USING RADIOCARBON DATA TO CHRONOLOGICALLY CONTROL POPULATION DENSITY ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM SYSTEMATICALLY COLLECTED INTRA-SETTLEMENT DISTRIBUTIONAL DATA

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Brandon T Ritchison
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Archaeological Material ◽  
Radiocarbon Data ◽  
Regional Population ◽  
Fine Time

ABSTRACT Population density is an important variable in the development of social complexity. Estimating population densities from the archaeological record requires combining estimates of population, area, and time. Archaeological population estimates tend to be reported as a maximum population derived from the total accumulation of discrete archaeological material types, usually ceramics or radiocarbon (14C) dates. However, given the palimpsest nature of the archaeological record at recurrently occupied archaeological sites, these maximal, total estimates are, at best, a poor reflection of contemporaneous populations. I present a method for calculating average yearly population densities for occupations at a large, multicomponent site using a combination of distributional data and 60 14C dates. By employing this method at other sites in the same region, modeling intra-regional population dynamics at fine time scales will be possible.

scholarly journals Variation in space and time: a long-term examination of density-dependent dispersal in a woodland rodent

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon T. Denomme-Brown ◽  
Karl Cottenie ◽  
J. Bruce Falls ◽  
E. Ann Falls ◽  
Ronald J. Brooks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Local Density ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Regional Population ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Density Dependent Dispersal

AbstractDispersal is a fundamental ecological process that can be affected by population density, yet studies report contrasting effects of density on propensity to disperse. Additionally, the relationship between dispersal and density is seldom examined using densities measured at different spatial scales or over extensive time-series. We used 51-years of trapping data to examine how dispersal by wild deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) was affected by changes in both local and regional population densities. We examined these patterns over both the entire time-series and also in ten-year shifting windows to determine whether the nature and strength of the relationship changed through time. Probability of dispersal decreased with increased local and regional population density, and the negative effect of local density on dispersal was more pronounced in years with low regional densities. Additionally, the strength of negative density-dependent dispersal changed through time, ranging from very strong in some decades to absent in other periods of the study. Finally, while females were less likely to disperse, female dispersal was more density-dependent than male dispersal. Our study shows that the relationship between density and dispersal is not temporally static and that investigations of density-dependent dispersal should consider both local and regional population densities.

scholarly journals Carrying capacity, population density and the later Pleistocene expression of backed artefact manufacturing traditions in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 376 (1816) ◽  
pp. 20190716 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Archer
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Homo Sapiens ◽  
Behavioural Change ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Cultural Complexity ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Site Density ◽  
Independent Population ◽  
Density Population ◽  
Stone Artefact

As is the case today, both climate variability and population density influenced human behavioural change in the past. The mechanisms underpinning later Pleistocene human behavioural evolution, however, remain contested. Many complex behaviours evolved in Africa, but early evidence for these behaviours varies both spatially and temporally. Scientists have not been able to explain this flickering pattern, which is present even in sites and regions clearly occupied by Homo sapiens . To explore this pattern, here the presence and frequency of evidence for backed stone artefact production are modelled against climate-driven, time-series population density estimates (Timmermann and Friedrich. 2016 Nature 538 , 92. ( doi:10.1038/nature19365 )), in all known African Late Pleistocene archaeological sites ( n = 116 sites, n = 409 assemblages, n = 893 dates). In addition, a moving-window, site density population estimate is included at the scale of southern Africa. Backed stone artefacts are argued in many archaeological contexts to have functioned in elaborate technologies like composite weapons and, in the African Pleistocene, are accepted proxies for cultural complexity. They show a broad but sporadic distribution in Africa, prior to their association with Homo sapiens dispersing into Europe 45–40 ka. Two independent population estimates explain this pattern and potentially implicate the interaction of climate change and demography in the expression of cultural complexity in African Pleistocene Homo sapiens . This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cross-disciplinary approaches to prehistoric demography’.

ESTIMATING ADULT COCCINELLID POPULATIONS IN WHEAT FIELDS BY REMOVAL, SWEEPNET, AND VISUAL COUNT SAMPLING

1991 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.C. Elliott ◽  
R.W. Kieckhefer ◽  
W.C. Kauffman
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Density Estimates ◽  
Aphid Density ◽  
Absolute Density ◽  
Density Values ◽  
Removal Sampling ◽  
Density Population ◽  
Absolute Population

AbstractRemoval sampling, sweepnet sampling, and visual count sampling conducted while walking at constant velocity through a field were used to sample populations of adults of five coccinellid species in plots established in spring wheat fields, Triticum aestivum L. Estimates of absolute population density obtained from two 20-min removal samples taken from each of six 5- by 5-m sub-plots per plot proved reliable and were used to convert estimates obtained from sweepnet sampling (180 sweeps per plot) and visual counts (36 min per plot walking at 10 m/min) into absolute estimates of population density. Population density estimates obtained by removal sampling were quite precise except for species with low capture efficiencies and low population densities.Crop plant growth stage influenced the numbers of beetles caught in sweepnet samples and was incorporated in regression models for converting sweepnet catch to absolute density. Values of R2 of regressions ranged from 0.51 to 0.90, depending on species. Visual counts were influenced by temperature and aphid density, and these variables were incorporated in regression models. Values of R2 for regressions relating visual counts to population densities ranged from 0.63 to 0.94, depending on species.

Convergence of regional population density in Russia over 120 years

2020 ◽  
pp. 133-158
Author(s):  
K. A. Kholodilin ◽  
Y. I. Yanzhimaeva
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Spatial Dependence ◽  
Population Distribution ◽  
Regional Level ◽  
Capital City ◽  
County Level ◽  
Spatial Effects ◽  
Russian Regions ◽  
Regional Population ◽  
Regional Population Density

A relative uniformity of population distribution on the territory of the country is of importance from socio-economic and strategic perspectives. It is especially important in the case of Russia with its densely populated West and underpopulated East. This paper considers changes in population density in Russian regions, which occurred between 1897 and 2017. It explores whether there was convergence in population density and what factors influenced it. For this purpose, it uses the data both at county and regional levels, which are brought to common borders for comparability purposes. Further, the models of unconditional and conditional β-convergence are estimated, taking into account the spatial dependence. The paper concludes that the population density equalization took place in 1897-2017 at the county level and in 1926—1970 at the regional level. In addition, the population density increase is shown to be influenced not only by spatial effects, but also by political and geographical factors such as climate, number of GULAG camps, and the distance from the capital city.

Loom weights in Archaic South Italy and Sicily: Fice case studies

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 123-155
Author(s):  
Hedvig Landenius Enegren
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Indigenous Peoples ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Experimental Archaeology ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Site Specificity ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
South Italy ◽  
Local Traditions ◽  
Tool Technology

Textiles are perishables in the archaeological record unless specific environmental conditions are met. Fortunately, the textile tools used in their manufacture can provide a wealth of information and via experimental archaeology make visible to an extent what has been lost. The article presents and discusses the results obtained in a research project focused on textile tool technologies and identities in the context of settler and indigenous peoples, at select archaeological sites in South Italy and Sicily in the Archaic and Early Classical periods, with an emphasis on loom weights. Despite a common functional tool technology, the examined loom weights reveal an intriguing inter-site specificity, which, it is argued, is the result of hybrid expressions embedded in local traditions. Experimental archaeology testing is applied in the interpretation of the functional qualities of this common artefact.

scholarly journals Predicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA

Fire Ecology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan M. Friggens ◽  
Rachel A. Loehman ◽  
Connie I. Constan ◽  
Rebekah R. Kneifel
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Burn Severity ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Jemez Mountains ◽  
Archaeological Materials

Abstract Background Wildfires of uncharacteristic severity, a consequence of climate changes and accumulated fuels, can cause amplified or novel impacts to archaeological resources. The archaeological record includes physical features associated with human activity; these exist within ecological landscapes and provide a unique long-term perspective on human–environment interactions. The potential for fire-caused damage to archaeological materials is of major concern because these resources are irreplaceable and non-renewable, have social or religious significance for living peoples, and are protected by an extensive body of legislation. Although previous studies have modeled ecological burn severity as a function of environmental setting and climate, the fidelity of these variables as predictors of archaeological fire effects has not been evaluated. This study, focused on prehistoric archaeological sites in a fire-prone and archaeologically rich landscape in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, USA, identified the environmental and climate variables that best predict observed fire severity and fire effects to archaeological features and artifacts. Results Machine learning models (Random Forest) indicate that topography and variables related to pre-fire weather and fuel condition are important predictors of fire effects and severity at archaeological sites. Fire effects were more likely to be present when fire-season weather was warmer and drier than average and within sites located in sloped, treed settings. Topographic predictors were highly important for distinguishing unburned, moderate, and high site burn severity as classified in post-fire archaeological assessments. High-severity impacts were more likely at archaeological sites with southern orientation or on warmer, steeper, slopes with less accumulated surface moisture, likely associated with lower fuel moistures and high potential for spreading fire. Conclusions Models for predicting where and when fires may negatively affect the archaeological record can be used to prioritize fuel treatments, inform fire management plans, and guide post-fire rehabilitation efforts, thus aiding in cultural resource preservation.

Flake Dispersal Experiments: Noncultural Transformation of the Archaeological Record

1983 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Bowers ◽  
Robson Bonnichsen ◽  
David M. Hoch
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Primary Factor ◽  
Frost Heave ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Archaeological Record ◽  
Alaska Range ◽  
Natural Processes ◽  
Present Test

Time lapse studies of frost action effects on arctic and subarctic surficial archaeological sites have been conducted from 1973 to the present. Test plots of experimentally produced flakes were constructed in 1973 in the Tangle Lakes Region of the Central Alaska Range and subsequently remapped and photographed in 1974, 1976, and 1980. Similar test plots were laid out in the arctic foothills province of the Brooks Range. Observations made during the study period include: (1) flake displacements of as much as 20 cm/yr; (2) average minimum movement is 4 cm/yr; and (3) upslope movements were observed, suggesting that slope is not the primary factor in flake displacements. Frost heave, needle ice and, possibly, wind appear to be the dominant forces responsible for dispersals. It is argued that these and other natural processes can restructure the archaeological record into patterns that easily can be mistaken for those produced by human activity.

Effects of crop sequence and rainfall on population dynamics of Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli in soil

1992 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
pp. 2005-2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hall ◽  
Lana Gay Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Population Dynamics ◽  
Phaseolus Vulgaris ◽  
Population Density ◽  
Fusarium Solani ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Total Rainfall ◽  
Colony Forming Units ◽  
Bean Crop ◽  
Previous Summer ◽  
Crop Sequence

Evidence is presented that population dynamics of Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli in soil depend on the effects of crop sequence and rainfall on parasitic activities of the pathogen. In a rotation trial started in 1978 and conducted over 14 years, population densities (colony-forming units/g) of the fungus in soil remained below 50 in treatments (fallow, repeated corn, repeated soybean) where the preferred host plant (common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris) was not grown. Where bean was grown every 3rd year or every year, population densities reached 475 and 660, respectively, by 1984. Thereafter, population densities of the fungus fluctuated widely from year to year in both rotation and repeated bean treatments. In the rotation treatment, peaks in population density of the pathogen coincided with the years of bean production. In repeated bean plots between 1985 and 1991, population density of the fungus in June was significantly correlated (r = 0.77, p = 0.04) with total rainfall received during the previous summer (June–August). It is postulated that higher rainfall during the growing season of the bean crop stimulated root growth and root infection, leading to the accumulation of higher levels of potential inoculum in infected tissue and the release of higher levels of inoculum into the soil by the following June. Key words: Fusarium solani f.sp. phaseoli, bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, rainfall, crop rotation.

Population Densities Allowed Around Dutch SEVESO Establishments

2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. H. Laheij ◽  
B. J. M. Ale ◽  
J. G. Post
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
The Netherlands ◽  
Individual Risk ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Planning Policy ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Societal Risk ◽  
Dangerous Substances ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Uniform Population

Abstract In the Netherlands, the individual risk and societal risk are used in efforts to reduce the number of people exposed to the effect of an accident at an establishment with dangerous substances. To facilitate the societal risk planning policy an investigation was carried out for the Dutch SEVESO establishments to investigate the possibility of determining a generic uniform population density for the zone between the individual risk contours of 10−5 and 10−6 per year. The indicative limit for the societal risk at this density was not to be exceeded. Also there was to be enough space left for a significantly higher population density outside the individual risk contour of 10−6 per year. The RORISC methodology and the actual data for the 124 Dutch SEVESO establishments were used to determine the generic uniform population density. Based on the data available it can be concluded that the maximum allowed uniform population density in the zone between the individual risk contours of 10−5 and 10−6 per year is lower than one person per hectare. At this density there is no space left for a higher population density outside the individual risk contour of 10−6 per year. For uniform population densities the relative contribution to the societal risk has been found significant up to the individual risk contour of 10−7 per year.

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