About this Research Topic

Background

Global change has become the focus of several fields of knowledge. Archaeological research allows for an understanding of long-term processes in which it is possible to assess the ancestry of human impact on past ecosystems. We can also learn from past human responses to ecological change and how human societies have been able to manage resources in a sustainable manner over the medium and long term.

This approach is having a significant impact on Archaeology, and several terms such as resilience, anthropic impact, critical threshold, or (environmental) risk are being commonly used in our discipline.
In spite of this, most of them lack proper theoretical development. We raise the question of whether archaeology, which specifically focuses on non-industrial socioecological systems and long-term processes, should adjust these concepts to such a framework of analysis.

How do archaeologists borrow these concepts from Ecology and use them in their research? In addition, there is the need to develop specific (archaeological) methodologies that will allow for the recognition of these conjunctures and processes on an empirical basis (in the archaeological record).

Frontiers in Environmental Archaeology is a unique context for a collection of articles dealing with the theoretical and methodological concerns and challenges of using such concepts in Archaeology. The
articles in the collection could range from examining the application of the aforementioned themes to delving into methodological issues, either in general terms or through specific case studies, while
simultaneously stimulating dialogue on global change research in our discipline.

This collection is listed in both the Archeobotany section and the Landscape and Geological Processes section. Upon submission, please choose which section is the best fit for your manuscript focus.

This collection welcomes a variety of article types relevant to considering theory and method in more detail:

- Original Research: If you choose to submit your work as an Original Research piece please ensure you have expanded on the
methods/ theory used within the content of the paper.

- Methods paper

- Hypothesis and Theory paper

- Perspective or Opinion pieces: If you choose to submit one of these types of articles it will be to provide your thoughts or ideas for current/ future methods and theories in the field

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: ecosystems, human impact, resource management, sustainability, socioecological systems, ecology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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