GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL INSIGHTS INTO PALEOENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION AND PAST CULTURAL DYNAMICS: PROBLEMS AND POTENTIAL

Geoarchaeologists use multi-proxy methods such as stable isotope, phytolith, pollen, and soil characteristics to reconstruct paleoenvironments at archaeological sites. The interpretation of local climate and vegetation from the data are used to infer past cultural dynamics, such as site use and abandonment, as well as hunter-gatherer landscape interactions and subsistence strategies. Problems occur with sampling strategy and misinterpretation of paleoenvironmental records when working with anthropogenic soils and sediments, while lack of an archaeological theoretical framework hinders understanding of human behavior. This paper explores some of these problems as well as the continued potential of multi-proxy paleoenvironmental research to understand past cultural dynamics using several case studies from across the Great Plains, USA.