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The Geoarcheology of Greece: Shaping Landscapes Versus Crises and Resilience of the Past

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The Geography of Greece

Part of the book series: World Regional Geography Book Series ((WRGBS))

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Abstract

Greece is recognized worldwide for its archeological remains. These bear witness of a long human history, from the early stages of the Neolithization of Europe, ca. 8500 years ago, to the apogee of city-states in ancient Greece. This early occupation by populations of farmers and stock breeders had a long-term impact on the environment. Deforestation and soil erosion associated with prescribed fire and the development of agricultural practices have significantly contributed to shaping the geography of the country, from the Balkan Mountains to the Aegean coast. The anthropogenic imprint on the environment has not been without consequences, and past societies had to adapt to environmental crises, such as climate fluctuations, sometimes caused or reinforced by anthropogenic factors. Greece is also a place where Western science emerged and where scholars could discuss at a very early stage the role of these practices in the transformation of the environment. A synthesis of the intensive research conducted in the area of geoarcheology, paleoenvironment, and geohistory on the dynamics of coastal and continental areas evidences the magnitude of changes observed over the last ten millennia. It also reveals a huge and lasting geographical legacy and illustrates the way societies brought, were subjected, or adapted to change. We will discuss here issues relating to geographical and climate determinism, socio-environmental crises, and the ability of societies to adapt to environmental change.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    In its lifetime, the carbon of living organisms remains in balance with its environment (atmosphere and hydrosphere). When death occurs, 14C decays at a known rate in relation to 12C and this process allows for sample dating.

  2. 2.

    OSL method use quartz and feldspar grains. During the grain deposit period within a sediment, the electrons are trapped in a crystalline structure. Under light stimulation, they may be released from the trap and emit a photon. By measuring the emitted luminescence, we can quantify the amount of ambient radiation stored in the crystal. Dating is done through a comparison between the radiation emitted by the studied grain and the average radiation received by the sediment per year.

  3. 3.

    Before the Common Era, year notations for the Gregorian calendar.

  4. 4.

    Theophrast - De causis Plantarum, books V-VI. Trad. B. Einarson and G. Link (Editors). 1990. Harvard University Press.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lab. of Physical Geography (LGP) CNRS UMR 8591, Department of Geography, University Paris-Est Créteil, Thiais, France

    Laurent Lespez

  2. UMR 7330 CEREGE CNRS, Aix-Marseille University, IRD, Collège de France, INRAE, Aix-en-Provence, France

    Matthieu Ghilardi

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  1. Laurent Lespez
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Correspondence to Laurent Lespez .

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  1. CNRS-UMR 7300 ESPACE, Aix-en-Provence, Marseille, France

    Régis Darques

  2. Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece

    George Sidiropoulos

  3. Department of Geography, University of the Aegean, Mytilene, Greece

    Kostas Kalabokidis

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Lespez, L., Ghilardi, M. (2024). The Geoarcheology of Greece: Shaping Landscapes Versus Crises and Resilience of the Past. In: Darques, R., Sidiropoulos, G., Kalabokidis, K. (eds) The Geography of Greece. World Regional Geography Book Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29819-6_2

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