The combined analysis of the material traces of human activities, the situated knowledge of local communities and the palaeoenvironmental evolutions of the territory, constitutes a powerful resource for the promotion of management policies for mountain areas.
The work follows a protocol that integrates (through qualitative and quantitative methods) archaeology, palaeoecology, ethnography and participatory approaches, in order to map environmental transformations, the tangible products of human action and the set of intangible practices aimed at maintaining the cultural landscape. The surveys carried out aim to record the trace of human activities as well as the dynamics of repopulation and ‘resurgence’ of plant species. The sampling of botanical macro-rests and sediments is carried out using a hand-held core drill, which allows the mapping of archaeological evidence to be associated with a systematic gathering of environmental data. The ‘resurgences’ project is part of this research, encouraging students to explore multi-species responses to the abandonment of mountain slopes.
The collection of archaeological and anthropological data supports a reflection on the concept of abandonment, thus helping to reinforce the pact between land and memory through the construction of a shared conscience for the care of mountain areas in times of climate crisis, constituting a repeatable model applicable to other contexts.