Is increased energy utilization linked to greater cultural complexity? Energy utilization by Australian Aboriginals and traditional swidden agriculturalists

Abstract

Abstract Theories have been proposed that link increases in energy utilization to increases in cultural complexity. Indeed, available estimates of per capita non-food energy utilization by hunter – gatherers and by people practising swidden agriculture in wooded areas, focusing on fuel wood use, are roughly 1 – 2 orders of magnitude lower than for industrial societies. The latter are in the range of 0.8 – 3.4 × 105 MJ year−1. However, apart from the use of fuel wood, the former estimates have not included work performed by burning vegetation. Here quantitative estimates are given of recent energy utilization linked to burning biomass by Australian Aboriginals and people practising traditional swidden agriculture. Per capita energy utilization linked to biomass burning by Australian Aboriginals is estimated at 1.6 × 106 to 4.0 × 107 MJ year−1. Estimated per capita energy utilization associated with burning biomass in traditional swidden agriculture in the tropical rainforests of Kalimantan and Venezuela, t...