Fire has a long history in Australia and is a key driver of vegetation dynamics in the tropical savanna ecosystems that cover one quarter of the country. Fire reconstructions are required to understand ecosystem dynamics over the long term but these data are lacking for the extensive savannas of northern Australia. This paper presents a multiproxy palaeofire record for Marura sinkhole in eastern Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. The record is constructed by combining optical methods (counts and morphology of macroscopic and microscopic charcoal particles) and chemical methods (quantification of abundance and stable isotope composition of pyrogenic carbon by hydrogen pyrolysis). This novel combination of measurements enables the generation of a record of relative fire intensity to investigate the interplay between natural and anthropogenic influences. The Marura palaeofire record comprises three main phases: 4600–2800 cal BP, 2800–900 cal BP and 900 cal BP to present. Highest fire incidence occurs at ~4600–4000 cal BP, coinciding with regional records of high effective precipitation, and all fire proxies decline from that time to the present. 2800–900 cal BP is characterised by variable fire intensities and aligns with archaeological evidence of occupation at nearby Blue Mud Bay. All fire proxies decline significantly after 900 cal BP. The combination of charcoal and pyrogenic carbon measures is a promising proxy for relative fire intensity in sedimentary records and a useful tool for investigating potential anthropogenic fire regimes.

火灾在澳大利亚有着悠久的历史，是覆盖该国四分之一热带热带稀树草原生态系统植被动态的关键驱动力。需要进行火灾重建才能长期了解生态系统的动态，但是对于澳大利亚北部大片稀树草原来说，却缺乏这些数据。本文介绍了澳大利亚北领地阿纳姆地带东部Marura污水坑的多代理古火记录。该记录是通过结合光学方法（宏观和微观木炭颗粒的数量和形态）和化学方法（通过氢热解量化热解碳的丰度和稳定同位素组成）而构建的。这种新颖的测量组合可以生成相对火强度的记录，以研究自然与人为影响之间的相互作用。Marura古火记录包括三个主要阶段：4600–2800 cal BP，2800–900 cal BP和900 cal BP。最高的火灾发生在约4600–4000 cal BP，与高有效降水的区域记录相吻合，从那时到现在，所有火灾代理都在下降。2800–900 cal BP的特点是火势变化，与附近蓝泥湾占领的考古证据一致。900 cal BP后，所有火灾代理明显下降。