Land Use Change in a Pericolonial Society: Intensification and Diversification in Ifugao, Philippines Between 1570 and 1800 CE

Land use modelling is increasingly used by archaeologists and palaeoecologists seeking to quantify compare the changing influence of humans on environment. In Southeast Asia, intensification rice agriculture arrival European colonizers have both been seen as major catalysts for deforestation, soil erosion, biodiversity change. Here we consider Tuwali-Ifugao people Cordillera Central (Luzon, Philippines), who resisted Spanish colonial subjugation from 16th mid-nineteenth century, in part through development a world-renowned system intensive wet-rice terrace agriculture. To changes how their environment, model land Old Kiyyangan Village, long-inhabited settlement, at two timepoints: circa 1570 CE, prior Luzon, 1800 before village was sacked military expeditions. Our demonstrates that between adoption staple corresponding expansion agriculture, along with general diversification diet use, enabled village’s population double without increasing total area. Further, this led solidification social hierarchies occurred proportional increase deforestation.