Sensory ecologies, plant-persons and multinatural landscapes in Amazonia

Seeking to generate a deeper methodological and theoretical dialogue between botanical science and anthropology, this paper summarizes interdisciplinary approaches to human-plant interactions we have described as “sensory ecology” and “phytoethnography,” applying these concepts to vital questions about human-plant relations in Amazonia. Building on this work, we broaden the scope of our investigations by considering their relevance to the field of historical ecology. In particular, we discuss Eduardo Viveiros de Castro’s concept of “multinaturalism” and explore how it can be applied to understanding indigenous management and domestication of forest landscapes in Amazonia.

RESEARCH OF PALEOANTHROPOLOGICAL REMAINS IN THE CONTEXT OF AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE: MODERN STAGE

Палеоантропологические материалы из археологических памятников традиционно исследуются физическими антропологами, на этом основана тесная взаимосвязь этих двух научных дисциплин. Поле их взаимодействия сохранилось в неизменном виде, в то время как теоретические и методические основы и возможности археологии и палеоантропологии коренным образом изменились. Концепции антропогенеза, этноса и расы переживают кризисные годы и даже десятилетия. Революционные изменения связаны с развитием палеогеномных исследований и биоархеологического направления. В статье предлагается определение специфики изучения палеоантропологических материалов в контексте археологического памятника. В рамках исторических целей имеют научную значимость как индивидуальные реконструкции образа жизни людей прошлого, так и воссоздание групповых и палеопопуляционных характеристик. Эти междисциплинарные исследования как по целям, так и по методам не сводимы к области физической антропологии. Направление, которое рассматривает культурную среду как сферу воздействия на биологические особенности человека, в разных научных традициях называют по-разному. Среди употребляемых терминов можно встретить «биоархеология», «историческая экология человека». Paleoanthropological remains from archaeological sites are traditionally examined by physical anthropologists, therefore, there are close links between these two scientific disciplines. The area of their interaction has remained unchanged whereas both theoretical and methodological principles and possibilities of archaeology and paleoanthropology have changed drastically. Concepts of anthropogenesis, ethnos and race have been going through crises for years and even decades. Revolutionary changes are related to development of paleogenomic studies and the bioarchaeological area of research. The paper contains description of specific features of studying paleoanthropological remnants in the context of an archaeological site. In accordance with historical objectives, both individual reconstructions of ancient people's lifestyle and recreation of group and paleopopulation characteristics have scientific value. In terms of objectives and methods, such cross-disciplinary studies do not come down to physical anthropology. The area of research that examines the cultural environment as the factor influencing human biological characteristics has different names in various traditions. Some common terms include «bioarchaeology» and «historical ecology of people».

Geolocation of unpublished archaeological sites in the Peruvian Amazon

Published maps identifying archaeological sites in the Amazon basin show a paucity of sites in western Amazonia compared to the Brazilian Amazon. Whereas fewer than two dozen are identified for the Peruvian Amazon on basin-wide maps, a thorough review of unpublished archival material held by the Ministry of Culture of Peru and other sources revealed more than 400 known but unpublished sites in the Department of Loreto, challenging the notion that the region was sparsely occupied in prehistory. Our database provides the geolocation of each site and corresponding references for use by scientists seeking to better understand regional Pre-Columbian human occupation and settlement, cultural change, resource use and their landscape legacies. These data are foundational not only to the development of a richer understanding of prehistory and historical ecology of the Amazon basin but importantly for informing current land use, forest conservation and development policies as well as initiatives to support indigenous land and cultural rights in Amazonia.

Coping with Risk. A Deep-Time Perspective on Societal Responses to Ecological Uncertainty in the River Dalälven Catchment Area and Sweden

In addressing the current climate crisis, research into how past societies have coped with risk and ecological uncertainty can provide old solutions to new problems. Here, we examine how human niche construction can be seen as risk management in the face of uncertainty by exploring the spatial patterning of land-use activities over time. Dalarna county, an agriculturally marginal boreal forest environment, provides the opportunity for addressing change in terms of agricultural responses and other activities. C14 archaeological records complied by Dalarna Museum were the base of this analysis. The spatial and temporal components of these Boreal Forest records were analyzed in the open-source software QGIS, guided by a historical ecology framework. Human niches diversified and intensified during specific periods in the Boreal forest environment; our focus has been on how humans managed resource risk related to the ecological uncertainty within this forest environment characterized by long winters and short growing seasons. We conclude that constructed niches shaped the Boreal Forest, spanning its environmentally unique upland and lowland regions, into a more predictable environment. Tracking the diversity, multi-functionality, and intensity of these past land-use activities can provide insights for best practices in land management, not only for the Boreal Forest area, but also for elsewhere. These insights will assist in policy-making decisions, as the methodology is adaptable and replicable for various landscapes.

Historical Ecology: A Robust Bridge between Archaeology and Ecology

How can the disintegration of ecosystems, the foundation of life on Earth, be halted and these critical systems be rehabilitated? For scholars, the action list is long: increase the pool of expertise by engaging all relevant knowledge communities, collect rapidly disappearing data, analyze with both familiar and new methods, and apply the results of actionable science to policy and practice. This enormously complex and urgent activity requires an integrated research framework with the flexibility to accommodate the global diversity of places, peoples, and processes and to examine future options. Based on evidence of environmental change and human activity, the framework termed historical ecology assembles tools to construct an evidence-validated, open-ended narrative of the evolution and transformation of specific ecosystems and landscapes. Welcoming knowledge from scholars and communities of both heritage and practice, this comprehensive and systemic understanding offers insights, models, and ideas for the durable future of contemporary landscapes. The article evaluates how practitioners could adjust aspects of practice and improve access to policy makers, and the discussion applies to regions and localities everywhere.

Historic and bioarchaeological evidence supports late onset of post-Columbian epidemics in Native California

Catastrophic decline of Indigenous populations in the Americas following European contact is one of the most severe demographic events in the history of humanity, but uncertainty persists about the timing and scale of the collapse, which has implications for not only Indigenous history but also the understanding of historical ecology. A long-standing hypothesis that a continent-wide pandemic broke out immediately upon the arrival of Spanish seafarers has been challenged in recent years by a model of regional epidemics erupting asynchronously, causing different rates of population decline in different areas. Some researchers have suggested that, in California, significant depopulation occurred during the first two centuries of the post-Columbus era, which led to a “rebound” in native flora and fauna by the time of sustained European contact after 1769. Here, we combine a comprehensive prehistoric osteological dataset (n = 10,256 individuals) with historic mission mortuary records (n = 23,459 individuals) that together span from 3050 cal BC to AD 1870 to systematically evaluate changes in mortality over time by constructing life tables and conducting survival analysis of age-at-death records. Results show that a dramatic shift in the shape of mortality risk consistent with a plague-like population structure began only after sustained contact with European invaders, when permanent Spanish settlements and missions were established ca. AD 1770. These declines reflect the syndemic effects of newly introduced diseases and the severe cultural disruption of Indigenous lifeways by the Spanish colonial system.