Etnoarcheologia dei paesaggi alpini di alta quota nelle Alpi occidentali: un bilancio preliminare

The study of the interaction between human groups and mountain environment is crucial for archaeological research. Ethnoarchaeology contributes the analysis of this interaction in modern and contemporary contexts, aimed at creating analogical models for interpreting the past and understanding human strategies in historical and modern periods. The EthWAL project (Ethnoarchaeology of Western Alpine upland Landscapes), started in 2013, and aims to be a reference for the study of human activities in the alpine uplands during the modern and contemporary age. This is a multidisciplinary (associating archaeological methods to ethnography, historiography, spatial analysis and soil analysis) and multiscalar project (small to large scale). Specific attention is given to traditional pastoral huts. The results of this project will be useful for archaeology and contribute to the management of cultural heritage in high altitude landscapes.