Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Predicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA

July 7, 2021

Wildfires of uncharacteristic severity, a consequence of climate changes and accumulated fuels, can cause amplified or novel impacts to archaeological resources. The archaeological record includes physical features associated with human activity; these exist within ecological landscapes and provide a unique long-term perspective on human–environment interactions. The potential for fire-caused damage to archaeological materials is of major concern because these resources are irreplaceable and non-renewable, have social or religious significance for living peoples, and are protected by an extensive body of legislation. Although previous studies have modeled ecological burn severity as a function of environmental setting and climate, the fidelity of these variables as predictors of archaeological fire effects has not been evaluated. This study, focused on prehistoric archaeological sites in a fire-prone and archaeologically rich landscape in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, USA, identified the environmental and climate variables that best predict observed fire severity and fire effects to archaeological features and artifacts.

Publication Year 2021
Title Predicting wildfire impacts on the prehistoric archaeological record of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico, USA
DOI 10.1186/s42408-021-00103-6
Authors Megan Friggens, Rachel A. Loehman, Connie Constan, Rebekah Kneifel
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Fire Ecology
Index ID 70223308
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Alaska Science Center Geography