Abstract
The theme approached in this paper is based on interdisciplinary information from disciplines such as geography
(cartography, geology, geomorphology, climatology, and hydrology), history and biology. Interdisciplinary
investigations were conducted in the Valea Oii watershed area of Romania, by teams that consisted of
archaeologists and geographers. The aim was to map the Chalcolithic (5500–3000 BC) archaeological sites
found in archaeological repertoires, and also to discover new ones. This interdisciplinary approach allowed the
application of methods and techniques used in geography, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to
archaeological research, and resulted in a detailed and shared database regarding the location of archaeological
sites and the geographical background of those sites, especially the geological evolution and landforms (plateaus,
cuestas, gullies, and landslides). Over time, humans, or human communities, moved and placed their settlements
depending on changing natural factors—for example, climate fluctuations (colder periods alternated with warmer
ones), the appearance of new hydrological resources like springs formed as a consequence of landslides, or
the disappearance of forests as a consequence of overexploitation; combining archaeological and geographical
information is important as the human-environment relationship is interdependent, with humans or human
communities taking into account, with or without their will, the characteristics of the environment when settling
an area.
(cartography, geology, geomorphology, climatology, and hydrology), history and biology. Interdisciplinary
investigations were conducted in the Valea Oii watershed area of Romania, by teams that consisted of
archaeologists and geographers. The aim was to map the Chalcolithic (5500–3000 BC) archaeological sites
found in archaeological repertoires, and also to discover new ones. This interdisciplinary approach allowed the
application of methods and techniques used in geography, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to
archaeological research, and resulted in a detailed and shared database regarding the location of archaeological
sites and the geographical background of those sites, especially the geological evolution and landforms (plateaus,
cuestas, gullies, and landslides). Over time, humans, or human communities, moved and placed their settlements
depending on changing natural factors—for example, climate fluctuations (colder periods alternated with warmer
ones), the appearance of new hydrological resources like springs formed as a consequence of landslides, or
the disappearance of forests as a consequence of overexploitation; combining archaeological and geographical
information is important as the human-environment relationship is interdependent, with humans or human
communities taking into account, with or without their will, the characteristics of the environment when settling
an area.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 64-69 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | DigIt Journal of the Flinders Archaeological Society |
| Volume | 3 |
| Publication status | Published - May 2016 |
Bibliographical note
Dig It is an open access journal. The journal and the individual articles can be freelydistributed; however, individual authors and Dig It must always be cited and acknowledged correctly. The intellectual ownership remains with the individual authors . Articles, figures and other content cannot be altered without the prior permission of the author.
Keywords
- Archaeology - Romania
- geomorphology
- Interdisciplinary investigations