Deforestation the Death of Nazca Civilization

News Type: Event — Seeded on Tue Nov 3, 2009 1:52 AM EST

Article Source: Allianz

history, climate-change, collapse, peru, mystery, trees, ancient, deforestation, civilization, botany, extinct, disappearance, nazca, huarango

Seeded by MinnieApolis

The mystery of the disappearance of the vanished Nazca people, the same ones who are known for the many fanciful designs etched into the desert plateau, may have been solved. Scientists found pollen from a vanished nitrogen-fixing tree, the huarango. The huarango can live for a thousand years and helped regulate the local climate.

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4.4

{"commentId":10440497,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

Quite a finding that supports taking care of Mom Earth a bit better than we've been doing. The Nazcans deforested their plain till they reached a tipping point -- they then suffered floods and economic collapse.

Scientists had previously put forth a hypothesis that an el nino event flooded them out.

{"commentId":10440497,"threadId":"715350","contentId":"3454542","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

1 vote

#1 - Tue Nov 3, 2009 1:55 AM EST

{"commentId":10538547,"authorDomain":"depantzd"}

Publius Redux

Where in the article did it mention finding the pollen?

More important, where did it mention finding these people's chainsaws from 1500 years ago?

Allianz is not a credible source. We are being punked with this 'article' to further their agenda.

{"commentId":10538547,"threadId":"715350","contentId":"3454542","authorDomain":"depantzd"}

2 votes

#1.1 - Sat Nov 7, 2009 6:30 AM EST

{"commentId":10548172,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

The article appeared in several places at once. It ran in the Guardian, Times Online, Times of India, and also ran in Science News Daily. You can go to the last site and check out all their links here: http://www.sciencenewsdaily.org/archaeology-fossils-news/cluster22882062/

{"commentId":10548172,"threadId":"715350","contentId":"3454542","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

#1.2 - Sat Nov 7, 2009 7:07 PM EST

{"commentId":10548421,"authorDomain":"depantzd"}

Publius Redux

"Then suddenly corresponding with the El Nino event at AD500 or shortly afterwards, the pollen is dominated by weeds in the family Chenopodiaceae, which are adapted to salty conditions and this landscape is now the desert seen today."

The story seems incomplete and confused. And the study conclusions are drawn by archeologists, not ecologists. Pretty difficult from this sketchy story to conclude that these Indians would still be thriving today if they had not taken up farming. Would they be living fat, dumb and happy on nuts and berries in the woods still today?

Wish you had the link to the actual paper.

It did get a lot of press, though, inconclusive as it is.

{"commentId":10548421,"threadId":"715350","contentId":"3454542","authorDomain":"depantzd"}

2 votes

#1.3 - Sat Nov 7, 2009 7:23 PM EST

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MINNIEAPOLIS

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Deforestation the Death of Nazca Civilization

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