Medieval Landscape Transformation in the Southeast and Eastern Baltic: Palaeoenvironmental Perspectives on the Colanisation of Frontier Landscapes
Volume 20 (2013): Frontier Societies and Environmental Change in Northeast Europe, pp. 24–46
Pub. online: 30 December 2013
Type: Article
Open Access
Open Access
Received
9 September 2012
9 September 2012
Revised
21 October 2013
21 October 2013
Accepted
19 December 2013
19 December 2013
Published
30 December 2013
30 December 2013
Abstract
The history of the medieval Baltic is dominated by the crusading movement of the 13th to 15th centuries. The crusades resulted in significant changes to the organisation, ownership and administration of the landscape, with a significant shift in patterns of land use. However, our understanding of the environmental impact of the crusades has been almost exclusively informed by written sources. This paper synthesises existing palynological evidence for medieval landscape transformation in the southeast and eastern Baltic, focusing on the ecological impact of the crusading movement, and considers some key questions, challenges and priorities for future research.