Sampling work at one of the high altitude alpine lakes. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of York)
Posted on 09/28/2013 11:18:00 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
An international team of archaeologists led by experts from the University of York has uncovered evidence of human activity in the high slopes of the French Alps dating back over 8000 years... one of the most detailed archaeological investigations carried out at high altitudes. It reveals a story of human occupation and activity in one of the world's most challenging environments from the Mesolithic to the Post-Medieval period.
The work included the excavation of a series of stone animal enclosures and human dwellings considered some of most complex high altitude Bronze Age structures found anywhere in the Alps...
Excavations carried out by the team showed human activity shaped the Alpine landscape through the Bronze, Iron, Roman and Medieval ages as people progressed from hunting to more managed agricultural systems including the movement of livestock to seasonal alpine pastures, known as transhumant-pastoralism...
The study also uncovered evidence of Stone Age hunting camps in often inhospitable conditions in the upper reaches of the Alpine tree line at 2000 metres and above. Other finds included a Neolithic flint arrow head at 2475 metres, thought to be the highest altitude arrowhead discovered in the Alps.
The study was carried out by a team of British and French archaeologists and palaeoecologists. They surveyed over 300 sites across a number of valleys as well as studying pollen from cores taken from peat areas and lakes and carbonized wood remains.
(Excerpt) Read more at sciencedaily.com ...
Sampling work at one of the high altitude alpine lakes. (Credit: Image courtesy of University of York)
Why would anyone choose to live there? Maybe the easier places were crowded.
Sounds like a serious prepper B.O.L.
'Course, they might just have been in a Stone Age reality show, Mountain Men.
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