Human activity and its impact on the landscape at the Xishanping site in the western Loess Plateau during 4800-4300 cal yr BP based on the fossil charcoal record

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dc.contributor.authorLi, XQen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSun, Nen_AU
dc.contributor.authorDodson, JRen_AU
dc.contributor.authorZhou, XYen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2014-03-31T02:40:07Zen_AU
dc.date.available2014-03-31T02:40:07Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2012-10-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2014-03-31en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe taxonomic identification of fossil charcoal can be a useful archaeobotanical tool, as it can reveal information about prehistoric humans' use of plant resources and other factors. In this study, we quantify the fossil charcoal in a cultural sequence from Xishanping in the western Loess Plateau of China representing 4800-4300 cal yr BP to consider aspects of humans' impact on this landscape. The fossil charcoal assemblages reveal that the relative abundances of Picea, Betula, Acer, Ulmus and Quercus decreased markedly after 4600 cal yr BP. This suggests a marked decline in the mixed coniferous-broadleaved forest after this time. Concurrently, an increasing abundance of Bambusoideae charcoal has been suggested to reflect the expansion of the bamboo forest. The marked changes in the vegetation after 4600 cal yr BP were not obviously influenced by climate; they may be a better reflection of the results of human activity. Furthermore, other genera that provide important resources to humans also increased after 4600 cal yr BP, including Castanea, Cerasus, Padus and Diospyros. It is nearly certain that nuts and berries were an important food resource and that fruit trees were managed by prehistoric humans in the late Neolithic. This work suggests that the scale of prehistoric human impact on the western Loess Plateau landscape during the late Neolithic was much greater than was previously believed. © 2012, Elsevier Ltd.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationLi, X. Q., Sun, N., Dodson, J., & Zhou, X. Y. (2012). Human activity and its impact on the landscape at the Xishanping site in the western Loess Plateau during 4800-4300 cal yr BP based on the fossil charcoal record. Journal of Archaeological Science, 39(10), 3141-3147. doi:10.1016/j.jas.2012.04.052en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc4677en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0305-4403en_AU
dc.identifier.issue10en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Archaeological Scienceen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination3141-3147en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.04.052en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/5358en_AU
dc.identifier.volume39en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevier Science Ltden_AU
dc.subjectHuman factorsen_AU
dc.subjectCharcoalen_AU
dc.subjectEnvironmenten_AU
dc.subjectChinaen_AU
dc.subjectAgricultureen_AU
dc.subjectFossilsen_AU
dc.titleHuman activity and its impact on the landscape at the Xishanping site in the western Loess Plateau during 4800-4300 cal yr BP based on the fossil charcoal recorden_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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