Territories of Faith: 1000 Years of Landscape Multifunctionality in Santa Mariña de Augas Santas (NW Spain)

Cruz Ferro-Vázquez, Rebeca Blanco-Rotea, Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez, Sonia García-Rodríguez and Marco V. García Quintela
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Cruz Ferro-Vázquez: Interdisciplinary Center for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behaviour (ICArEHB), Campus de Gambelas, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Rebeca Blanco-Rotea: Departamento de Historia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain
Jorge Sanjurjo-Sánchez: Instituto Universitario de Xeoloxía “Isidro Parga Pondal”, Universidade de A Coruña, 15071 A Coruña, Spain
Sonia García-Rodríguez: Independent Researcher, 36003 Pontevedra, Spain
Marco V. García Quintela: Departamento de Historia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago, Spain

Land, 2021, vol. 10, issue 9, 1-25

Abstract: Landscape multifunctionality is increasingly recognized as an important aspect in sustainability and developmental debates. Yet, how and why a multifunctional landscape configuration develops over time has not been sufficiently studied. Here we present the geoarchaeological investigation of the Santa Mariña de Augas Santas site, in northwestern Spain. We focus on the role of religious practice, and of its interplay with productive strategies, in landscape transformation. A geochemical, mineralogical, and geochronological characterization of the pedo-sedimentary record (including XRF, EA-IRMS, XRD, OSL and 14C measurements) allowed to characterize catchment scale sedimentation processes in relation to agricultural activities. The geographical and chronological coincidence of production functions with documented religious activities demonstrate that both aspects shared geographical spaces during the last millennium. Current landscape multifunctionality at Santa Mariña is thus not the final outcome of a specific evolution, but an essential aspect of traditional land use strategies through history and a driver of change. This work highlights the need of a long-term study of the processes of landscape configuration when assessing the sustainability of traditional productive systems.

Keywords: multifunctionality; landscape change; religion; agriculture; pedo-sedimentary record (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:10:y:2021:i:9:p:992-:d:639741

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