Stephens, L;
Fuller, D;
Boivin, N;
Rick, T;
Gauthier, N;
Kay, A;
Marwick, B;
... Ellis, E; + view all
(2019)
Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use.
Science
, 365
(6456)
pp. 897-902.
10.1126/science.aax1192.
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Altaweel ArchaeoGLOBE_Revised_Manuscript_6_3_2019.pdf - Accepted Version Download (1MB) | Preview |
Abstract
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 years before the present (yr B.P.) to 1850 CE reveals a planet largely transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers, and pastoralists by 3000 years ago, considerably earlier than the dates in the land-use reconstructions commonly used by Earth scientists. Synthesis of knowledge contributed by more than 250 archaeologists highlighted gaps in archaeological expertise and data quality, which peaked for 2000 yr B.P. 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.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1126/science.aax1192 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aax1192 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL SLASH > Faculty of S&HS > Institute of Archaeology > Institute of Archaeology Gordon Square |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10080969 |
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