A team of researchers from Great Britain and Australia analyzed charcoal and pollen contained in mud deposits to understand how Tasmania’s Aboriginal inhabitants shaped their surroundings. These results constitute the oldest record of the use of fire to change the environment in Tasmania. The study shows that the first Palawa/Pakana communities, inhabiting what they knew as Lutruwita, they used fire to adapt dense and humid forests to their needs.
How did people get to Tasmania?
The first humans reached northern Australia around 65 thousand years agoand their migration to Tasmania was another significant step. During the last Ice Age, Tasmania was connected to Australia by a land bridge across the Bass Strait, making it possible to travel between landmasses on foot. Only about 8 thousand years agoafter the end of the ice age, sea levels rise cut off Tasmania from the mainland.
Studies of the sediments have yielded evidence of the use of fire
Dr. Matthew Adeleye from the University of Cambridge and prof. David Bowman from the University of Tasmania, authors of the publication in Science Advancesanalyzed mud deposits from islands in the Bass Strait that were part of the land connection between Australia and Tasmania during the Ice Age. Identified in the sediments a sudden increase in the amount of charcoal from around 41,600 years ago yearswhich suggests that the first inhabitants used fire to clear the area of primeval forest.
‘This indicates that early communities burned forests to create open spaces for living or cultural activities,’ explains Dr Adeleye. Fire was an essential tool for them, helping to create the environment they needed.
Inspired by ancient methods
As natural habitats adapted to controlled fires, fire-resistant species developedm.in. eucalyptus present especially in the wetter areas of the eastern part of the Bass Strait islands.
Very similar burning practices are still used in Australia today. This is the so-called cultural firing and is used, among others, as a way to control violent firesalthough it is controversial. Scientists believe that understanding ancient landscape management methods can help restore the environments that surrounded the continent’s original inhabitants before the colonial era.
“If we want to protect Tasmanian and Australian landscapes for future generations, we must listen to and learn from Indigenous communities,” adds Adeleye, pointing to the need to include Aboriginal voices in environmental decision-making.
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Source: geekweek.interia.pl
