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Introduction Introduction
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Economy, Ecology and Human–Environment Relations Economy, Ecology and Human–Environment Relations
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The Cultural Significance of Plants and Animals The Cultural Significance of Plants and Animals
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Plants, Animals and Humans: Inhabiting Mesolithic Environments Plants, Animals and Humans: Inhabiting Mesolithic Environments
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Conclusions Conclusions
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References References
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36 Relationships with the Environment: Plants and Animals
Get accessBarry Taylor, University of Chester
Nick J. Overton, University of Manchester
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Published:20 February 2025
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Abstract
This chapter discusses the ways that we have studied the relationships between humans and their environment during the European Mesolithic. The human–environment relationship has been a central theme of Mesolithic archaeology throughout its history, and the different ways it has been studied reflects broader changes in the theoretical perspectives that our discipline has adopted. This chapter discusses the principal approaches that developed during the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries: the economic and ecological models that focused on the role of plants and animals as sources of food and material; and the cultural models that explored how Mesolithic communities perceived and understood their environment. While these approaches are often seen as being in opposition to each other, the authors argue that both offer important insights on the character of human–environment interactions. What is more, recent developments in the discipline, notably the adoption of multispecies perspectives and the concept of non-human agency can help reconcile these apparent differences, leading to new ways of conceptualizing the relationship between humans, plants, and animals during the Mesolithic.
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