To cope with climate change, ancient societies employed a variety of tactics.

The contemporary age was not the beginning of climate change. Africa's prehistoric past shows that people are already battling climatic instability and are adapting through a variety of coping mechanisms.

The Holocene Epoch, which started about 11,000 years ago, saw a significant change in ecosystems. For millennia, there were widespread rains during a rainy period called the African Humid Period. Then came dwindling lakes, growing deserts, and rising aridity.

Climate strategies in the past were adaptable.

Ancient African communities reacted to these shocks with adaptability rather than homogeneity. The communities used farming, fishing, foraging, and herding to create their means of subsistence. They were able to endure long-term environmental change thanks to these combinations.

What we observe is a complicated mosaic of tactics that kept individuals resilient rather than a straight line of advancement. The study's primary author, Leanne N. Phelps, stated, "That has real lessons for food systems today."

Bones reveal changes brought on by the climate.

Isotopes from animal and human bones found throughout Africa were examined by the research team. The chemical signature of the foods consumed is carried by these isotopes. For example, C3 plants, such as wheat, thrive in moister, cooler climates. In hot, arid climates, C4 plants like sorghum and millet flourish.

The team discovered isotopic niches by putting people with comparable isotope compositions together. These niches aligned with distinct livelihood approaches. Researchers then connected these tactics to ecological and archaeological data.

One important discovery was that the carbon values varied the most in diets based on pastoral farming. This implies lifestyles based on livestock that have been adjusted to a variety of environments. Conversely, the range and geographic scope of C3 crop-based solutions were more constrained.

Pastoralism's function

At 61% of the sites under study, pastoralism was the most prevalent occupation in the archaeological record. The nutrition and environmental conditions of pastoral systems varied greatly, ranging from arid savannas to high plateaus. Some involved specialisation in camels or livestock. Others combined aquatic or foraged meals with livestock.

Ancient cultivation based on C3 species, such as barley and wheat, on the other hand, emerged in fewer places and climate zones. These agricultural practices relied more on reliable water sources, like those found in the Ethiopian highlands or the Nile Valley.

Foraging, fishing, and combined tactics

Nitrogen isotope enrichment was substantial in aquatic-based diets, suggesting a high fish intake. These tactics were particularly prevalent in areas close to big lakes or coastlines, such as South Africa and the area surrounding Lake Chad.

Some societies used a combination herding-hunting-fishing methods, or they integrated farming and foraging. Such merging first occurred in the Zambezi Basin some 2,000 years ago. It might represent social interaction between San hunter-gatherers migrating north and Bantu-speaking farmers migrating south.

Different climate tactics in different places

In response to their particular environmental circumstances, several regions of the African continent developed unique techniques. The development of specialised pastoral systems was made possible in East Africa by the combination of highly seasonal rainfall and mountainous topography.

Herding villages were able to thrive because these highland regions provided a variety of microclimates that could sustain sheep grazing even during difficult times. The shift to intensive food production, however, happened more slowly in West Africa. There could have been a number of reasons for this delay.

The prevalence of livestock diseases, especially trypanosomiasis, which is spread by tsetse flies and has an impact on cow health, was one major obstacle. Furthermore, the variety of flexible subsistence techniques may have been constrained by the area's flat terrain and very homogeneous biological zones.

Climate adaptation and dietary patterns

The evolution of food patterns is demonstrated by isotopic evidence found in human and animal bones. Because C3 plants thrive in colder, wetter climates, the northern regions of Africa have become more dependent on them as rainfall has decreased.

Rising rainfall levels, on the other hand, were linked to increased usage of cattle and higher intake of C4 plants in southern regions, indicating a growing focus on pastoralism. These changes in food are a reflection of millennia-long patterns in ecological adaptation and livelihood rearrangement.

Taking inspiration from historical climate strategies

The way that ancient Africa dealt with climate volatility demonstrates that adaptation was essential for survival. The study comes to the conclusion that no one approach was effective throughout the continent. Rather, adaptable tactics that took into account regional circumstances gave rise to resilience.

"An understanding of how people have been using available resources over time is essential if we want climate solutions and global environmental change solutions to succeed," Phelps stated.

This long-term view exposes an important realisation: sustainable tactics stem from ecological awareness, diverse livelihoods, and local knowledge. Success stories from the past could still influence how we respond to a changing climate in the future.