Frequent disturbances enhanced the resilience of past human populations

Nature, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 629(8013), P. 837 - 842

Published: May 1, 2024

Abstract The record of past human adaptations provides crucial lessons for guiding responses to crises in the future 1–3 . To date, there have been no systematic global comparisons humans’ ability absorb and recover from disturbances through time 4,5 Here we synthesized resilience across a broad sample prehistoric population time–frequency data, spanning 30,000 years history. Cross-sectional longitudinal analyses decline show that frequent enhance population’s capacity resist later downturns. Land-use patterns are important mediators strength this positive association: farming herding societies more vulnerable but also resilient overall. results trade-offs exist when adopting new or alternative land-use strategies.

Language: Английский

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Spatiotemporal distribution of the North American Indigenous population prior to European contact

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 122(6)

Published: Feb. 3, 2025

We examine spatiotemporal trends in the pre-European-contact Indigenous population of North America using radiocarbon ( 14 C) dates past 2000 y. At a continental scale, ~14,000 y peaked at ~1150 CE and then declined until brief recovery shortly before 1500 CE, after which C probability declines precipitously. After testing, we reject hypothesis that 1150 peak decline is result sampling issues. record each 18 watersheds where find peaks ranging from ~800 to 770 European contact, with majority, interior continent, declining ~1080 1300 CE. Although all populations large portion country (the Great Lakes, New England, Mid-Atlantic, Central Plains, Northwest, California) did not contact.

Language: Английский

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Archaeology and traversing America’s pre-Columbian fault line

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 122(10)

Published: March 3, 2025

Given their historical impact, the question of origins European Huns, who they were and where came from, has gone beyond scholarly interest permeated into cultural consciousness. Since first theories that associated ...The Huns appeared in Europe 370s, establishing an Empire reshaped West Eurasian history. Yet until today remain a matter extensive debate. Traditional link them to Xiongnu, founders nomadic empire ...

Language: Английский

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Spirit Cave Resilience: How Do We Explain a 10,000-Year Continuity?

American Antiquity, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown, P. 1 - 20

Published: April 15, 2025

Abstract Paleoindians buried Spirit Cave Man in a Nevada cave, and archaeologists excavated these remains 1940. Radiocarbon testing 1996 dated the burial associated grave goods as older than 10,700 years. Living just 10 miles from Cave, Fallon Paiute-Shoshone Tribe filed NAGPRA claim 1997 requesting repatriation of ancestor they call “The Storyteller.” This ignited 20-year legal dispute that led to make gut-wrenching decision permit DNA testing. article documents 10,000-year genetic continuity firmly linking at Lovelock culture strongly suggests continuities modern Paiutes living there today with no population replacement. We explore radiocarbon record dynamics understand syncopated movements responded shifting resource distributions. Resilience theory provides an operational way this extraordinary through key concepts, including tipping points, early warning signals, sunk-cost effects, loss-of-resilience hypotheses. The case also underscores moribund concepts assumptions underlying century Great Basin anthropological study misread long-term episode Indigenous resilience survivance.

Language: Английский

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Landscape of fear: indirect effects of conflict can account for large-scale population declines in non-state societies

Journal of The Royal Society Interface, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 21(217)

Published: Aug. 1, 2024

The impact of inter-group conflict on population dynamics has long been debated, especially for prehistoric and non-state societies. In this work, we consider that beyond direct battle casualties, conflicts can also create a ‘landscape fear’ in which many non-combatants near theatres abandon their homes migrate away. This process causes decline the abandoned regions increased stress local resources better-protected areas are targeted by refugees. By applying analytical computational modelling, demonstrate these indirect effects sufficient to produce substantial, long-term boom-and-bust patterns societies, such as case Mid-Holocene Europe. We greater availability defensible locations act protect maintain supply combatants, increasing permanence landscape fear likelihood endemic warfare.

Language: Английский

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A model of long-term population growth with an application to Central West Argentina

PLoS ONE, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 19(8), P. e0307703 - e0307703

Published: Aug. 7, 2024

We propose an Ideal Specialization Model to help explain the diversity of population growth trajectories exhibited across archaeological regions over thousands years. The model provides a general set expectations useful for guiding empirical research, and we provide concrete example by conducting preliminary evaluation three in Central West Argentina. use kernel density estimates radiocarbon, paleoclimate, human bone stable isotopes from remains evaluate drawn model's dynamics. Based on our results, suggest that innovations production food social organization drove demographic transitions expansion region. consistency region positively associates with changes diet and, potentially, settlement integration.

Language: Английский

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Modern archaeological research and the importance of information management

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 121(16)

Published: April 9, 2024

Language: Английский

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