Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age
This work aims to study population dynamics and land-use patterns in the South-Western Baltic region during the Neolithic and Bronze Age (4100 to 500 BCE). Understanding demography is essential for comprehending socio-cultural transformations, as demographic patterns have long been recognised as maj...
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| Fformat: | Online |
| Iaith: | Saesneg |
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Sidestone Press
2026
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| Mynediad Ar-lein: | ONIX_20260429T161217_9789464281149_3 |
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Dim Tagiau, Byddwch y cyntaf i dagio'r cofnod hwn!
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| _version_ | 1869524087899947008 |
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| author | Bilotti, Giacomo |
| author_browse | Bilotti, Giacomo |
| author_facet | Bilotti, Giacomo |
| author_sort | Bilotti, Giacomo |
| collection | Directory of Open Access Books |
| description | This work aims to study population dynamics and land-use patterns in the South-Western Baltic region during the Neolithic and Bronze Age (4100 to 500 BCE). Understanding demography is essential for comprehending socio-cultural transformations, as demographic patterns have long been recognised as major drivers of social change and complex dynamics. Palaeodemography has gained momentum in archaeology and become a central aspect of the discipline thanks to recent methodological and computational advances. Despite that, the discipline faces several challenges due to the patchiness of archaeological data. In order to overcome this issue, this study uses a multi-proxy and formal approach aiming to reduce chronological uncertainty and improve spatial resolution, thereby enhancing understanding of regional variations. This study produced two different estimates: labour-based carrying capacity and absolute demographic reconstructions. In none of the study regions the carrying capacity was reached, challenging the hypothesis of a correlation between population dynamics and reaching the full capacity of a region. The study also identified patterns of growth and decline in absolute demographic estimates. These patterns align with the boom and bust phases identified in the literature for many European regions. However, each sub-area exhibited distinct patterns in terms of absolute change and the timing of peaks, which cannot be observed at regional or supra-regional scales. Despite these differences, global population trends across sub-regions were identifiable, with a general demographic increase during the Early Neolithic, peaking in the Middle Neolithic, followed by a period of lower population densities during the Younger Neolithic. The patterns for the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age varied depending on the region. Comparisons with other studies show that while global trends were identified, some are either smoothed out in large-scale studies or incorrectly identified and points towards the necessity of a more localised, yet formal and fully reproducible, approach to palaeodemography. |
| format | Online |
| id | doab-20.500.12854ir-176263 |
| institution | Directory of Open Access Books |
| language | eng |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Sidestone Press |
| publisherStr | Sidestone Press |
| record_format | ojs |
| spelling | doab-20.500.12854ir-1762632026-05-05T06:11:42Z Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age Bilotti, Giacomo Archaeology Prehistory Demography Bronze Age Neolithic Spatial statistics Population dynamics Northern Europe Baltic thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology This work aims to study population dynamics and land-use patterns in the South-Western Baltic region during the Neolithic and Bronze Age (4100 to 500 BCE). Understanding demography is essential for comprehending socio-cultural transformations, as demographic patterns have long been recognised as major drivers of social change and complex dynamics. Palaeodemography has gained momentum in archaeology and become a central aspect of the discipline thanks to recent methodological and computational advances. Despite that, the discipline faces several challenges due to the patchiness of archaeological data. In order to overcome this issue, this study uses a multi-proxy and formal approach aiming to reduce chronological uncertainty and improve spatial resolution, thereby enhancing understanding of regional variations. This study produced two different estimates: labour-based carrying capacity and absolute demographic reconstructions. In none of the study regions the carrying capacity was reached, challenging the hypothesis of a correlation between population dynamics and reaching the full capacity of a region. The study also identified patterns of growth and decline in absolute demographic estimates. These patterns align with the boom and bust phases identified in the literature for many European regions. However, each sub-area exhibited distinct patterns in terms of absolute change and the timing of peaks, which cannot be observed at regional or supra-regional scales. Despite these differences, global population trends across sub-regions were identifiable, with a general demographic increase during the Early Neolithic, peaking in the Middle Neolithic, followed by a period of lower population densities during the Younger Neolithic. The patterns for the Late Neolithic and Bronze Age varied depending on the region. Comparisons with other studies show that while global trends were identified, some are either smoothed out in large-scale studies or incorrectly identified and points towards the necessity of a more localised, yet formal and fully reproducible, approach to palaeodemography. 2026-05-05T06:11:41Z 2026-05-05T06:11:41Z 2026-05-04T08:44:01Z 2026 book ONIX_20260429T161217_9789464281149_3 2590-1222 https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/112841 9789464281149 9789464281156 9789464281163 https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/176263 eng Scales of Transformation open access image/jpeg Attribution 4.0 International https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/20.500.12657/112841/1/9789464281149.pdf Sidestone Press Sidestone Press Dissertations 10.59641/3t0242wf 10.59641/3t0242wf f8b41c78-b5d0-411d-aa34-324bccd61c66 b1fc767e-a8d8-4036-a4d4-d668468cfae7 3358520f-7ab2-42ab-80ef-88a2dbe6a901 9789464281149 9789464281156 9789464281163 Sidestone Press Dissertations 188 Leiden 2901391021 – SFB 1266 Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft German Research Association 10.13039/501100001659 open access |
| spellingShingle | Archaeology Prehistory Demography Bronze Age Neolithic Spatial statistics Population dynamics Northern Europe Baltic thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology Bilotti, Giacomo Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age |
| title | Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age |
| title_full | Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age |
| title_fullStr | Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age |
| title_full_unstemmed | Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age |
| title_short | Population dynamics and land-use patterns in the southwestern Baltic region during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age |
| title_sort | population dynamics and land use patterns in the southwestern baltic region during the neolithic and the bronze age |
| topic | Archaeology Prehistory Demography Bronze Age Neolithic Spatial statistics Population dynamics Northern Europe Baltic thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology |
| topic_facet | Archaeology Prehistory Demography Bronze Age Neolithic Spatial statistics Population dynamics Northern Europe Baltic thema EDItEUR::N History and Archaeology::NK Archaeology |
| url | ONIX_20260429T161217_9789464281149_3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bilottigiacomo populationdynamicsandlandusepatternsinthesouthwesternbalticregionduringtheneolithicandthebronzeage |