Archaeological assessment reveals Earth’s early transformation through land use

Environmentally transformative human use of land accelerated with the emergence of agriculture, but the extent, trajectory, and implications of these early changes are not well understood. An empirical global assessment of land use from 10,000 years before the present (yr B.P.) to 1850 CE reveals a planet largely transformed by hunter-gatherers, farmers, and pastoralists by 3000 years ago, considerably earlier than the dates in the land-use reconstructions commonly used by Earth scientists. Synthesis of knowledge contributed by more than 250 archaeologists highlighted gaps in archaeological expertise and data quality, which peaked for 2000 yr B.P. and in traditionally studied and wealthier regions.…

• NS
  National Science Foundation

  Awards: 1125210, 115210, CNS 1125210
• SI
  Smithsonian Institution
• YU
  Yale University
• UO
  University of Pennsylvania
• UO
  University of Connecticut
• HY
  Helsingin Yliopisto
• UO
  University of Oklahoma
• UO
  University of Oregon
• UD
  Università degli Studi di Milano
• SR
  Sight Research UK

  Awards: NE/K003402/1, NE/N010957/1, NE/G005540/1
• UO
  University of Oxford
• UO
  University of Aberdeen
• UO
  University of Pretoria
• FU
  Flinders University
• JC
  James Cook University
• UU
  Universiteit Utrecht
• UO
  University of Stirling
• SN
  Seoul National University
• FU
  Fudan University
• JU
  Jilin University
• CN
  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• UD
  Universidad de Buenos Aires
• L
  Linnéuniversitetet
• OY
  Oulun Yliopisto
• UW
  Uniwersytet Warszawski
• MU
  Masarykova Univerzita
• ÉF
  École française d'Extrême-Orient
• MF
  Max-Planck-Institut für Menschheitsgeschichte
• UO
  University of California, Santa Barbara
• UA
  University at Buffalo
• NE
  Natural Environment Research Council

  Awards: NE/G005540/1, NE/K003402/1, NE/N010957/1
• PV
  Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving