Environmentally transformative human use of land accelerated with the emergence of agriculture, but the extent, trajectory, and implications of these early changes are not well understood. An empirical global assessment of land use from 10,000 BP to 1850 CE reveals a planet largely transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists by 3,000 years ago, significantly earlier than land-use reconstructions commonly used by Earth scientists. Synthesis of knowledge contributed by over 250 archaeologists highlighted gaps in archaeological expertise and data quality, which peaked at 2000 BP and in traditionally studied and wealthier regions. Archaeological reconstruction of global land-use history illuminates the deep roots of Earth's transformation and challenges the emerging Anthropocene paradigm that large-scale anthropogenic global environmental change is mostly a recent phenomenon.One Sentence Summary: A map of synthesized archaeological knowledge on land use reveals a planet largely transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers and pastoralists by 3,000 years ago.
▪ Abstract A general overview of hunter-gatherer archaeology in South America is given by recognizing the main problems in a South American context. Environmental framework and Paleoecological changes are summarized. Pleistocene and Holocene archaeology is reviewed in terms of these particularities. With respect to the Pleistocene, I review Pre-Clovis human presence in South America, technological differences between North and South America, variability in South American subsistence strategy, colonization and demographic models, and migratory routes. The Holocene archaeology is divided into Early and Late. For the former, I consider establishment of adaptive strategies (as marine adaptations), new artifact designs, and mortuary behaviors. For the latter, I consider exchange networks, emergence of complex hunter gatherers, mortuary behavior, origins of food production, and the contact with European populations.
Las investigaciones arqueológicas desarrolladas en el sitio Cueva de Plaza permitieron reconocer el primer contexto funerario indígena datado en momentos históricos para el valle del Genoa (Chubut, Argentina). En este sitio se registraron restos óseos humanos, materiales faunísticos, artefactos líticos, cuentas vítreas, fragmentos de cuero y restos vegetales. Se presenta el sitio y se da a conocer el análisis tafonómico, bioarqueológico y paleopatológico de las muestras humanas, además de otras líneas de evidencia. En la cueva se detectó la acción de diversos agentes que generaron el desplazamiento y la mezcla de los materiales arqueológicos. Se realizaron dos dataciones radiocarbónicas que, sumadas a la presencia de cuentas de vidrio de tipo venecianas, permitieron determinar que al menos algunas de las actividades funerarias se desarrollaron entre los siglos XVIII y XIX. Las características de este contexto se discuten en el marco general de las prácticas mortuorias contemporáneas de los cazadores-recolectores del centro-oeste de Chubut.
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