Woodland vegetation history and human impacts in south-central Anatolia 16,000–6500?cal BP: Anthracological results from five prehistoric sites in the Konya plain

摘要

AbstractThis article addresses the development and palaeoecological history of woodland vegetation in the inland high-altitude plateaux of south-central Anatolia using wood charcoal remains from the sites of P?narba??, Boncuklu, Can Hasan III, ?atalh?yük East, and ?atalh?yük West spanning the period ～16,000–6500?cal BP. The anthracological evidence highlights the role ofJuniperus,AmygdalusandPistaciaas pioneer species during periods of woodland expansion in south-central Anatolia when temperatures started to increase following the Last Glacial Maximum (evidenced at Epipalaeolithic P?narba??). During the early Holocene, three habitation sites (Boncuklu, Can Hasan III, P?narba?? A) provide evidence for the presence of diverse semi-arid and riparian woodland habitats in the Konya plain of south-central Anatolia. The anthracological data provide insights into the establishment and spread of regionally significant woodland vegetation types such as the oak and juniper-dominated semi-arid steppe woodlands. It is argued that within the context of early Holocene climatic amelioration, and the first sedentary communities practising agro-pastoral economies, anthropogenic woodland habitats were established.Highlights