Assessment of Anthropogenic Pollen Signals in Anatolian Lake Records During the Beyşehir Occupation Phase

Understanding the extent to which anthropogenic activity shapes vegetation dynamics is a central challenge in palaeoecology. In the Eastern Mediterranean, pollen-based studies have traditionally identified human impact through qualitative interpretations of anthropogenic indicators, particularly within the framework of the Beyşehir Occupation Phase (BOP). However, proxy-based quantitative comparison of anthropogenic signals across multiple sites remains limited. This study compiles pollen datasets from multiple lacustrine records across Anatolia (Türkiye) to construct a regional multi-site dataset and evaluates anthropogenic influence using a quantitative BOP period anthropogenic taxa integrated with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The relative representation of pollen indicators enabling the determination of anthropogenic effect was evaluated using a composite pollen index based on Olea, Juglans, Plantago lanceolata-type, Cerealia and Rumex acetosa-type taxa. The results reveal substantial spatial variability in anthropogenic signals, with combined pollen percentages ranging from less than 1% to 16% among lakes. PCA results show clear inter-site differentiation, with the first two components explaining 42.94% and 21.95% of the total variance, respectively. In particular, Olea emerges as the most influential indicator, strongly contributing to the primary ecological gradient. These findings provide a proxy-based quantitative extension of the traditionally qualitative BOP concept and show that selected anthropogenic pollen indicators are spatially heterogeneous across Anatolian lake records. By integrating a composite anthropogenic index with multivariate analysis, this study offers a robust and transferable framework for comparing human–environment interactions across different regions and ecological settings.