Mutual Climatic Range Methods for Quaternary Ostracods

Ostracod-based palaeotemperature reconstructions for MIS 11 human occupation at Beeches Pit, West Stow, Suffolk, UK

“…a non-analogue fauna). This is attributed to its narrow calibrated range of January temperature of just 2 C, between À20 C and À22 C, which is almost certainly due to the low number of records available for calibration (Horne et al, 2012). This species is therefore not included in calculations of palaeotemperatures in this study but is instead utilised as a cold indicator species, since it is at least possible to conclude that from its association with other cold-climate taxa (see, e.g., Whittaker and Horne, 2009) it represents cold January temperatures.…”

“…MOTR inferred palaeotemperature reconstructions (using calibrated temperature ranges as in Horne et al, 2012) from the assemblage of Stratum C at Hoxne indicate mean July and January air temperature ranges of þ15 to þ19 and À7 to þ1 C respectively. These ranges compare remarkably well with overall ranges from Bed 7 at Beeches Pit, where mean July and January air temperature ranges are þ15 to þ21 and À7 to À1 C respectively (Fig.…”

“…3). July Table 1 Calibrated January and July air temperature ranges ( C) using the NODE database (Horne et al, 2012) of ostracod species from deposits at Beeches Pit used in the MOTR analysis.…”

Ostracodological studies in archaeological settings: a review

“…Palaeo-temperature quantifications can represent an important tool for palaeoenvironmental intepretation and detailed reconstructions. The Mutual Ostracod Temperature Range method (Horne, 2007;Horne et al,2012) to derive quantitative estimates of palaeotemperature ranges and, consequently, of palaeoclimate has been succesfully applied to ostracod assemblages in archaeological sites related to the first human occupation of England Benardout, this issue).…”

“…In the nineties, ostracod geo-archaeology seemed to finally take its place with, among others, studies about Maya agriculture (Bradbury et al, 1990), Neolithic human occurrence in Central Sahara (Carbonel, 1991), prehistoric human occupation in North America (Palacios-Fest, 1994) and also a systematic approach to ostracod studies in archaeological excavations (Griffiths et al, 1993). In recent years, the significance of ostracods in archaeological studies, to reconstruct past landscape and climate conditions through the autoecological preferences, including temperature, of species and assemblages and the isotopic and chemical signature of their low magnesium calcite carapace has become evident (Holmes and Chivas, 2002;Holmes et al, 2010;Horne et al, 2012). In particular, the methodological paper of Marriner et al (2010) provided a new input to geo-archaeology applied to ancient harbours.…”