Ebook: Continuity and Change in Cultural Adaptation to Mountain Environments: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threats

Up until now, mountain ecosystems have not been closely studies by social scientists as they do not offer a readily defined set of problems for human exploitation as, do for instance, tropical forests or arctic habitats. But the archaeological evidence had shown that humans have been living in this type of habitat for thousands of year.

From this evidence we can also see that mountainous regions are often frontier zones of competing polities and form refuge areas for dissident communities as they often are inherently difficult to control by centralized authorities. As a consequence they fuel or contribute disproportionately to political violence. But we are now witnessing changes and increasing vulnerability of mountain ecosystems caused by human activities.

Human adaptability to mountain ecosystems This volume presents an international and interdisciplinary account of the exploitation of--and human adaptation to--mountainous regions over time. The contributions discuss human cultural responses to key physical and cultural stressors associated with mountain ecosystems, such as aridity, quality of soils, steep slopes, low productivity, as well as transient phenomena such as changing weather patterns, deforestation and erosion, and the possible effects of climate change.

This volume will be of interest to anthropologists, ecologists and geologists as mountainous landscapes change fast and cultures disappear and they need to be recorded, and mountain regions are of interest for studies on environmental change and cultural responses of mountain populations provide clues for us all. Critical to understanding mountain adaptations is our comprehension of human decision-making and how people view short- and long-term outcomes.

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Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threatspresents an international and interdisciplinary account of human cultural adaptation to mountainous environments over time. Mountain ecosystems are critical to the wellbeing of sizable populations in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. The book presents the evidence on continuity of human cultural adaptation to mountain ecosystems and also on contemporary threats and vulnerabilities caused by intensification in mining, agriculture, and tourism.

The essays collected here discuss human responses to key physical and cultural stressors impacting human wellbeing in mountain ecosystems, such as aridity, quality of soils, steep slopes, industrialization and infrastructural change, low productivity, adverse effects of centralized political decision-making, deforestation and erosion, tourism, and the possible effects of climate change. The contributors who are cultural anthropologists, geographers, archaeologists, ecologists, and cultural resource managers and planners all point out that mountain populations cope with the stressors by adopting specific cultural strategies, such as seasonal migrations, integration of pastoral and agricultural production, animal crossbreeding, use of crop varieties, a mixture of communal and household control of land, trade, crop diversity, diversification of activities, and technological innovations and innovative scheduling of productive activities.

Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threatswill be of interest to archaeologists, cultural resource managers, anthropologists, ecologists, climatologists, and geologists because mountainous ecosystems change fast, and cultures disappear and they need to be recorded. Most importantly, cultural responses of mountain populations provide clues for us all in this time of environmental change.

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Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threatspresents an international and interdisciplinary account of human cultural adaptation to mountainous environments over time. Mountain ecosystems are critical to the wellbeing of sizable populations in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. The book presents the evidence on continuity of human cultural adaptation to mountain ecosystems and also on contemporary threats and vulnerabilities caused by intensification in mining, agriculture, and tourism.

The essays collected here discuss human responses to key physical and cultural stressors impacting human wellbeing in mountain ecosystems, such as aridity, quality of soils, steep slopes, industrialization and infrastructural change, low productivity, adverse effects of centralized political decision-making, deforestation and erosion, tourism, and the possible effects of climate change. The contributors who are cultural anthropologists, geographers, archaeologists, ecologists, and cultural resource managers and planners all point out that mountain populations cope with the stressors by adopting specific cultural strategies, such as seasonal migrations, integration of pastoral and agricultural production, animal crossbreeding, use of crop varieties, a mixture of communal and household control of land, trade, crop diversity, diversification of activities, and technological innovations and innovative scheduling of productive activities.

Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threatswill be of interest to archaeologists, cultural resource managers, anthropologists, ecologists, climatologists, and geologists because mountainous ecosystems change fast, and cultures disappear and they need to be recorded. Most importantly, cultural responses of mountain populations provide clues for us all in this time of environmental change.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-x
Introduction....Pages 1-8
Presenting the Evidence of Diversity in Mountain Paleo-Landscapes. The Case of the French Alps....Pages 9-17
A History of Long-Term Human–Environment Interactions in the French Pyrenees Inferred from the Pollen Data....Pages 19-30
The Pastures of the Benou Plateau (Bilheres-en-Ossau), France. One Form of Exploitation of Salt Resources in a Mountain Environment....Pages 31-42
Archaeological Prospection of the Pyrenean Valleys in the Upper Lavedan, Hautes-Pyrenees....Pages 43-95
Mountain Summer Shelters in the Haut Adour Region of the Central French Pyrenees: Examples from the Campan and Lesponne Valleys (Hautes-Pyrenees)....Pages 97-122
Landscape Archaeology of the Commons of the Bouleste/Labas Valley, Hautes-Pyrenees....Pages 123-205
The Use of GIS and Weights-of-Evidence in the Reconstruction of a Native American Sacred Landscape in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado....Pages 207-228
Adaptation of Andean Herders to Political and Climatic Changes....Pages 229-258
Mapuche Resilience and Adaptation to Arid Uplands in NW Patagonia, Argentina....Pages 259-273
Medicinal Plant Use as an Adaptive Strategy in the Bolivian Andes: Evidence from the Quechua Community of Apillapampa....Pages 275-301
Keeping all the Parts: Adaptation Amidst Dramatic Change in the Pamir Mountains....Pages 303-317
From Yaks to Tourists: Sherpa Livelihood Adaptations in Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal....Pages 319-339
The Sources of Ethnic Pride and Social Stability Among the Nuosu (Yi) of Southwest China....Pages 341-360
Globalization, Environmental Change, and Coping Strategies Among the Ifugao of the Philippine Cordillera Mountains....Pages 361-378
Culturally Mediated Provision of Ecosystem Services: The AGDAL of Yagour ....Pages 379-393
Afterword....Pages 395-396
Back Matter....Pages 397-410

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Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threatspresents an international and interdisciplinary account of human cultural adaptation to mountainous environments over time. Mountain ecosystems are critical to the wellbeing of sizable populations in Eurasia, the Americas, and Africa. The book presents the evidence on continuity of human cultural adaptation to mountain ecosystems and also on contemporary threats and vulnerabilities caused by intensification in mining, agriculture, and tourism.

The essays collected here discuss human responses to key physical and cultural stressors impacting human wellbeing in mountain ecosystems, such as aridity, quality of soils, steep slopes, industrialization and infrastructural change, low productivity, adverse effects of centralized political decision-making, deforestation and erosion, tourism, and the possible effects of climate change. The contributors who are cultural anthropologists, geographers, archaeologists, ecologists, and cultural resource managers and planners all point out that mountain populations cope with the stressors by adopting specific cultural strategies, such as seasonal migrations, integration of pastoral and agricultural production, animal crossbreeding, use of crop varieties, a mixture of communal and household control of land, trade, crop diversity, diversification of activities, and technological innovations and innovative scheduling of productive activities.

Continuity and Change in Cultural Mountain Adaptations: From Prehistory to Contemporary Threatswill be of interest to archaeologists, cultural resource managers, anthropologists, ecologists, climatologists, and geologists because mountainous ecosystems change fast, and cultures disappear and they need to be recorded. Most importantly, cultural responses of mountain populations provide clues for us all in this time of environmental change.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-x
Introduction....Pages 1-8
Presenting the Evidence of Diversity in Mountain Paleo-Landscapes. The Case of the French Alps....Pages 9-17
A History of Long-Term Human–Environment Interactions in the French Pyrenees Inferred from the Pollen Data....Pages 19-30
The Pastures of the Benou Plateau (Bilheres-en-Ossau), France. One Form of Exploitation of Salt Resources in a Mountain Environment....Pages 31-42
Archaeological Prospection of the Pyrenean Valleys in the Upper Lavedan, Hautes-Pyrenees....Pages 43-95
Mountain Summer Shelters in the Haut Adour Region of the Central French Pyrenees: Examples from the Campan and Lesponne Valleys (Hautes-Pyrenees)....Pages 97-122
Landscape Archaeology of the Commons of the Bouleste/Labas Valley, Hautes-Pyrenees....Pages 123-205
The Use of GIS and Weights-of-Evidence in the Reconstruction of a Native American Sacred Landscape in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado....Pages 207-228
Adaptation of Andean Herders to Political and Climatic Changes....Pages 229-258
Mapuche Resilience and Adaptation to Arid Uplands in NW Patagonia, Argentina....Pages 259-273
Medicinal Plant Use as an Adaptive Strategy in the Bolivian Andes: Evidence from the Quechua Community of Apillapampa....Pages 275-301
Keeping all the Parts: Adaptation Amidst Dramatic Change in the Pamir Mountains....Pages 303-317
From Yaks to Tourists: Sherpa Livelihood Adaptations in Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) National Park and Buffer Zone, Nepal....Pages 319-339
The Sources of Ethnic Pride and Social Stability Among the Nuosu (Yi) of Southwest China....Pages 341-360
Globalization, Environmental Change, and Coping Strategies Among the Ifugao of the Philippine Cordillera Mountains....Pages 361-378
Culturally Mediated Provision of Ecosystem Services: The AGDAL of Yagour ....Pages 379-393
Afterword....Pages 395-396
Back Matter....Pages 397-410
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