Even 85,000 Years Later, We Can Still See How Early Humans Shaped The Land With Fire

[Judi Lynn]

(janiecbros/E+/Getty Images)
HUMANS

JESSICA THOMPSON ET AL, THE CONVERSATION10 MAY 2021
Fields of rust-colored soil, spindly cassava, small farms, and villages dot the landscape. Dust and smoke blur the mountains visible beyond massive Lake Malawi. Here in tropical Africa, you can't escape the signs of human presence.

How far back in time would you need to go in this place to discover an entirely natural environment?

Our work has shown that it would be a very long time indeed – at least 85,000 years, eight times earlier than the world's first land transformations via agriculture.

We are part of an interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists who study past human behavior, geochronologists who study the timing of landscape change, and paleoenvironmental scientists who study ancient environments.

More:
https://www.sciencealert.com/we-can-still-see-the-effects-of-early-humans-changing-the-landscape-with-fire-even-85-000-years-later

[mopinko]

1. really interesting.

love you jl. you make me smarter every day.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Each one is totally new to me every time. I'm constantly surprised! Thank you, so much! 🧡