The Effect of Prehispanic Metallurgy on the Environment of a Tropical Rain Forest in Jicalán, Michoacán, Mexico

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Technological Transitions in Prehispanic and Colonial Metallurgy: Recent and Ongoing Research at the Archaeological Site of Jicalán Viejo, in Central Michoacán, West Mexico" session, at the 88th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

A core of 23 cm was recovered from a lake bed, now a dam, in Jicalán Viejo. The core was sampled for pollen analysis at every centimeter. Pollen analysis describes the presence of a tropical rain forest with tree taxa Moraceae, Ficus, Pouteria, Meliaceae, and Fabaceae. Taxa from disturbed habitats include Asteraceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Cheno/Amaranthaceae, Solanaceae, and Euphorbiaceae. Pinus and Quercus, as allochthonous elements, were observed in low proportions. Zea mays and Cucurbita pollen was observed in the first 5 cm of the core. The secondary taxa are dominant along the core, suggesting continuous deforestation in the area due to human activities, mainly related to agriculture.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Technological Transitions in Prehispanic and Colonial Metallurgy: Recent and Ongoing Research at the Archaeological Site of Jicalán Viejo, in Central Michoacán, West Mexico   •
• Society for American Archaeology 88th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR (2023)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 36461.0