GIS Modeling: Cross-Disciplinary Approaches Between Landscape Archaeology and Ecosystem Services Science.

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Landscape Archaeology - Part 2" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Historic agricultural practices have shaped landscapes, creating a heritage that is crucial for sustainable development. Agriculture, as the largest form of land use, has profoundly impacted ecosystems worldwide since ancient times. Pre-industrial systems like terrace farming and agroforestry, once valued for their resilience, have largely been abandoned over the past century. However, these traditional rural strategies are now regarded as key pathways to sustainable agriculture, addressing challenges such as soil erosion, carbon sequestration, and water management. This paper explores how the ecosystem services science (ESS) framework can act as a bridge between economics, ecology, and landscape archaeology, particularly through GIS modeling. By employing the ESS framework, landscape archaeology offers insights into how past societies interacted with their environments, particularly regarding resource use. Studying ancient ecosystems through archaeological evidence enhances our understanding of long-term sustainability and resource management. Furthermore, landscape archaeology can inform modern ESS studies by providing a long-term perspective on human-environment interactions, evaluating the sustainability of ancient societies, and recognizing how historical activities have shaped present ecosystems. Integrating ESS into landscape archaeology has the potential to influence future research, conservation efforts, and policy-making by offering a deeper understanding of long-term ecological and societal dynamics.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Interdisciplinary Approaches to Landscape Archaeology - Part 2   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52750