In Europe, mountain landscapes have evolved in a long‐term relationship with human communities and present‐day landscapes reflect that ancient interaction. The present study aims to reconstruct human activity in two mountain areas in northern Portugal using palynological analysis integrated with the available regional historical, archaeological and palaeoenvironmental archives. Pollen records from two sedimentary sequences span the Medieval and Modern periods and show that mixed agriculture and livestock grazing were consistently present in both regions throughout these times. Variations in cultural indicators show that the extent of farming fluctuated throughout time, with a general increase in cultivation during the Medieval period but with contractions likely coinciding with times of social disturbance. Historical sources suggest that sociopolitical factors and population pressure were fundamental in the utilisation of upland spaces. This study did not find any convincing evidence to suggest that fire was a fundamental factor in heathland spread. We conclude that long‐term occupation of the uplands was sustained by low‐intensity land use throughout the Medieval to post‐Medieval periods, and that the present landscape has assumed a very different character following depopulation of the mountain areas and a shift towards commercial forestry.

中文翻译：

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中世纪至近代葡萄牙北部高地的文化土地利用和植被动态

在欧洲，山地景观与人类社区有着长期的关系，而当今的景观则反映出古老的互动。本研究旨在通过古生物学分析与现有的区域历史，考古和古环境档案相结合，重建葡萄牙北部两个山区的人类活动。来自两个沉积层序的花粉记录跨越了中世纪和现代时期，表明在这段时间内这两个地区始终存在着混合的农业和畜牧业。文化指标的变化表明，耕作的范围随时间波动，中世纪时期的耕作总体增加，但收缩可能与社会动荡时期相吻合。历史资料表明，社会政治因素和人口压力是利用高地空间的基础。这项研究没有发现任何令人信服的证据表明火是欧石南丛生蔓延的根本因素。我们得出的结论是，整个中世纪至中世纪后，由于低强度的土地使用，对高地的长期占领得以维持，并且在山区人口减少和向商业林业转变之后，目前的景观呈现出截然不同的特征。