Mid-Holocene Landscape Development in the Carpathian Region

Within my dissertation, I investigated changes of Holocene environmental dynamics related to increasing pastoral activities in the Carpathian region. The regional and supra-regional scales were addressed performing a standardised meta-analysis of published pollen data. The local scale was addressed by investigating fan deposits of tributary valleys in the Bükk Mountain foreland in northern Hungary. Results of the data evaluation imply an increase of herding activities in the course of the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age periods. In the South Carpathians, increased herding indication is evident for the Early Chalcolithic, whereas in northern Hungary grazing impact increases only during the Late Chalcolithic – Early Bronze Age transition. This is synchronous with enhanced sediment deposition in the Bükk Mountain foreland. However, grazing impact was overall low and significant land degradation due to pastoral activities are not implied by the data.