85978 P1060317

52 JANUSZ OSrOlA<ZAQÓRSKI

Betide climalic chan ges and periods of familie, diseases wcrc anong ihc basie deznentary calamitics, causing a considerabie diminishing of the demograpliic polemuil in the Eariy LaTćnc period. Howevcr, cpidemics causcd always an inerease of natality (Piasecki. 1975). but frequent recurrenccs of cpidemics. in short periods of timc, often causcd dcpopulation not only of particular scttlcmcnts but wholc scttlcd micro-rcgions. An additional factor. considcrably lowcring the res i stanco of Lu&atian culturc tribes towards unfavourab!e environmental conditions wcrc discascs of the alrmentary canal. spreading in prehistorie populations from the moment cattlc breeding was introduocd on a largo scalę (Cockubr, 1971).

The cydically repeated food dcficiency and the spreading of yarious discascs, considerabły limited the adaptational possibilities of human groups associated with particular scttlcmcnts of the Biskupin typc. Changes of rcactions of human groups towards environmental conditions may be realised only in scvcrał generotions, whereas a population of the given settlemcnt had strict, gonetically defined assimila-tion possibilities (Strzałko, Hennebcrg, Piontek, 1976).

Thcsc limited possibilities of adaptalion forocd the Lusatian culturc population to unfavourable changes. impossible for further biological survival. Having no influence on thcśr transformation the population first migrated to rieher biocoenoses. and ihcn adapted changes in the economic structure.

Changes in the economic structure must havc bcen accompanicd by social trans-formations. It would be difficult—considering the still impcrfcct State of studics—to anempt ai the formulation of prcliminary hypotheses. At present. wc may State that w ith the deterioration of environmcntal conditions. mainly the substantial diminishing of the zones of economic exploitation_? ancicnt human groups forming territorial communes wert forced to abandon their scttlcmcnts and tura to the system of tndmdual Family farming. In the dcdinmg phases of the Hallstatt period, an extcnded family was preferabłe. consisting of 10-20 people which was the most favourable form of orgaaization in the changed environmcntal conditions. We may presume, therefore. that together with the liquidation of fortified scttlcmcnts the size of tho human group. having a tom mon economic activity had bcen consciously limited, which was presumably rcflcctcd in changes in the hitherto social structure. Thoso changes are expressed in the dccline of spacious Lusatian nccropolises and the appearanoe of sroaller oemeteries where family gravos urc predominant. Changes in social structure wcrc one of the forms of adaptation of the human groups to changing environmental conditions and wcrc strictly linked with economic transfor-mations. A rcconstruction of the size and charactcr of thcsc changes calls though for separatc studics, m particular for the use—to a wider scalę—of achicVemcnts of social science*, i.c. sociology (Dąbrowski. 1973). The first attempts are presented—among other matters m this volumc(J. Dąbrowski).

Condusions

Conduding my rcmarks on transformations oecurring in the Hallstatt period in tlić north-western zonę of the Odcr and Yistula rivcr basins, I would like to stress that I am fully conscious of the hypothctical charactcr of the remarks presented

in thii nrticlc. AU thcsc hypothescs nccd furthcr vęriftcalion bascd on succcssiscly growing source materials. while mcthod* apptied to studics of economic transforma-tions ihould be furthcr perfectioncd. As the rewii of dctailed aaatysis of the prcscntly ncccssiblc materiał I arrived at the conclusion that economic transformations in the dcclining phasc of the Hallstatt period in the zonę of the Odcr and Vutula rivcr basins wcrc causcd by e&sential climatic changes (deterioration of thermic conditions. incrcasc of rainfall) and also by the dcmographic pressure in this period. This demo* graphic pressure causcd a systematie incrcasc in the demand for prorisions, the production of which was limited. due to the Ind of contemporaneous cconomy. Climatic changes and the shrmkmg of zooea of caplohation (causcd by turning mlo marshes of arabie land. and progressing proccsscs of unproductmty). influenoed the cflicicnc>' of coniemporary agriculturc. This presumabły causcd the intensification of non farming occupations. mainly cattlc breeding. gathermg. hunting and fishing.

The morę and morę intensive (due to the growing demand for provisions) and wastcful exploitation soon led to ccołogic povcrty of the particularly cxploited micro-rcgions. conscquently causing violation of ecologic balancc. Conccntration of the population in fortified scttlcmcnts. cspccially its uncvcn distribuiion in the oocupied ccumcns. imposed the ncccssity of extensive and maximal cxploitatk>n, according to the limited ccołogic lcvcl. of management of the natural cnviroament.

In the dedining phases of the Hallstatt period, in the zonę under discussion. the balancc bctwccn the size of the population and the penrioosness of the natural ciwironmcnt—owing to the limited possibilities of economic cxp!oitaiion-was disturbed. It seems that in this period the basie tcrritorial law which so far kept the population under the optimum for the givcn region, was thrown out of balancc (Dates. 1955).

The prcviously mentioned lowering of productiveness of the contemporaneous agrioulturo caused the dcficicnoy of food. The cydically rcpcatcd Food shortage (qualitative and in cxtrcmo casus quantitative) as Weil as the epidemie diseases admittcdly lessened the dcmographic pressure. but in view of cssential changes—in this period—in the natural environmcnt (its considerable vast ccołogic dcvastation) the density of population still surpossed the ccołogic efficiency of this environment. In this connexion, populations linked with particular fortified scttlcmcnts of the Biskupin typc had to change tho unfavourable conditions and migrale to new, morę efiective biocoenoses. The disaray of the tcrritorial communities. changes in economic and social structure wora symptoms of cultural changes. Economic transformations wcrc accompanicd by substantial transformations m the setucmcnt structure. They were manifested mainly in abandoning of settlements, rclinquishmg of the customary construction and dispersing of seukment. Vast arcas, so far settled, wcrc submitted to partia), and in somc regions to total depopulalion (Woźniak, 1971). It sccms that the causcs of the signalkd phenomena should be soughi in economic and social transformations ((Jodłowski. 1968). Events of polhical naturę were factors participating in thcsc processcs. An cssential role was pUyed herc by the cxpansion of Cołts mto the eastem territories forming the socaUed Cełtic Barrier, finally cutting ofT Polish lands from Southern influcnccs (Wożniak, 1970).

The economic regrossion, started in the dcclining phases of the Hallstatt period