Vegetation History and the Exploitation and Use of Plant Resources in Aceramic Neolithic Cyprus: an Assessment of Recent Archaeobotanical Research

Rousou, Maria

doi:10.4000/paleorient.2565

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…In addition to the feasibility of pre-agropastoralist humans driving both megafauna species on Cyprus to extinction demonstrated by our conservative models, we also argue that it was an attractive destination for early palaeolithic explorers. The notion that Cyprus was an "impoverished" landscape [29][30][31][85][86][87] is not supported either by climate models hindcasting net primary production 27 or from archaeobotanical records 88,89 . Indeed, evidence from pollen analysis of the early Holocene suggests that Cyprus was covered by dense forests of typical Mediterranean trees and shrubs (e.g., carob Ceratonia siliqua, cypress Cupressus spp., juniper Juniperus spp., kermes oak Quercus coccifera, Aleppo oak Q. infectoria, bay laurel Laurus nobilis, olive Olea europaea, oriental plane Platanus orientalis) 88,89 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The notion that Cyprus was an "impoverished" landscape [29][30][31][85][86][87] is not supported either by climate models hindcasting net primary production 27 or from archaeobotanical records 88,89 . Indeed, evidence from pollen analysis of the early Holocene suggests that Cyprus was covered by dense forests of typical Mediterranean trees and shrubs (e.g., carob Ceratonia siliqua, cypress Cupressus spp., juniper Juniperus spp., kermes oak Quercus coccifera, Aleppo oak Q. infectoria, bay laurel Laurus nobilis, olive Olea europaea, oriental plane Platanus orientalis) 88,89 . Eratosthenes reported in the 3 rd Century BC that the island was "thickly overgrown with forests" 90 , even in the arid central plain of Mesaoria 91 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mechanisms of hunting native megafauna to extinction by Palaeolithic humans on Cyprus

Bradshaw,

Saltre,

Crabtree

et al. 2024

Preprint

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The hypothesised main drivers of megafauna extinctions in the late Quaternary have wavered between over-exploitation by humans and environmental change, with recent investigations demonstrating more nuanced synergies between these drivers depending on taxon, spatial scale, and region. However, most studies still rely on comparing archaeologically based chronologies of timing of initial human arrival into naïve ecosystems and palaeontologically inferred dates of megafauna extinctions. Conclusions arising from comparing chronologies also depend on the reliability of dated evidence, dating uncertainties, and correcting for the low probability of preservation (Signor-Lipps effect). While some models have been developed to test the susceptibility of megafauna to theoretical offtake rates, none has explicitly linked human energetic needs, prey choice, and hunting efficiency to examine the plausibility of human-driven extinctions. Using the island of Cyprus in the terminal Pleistocene as an ideal test case because of its late human settlement (~ 14.2 ka–13.2 ka), small area (~ 11,000 km2), and low megafauna diversity (2 species), we developed stochastic models of megafauna population dynamics, with offtake dictated by human energetic requirements, prey choice, and hunting-efficiency functions to test whether the human population at the end of the Pleistocene could have caused the extinction of dwarf hippopotamus (Phanourios minor) and dwarf elephants (Palaeoloxodon cypriotes). Our models reveal not only that the estimated human population sizes (N = 3,000–7,000) in Late Pleistocene Cyprus could have easily driven both species to extinction within < 1,000 years, the model predictions match the observed, Signor-Lipps-corrected chronological sequence of megafauna extinctions inferred from the palaeontological record (Phanourios at ~ 12 ka–11.1 ka, followed by Palaeoloxodon at ~ 10.3 ka–9.1 ka).

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms of hunting native megafauna to extinction by Palaeolithic humans on Cyprus

Bradshaw,

Saltre,

Crabtree

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Small populations of Palaeolithic humans in Cyprus hunted endemic megafauna to extinction

Bradshaw,

Saltré,

Crabtree

et al. 2024

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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The hypothesized main drivers of megafauna extinctions in the late Quaternary have wavered between over-exploitation by humans and environmental change, with recent investigations demonstrating more nuanced synergies between these drivers depending on taxon, spatial scale, and region. However, most studies still rely on comparing archaeologically based chronologies of timing of initial human arrival into naïve ecosystems and palaeontologically inferred dates of megafauna extinctions. Conclusions arising from comparing chronologies also depend on the reliability of dated evidence, dating uncertainties, and correcting for the low probability of preservation (Signor–Lipps effect). While some models have been developed to test the susceptibility of megafauna to theoretical offtake rates, none has explicitly linked human energetic needs, prey choice, and hunting efficiency to examine the plausibility of human-driven extinctions. Using the island of Cyprus in the terminal Pleistocene as an ideal test case because of its late human settlement (~14.2–13.2 ka), small area (~11 000 km 2 ), and low megafauna diversity (2 species), we developed stochastic models of megafauna population dynamics, with offtake dictated by human energetic requirements, prey choice, and hunting-efficiency functions to test whether the human population at the end of the Pleistocene could have caused the extinction of dwarf hippopotamus ( Phanourios minor ) and dwarf elephants ( Palaeoloxodon cypriotes ). Our models reveal not only that the estimated human population sizes ( n = 3000–7000) in Late Pleistocene Cyprus could have easily driven both species to extinction within < 1000 years, the model predictions match the observed, Signor–Lipps-corrected chronological sequence of megafauna extinctions inferred from the palaeontological record ( P. minor at ~12–11.1 ka, followed by P. cypriotes at ~10.3–9.1 ka).

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Vegetation History and the Exploitation and Use of Plant Resources in Aceramic Neolithic Cyprus: an Assessment of Recent Archaeobotanical Research

Cited by 2 publications

References 45 publications

Mechanisms of hunting native megafauna to extinction by Palaeolithic humans on Cyprus

Mechanisms of hunting native megafauna to extinction by Palaeolithic humans on Cyprus

Small populations of Palaeolithic humans in Cyprus hunted endemic megafauna to extinction

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