At the International Geography Festival in Saint-Dié, a session titled "How do archaeologists reconstruct past landscapes?" took place on Saturday, October 3, from 5:45 PM to 6:45 PM in the INSIC Amphitheater. The discussion was led by Pascal Ratier from Inrap, a French public institution focused on archaeological research and heritage. Among the participants were Louis Deweyer, Jeremy Gracio, and Agnès Charignon, each bringing expertise in different aspects of archaeology. The event was published on October 1, 2026, and last updated on the same date. Reconstructing past landscapes is a key method for understanding how ancient human societies interacted with their environment. This process involves analyzing physical remains, such as soil layers, artifacts, and structures, to piece together how land was used and transformed over time. By examining these elements, archaeologists can infer details about agriculture, settlement patterns, and even climate changes that affected human life. The discussion used examples from excavations in the Vosges region, a mountainous area in northeastern France, and other locations to illustrate how archaeologists approach landscape reconstruction. These examples spanned different historical periods, including the Paleolithic era, ancient civilizations, the medieval period, and more recent times. The session highlighted the diverse techniques and tools used in this field, such as ground-penetrating radar, aerial photography, and traditional excavation methods. Participants emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in landscape reconstruction, noting that insights from geology, environmental science, and history are often combined with archaeological findings. This approach allows researchers to build a more comprehensive picture of how past landscapes shaped human societies and how those societies, in turn, influenced their environment.