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Medieval Climate Variability in the eastern Amazon-Cerrado regions and its archeological implications
Vitor Azevedo1, Nicolás M Stríkis2, Rudney A Santos3
1Geochemistry Department, Fluminense Federal University, 24020-141, Niterói, Brazil. vitorazevedoalves@gmail.com.
Scientific Reports
|January 1, 2020
Summary
The Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) brought drier conditions to the Amazon and Cerrado regions. This climate shift impacted pre-Columbian settlements, potentially causing conflict and abandonment.
Area of Science:
- Paleoclimatology
- South American Monsoon System
- Climate Change
Background:
- The South American Monsoon System (SAMS) is vital for continental precipitation, particularly in the Amazon and Cerrado.
- The impact of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) on tropical precipitation remains understudied compared to temperate regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To reconstruct paleoprecipitation changes during the MCA in the eastern Amazon and Cerrado.
- To investigate the relationship between hydrologic regime shifts and pre-Columbian cultural changes.
Main Methods:
- Multiproxy paleoprecipitation reconstruction.
- Comparison with archaeological records of settlement expansion and abandonment.
Main Results:
- A significant shift from humid to drier conditions occurred in the eastern Amazon and Cerrado during the MCA (925-1350 C.E.).
- Major monsoon precipitation changes align with cultural successions in the pre-Columbian Central Amazon, specifically the Paredão to Guarita phase transition.
- Settlement expansion and abandonment phases of the Paredão culture correlate with reduced water availability.
Conclusions:
- Sustained drier conditions during the Late-MCA may have influenced territorial disputes and the demise of the Paredão culture.
- Hydrologic regime changes during the MCA played a role in shaping pre-Columbian societies in the Amazon and Cerrado.
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