Human Impact and Vegetation History on Salt Spring Exploitation (Halabutoaia - Tolici, Petricani, Neamt, Romania)

Salt exploitation from the mineral spring of Halabutoaia - Tolici (Neamt, Romania) is one of the earliest in Europe. Salt production is documented from the Early Neolithic to the end of Chalcolithic period (6000-3500 BC) with an important stratigraphy of 8 m high. In 2008, a core drilling with a Russian auger in the salty swamp of the spring closed to archaeological site, was realized. Pollen analysis, study of non-pollen palynomorphs and sedimentary signal (geophysical measurements of magnetic susceptibility), suggest a very anthropic environment since the Early Neolithic. Salt exploitation, agriculture and pastoralism (presence of spores of coprophilous fungi) are directly in connection with these variations. After this intense exploitation, the forest environment closes but the human impact is always perceptible.