CULTURAL SOILSCAPES

Abstract

While soil is normally studied as the outcome of natural geological and chemical processes, soil research by archaeologists, geographers and other social scientists focuses on the human behavioural dimensions of soil formation. As a result, 'cultural soilscape' is an analytical concept common to both Earth and social sciences that encourages a more holistic, transdisciplinary approach to studying soil formation processes. This paper introduces the concept of cultural soilscape and reviews important archaeological work on this theme over the past decade. © The Geological Society of London 2006.