From: Mark Odegard
Message: 3061
Date: 2000-08-11
From: Piotr GasiorowskiCentral European agriculture moved from river valleys to more difficult soils throughout the FB period, 4500-3200 BC. It was the intensive "slash and burn" exploitation of uplands that caused their deforestation and denudation (increased erosion). As forest gave way to forest-steppe, more grassland became available for pasturing animals, which encouraged the development of semi-sedentary cattle and sheep pastoralism.PiotrI remember reading someplace that the slash-and-burn model has been discounted.The subject, however, does bring up some questions. Just how did these pre-bronze Neolithics fell trees for their longhouses? Wood is a wonderful material, but to exploit it properly you need the right tools. Copper axes? Stone axes?This is just speculation, but I would not be suprised if they girdled (cut away a band of bark for the entire circumference of) trees at the base of the tree a season or year before. Once the tree was dead and relatively dry, they may have judiciously applied some fire at the base, using fire instead of an axe to fell the chosen tree.Girdling trees is also a way to create gardens in forests. You leave the dead trees in place, but without the leaves, sun reaches the ground. This is considerably less labor-intensive than felling trees.Mark.