Highland transformation: Human impact in the Bukov Brook valley (Bohemian-Moravian Highlands) from Prehistory to the modern era

Abstract

The history of human activities in the Central European mid-mountains differs significantly from the intensively inhabited lowlands. The Bohemian-Moravian Highlands are believed to have been settled during the onset of metal mining in the 13th century AD. Our evidence from the floodplain deposits of Bukov Brook demonstrates deforestation and sporadic human settlement activities during the prehistoric era, already occurring as early as the Bronze Age, as evidenced by pottery, charcoal and Lens culinaris cf. in the alluvial fan sediments. In this period, the landscape was covered by Abies and Fagus. Since the 10th–12th centuries AD, an agricultural landscape with mild deforestation has been inferred from buried floodplain sediments, despite limited archaeological evidence of settlement. Significant geomorphological changes were observed in the 11th–13th centuries AD, driven by prospecting, mining activities, pond construction, and intensive deforestation, accompanied by the limited presence of cultivated grain. Between the 13th and 16th centuries AD, mining activities ceased, anthropogenic influence increased, and the deforested landscape became more conducive to agriculture, grain cultivation, and grazing. From the 16th century AD onwards, erosion from fine washouts of fields and pastures became prevalent, and the once-functional pond vanished. This comprehensive picture underscores the role of smaller catchments in mid-mountain regions like the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands highlighting their significance in the research of landscape transformation, resource exploitation, and land-use practices. It also sets the stage for further exploration into the evolving dynamics of human-environment interactions across various historical periods.