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Vegetation recolonisation of abandoned agricultural terraces on Antikythera, Greece

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  • Carol Palmer
  • Sue Colledge
  • Andrew Bevan
  • James Conolly

Abstract

Antikythera is a small, relatively remote Mediterranean island, lying 35 km north-west of Crete, and its few contemporary inhabitants live mainly in the small village at the only port. However, an extensive network of terraces across the island bears witness to the past importance of farming on the island, although the intensity of use of these cultivated plots has changed according to fluctuating population levels. Most recently, the rural population and intensity of cultivation have dramatically declined. Our aim is to understand the recolonisation process of agricultural land by plants after terraces are no longer used for the cultivation of crops. The results demonstrate a relatively quick pace of vegetative recolonisation, with abandoned farm land covered by dense scrub within 20 to 60 years. The archaeological implications are that, following even relatively short periods of abandonment, the landscape would have required arduous reinvestment in the removal of scrub growth, as well as the repair and construction of stone terraces, to allow cultivation once again.

Suggested Citation

  • Carol Palmer & Sue Colledge & Andrew Bevan & James Conolly, 2010. "Vegetation recolonisation of abandoned agricultural terraces on Antikythera, Greece," Environmental Archaeology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(1), pages 64-80, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:yenvxx:v:15:y:2010:i:1:p:64-80
    DOI: 10.1179/146141010X12640787648973
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    Cited by:

    1. Emanuela Cicinelli & Giulia Caneva & Valentina Savo, 2021. "A Review on Management Strategies of the Terraced Agricultural Systems and Conservation Actions to Maintain Cultural Landscapes around the Mediterranean Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Xuan Fang & Zhujun Gu & Ying Zhu, 2023. "Quantification of Agricultural Terrace Degradation in the Loess Plateau Using UAV-Based Digital Elevation Model and Imagery," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-16, July.
    3. José R. Arévalo & Juan A. Encina-Domínguez & Sait Juanes-Márquez & Perpetuo Álvarez-Vázquez & Juan A. Nuñez-Colima & Miguel Mellado, 2021. "Restoration of Rangelands Invaded by Amelichloa clandestina (Hack.) Arriaga & Barkworth after 12 Years of Agriculture Abandonment (Coahuila, Mexico)," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-15, September.
    4. Bevan, Andrew & Conolly, James, 2011. "Terraced fields and Mediterranean landscape structure: An analytical case study from Antikythera, Greece," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 222(7), pages 1303-1314.

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