Detection of Human Landscape Alteration Using Nested Microbotanical and Fungal Proxies

Ryan M. Szymanski

Environmental Archaeology, 2017, vol. 22, issue 4, 434-446

Abstract: Fungal spores and other ‘non-pollen palynomorphs’ are an overlooked and valuable analytical resource available to palaeoecologists and archaeologists as part of a multi-proxy dataset. Both complementary and antagonistic data gleaned from these analyses are useful for making inferences concerning past human behaviour, as anthropic activity may have many microbotanical correlates. The use of fungal spores in palaeoecology and archaeology is reviewed, followed by analysis of pollen, fungal spores, and microcharcoal from a sediment core collected at Mtwapa Creek, Kenya. These proxies are analysed against palaeoclimatic data from the region in order to identify unexpected patterns and hypothesise as to possible scenarios which might have created them, and conclude with suggestions for further research.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1080/14614103.2017.1299415

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