Abstract
Burning histories derived from charcoal preserved in sediment archives
offer scope to reconstruct past climate and landscape dynamics. The
fault-bounded Aksay Pond in northwestern China preserved 24
macrocharcoals that when analysed for 14C using Accelerated Mass
Spectrometry recorded three periods spanning two sigma error ranges of
1053 to 1379 CE, 1424 to 1622 CE and 1652 to 1990 CE. These periods of
charcoal formation span the early to middle stages of the Medieval
Climate Anomaly, the early stages of the Little Ice Age (LIA), and the
transition from peak LIA to Recent Warming. The charcoal record from
Aksay Pond differs from other Altai climate and burning records
suggesting the region has a complex burning history.