Abstract
Recent prehistoric vegetation is studied by means of charcoal found in archaeological deposits. Such charcoal is the direct result of interaction between man and the plant environment because it comes from wood cut by man himself. Abundant samples allow us to establish a biostratigraphy in the northwestern Mediterranean area. The results are compared with pollen analyses. Four stages are described, the first beginning 10,000 years ago. Stages 1 and 2 give evidence of steppe forests and forests directly related to late Glacial and early Postglacial climatic changes. Since about 6000 BP, stages 3 and 4 are connected with human activity.