Spatial and temporal abilities of proxies used to detect pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity in Amazonian ecosystems

• Published in: Quaternary science reviews 2023-12, Vol.321, p.108354, Article 108354
• Main Authors: McMichael, C.N.H., Levis, C., Gosling, W.D., Junqueira, A.B., Piperno, D.R., Neves, E.G., Mayle, F., Peña-Claros, M., Bongers, F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Archaeology; Biological collections; Ethnography; Human impacts; Paleoecology; Past human activity; Plant genetics; Remote sensing
• ISSN: 0277-3791; 1873-457X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2023.108354

Humans have been modifying ecosystems since before the Holocene began ca. 12,000 years ago, even in Neotropical regions. The Amazon was once thought to be ‘pristine’ and only lightly impacted by Indigenous people before European colonization in the Americas (e.g., pre-Columbian); however, multiple lines of evidence have shown that Indigenous human activities over the past millennia have left ecological legacies on modern ecosystems. We review the various lines of evidence used to reconstruct pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity in Amazonia, and assess the spatial and temporal resolution and limits of each one of them. We suggest that a multi-proxy approach is always preferred, and that lines of evidence that cover overlapping yet discrete spatial and temporal scales can provide a robust and comprehensive assessment of the nuances of pre-Columbian Indigenous human activities in Amazonia, and how they affect modern ecosystems. •Evidence of pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity is more robust using a multi-disciplinary approach.•Pre-Columbian Indigenous human activity in Amazonia is reconstructed using a variety of data sources and proxies.•Each line of evidence has its own potential spatial and temporal resolution and spatial and temporal limit.