Human, Environment and Food: Human Productivity of the Environment in the Mesolithic and Neolithic Periods in the Southeast of the Caspian Sea

Abstract

The Mesolithic and Neolithic periods mark pivotal junctures in the evolving relationship between humansand the environment. During these epochs, millennia-old hunter-gatherer lifestyles underwent a profoundtransformation, giving rise to new modes of existence. A cornerstone of this shift was the development of strategiesto harness and optimize the diverse resources offered by the natural world. The Neolithic period, in particular,is often considered the dawn of the Anthropocene, as human activities began to exert a substantial and oftenirreversible impact on ecosystems. To explore the dynamics of this transformation in the southeastern Caspian Searegion, this article examines archaeological evidence from the Hotu, Kamarband, Komishan caves, and KomishaniTepe. Through the analysis of archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and lithic artifacts, we seek to reconstruct themultifaceted changes experienced by communities as they transitioned from hunting and gathering to agriculture.Our findings reveal a period of remarkable adaptability. Humans intelligently modified their environments to meettheir needs and employed diverse strategies to mitigate the challenges posed by climatic fluctuations, such as coldand warm. These adaptations underscore the ingenuity and resilience of early human societies as they navigatedthe complexities of their changing world.