Prehistory—The Early Interactions Between Humans and Their Environment

Abstract

The first human–environmental interactions prior to the Holocene date back to the Paleolithic. There are 50 localities throughout Croatian territory in which we find traces of Paleolithic human life. The rich assortment of animals enabled the development of hunting as a primary activity, while gathering was highly seasonal. Neolithic humans had an unprecedented influence on the natural landscape in terms of introducing agriculture and consequential sedentarisation. The concentration of Neolithic society within two areas—the Danubian area (with a strong agricultural component) and the Adriatic–Mediterranean area (boasting a strong herding component)—is one of the era’s main characteristics. The first instances of deforestation in the area of Croatia started during the Neolithic period. Forest communities (primarily oak) were suppressed for land cultivation—based on burning forests in order to create arable land. More than 3,000 years of a pastoral economy based on sheep and goat herding in the Adriatic–Mediterranean area had a very destructive effect on forest cover, and eventually resulted in the degradation of (peri-)Mediterranean forests into maquis or bare rock. With the transition to the Aeneolithic, environmental priorities changed and the Dinarides became a favoured area. Numerous remains of material culture from this era bear evidence to this: first and foremost the numerous fortifications (hillforts) that Indo-European settlers raised on difficult to reach parts of the relief, which were ideal for the defense and control of the surroundings. Consequently, in the metal ages, the Dinaric area was eventually affected by the degradation of forests as well.