Summary
The evolution of landscape evolution and environmental change has been addressed in Lisbon by the use of multi-proxy analysis, including pollen, non-pollen-palynomorphs, sedimentology and geomorphological data preserved in a sedimentary core retrieved in an subtidal area of the Tagus margin. Four radiocarbon dates indicate that our data covers from 2nd century cal AD to late 6th century cal AD. Crosscheck with available archaeological information of the city enables for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental dynamics during that period at high resolution. Main results evidence that the area of Lisbon was an open landscape with little woodlands and high human impact at least since the 2nd cal AD. A higher influence of human activity has been identified in early 3rd century cal AD. A marked sedimentological change occurred in early 4th century AD, suggesting a strong shift in the geomorphological shift of the city coincident with the late Roman period. A new phase of increase human impact has been identified in late 5th century cal AD. The diverse rhythms of environmental change occur in accordance with social and political evolution of the area and evidence the usefulness of transdisciplinary and multi-proxy approach in landscape archaeology studies.
Keywords
Environmental history. Landscape. Palynology.