MEDITERRANEAN VEGETATIONS AND PREHISTORIC CIVILIZATIONS - THE CASE OF FONT-JUVENAL

The Font-Juvenal thick stratigraphy allowed the identification of several thousand pieces of charcoals and gives vegetation assemblages very significant of the mediterranean forest evolution and human and environment relationship. Charcoal analysis results confirms the evolutiv pattern proposed and three periods are evidenced : the first one covers the early Neolithic and deciduous oak forest is prevalent; the second, during middle and recent Neolithics, puts out decreases in the oaks representation and an increase of Buxus and Ouercus ilex-coccifera. The third period, at the end of Neolithic, evidences the importance of Buxus and Quercus ilex-coccifera assemblages. The deciduous oak forest was the most important element of early Neolithic vegetal landscape. The gap between man and his environment is revealed by the presence of open areas taxa as Buxus and Quercus ilex-coccifera during the Chasseen.