Article
Anthropology
Glenn Lambrecht, Caterina Rodriguez de Vera, Margarita Jambrina-Enriquez, Isabelle Crevecoeur, Jesus Gonzalez-Urquijo, Talia Lazuen, Gilliane Monnier, Goran Pajovic, Gilbert Tostevin, Carolina Mallol
Summary: This study utilizes Raman spectroscopy to characterize the structural properties of char produced in laboratory heating- and open-fire experiments, finding that it is possible to distinguish between animal- and plant-derived char by plotting specific Raman spectral parameters against one another. The method can be applied to raw sample material and uncovered micromorphological thin sections, providing archaeologists with a robust new way to differentiate between animal- and plant-derived char.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Richard S. Vachula, Jarunetr Sae-Lim, Rencheng Li
Summary: Fire is a crucial disturbance mechanism that can alter ecosystems and vegetation changes. By measuring the shape attributes of sedimentary charcoal particles, different fuel types can be distinguished, although further research is needed to enhance our understanding of this method.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
S. Yoshi Maezumi, William D. Gosling, Judith Kirschner, Manuel Chevalier, Henk L. Cornelissen, Thilo Heinecke, Crystal N. H. McMichael
Summary: This study extended the modern reference dataset of charcoal spectra and applied an analogue matching model to successfully estimate the pyrolysis temperature and the type of plant material burned, providing a new method for a better understanding of past fire regimes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Andrea Miebach, Mitchell J. Power, Tim R. Resag, Timon Netzel, Daniele Colombaroli, Thomas Litt
Summary: This research examines the relationship between fire, vegetation, and early agricultural practices in the southern Levant region. By studying the Sea of Galilee, the researchers found that fire regimes changed with the expansion of olive cultivation, with an increase in fire frequency prior to and during the expansion. This was likely due to the anthropogenic use of fire for clearing the landscape and promoting fertile soils. Once olive orchards were established, low intensity, controlled burnings became common. The findings provide insights into the dynamic role of fire in early horticulture practices.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cecile C. Remy, Gwenael Magne, Normunds Stivrins, Tuomas Aakala, Hugo Asselin, Heikki Seppae, Tomi Luoto, Nauris Jasiunas, Adam A. A. Ali
Summary: Climate change is expected to increase wildfire activity in boreal ecosystems, threatening the carbon stocks of these forests. Understanding fire regimes and their relationship with climate and vegetation is crucial for anticipating the impact of climate change. However, the lack of long-term knowledge hinders this understanding in Fennoscandia.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Elena Yu Novenko, Dmitry A. Kupryanov, Natalia G. Mazei, Anatoly S. Prokushkin, Leanne N. Phelps, Aline Buri, Basil A. S. Davis
Summary: Recent climate change in Siberia is increasing the probability of dangerous forest fires. Understanding long-term fire dynamics is crucial for effective measures to mitigate and prevent fires. This study presents a multi-site palaeo-fire reconstruction in central Siberia, showing the relationship between fire regimes and regional climate changes.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Runda Huang, Menglong Zhang, Zhaoqiang Zheng, Kunqiang Wang, Xiao Liu, Qizan Chen, Dongxiang Luo
Summary: The study extended the application of CsPbBr3 quantum dots to the photocatalytic degradation of tobacco tar for the first time, achieving remarkable degradation of PAHs from tobacco tar. By coupling CsPbBr3 with Bi2WO6 to construct a type-II photocatalyst, the composite showed outstanding light absorption and rapid charge separation efficiency, leading to over 96% removal of PAHs in 50 minutes of irradiation under simulated solar irradiation.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Hongbin Cong, Zonglu Yao, Ondrej Masek, Haibo Meng, Chenxu Sheng, Yunong Wu, Lixin Zhao
Summary: Charcoal-based briquettes prepared with bio-tar as a binder showed improved heating value and combustion index; addition of bio-tar enhanced physical stability of briquettes; pollutant emissions could be mitigated by adding hydrated lime.
Article
Ecology
Emily B. Graham, Hyun-Seob Song, Samantha Grieger, Vanessa A. Garayburu-Caruso, James C. Stegen, Kevin D. Bladon, Allison N. Myers-Pigg
Summary: Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) from wildfires is resistant to biological degradation, but recent studies suggest that it may be more bioavailable than previously thought. This study used a substrate-explicit model to assess the potential bioavailability of representative PyOM compounds compared to dissolved organic matter (DOM). The results showed that PyOM has a greater range of potential bioavailability than natural DOM, but the predicted thermodynamics and metabolic rates were similar between the two. The study also found that different chemistries within PyOM have varying carbon use efficiencies, which could impact process-based model representations.
Article
Ecology
Angelica Feurdean
Summary: The study developed more detailed morphometric and diagnostic classifications of experimentally charred particles by burning 17 fuel types from boreal Siberia, aiming to enhance the reconstruction of past fire regimes. Different fuel types exhibited distinct mass loss characteristics at varying burn temperatures, with aspect ratio being a strong indicator of the fuel type burnt. Further investigations are needed to refine the histories of past wildfires.
Article
Forestry
Qian Shi, Caiming Shen, Hongwei Meng, Linpei Huang, Qifa Sun
Summary: Based on a study of the vegetation and fire history of Lake Haixihai in southwestern China over the past 1640 years, the results show that both climatic conditions and human activities have significantly influenced vegetation succession, forest fires, and soil erosion in the lake catchment.
Article
Geography, Physical
Maria M. Bianchi, Yamila Giache, Alicia Irurzun, Claudia Gogorza, Sonia Fontana, Thomas Gieseke
Summary: This study investigates shifts in the eastern boundary of rainforest taxa during the Late Glacial and Holocene periods. Pollen and macro charcoal analyses were conducted on sediment samples from El Laguito del Morro Lake, revealing five distinct periods of forest diversity and structure. The results indicate that climate change was the main driver for vegetation succession and changes in fire regime.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Camille Giuliano, Terri Lacourse
Summary: Paleoecological records from lake sediments on Pender Island, Canada, were used to reconstruct fire regimes over the past 10,000 years and understand their interaction with climate and forest composition. The study found that the early Holocene was characterized by frequent fires and open-canopy forests dominated by fire-enduring species. However, as temperature and moisture decreased, fire return intervals lengthened and a mixed fire regime of low to moderate-intensity fires emerged. The findings highlight the importance of long-term interactions between vegetation and fire in shaping fire regimes and forest dynamics.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Julia Unkelbach, Hermann Behling
Summary: In this study, multi-site macro-charcoal analyses were used to investigate the climate-fire-vegetation linkages in Mongolia during the Holocene. The results suggest that the fire history in western and north-central Mongolia was influenced by regional climate variability, with higher fire intensities observed in the Mongolian Altai. The study provides important insights into the environmental changes and impact of human activities in Mongolia.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yali Wang, Ruting Xu, Mingzhe Ma, Kang Sun, Jianchun Jiang, Hao Sun, Shicai Liu, Yanren Jin, Ting Zhao
Summary: By modifying bamboo tar through polymerization, it acts as a new adhesive for preparing bamboo-charcoal-derived molding activated carbon (MBAC). Compared with pristine tar and other adhesives, the aromatization of tar with phenol increases its molecular weight, oxygenic functional groups, and thermal stability, resulting in improved bonding and pyrolytic crosslinking effect between charcoal particles, leading to higher mechanical strength, specific surface area, pore volume, and amount of oxygenic functional groups for MBAC.
Article
Anthropology
Julia Becher, Alex Schoeman, Gavin Whitelaw, Stephen Buckley, Jean-Pierre Celliers, Sara Cafisso, Matthias Belser, Maxime Rageot, Cynthianne Spiteri
Summary: This study represents the first application of Organic Residue Analysis (ORA) to southern African early farming pottery to gain a deeper understanding of past human behavior and subsistence patterns. The study found evidence of dairy processing and multi-purpose functionality of the ceramics. It also discovered potential medicinal use and the involvement of dung in pottery sealing and mending.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Jon Clindaniel, Matthew Magnani
Summary: Large sources of digital trace data have become important in the study of material culture. The authors introduce a computational method to observe digital formation processes and highlight the importance of accounting for these processes in studies utilizing digital trace data.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Rebecca A. G. Reid, Miranda M. E. Jans, Lesley A. Chesson, Rebecca J. Taylor, Gregory E. Berg
Summary: Chemical treatment of skeletal remains can reduce overall DNA quality and quantity but has no significant impact on stable isotope ratio analysis. Examination of treated and untreated human remains through histological and stable isotope analysis reveals that treated remains exhibit better preservation compared to untreated remains. Stable isotope ratio analysis is viable for both treated and untreated remains, regardless of their origin.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)
Article
Anthropology
Laura Tome, Eneko Iriartec, Antonio Blanco-Gonzalez, Margarita Jambrina-Enriquez, Natalia Eguez, Antonio V. Herrera-Herrera, Carolina Mallola
Summary: This paper presents the outcomes of a microcontextual geoarchaeological study conducted on earthen dwellings from the Early Iron Age village of Cerro de San Vicente. The study employed soil micromorphology, lipid biomarker analysis, XRD, and XRF analyses to investigate various aspects of the dwellings, including construction materials, site formation processes, and daily life practices. The results have shed light on the construction layers, floor use, maintenance, repaving, periods of abandonment and decay, and the presence of lipid biomarkers associated with dwelling functionality. The study significantly contributes to our understanding of ancient construction practices and the utilization of domestic spaces during the Early Iron Age.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2024)