Humans and the environment in the light of paleoecological interpretations of archaeobotanical data from selected archaeological sites

Abstract

Plant remains are one of the basic sources of data about past ecosystems; their analysis contributes signifi cantly to research on the emergence and functioning of plant communities. This kind of research also helps in reconstructing the life environment of human communities in the past. Based on examples from early-mediaeval sites in Radom and Suraż, the article presents the major methods of paleoecology and conclusions following from their interpretation: the phytosociological method by J. Braun-Blanquet, the habitat preference indictor values worked out by H. Ellenberg and in Poland by K. Zarzycki, and the method based on analyzing maps of potential natural vegetation prepared by W. Matuszkiewicz’s team. The examples illustrate the potential of paleoecological interpretation of macroscopic plant remains, which makes it possible to capture relationships between cultural phenomena and the local background of natural environmental conditions.