Short tree-ring series: The study materials of the anthracologist. An overview of the dendroecological potential of charcoal assemblages from archaeological sites of Northwestern France

Charcoal analysis (anthracology) can be used to track the environmental transformation of the Northwestern France during the Holocene driven by natural factors and human activities. This work emphasizes the past forest management, the supply areas and the origin and evolution of the heathland and the bocage landscapes.     In addition to the wood identification, for large fragments of charcoal, the growth ring width can be measured and the diameter of the original wood can be estimated. This dendro-anthracological method can provide fundamental ecological information of the past landscapes.