Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T21:15:19.771Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Cultivation and human Impact at 6000 cal yr B.P. in Tropical Lowland Forest at Niah, Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

C.O. Hunt  and
G. Rushworth
C.O. Hunt
Affiliation:
School of Geography, Archaeology and Palaeoecology, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1 NN, UK
G. Rushworth
Affiliation:
Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Bradford, Bradford BD7 1 DP, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This paper describes palynological evidence for what appears to be comparatively large-scale human impact in the catchment of the Sungai Niah in the wet tropical lowland swamp forests of Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo close to the Great Cave of Niah. Pollen associated with cleared landscapes and rice cultivation is evident in the sedimentary record from before 6000 cal yr B.P. Human activity seems to have been associated with changes in sedimentary regime, with peat-dominated environments being replaced diachronously by clay-dominated deposition. This may reflect anthropogenic soil erosion in the catchment of the Sungai Niah.

Keywords

HolocenePalynologyWet tropical forestRice farmingClearanceSedimentation
Type
Short Papers
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 64 , Issue 3 , November 2005 , pp. 460 - 468
Copyright
University of Washington

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anshari, G., Kershaw, A.P., van der Kaars, S., and Jacobsen, G. (2004). Environmental change and peatland forest dynamics in the Lake Sentarum area, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. Journal of Quaternary Science 19, 7 637–656.Google Scholar
Barker, G., Barton, H., Beavitt, P., Bird, M., Daly, P., Doherty, P., Gilbertson, D., Hunt, C., Krigbaum, J., Lewis, H., Manser, J., McLaren, S., Paz, V., Piper, P., Pyatt, B., Rabett, R., Rose, J., Rushworth, G., and Stephens, M. (2002a). )Prehistoric foragers and farmers in southeast Asia: renewed investigations at Niah Cave, Sarawak. Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 68, 147–164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barker, G., Barton, H., Bird, M., Cole, F., Daly, P., Gilbertson, D., Hunt, C., Krigbaum, J., Lampert, C., Lewis, H., Lloyd-Smith, L., Manser, J., McLaren, S., Menotti, F., Paz, V., Piper, P., Pyatt, B., Rabett, R., Reynolds, T., Stephens, M., Thompson, G., Trickett, M., and Whittaker, P. (2002b). )The Niah Cave Project: the third (2002) season of fieldwork. Sarawak Museum Journal 78, 87–177.Google Scholar
Doherty, C., Beavitt, P., and Kerui, E. (2000). Recent observations of rice temper in pottery from Niah and other sites in Sarawak.Bellwood, P., Bowdery, D., Allen, J., Bacus, E., Summerhayes, G. Indo-Pacific Prehistory: The Melaka Papers vol. 4, 147–152.Google Scholar
Flenley, J.R. (1988). Palynological evidence for land use changes in South-East Asia. Journal of Biogeography 15, 1 185–197.Google Scholar
Haberle, S.G., Hope, G.S., and Defrets, Y. (1991). Environmental change in the Baliem Valley, Montane Irian Jaya. Journal of Biogeography 18, 185–197.Google Scholar
Harrisson, T. (1958). The caves of Niah: a history of prehistory. Sarawak Museum Journal 8, 38–39 367–373.Google Scholar
Havinga, A.J. (1971). An experimental investigation into the decay of pollen and spores in various soil types.Brooks, J., Grant, P.R., Muir, M.D., Van Gijzel, P., Shaw, G. Sporopollenin Academic, London.446–478.Google Scholar
Hazebroek, H.P., and Morshidi, A.K.b.A. (2001). National Parks of Sarawak. Natural History Publications, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.Google Scholar
Hunt, C.O. (1985). Recent advances in pollen extraction techniques: a brief review.Fieller, N.R.J., Gilbertson, D.D., Ralph, N.G.A. Palaeobiological Investigations British Archaeological Reports. International Series (Oxford) vol. 266, 181–187.Google Scholar
Hunt, C.O., and Coles, G.M. (1988). The application of palynofacies analysis to geoarchaeology.Slater, E.A., Tate, J.O. Science and Archaeology British Archaeological Reports, British Series vol. 196, 473–484.Google Scholar
Hunt, C.O., and Rushworth, G. (2005). Airfall sedimentation and pollen taphonomy in the West mouth of the Great Cave, Niah. Journal of Archaeological Science 32, 465–473.Google Scholar
Hunt, C.O., Andrews, M.V., and Gilbertson, D.D. (1985). Late Quaternary freshwater dinoflagellate cysts from the British Isles. Journal of Micropalaeontology 4, 101–109.Google Scholar
Maloney, B.K. (1985). Man's impact on rainforests of west Malesia–The palynological record. Journal of Biogeography 12, 558–573.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morley, R.J. (2000). Origin and Evolution of Tropical Rain Forests. John Wiley and Sons, Chichester.362 pp.Google Scholar
Pearce, K.G. (2004). The vegetation and plants of Niah National Park, Borneo. Gardens' Bulletin Singapore 56, 101–145.Google Scholar
Potter, L. (2002). Forests and grassland, drought and fire: the island of Borneo in the historical environmental record (post-1800).Kershaw, A.P., Bruno, D., Tapper, N., Penny, D., Brown, J. Bridging Wallace's Line: The Environmental and Cultural Dynamics of The SE-Asian-Australian Region Advances in Geoecology vol. 34, Catena Verlag GMBH, Reiskirchen.339–356.Google Scholar
Stuiver, M., Reimer, P.J., Bard, E., Beck, J.W., Burr, G.S., Hughen, K.A., Kromer, B., McCormac, G., van der Plicht, J., and Spurk, M. (1998). INTCAL98 radiocarbon age calibration, 24,000-0 cal BP. Radiocarbon 40, 1041–1083.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tapper, N. (2002). Climate, climatic variability and atmospheric circulation patterns in the maritime continent region.Kershaw, A.P., Bruno, D., Tapper, N., Penny, D., Brown, J. Bridging Wallace's Line: The Environmental and Cultural Dynamics of The SE-Asian-Australian Region Advances in Geoecology vol. 34, Catena-Verlag GMBH, Reiskirchen.5–28.Google Scholar
van der Kaars, S., and van den Bergh, G.D. (2004). Anthropogenic changes in the landscape of west Java (Indonesia) during historic times, inferred from a sediment and pollen record from Teluk Banten. Journal of Quaternary Science 19, 229–239.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van der Kaars, S., Penny, D., Tibby, J., Fluin, J., Dam, R.A.C., and Suparan, P. (2001). Late Quaternary palaeoecology, palynology and palaeolimnology of a tropical lowland swamp: Rawu Danay, West-Java, Indonesia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 171, 341–361.Google Scholar
van Geel, B. (1976). Spores of Zygnemataceae in a prehistoric ditch at Hoogkarspel (province of Noord-Holland). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 22, 337–344.Google Scholar
Yan, X.-H., Ho, C.-R., Zheng, Q., and Klemas, V. (1992). Temperature and size variability of the Western Pacific warm pool. Science 258, 1643–1645.Google Scholar