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The Modern Antiquarian Forum » Neolithic/Bronze Age deforestation in UK |
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jul 01, 2018, 08:52
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"living in harmony with nature' stuff that often gets attributed to the prehistoric era." Not sure that's a scientific theory, more a hippy one.
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tjj 3606 posts |
Jul 01, 2018, 10:32
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This is an area of discussion I for one am very interested in. I understand Lewis and Orkney, which are now completely without trees except for plantations (e.g. woodland near Stornoway) was due to excessive farming from the neolithic onwards. Along with the rich archaeology of both these places this seems to be evidence that the Northern and Western Isles around Scotland were the first areas of the British Isles to be populated. Later the downland areas in Wiltshire .. There is a wonderful song on Martin Simpson's recent cd 'Trails and Tribulations' called Ridgeway - written as the voice of the land it passes over and recalling when it was wild and forested (only available on the cd - which is great).
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Howburn Digger 986 posts |
Jul 01, 2018, 12:18
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tjj wrote: I understand Lewis and Orkney, which are now completely without trees except for plantations (e.g. woodland near Stornoway) was due to excessive farming from the neolithic onwards. "Excessive" farming! Brilliant! There are extant native trees in these islands. There are many factors which severely limit tree growth in these island groups. I have recently returned from an Inner Hebridean island which has no leaves on any of its trees. The parching weather coupled with strong winds a few weeks back has brought an early autumn. Try that for a couple of years.
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thesweetcheat 6210 posts |
Jul 01, 2018, 12:38
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Howburn Digger wrote: tjj wrote: I understand Lewis and Orkney, which are now completely without trees except for plantations (e.g. woodland near Stornoway) was due to excessive farming from the neolithic onwards. "Excessive" farming! Brilliant! The moorland of Dartmoor that we see today was the result of exactly that. The only bit that isn't a result of man's environmental impact is Wistman's Wood and even that has changed somewhat in terms of species.
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Jul 01, 2018, 22:38
Jul 01, 2018, 13:44
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Howburn Digger wrote: tjj wrote: I understand Lewis and Orkney, which are now completely without trees except for plantations (e.g. woodland near Stornoway) was due to excessive farming from the neolithic onwards. "Excessive" farming! Brilliant! There are extant native trees in these islands. There are many factors which severely limit tree growth in these island groups. Yes, my wording could have been more precise inasmuch I meant without significant areas of ancient woodland.
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Monganaut 2373 posts |
Jul 01, 2018, 14:58
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Some of the books I've been nosing through state that areas such as the Weald, Breckland, Dartmooor, Bodmin Moor, Exmoor to name just several were all extensively deforested in prehistory. I guess the amount of remains still extant on Dartmoor are testament to the population density before the climate changed and could possibly be extrapolated to other areas. Most upland areas where denuding took place later became acidified or peat bogs, who in turn, the acidification of peat soils not only effected the direct area, but also downstream of any rivers, killing fish and fauna and on dry years, windblown peat can be a real problem to the surroundingg areas in terms of polluting water courses (my missus works in the environmental side of the water industry). During Saxon and early medieval times, some areas tree cover was so diminished that the peat bogs, fens etc... were trawled for 'bog wood' to burn, or use for building, furniture etc...it apparently burned with a sweet musty odour according to one old transcript. This is slightly off tack, but I was interested to read that in Saxon times, some parts of the wildwood still left intact were attributed to being 'good' or 'evil' places. I guess this would effect if particular places were populated/ventured into or not. Being an 'outcast' from Saxon or Nordic societies was possibly the worst thing that could happen to you as an individual, as you could be preyed on, murdered or sold into slavery with impunity if captured, with no recourse to the law of the time. It's stated in the Times Anvil book that the deforestation during prehistory was the biggest impact that man has ever had on the UK landscape, even taking into account what we do in modern times. I was amazed to read, that all modern building post 1000AD on the UK mainland still only accounts for 2.7% of the landmass. And most urban areas are still 98% 'natural', i.e. being green areas such as parks, playing fields, rivers, gardens, woodland etc...
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tjj 3606 posts |
Edited Jul 02, 2018, 17:56
Jul 01, 2018, 16:53
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Fascinating information M, thank you. As I mentioned Lewis in my earlier reply I needed to find out more clearly why and when it lost its woodland. I came across this Scotsman article about 'reforesting' - 100,000 trees to be planted (have copied the text as you have to register online to read it). The article gives another reason for deforestation apart from climate and farming. https://www.scotsman.com/news/100-000-trees-to-be-planted-in-the-outer-hebrides-1-4563170 Up to 100,000 trees are to be planted in the Outer Hebrides over the next three years in a bid to revive the native woodland of the islands. The Outer Hebrides has suffered vast deforestation over the centuries with Vikings destroying the tree population to prevent locals making boats. Climate change and crop expansion have also contributed to the change in landscape. The Hebridean Ark project aims to revive the tree population and have 100,000 more native saplings around Harris and Lewis by 2020. David Mackay, of Horshader Community Development, based in Shawbost, has been leading the project .... “We’re trying to bring back trees that have always been here, they’re part of the Hebrides. The genetics of these trees have a timeline going back 2,000 years on the islands. They’re hardy, like the people here.” Cuttings and seeds will be taken from surviving trees to grow 100,000 saplings to plant in Lewis and Harris. Rowan, aspen, birch, willow, hazel and juniper are among those to be planted. Mr Mackay added: “Our project is to grow more trees and to encourage people to plant them to increase the diversity of what is left of the Hebridean forests.”
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moss 2897 posts |
Jul 02, 2018, 06:25
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I suspect forests and woods rely on new plantations something they probably wouldn't have done in the Bronze Age, it was just a natural resource, renewal on most of our uplands would have been difficult. For instance on the Yorkshire moors there is a 'pan' just below the surface making it difficult to dig. Modern conifer forests are an eyesore on our moors and also in Scotland where we have been recently. The hillsides were scarred by wholesale cutting of the trees, it resembled a moonscape of barrenness. Though we blame the prehistoric people for creating all these moors, which don't forget we now find our stone circles and burial barrows on more easily, tree cutting by Scandinavians, Saxons and then the medieval period would also decimate the great forests. In the end humans make their landscapes, Wistman Wood is but a relic from the past, nature renews itself if we let it, or even take a more active role as in the new Northern Forest, which I am a bit cynical about.. https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2018/01/new-northern-forest/
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tomatoman 118 posts |
Jul 02, 2018, 16:42
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Anyone who wants to see bog trees can do so by visiting the Holme Fen area just off the A1. Loads of it was dug up with deep ploughing in the last couple of decades.......no idea how it smells when burnt, though! On the wider subject of deforestation, I practically wept with joy at the richness and extent of deciduous forests while travelling through Bavaria, Austria and Slovenia by train this year.
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Monganaut 2373 posts |
Jul 02, 2018, 21:52
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Following on from what you say about making it easier finding sites after felling/denuding of tree cover. I was amazed to read several years ago about how the supposed 'pristine' Amazon rain forest is nothing of the sort. All the clear felling of these arboreal behemoths has shown that the area was heavily populated (well WAS populated, but later deserted) prior to the forest growing up, and may have been an Inca/Aztec/Toltec type interspersed metropolis 5 or 600 years ago. Fascinating stuff, though still sad about the wanton denuding of such a species rich landscape.
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