The Holocene is recognised as a period through which a number of climatic fluctuations and environmental stresses occur—associated with intensifying El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climatic conditions from c. 5000 years—contemporaneous with technological and social changes in Australian Aboriginal lifeways. In the Kimberley region of northwest Western Australia, human responses to ENSO driven climate change are most evident archaeologically in technological transformations observed in lithic records, with little research on changes in plant use during this time. Using nine archaeological sites across the Kimberley, this paper synthesises previously published macrobotanical data (Carpenter’s Gap 1, Moonggaroonggoo, Mount Behn, and Riwi), reports unpublished data (Brooking Gorge 1, Djuru, and Wandjina rockshelter), and presents results of sites reanalysed for this study (Widgingarri Shelters 1 and 2) to develop a picture of localised and regional patterns of plant use during the Holocene. We conclude that food plants associated with monsoon rainforest environments dominate both mid- and late Holocene macrobotanical records and, although monsoon rainforest likely retreated to some extent because of decreased precipitation during the late Holocene, no human responses associated with ENSO driven climate change occurred in relation to human uses of plants.

中文翻译：

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通过宏观植物学分析评估澳大利亚西北部全新世期间人类对 ENSO 驱动的气候变化的反应

全新世被认为是发生许多气候波动和环境压力的时期——与从 c. 开始加剧的厄尔尼诺-南方涛动 (ENSO) 气候条件有关。5000 年——与澳大利亚原住民生活方式的技术和社会变革同时发生。在西澳大利亚西北部的金伯利地区，人类对 ENSO 驱动的气候变化的反应在石器记录中观察到的技术变革考古学上最为明显，而对这段时间植物使用变化的研究很少。本文使用金伯利的 9 个考古遗址，综合了先前发表的大型植物学数据（Carpenter's Gap 1、Moonggaronggoo、Mount Behn 和 Riwi），报告了未发表的数据（Brooking Gorge 1、Djuru 和 Wandjina 岩石庇护所），并展示了为本研究（Widgingarri Shelters 1 和 2）重新分析的地点的结果，以描绘全新世期间植物使用的局部和区域模式。我们得出结论，与季风雨林环境相关的食用植物在全新世中期和晚期的大型植物记录中占主导地位，尽管季风雨林可能因全新世晚期降水减少而在一定程度上退缩，但没有发生与 ENSO 驱动的气候变化相关的人类反应。人类对植物的利用。