Terrestrial pollen and charcoal datasets for Emerald Swamp and laymuna paywuta, Bass Strait, Tasmania from 60,000 - 20,000 years

The nature of human influence on the landscape when they first arrived in
Tasmania about 40,000 years ago remains speculative. We use pollen and
charcoal records from Emerald Swamp and laymuna paywuta in Bass Strait,
Tasmania to not only document the timing of Homo sapiens arrival in the
region but also the first evidence of anthropogenic fire usage and
terrestrial vegetation transformation upon arrival. The timing of human
arrival in Tasmania is identified to be at least 41,000 years ago and
people used fire to burn forested areas more than already open vegetation
types. This provides a deeper understanding of Aboriginal land-use history
in Tasmania, as they may have frequently used and managed forested
landscapes more than previously thought. The pollen and charcoal records
presented here include raw counts of pollen and charcoal, as well as
sample depths and chronologies. Chronologies are based on the Bacon
age-depth model, using the latest Southern Hemisphere calibration curve
(ShCal20). Pollen records only include terrestrial taxa used in the study
and are not inclusive of spores and aquatics.