Spatial and temporal abilities of proxies used to detect pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity in Amazonian ecosystems

McMichael, C. N. H., Levis, C., Gosling, W. D., Junqueira, A. B., Piperno, D. R., Neves, E. G., Mayle, F. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9208-0519, Pena-Claros, M. and Bongers, F. (2023) Spatial and temporal abilities of proxies used to detect pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity in Amazonian ecosystems. Quaternary Science Reviews, 321. 108354. ISSN 0277-3791 doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108354

Abstract/Summary

Humans have been modifying ecosystems since before the Holocene began ca. 12,000 years ago, even in Neotropical regions. The Amazon was once thought to be ‘pristine’ and only lightly impacted by Indigenous people before European colonisation in the Americas (e.g., pre-Columbian); however, multiple lines of evidence have shown that Indigenous human activities over the past millennia have left ecological legacies on modern ecosystems. We review the various lines of evidence used to reconstruct pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity in Amazonia, and assess the spatial and temporal resolution and limits of each one of them. We suggest that a multi-proxy approach is always preferred, and that lines of evidence that cover overlapping yet discrete spatial and temporal scales can provide a robust and comprehensive assessment of the nuances of pre-Columbian Indigenous human activities in Amazonia, and how they affect modern ecosystems.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/113612
Identification Number/DOI	10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108354
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Science > School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science > Department of Geography and Environmental Science
Publisher	Elsevier
Download/View statistics	View download statistics for this item