Hidden cultural values of the protected areas
Abstract: The cultural character of the landscape stems not only from its current economic structure but also from the anthropogenic past reflected in numerous relics, which show that people in the past also used the part of the landscape that is now protected for its natural values. However, the intensity of these activities was linked to general settlement strategies with a strong respect to the geomorphological characteristics of the landscape. Large-scale protected natural areas are characterised by exceptional landscape features or significant natural values. Even in these parts of the landscape, past human influence was significant and left its traces. The intensity and specifics of this influence are presented in the paper on the basis of archaeological data. The archaeological data were processed into a grid whose values are related to the number of archaeological periods present in the given area. The protected landscape was used by people rather sporadically and the increase in activity can only be associated with the mediaeval and modern periods. Areas of the unprotected landscape were more intensively used in the past. However, the explanation for the difference is not based on social preferences but on the geomorphological structure of the protected landscape and its associated settlement history.
