Not so deserted…paleoecology and human subsistence in Central Iberia (Guadalajara, Spain) around the Last Glacial Maximum

Yravedra, José; Julien, Marie-Anne; Alcaraz‐Castaño, Manuel; Estaca-Gómez, Verónica; Alcolea-González, Javier; Balbín-Behrmann, Rodrigo de; Lécuyer, Christophe; Marcel, Claude Hillaire; Burke, Ariane

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2016.03.021

Cited by 25 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…The last two periods of loess deposition took place between 25.9 ± 2.4 kyr and 23.2 ± 1.6 kyr (SU-8), and around 16.2 ± 1.4 kyr (SU-9) that both coincide with Heinrich Stadials 2 and 1. These findings suggest that during the first period of the global Last Glacial Maximum (26,5–19 kyr) 27 , conditions were cold and dry, but changed to relatively mild ones in the later part that fits with evidences from mountain glaciers 28 and rock shelters 29 in central Iberia. The uppermost unit (SU-10) consists of colluvial slope deposits and indicates strong sediment shifting most likely related to very recent human land use practices.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

Climate deteriorations and Neanderthal demise in interior Iberia

Wolf

Kolb

Alcaraz‐Castaño

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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Time and circumstances for the disappearance of Neanderthals and its relationship with the advent of Modern Humans are not yet sufficiently resolved, especially in case of the Iberian Peninsula. Reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions during the last glacial period is crucial to clarifying whether climate deteriorations or competition and contacts with Modern Humans played the pivotal role in driving Neanderthals to extinction. A high-resolution loess record from the Upper Tagus Basin in central Spain demonstrates that the Neanderthal abandonment of inner Iberian territories 42 kyr ago coincided with the evolvement of hostile environmental conditions, while archaeological evidence testifies that this desertion took place regardless of modern humans’ activities. According to stratigraphic findings and stable isotope analyses, this period corresponded to the driest environmental conditions of the last glacial apart from an even drier period linked to Heinrich Stadial 3. Our results show that during Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 4 and 2 climate deteriorations in interior Iberia temporally coincided with northern hemisphere cold periods (Heinrich stadials). Solely during the middle MIS 3, in a period surrounding 42 kyr ago, this relation seems not straightforward, which may demonstrate the complexity of terrestrial climate conditions during glacial periods.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 74%

Climate deteriorations and Neanderthal demise in interior Iberia

Wolf

Kolb

Alcaraz‐Castaño

et al. 2018

Sci Rep

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“…No indications of loess formation were found for the period of the global LGM (23-19 ka), thus, we expect less dry and less cold conditions in central Iberia during that time. This is in line with mild North Atlantic SSTs (Eynaud et al, 2009) and indications of recurrent human occupation due to temperate phases within and around the LGM in the northern part of the upper Tagus Basin (Alcaraz-Castaño, 2015;Yravedra et al, 2016;Alcaraz-Castaño et al, 2017).…”

Section: Driving Forces Of Central Iberian Loess Dynamicssupporting

confidence: 79%

Evidence for strong relations between the upper Tagus loess formation (central Iberia) and the marine atmosphere off the Iberian margin during the last glacial period

et al. 2021

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During glacial times, the North Atlantic region was affected by serious climate changes corresponding to Dansgaard-Oeschger cycles that were linked to dramatic shifts in sea temperature and moisture transfer to the continents. However, considerable efforts are still needed to understand the effects of these shifts on terrestrial environments. In this context, the Iberian Peninsula is particularly interesting because of its close proximity to the North Atlantic, although the Iberian interior lacks paleoenvironmental information so far because suitable archives are rare. Here we provide an accurate impression of the last glacial environmental developments in central Iberia based on comprehensive investigations using the upper Tagus loess record. A multi-proxy approach revealed that phases of loess formation during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 (and upper MIS 3) were linked to utmost aridity, coldness, and highest wind strengths in line with the most intense Greenland stadials also including Heinrich Events 3–1. Lack of loess deposition during the global last glacial maximum (LGM) suggests milder conditions, which agrees with less-cold sea surface temperatures (SST) off the Iberian margin. Our results demonstrate that geomorphological system behavior in central Iberia is highly sensitive to North Atlantic SST fluctuations, thus enabling us to reconstruct a detailed hydrological model in relation to marine–atmospheric circulation patterns.

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“…Peopling of the highlands of the interior lands of the Iberian Peninsula during cold climatic events of the Late Pleistocene is well recorded (Cacho et al, 2016;Yravedra et al, 2016;Alcaraz et al, 2017). However, the number of Middle Pleistocene sites in which a significant difference of the mean annual temperature (MAT) with regard to current temperatures could be stated is very low.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…The impact of the height on the climate, together with the continentality of the area could have prevented the peopling of this area (Straus, 1991;Corch on, 1997;D'Errico and S anchez-Goñi, 2003;Vaquero, 2006). However in the last decade it has been proposed that, despite the tough climatic conditions, occupation did occur during cold periods of the Late Pleistocene in the inner area of Iberia (Cacho et al, 2012(Cacho et al, , 2016Alcaraz et al, 2013Alcaraz et al, , 2017Yravedra et al, 2016), even in the harshest times of the climatic maximum (Cacho et al, 2016). However, evidence suggests human occupations in cold moments of the Middle Pleistocene in the Iberian Peninsula are highly limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%