Human-environment relationships in prehistory - An analysis of a sediment core from South Mesna lake

Abstract

Stone Age settlements in Innlandet have not been as extensively excavated as other regions of Norway. Yet, their role in the cultural, environmental, and technological trajectory of Norwegian prehistory is important, and this importance has increasingly been emphasised more in recent years. In this thesis the region of South Mesna lake, located in the municipality of Ringsaker, has been chosen to investigate the human-environment relationships of prehistoric settlements. The area will be investigated through different analyses of a sediment core. The primary analyses are faecal biomarker analysis and stable isotope analysis with the inclusion of other supplementary methods. As these methods are not extensively used in Norwegian archaeology this thesis also exposes both the benefits and faults of using these methods. The thesis has a primary focus on the changes seen within both the older and younger Stone Age. This broad timeframe has been chosen to investigate the long-term processes that occur and how this affects humans, animals, and landscapes. Through these analyses, a reconstruction of the landscape has aided in the interpretation of what landscape strategies prehistoric settlements had. The discussion is structured around the theoretical framework of niche construction theory and historical ecology.