At present the management of the cultural landscape rests to a large degree on the protection of single elements in the landscape. In order to understand and evaluate the degree of preservation of the single elements, it is, however, essential to adopt a holistic view of the cultural landscape. Based on this premise, new knowledge of the completeness of the cultural landscape takes priority. Secondly, a number of methodological approaches will be developed in order to analyse the cultural landscape. It is furthermore necessary to develop the regional division of the historical cultural landscape, recently created, in order to differentiate prehistoric landscapes into comparative entities and give them a more precise content.

Purpose

The main purpose of the sub-project is to analyse and identify different historical layers in the landscape and incorporate them into a societal entirety. Such a view will be instrumental in giving values to remains of elements and structures in the present cultural landscape, both regarding their preservation and identity. The analyses will take as their starting point the specific physical remains as well as models of the way the cultural landscape looks and is utilised. The historical development scenarios will combine natural and cultural history into a wholeness. The sub-project will form the background for political and administrative priorities in the management of the landscape. The interdisciplinary design of the project implies a close and determined co-operation between the participating parties of the centre; archaeologists, historians, GIS specialists and pollen analysts. The essence of the sub-project is three selected examination areas (in East Jutland and Funen), representing different landscape types. All the single projects will relate to these areas. The analyses and comparisons will be made within these areas, while some projects will be related to larger regions or to the national level.

Projects, primarily within prehistory and the middle ages:

The main idea of these sub-projects is to develop regional models of the landscape development and land use in prehistoric time. The development of regional models is promoted in order to integrate the results of modern settlement archaeology and palaeo-ecological research in the administration of the cultural landscape. Through these models it will be possible to utilise information about past cultural landscapes to predict the potential existence of still unknown elements of the past and their significance in landscape planning.

The Information Systems of the Cultural Landscape

Head of the project: Henrik Jarl Hansen, The National
Museum, The National Record of Sites and Monuments, Ny
Vestergade 11, 2, DK-1220 København K, Ph. +45 33
47 30 80, jarl@natmus.dk

Participants: Lars Bagge Nielsen, The National Museum,
The National Record of Sites and Monuments, Ny Vestergade
11, 2, DK-1220 København K, Ph. 33 47 30 86, bagge@natmus.dk

Claus Dam, Århus University, School of Prehistoric
Archaeology, Moesgård, DK-8270 Højbjerg, Ph.
+45 89 42 46 44, farkcd@moes.hum.aau.dk

The objective is to develop and generate a database from the regional examination areas. The data will also be of use to the other participants in the project. The method is GIS (Geographical Information Systems) used as storage and analysis instrument. The content of the database is different information concerning the cultural landscape. Firstly, cartographic data in digital form (administrative boundaries, land use, settlement, soil quality, etc. from the oldest land register maps combined with the topography of the modern landscape from orto-photos, elevation models, soil quality etc.) Secondly, the sub-project will be based on archaeological data from Det Kulturhistoriske Centralregister (The National Record of Sites and Monuments, the National Museum), information that has not previously been utilised in a systematic fashion in this context. The strategic purpose is to ensure that data and analysis methods can be used in the management of the cultural landscape in the future, for example when producing qualitative theme maps.

Historical Macro-Scale Relations between Human Impact and Landscape Variation

Participants: Peter Rasmussen and Bent Vad Odgaard, GEUS
(Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland), Dept. of
Environmental History and Climate, Thoravej 8, DK-2400
København, Ph. +45 38 14 23 56, per@geus.dk and bo@geus.dk

Associated with the project is PhD-student Emily
Bradshaw, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland,
Dept. of Environmental History and Climate, Thoravej 8,
DK-2400 København NV, Ph. +45 38 14 23 56, Fax 38
14 20 50,  

It is the objective of this sub-project to make three regional pollen diagrams as test cases in order to develop and test models applicable to a description of the long term development of vegetation and land use in typical Danish landscape types. Physical and cultural parameters will be included in the models: geology, soil, wet lands and orography as well as the number and type of prehistoric and historic cultural remains. Models describing the quantitative relation between cultural remains (~ cultural impact) and landscape variation will enable an identification of different cultural and natural environments. Historical landscape scenarios is established from these relationships and used as predictive tools in landscape planning and management.

The Study of Regions in the Cultural Landscape and the Compilation of Cultural Landscape Regions in Prehistoric and Early Historical Periods

Head of Project: Ulf Näsman, Århus University,
School of Prehistoric Archaeology, Moesgård,
DK-8270 Højbjerg, Ph. +45 89 42 46 24,
farkun@moes.hum.aau.dk

Participants: Jytte Ringtved, Århus University,
School of Prehistoric Archaeology, +45 89 42 46 25,
farkjr@moes.hum.aau.dk

Charlotte Fabech, Århus University, School of
Prehistoric Archaeology, Ph. +45 89 42 46 25,
farkcf@moes.hum.aau.dk

PhD student Bo Ejstrud, Århus University, The Dept.
of Prehistoric Archaeology, Medieval Archaeology,
Ethnography and Social Anthropology, Moesgård, DK-8270
Højbjerg, Ph. +45 89 42 46 46, Fax 89 42 46 49,
e-mail farkbe@moes.hum.aau.dk

The purpose is to delimit and describe the content of the cultural landscapes of different Danish regions over time, i.e. through prehistory and the middle ages. The occurrence of archaeological finds is often based on coincidences independent of the finds themselves. If we relate the recorded finds from different periods to certain landscape features, natural and cultural, it would nevertheless be possible to set up regional landscape models. These models of different types of cultural landscapes are supposed to connect land use, settlement pattern as well as social and political organisation over time. They will be useful in management in order to reconstruct the largely invisible past cultural landscape. Thus, by relying on this knowledge of the cultural landscape, it will be possible to predict significant remains of an older layer of the cultural landscape to be expected in a certain area. The models will thus be useful tools in considering how the cultural landscape should be managed in the future.

Projects within Historical Time:

These sub-projects should be viewed as themes within the broad historical time frame. The object is to analyse thoroughly a theme at a national as well as on a regional level. As background is a thematic division of human activities in the open land as well as a cultural history regional division which the themes can be related to.

The Colonised Landscapes, particularly Wetland Areas

Participants: PhD student Morten Stenak, University of
Southern Denmark - Odense University, Cartographic
Documentation Centre, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Ph.
+45 65 57 21 92, stenak@hist.sdu.dk

After around 1750 a more intensive use took place of formerly extensively used areas such as moors, wetlands etc. The project takes as its starting point a description of the colonised landscapes at a national level in order to answer questions such as where, when and to which degree this reclamation of the areas occurred. Special focus will be given to wetlands, which are today being re-created. This "nature restoration" is taking place without previous registration or evaluation of the origins of these areas.

Modern Agriculture and Its Relationship to Elements and Structures of the Cultural Landscape

Participant: Per Grau Møller, University of
Southern Denmark - Odense University, Institute of
History and Western Civilisation, Cartographic
Documentation Centre, Campusvej 55, DK-5230 Odense M, Ph.
+45 65 57 21 04, pgm@hist.sdu.dk

Modern farming takes place in a cultural landscape rich in past elements and structures. The basic question is how modern agriculture considers these conditions and if they are deemed prohibitive to work routines. The project will examine the different remains and their significance to agriculture. Regarding field divisions the ultimate outcome could be a new redistribution. Such a radical step might be necessitated by the discrepancy arisen as a result of new structures in farming. The project will be carried out in the investigation areas of the Centre and the methods cover interviews as well as GIS (Geographical Information Systems) analyses.

The Manorial Landscape

Participant: Anders Myrtue, Odense City Museums, Dept. of
Research and Communications, Overgade 48-50, DK-5000
Odense C, Ph. +45 66 14 88 14 - 4651,
amy@post.odkomm.dk

The significance of the manors through history is undeniable, as is their presence as modern monuments in the landscape (many manor houses are protected). However, their influence on the local area has not been properly understood, particularly from a regional point of view. Likewise, the considerations regarding protection have not been properly analysed. The main theme of this sub-project is to make the historical significance of a manor within a district operational to planning and management.

Coastal Management

Participant: Poul Holm, University of Southern Denmark -
Esbjerg, Centre for Maritime and Regional History, Niels
Bohrs Vej 9, DK-6700 Esbjerg, Ph. +45 65 50 41 50, fax 65
50 10 91, e-mail Poul.Holm@fimus.dk

The object is to bring forth a management basis for the Danish coastal zone including existing industry and cultural heritage. The sub-project will take as its starting point an analysis of the historical exploitation of the landscape from about 1500-2000 AD. The project includes a comparative study of coastal connotations, policies and ideologies in a Nordic and international perspective. Models for future coastal management will be developed, based on regional studies.

The Changing Danish Coastal Heritage

Participant: PhD student Søren Byskov, Museum of
Fishing and Seafaring, Centre for Maritime and Regional
History, Tarphagevej 2, DK-6710 Esbjerg V, Ph. +45 76 12 20
00, Fax 76 12 20 10, e-mail
Soeren.Byskov@fimus.dk

The aim of the project is to develop and test registration methods for the changing historical coastal landscape. Buildings along the coast often shelter quite different activities to the ones they were built for. The traditional coastal industries, such as fishing, shipping and related small industry is in retreat, while settlements for commuters and tourism are increasing. Mass-tourism has in many places reached a stage, where wear and tear on the cultural and natural heritage is threatening the industry itself. It is therefore important to examine the new direction in which the utilisation of the coastal landscape is going. The project will identify the participants and interests having the largest influence on the development. The object of the project will be to establish a broader basis for coastal management.