Byrnes, Andie; (2019) Modelling Early Food Production in the Mid-Holocene of the Eastern Sahara. A Sustainable Rural Livelihood Approach. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The thesis employs an approach adapted from the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (SRL) model, which was pioneered in development economics. The model provides both descriptive and explanatory components. The purpose of the research is to determine whether the SRL approach can improve the handling of archaeological data and its interpretation. It has been tested in four case studies focusing on early food production in marginal areas of the midHolocene eastern Sahara. It assesses how livelihoods were practiced in terms of risk and sustainability. A strength of the SRL approach is that it incorporates the belief that all aspects of a livelihood should be allocated equal value, including economic, ecological, human wellbeing and social assets. In particular it provides the opportunity to evaluate a qualitative model to improve an understanding of the variables that might have influenced livelihood strategies in prehistory. Ethnographic data has been employed to inform an understanding of the risks and opportunities confronting populations living in arid and semi-arid environments. In the penultimate chapter the thesis compares the findings from the four case studies to test the value of the SRL model for drawing inferences about risk, opportunity and sustainability in arid and semi-arid environments. Whilst the research is not problem-orientated it does identify gaps in current research with a view to recommending new research priorities.

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