Vegetation and Plant Use at Gobero (Central Niger) inferred from Pollen

Pollen is generally known to be an effective tool to reconstruct plant landscape evolution, as it permits to study diachronically environmental changes. Within the multidisciplinary studies carried out at the archaeological site of Gobero, palynological analyses can help to reconstruct past environments giving details on the flora and vegetation cover of this Saharan region during the early and middle Holocene. Moreover, in archaeological contexts, as in the case of Gobero, pollen can provide information on the past relationships between human populations and the environment. During the 2006 field season, pollen samples were collected from spot areas in the burials in the G1 and G3 cemeteries, and from a short sequence in the Gobero Paleolake (GO1), a desiccated lake near the burial sites. Pollen spectra reflect low biodiversity and were dominated by Sahelian taxa (Poaceae + Cyperaceae), whereas Saharan taxa (Chenopodiaceae + Asteraceae) were less represented. Data from the burials give fairly concordant information on the Gobero plant landscape which, at the time of use of the cemetery, was largely an open environment, herb-dominated by grassland or shrubland vegetation. Several hydrophytes and algal elements (Concentrycistes) testify to the presence of permanent water, such as ponds or lakes, and the presence of fresh water environments in the area.