Firewood exploitation in the Amu Darya valley of Uzbekistan from ca. 300 BCE to ca. 1400 CE

• Analysis of charcoal from Termez and other sites in the Amu Darya basin (300 BCE-1400 CE) reveals the use of firewood from riparian forests. • Shifts in the consumption of riparian taxa highlight human impacts on local ecosystems and fuelwood exploitation over time. • Changes in riparian taxa over time indicate the impact of human activities on local ecosystems and species availability. • The presence of economic and cultivated species indicates early arboriculture, probably supported by available water resources. This paper presents the results of the analysis of charcoal recovered during recent excavations in the ancient city of Termez and other sites in the Amu Darya region of Uzbekistan, dated between 300 BCE and 1400 CE. The charcoal analysis focused on the identification of taxa with the aim of approximating the acquisition and use of firewood. It showed the use of plants that grew in the riparian forests near the course of the Amu Darya during the time of the sequence. Tamarix sp., Fraxinus sp., and Salicaceae are the most abundant remains. Other taxa such as Elaeagnus sp., Vitis vinifera , Prunus sp., and Maloideae are also present. The increase in the consumption of certain riparian taxa over time, together with the decline of others, indicates the impact of human activities on local ecosystems and species availability. The presence of economic species, such as Vitis sp. or Ficus carica , and other potentially cultivated species such as Prunus sp., in the area suggests the introduction and early practice of arboriculture, possibly supported by water resources.