To move across the mountains: problems and methods to investigating ancient shift in alpine environments

Trabajo presentado en la Landscape Archaeology Conference LAC 2020+1, celebrada en Madrid del 8 al 11 de junio de 2021.
Over the last two decades, the archaeological knowledge of the Alpine environments of southern Europe (Alpes and Pyrenees among other areas) has undergone a remarkable rise, both in the number of remains as well as in the sequences of population and landscape transformation. The mobility of the human groups that inhabited these environments is a recurring question that can be investigated applying different sets of methods. It is sometimes possible to survey, record and analyze the archeological traces of roads. Other ways to approach this research include the study of written sources about transhuman paths. Also, mobility can be assessed by computer modelling using GIS packages. In this communication, we will touch on all these methods and will focus in particular on the use of digital tools for modelling pathways in mountainous areas. In this sense, one aspect to take into account is the algorithms used to calculate the cost of the movement and its application in zones with a strong gradient. A second aspect includes the physical factors that limit or prevent displacement in this type of environment, such as impassable slopes, vegetation or watercourses, as well as social conditions such as property or rights of passage. Finally, we will discuss the use of Least Cost Analysis and other alternatives to understanding the ancient movements. In this paper, we explain how these methodological issues have been addressed in archeological research in two specific geographical areas: The National Park of Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici in the Pyrenees, and the Southern Alps in France. Finally, we will discuss whether it is possible to observe changes in mobility in the long term, and the promise of these tools to understanding the settlement dynamics and the social construction of landscapes.