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Is there solid evidence of widespread landscape disturbance in the Azores before the arrival of the Portuguese?

2022; National Academy of Sciences; Volume: 119; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1073/pnas.2119218119

1091-6490

Rui B. Elias, Simon Connor, Carlos A. Góis‐Marques, Hanno Schaefer, Luís Silva, Miguel Menezes de Sequeira, Mónica Moura, Paulo A. V. Borges, Rosalina Gabriel,

Archaeology and ancient environmental studies

Raposeiro et al. (1) conclude that human occupation of the Azores islands began between 700 and 850 CE, causing widespread landscape disturbance and raising doubts about the islands’ presumed pristine nature when the Portuguese arrived. However, previous paleoecological studies from Flores, Pico, and São Miguel Islands (Table 1) show that permanent changes in the vegetation occurred only after the early 15th century. The authors’ work also shows the permanent decline, to the lowest levels, in arboreal pollen on Corvo and Flores occurring during Portuguese occupation, not before. So, how would cereal cultivation, livestock grazing, and settlements be possible without deforestation—the hallmark of Norse settlements elsewhere (2)? View this table: Table 1. Evidence of major permanent vegetation changes around sites located on Flores, … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: rui.mp.elias{at}uac.pt. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1