultivation remains open, but
the paper encourages the use of archaeobotanical analyses as well as in-
depth research combined with archaeobiological data.
Agirre-García et al. (2018, in this issue) present a diachronic study
of pastoralism in the mountain area of Aralar, southwest Pyrenees.
“Seasonal shepherds' settlements in mountain areas from Neolithic to
present: Aralar –Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain)”is based on sur-
veying archaeological remains. The authors found several hundred ar-
chaeological features from varying periods. They state to have found
evidence of seasonal pastoral mountain sites as early as the Neolithic.
The results of more than 20 years of archaeological survey in the area
provide evidence of human presence in the mountains during the
summer from the Neolithic to the present. Consequently, there is evi-
dence that the region was continuously and intensively populated
through time.
In the article “Mountain adaptation of caprine herding in the eastern
Pyrenees during the Bronze Age: a stable oxygen and carbon isotope
analysis of teeth”, Knockaert et al. (2018, in this issue) focused on
pastoral activities in the French Eastern Pyrenees. Using stable carbon
and oxygen isotope analysis of Bronze Age caprine teeth and samples of
modern sedentary and transhumant ewes, they explored vertical mo-
bility between the western Mediterranean coastal plains and the ad-
jacent mountainous areas. The co-variation of the δ
13
C and the δ
18
O
values appears to be highly informative. In particular, the samples from
the upland site of Llo yielded highly variable data, indicating a great
plasticity in animal feeding and seasonal mobility. These findings point
to herding strategies that were highly adaptive to inter-annual varia-
tions of environmental conditions and resource availability. Moreover,
the study demonstrates the value of investigating modern samples from
animals that were raised under well-documented conditions.
Adifferent approach is proposed in the article by Antolin et al.
“Herders in the mountains and farmers in the plains? A comparative
evaluation of the archaeobiological record from Neolithic sites in the
eastern Iberian Pyrenees and the southern lower lands”.Antolín et al.
(2018, in this issue) used studies of faunal and archaeobotanical re-
mains from 35 sites, dated between 5730 and 2500 cal. BC and located
at different altitudes, from the shores of the Mediterranean to almost
1800 m a.s.l. Different analyses are used for a comparative approach
based on crop husbandry and gathering practices, animal husbandry,
and their dynamics of change over time. Coupling archaeobotanical and
archaeozoological data, the authors demonstrate that agricultural
practices between highland and lowland sites can be compared and that
local farming and long-term livelihood strategies (especially storage)
existed on mountain sites. These observations show that there is no
clear dichotomy between seasonally occupied upland sites and per-
manent lowland habitats. It is likely that during the Neolithic a more
complex system existed in the Pyrenees, which was characterized by a
set of sites occupied for different functions and over a prolonged time
span.
In their contribution “Vertical sheep mobility along the altitudinal
gradient through stable isotope analyses in tooth molar bioapatite,
meteoric water and pastures: A reference from the Ebro valley to the
Central Pyrenees”, Tornero et al. (2018, in this issue) investigated
oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of enamel of two sheep from
one of the last flocks still practicing seasonal movements; one that leads
them from the Ebro Valley in northern Spain into the Central Pyrenees.
Studying animals that performed transhumance under well-docu-
mented conditions is essential for the interpretation of data from ar-
chaeological contexts. The analyses revealed certain differences be-
tween the animals even though they lived contemporaneously under
similar conditions. The study emphasizes the necessity for more such
investigations in order to discern natural variation from different eco-
nomic practices.
The papers compiled in this issue point to a couple of astonishing
results. Firstly, the investigated high altitude sites were often visited on
a regular basis, at least since the Neolithic, and often at the same time
as, or in combination with, lowland settlements. Secondly, large mo-
bility ranges covering distances of up to 100 km are not unusual, and
territories used by several communities and so-called networks are
often of major importance. Finally, the articles also show that whilst
creating large-scale pictures and looking for interregional patterns is
important, there is also a clear necessity for small-scale local and re-
gional studies.
References
Hafner, A., Schwörer, C., 2018. Vertical mobility around the high-alpine Schnidejoch
Pass. Indications of Neolithic and Bronze Age pastoralism in the Swiss Alps from
paleoecological and archaeological sources. Quat. Int. 484, 3–18.
Reitmaier, T., Doppler, T., Pike, A.W.G., Deschler-Erb, S., Hajdas, I., Walser, C., Gerling,
C., 2018. Alpine cattle management during the Bronze Age at Ramosch-Mottata,
Switzerland. Quat. Int. 484, 19–31.
Jacquat, C., Della Casa, P., 2018. Airolo-Madrano (TI): Palaeoenvironment and sub-
sistence strategies of a hilltop settlement in the southern Swiss Alps during the Bronze
and Iron Ages. Quat. Int. 484, 32–43.
Agirre-García, J., Edeso-Fito, J.M., Lopetegi-Galarrag, A., Moraza-Barea, A., Ruiz-Alonso,
M., Pérez-Díaz, S., Fernández-Crespo, T., Goikoetxea, I., Martínez de Pancorbo, M.A.,
Palencia, L., Baeta, M., Núñez, C., Cardoso, S., Mujika-Alustiza, J.A., 2018. Seasonal
shepherds' settlements in mountain areas from Neolithic to present: Aralar –
Gipuzkoa (Basque Country, Spain). Quat. Int. 484, 44–59.
Knockaert, J., Balasse, M., Rendu, C., Burens, A., Campmajo, P., Carozza, L., Bousquet, D.,
Fiorillo, D., Vigne, J.-D., 2018. Mountain adaptation of caprine herding in the eastern
Pyrenees during the Bronze Age: a stable oxygen and carbon isotope analysis of teeth.
Quat. Int. 484, 60–74.
Antolín, F., Navarrete, V., Saña, M., Viñerta, A., Gassiot, E., 2018. Herders in the
mountains and farmers in the plains? A comparative evaluation of the archae-
obiological record from Neolithic sites in the eastern Iberian Pyrenees and the
southern lower lands. Quat. Int. 484, 75–93.
Tornero, C., Aguilera, M., Ferrio, J.P., Arcusa, H., Moreno-García, M., Garcia-Reig, S.,
Rojo-Guerra, M., 2018. Vertical sheep mobility along the altitudinal gradient through
stable isotope analyses in tooth molar bioapatite, meteoric water and pastures: A
reference from the Ebro valley to the Central Pyrenees. Quat. Int. 484, 94–106.
Claudia Gerling
Institute of Prehistory and Archaeological Science, Department of
Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Switzerland
E-mail address: claudia.gerling@unibas.ch
Corina Knipper
Curt-Engelhorn-Centre Archaeometry gGmbH Mannheim, Germany
Lucie Martin
Laboratory of Prehistoric Archaeology and Anthropology, University of
Geneva, Switzerland & UMR 5204 Edytem, CNRS-University of Savoie
Mont-Blanc, France
Thomas Doppler
Department of Archaeology, Canton of Aargau & Institute of Prehistory and
Archaeological Science, Department of Environmental Sciences, University
of Basel, Switzerland
Quaternary International 484 (2018) 1–2
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