Tracking Hunter-Gatherer Impact on Vegetation in Last Interglacial and Holocene Europe: Proxies and Challenges

Abstract

We review palaeoenvironmental proxies and combinations of these relevant for understanding hunter-gatherer niche construction activities in pre-agricultural Europe. Our approach consists of two steps: (1) identify the possible range of hunter-gatherer impacts on landscapes based on ethnographic studies; (2) evaluate proxies possibly reflecting these impacts for both the Eemian (Last Interglacial, Middle Palaeolithic) and the Early–Middle Holocene (Mesolithic). We found these paleoenvironmental proxies were not able to unequivocally establish clear-cut differences between specific anthropogenic, climatic and megafaunal impacts for either time period in this area. We discuss case studies for both periods and show that published evidence for Mesolithic manipulation of landscapes is based on the interpretation of comparable data as available for the Last Interglacial. If one applies the ‘Mesolithic’ interpretation schemes to the Neanderthal record, three common niche construction activities can be hypothesised: vegetation burning, plant manipulation and impact on animal species presence and abundance. Our review suggests that as strong a case can be made for a Neanderthal impact on landscapes as for anthropogenic landscape changes during the Mesolithic, even though the Neanderthal evidence comes from only one high-resolution site complex. Further research should include attempts (e.g. by means of modelling studies) to establish whether hunter-gatherer impact on landscapes played out at a local level only versus at a larger scale during both time periods, while we also need to obtain comparative data on the population sizes of Last Interglacial and Holocene hunter-gatherers, as these are usually inferred to have differed significantly.

Waterfowl eggshell refines palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and supports multi-species niche construction at the Pleistocene-Holocene transition in the Levant

“…We suggest that management of wetlands increased the productivity of these environments to the extent that waterfowl remained to breed. This fits in the third category of hunter-gatherer niche construction of enhancing and/or expanding the geographic range of specific animal species, as defined by Nikulina et al, (2022) and is supported by recent discussion of habitat modification in the Levantine Epipalaeolithic wetlands based on phytolith evidence (Ramsey, 2023). The importance of wetlands as settings for niche construction activities and centres for innovation in human subsistence across the Pleistocene/Holocene boundary is increasingly apparent.…”

From hunter-gatherer subsistence strategies to the Agricultural Revolution: Disentangling Energy Regimes as a complement to cultural phases in Northern Spain

“…Although significant impact of hunter-gatherer activities on the environment has been identified and assessed in Europe (Nikulina et al, 2022), intensive forest clearance (Garcia-Amorena et al, 2008) and fire regime change (Connor et al, 2019) in Cantabrian Spain begin with the expansion of agriculture and stock raising later during the Neolithic (Garcia-Amorena et al, 2008; Isturiz and Sánchez Goñi, 1990).…”

The diversity and distribution of introduced plant species reflect 8000 years of settlement history

“…Since prehistoric times, wherever human populations have appeared they have significantly impacted multiple aspects of natural ecosystems (de Vareilles et al, 2021;Ellis et al, 2021;Nikulina et al, 2022;Steffen et al, 2011;Thomas, 2020) and the distribution and diversity of plant species in the temperate zone during the Holocene is no exception (Kalis et al, 2003;Kuneš et al, 2015;Pokorná et al, 2018).…”

“…Máliš et al, 2020;Vild et al, 2018). However, palaeoecological (archaeobotanical) research, integrating archaeology and vegetation ecology or palynology, shows us a much longer history of anthropogenic impacts on vegetation, dating back to the Mesolithic (Berglund et al, 2008;Dambrine et al, 2007;Kuneš et al, 2008Kuneš et al, , 2015Nikulina et al, 2022).…”

“…Since prehistoric times, wherever human populations have appeared they have significantly impacted multiple aspects of natural ecosystems (de Vareilles et al, 2021; Ellis et al, 2021; Nikulina et al, 2022; Steffen et al, 2011; Thomas, 2020) and the distribution and diversity of plant species in the temperate zone during the Holocene is no exception (Kalis et al, 2003; Kuneš et al, 2015; Pokorná et al, 2018). Global or local extinctions causally linked to increasing anthropogenic pressure have been documented, particularly for animals (Andermann et al, 2020; Braje & Erlandson, 2013; Dirzo et al, 2014), but on the flip side are human‐driven colonisation events, which, in contrast, may increase regional diversity (Storch et al, 2022).…”