Early medieval human–environment interaction in the context of changes in the hydrological regime in the Upper Vistula valley (Central Europe)

Human–environment interactions relating to changes in the hydrological system of the Upper Vistula valley are poorly understood. This valley lies in the foreland of the Transcarpathian transition, an area in Central Europe, which is crucial for the migration of people. Using palaeobotanical and geochemical analyses, archaeological data, and data on the river's fluvial activity, we retrace the sequence of environmental changes occurring in the vicinity of the bog in Strumień during the transition between the Iron Age and the Early Middle Ages. The stability of changes in the river valley under the influence of human activity is also assessed. It is shown that: