This work, based upon a doctoral thesis, considers the relationship between Man and the plant world during the Holocene period and examines this era of significant cultural change along a south-north axis from th Mediterranean to the Savoy. This comprehensive study is the first of its kind to be carried out in the area for this period : over 10 000 charcoal sample, taken from six highly-stratified deposits in the south-western Alps, are analysed and the wood species identified. As a result, this book is an introduction to the methods of anthracology (the identifying of wood species from charcoal remains). This work assesses the method's potential for ecological reconstructions of ancient landscapes and climates, as well as its implications for palaeoethnology. Conceived as the first stage of a larger project, this study lays the ground-work for future discussion of palaeobotany in the regions examined.
