The impact of hunter/gatherers in the Central Sahara during the Early Holocene

The Uan Tabu rockshelter is located in the Wadi Teshuinat, the largest wadi of the central Tadrart Acacus mountains in south-western Libya. This paper reports carpological and pollen data from the Early Holocene sequence of Uan Tabu. Data were integrated and compared with other sites of the area in order to draw a general picture on plant exploitation and landscape in the Early Holocene. Three main 'plant assemblage zones', corresponding to different concentrations and floristic lists of seed/fruit and pollen, show main synchronous botanical changes which are correlated with the archaeological record. Since the beginnings of the Holocene, firstly the changing climate and then humans influenced the development of the environment in the Tadrart Acacus. In the cultural sequence, from the Early to the Late Acacus phases, behavioural changes towards increased plant harvesting and processing were observed. During the Late Acacus (ca. 8300-7490 BC; 8800-8600 uncal. years bp) plants were accumulated not only for food, but also for other uses. Fodder, bedding, colouring, building, crafting, medical, and possibly votive purposes could be inferred. As already accepted elsewhere, it is clear that plants must have played a crucial role in the cultural evolution of these human groups, as well.