Pointer years in modern Picea glauca from the Giddings’ collection (AD 1600-1941)

At the beginning of the second millennium AD, northwestern Alaska is the scene of significant climate and cultural changes. It is during this period of climatic instability of the transition from Medieval Climate Anomaly to Little Ice Age (AD 1000-1350), that appears the Thule culture, direct ancestor of the today’s Inuit people (Mason 2017).

Classic period wood use at monumental centers in northwestern Mesoamerica

An anthracological approach to understanding Late Classic period cultural collapse in Mesoamerica’s northwestern frontier

International audience; For over 50 years, researchers have suggested that increased regional rainfall over the highland deserts of Mesoamerica's northwestern frontier zone during the Classic period (AD 200-900) allowed for the colonization of the zone by farming groups who originated from Central and/or West Mexico. A severe and prolonged drought is hypothesized to have later provoked the abandonment of the region by these sedentary populations by AD 900. However, very little research has been carried out in the zone to detect evidence of this proposed climate change. I present results from the first systematic study of wood charcoal from the northwestern frontier, comparing the data from …