A review of charcoal analysis as a tool for assessing Quaternary and Tertiary environments: achievements and limits

Identification of charcoal fragments (greater than or equal to2 mm) using r eflected light microscopy is routinely carried out to study former natural ecosystems, assess changes in vegetation communities over time and identify the influence and patterns of behaviour of human populations on vegetation . Material studied comes either from archaeolosical horizons or soil profil es. Despite undeniable limits, informative results have been obtained in th e last 25 years, mostly in southwestern Europe, where charcoal analysis has been widely applied in Quaternary studies. Examples of these achievements are provided, focusing on the major vegetation trends since the Upper Palae olithic to the Middle Ages. The techniques used for charcoal analysis in th e reconstruction of Quaternary vegetation are now being used to study Terti ary charcoal and lignites. The study of fossil charcoal can be a highly inf ormative method for interpreting ancient ecosystems as species easily degra ded may be preserved by charcoalification. Some results from the Lower Rhin e Embayment (Germany) are presented here. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. Al l rights reserved.