Bioarchaeology and Climate Change: A View from South Asian Prehistory
Bioarchaeology and Climate Change: A View from South Asian Prehistory
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Abstract
During the second millennium B.C. hundreds of villages were founded in peninsular India. The people of the Deccan Chalcolithic period relied on farming drought-resistant barley and wheat. They raised cattle, sheep, and goats; maintained hunting and foraging traditions; and utilized the resources gathered from local lakes and forest habitats for subsistence, construction, and fuel. Throughout this time, Chalcolithic people successfully colonized the peninsula despite the challenges of living in a semi-arid climate and unpredictable monsoon rainfall. By 1400 B.C. their settlements were thriving, populations were growing, and large regional centers were established. Yet, around 1000 B.C., the majority of these settlements were deserted. This book uses evidence from paleoclimate research, archaeology, and human skeletal material to examine life and death at three villages occupied during this time. Innovative methods of bioarchaeological analysis reveal complexity in the interactions between humans and their environment and suggest a new model for understanding this period of India's prehistory. Questions about human interactions with the environment thousands of years ago in India are interesting from an academic standpoint, but the insights we gain into the past are relevant in a contemporary context as we face the consequences of continued population growth, unsustainable lifestyles, degradation of local environments, and large-scale climate change. Having a longer view of the challenges, strategies, and consequences of human–environment interactions may prove helpful as we all develop strategies for dealing with contemporary environmental change.
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Front Matter
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1
Origins
Clark Spencer Larsen
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2
The Western Deccan Plateau: Environment and Climate
Clark Spencer Larsen
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3
Archaeology at Nevasa, Daimabad, and Inamgaon
Clark Spencer Larsen
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4
Demography
Clark Spencer Larsen
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5
Estimating Body Mass in the Subadult Skeleton
Clark Spencer Larsen
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6
Reconstructing Health at Nevasa, Daimabad, and Inamgaon
Clark Spencer Larsen
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7
Conclusion
Clark Spencer Larsen
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End Matter
- Appendix A Burials from Daimabad: Archaeological Context and Grave Goods
- Appendix B Age Estimates for Subadults in Chalcolithic Samples
- Appendix C Long Bone Lengths (Mm) and Stature (Cm) for Individuals with Dental Age Estimates (Months)
- Appendix D Midshaft Femur Cross-Section Measurements for All Individuals with Intact Femur Midshafts
- Appendix E Stature and Body Mass Estimates for Deccan Chalcolithic Specimens
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Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
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