Vietnam Burning: Warfare Scorched the Land for 1,500 Years
Monday, July 13, 2009 - 17:56
in Paleontology & Archaeology
Sifting through layers of sediment in Vietnam's Song Hong Delta, researchers weren't surprised to find charred evidence of ancient fires after several cultures migrated there about 5,000 years ago. Cycles of early blazes are tied to changes in the climate, when the area dried out, as well as to agriculture, as a means to clear land for planting. But what could explain a surge in singed land throughout the past 1,500 years? [More]