Attitudes to altitude: changing meanings and perceptions within a ‘marginal’ Alpine landscape – the integration of palaeoecological and archaeological data in a high-altitude landscape in the French Alps

A History of Long-Term Human–Environment Interactions in the French Pyrenees Inferred from the Pollen Data

“…The expansion of agro-pastoral culture into the Pyrenean highlands is not unique and is a part of a larger phenomenon which concerns all European mountain environments (Walsh et al 2007(Walsh et al , 2008Walsh and Richer 2006 ) . During the Middle Neolithic evidence of animal husbandry practiced in the mountains appeared.…”

Across Space and Time

“…However, navigating through mountainous terrain is often a difficult task, especially when travelling with goods for trade or commerce, or a large number of people for migration. For this reason, many archaeologists have assumed that these remote, high altitude regions were marginal and not used excessively by humans (Walsh, Richer and de Beaulieu 2006). Due to recent accidental finds in high altitude locations around the world, there is increased interest in the archaeology of glaciated and frozen regions, especially in the Pennine Alps, whose geographical and cultural attributes make them a region of great archaeological interest.…”

Les dynamiques de la végétation et des anthroposystèmes d’altitude cernées par l’anthracologie pastorale et minière à l’échelle d’un haut vallon alpestre (Freissinières, France)

“…1), a été et continue d'être un terrain d'étude privilégié des interactions sociétés-environnements en haute montagne pendant l'Holocène (Beaulieu et al, 2003 ;Walsh et al, 2006 ;Py et al, 2014 ;Walsh et al, 2014). Depuis le tournant des années 2000, plusieurs enquêtes archéologiques, adossées à des projets interdisciplinaires, ont révélé la richesse et la diversité des vestiges matériels en haute montagne Walsh, 2005 ;Walsh et al, 2007Walsh et al, , 2010.…”