Sign-switching ecological changes in the Mediterranean Basin at 4.2 ka BP

Rita, Federico Di; Michelangeli, Fabrizio; Celant, Alessandra; Magri, Donatella

doi:10.1016/j.gloplacha.2021.103713

Cited by 16 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 75 publications

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“…Because of its global significance, it defines a formal boundary between the Mid- and Late Holocene (Walker et al, 2019). More studies suggest this climate oscillation is not just one single dry event, but a highly dynamic succession of dry and wet events (Bini et al, 2019) affecting the worldwide development of seasonal rainfalls, vegetation cover change (Shumilovskikh et al, 2016; Di Rita et al, 2022), and ensuing torrential runoff and high-frequency environmental instabilities (Türkeş and Erlat, 2005; Kuzucuoğlu et al, 2011; Dreibrodt et al, 2014; Ocakoğlu et al, 2019; Lawrence et al, 2021). The change from dominating floodplain aggradation to enlarged fan development as observed in Tekkedere, therefore, probably corresponds to the global effect of the 4.2 ka drought event.…”

Section: Mid- To Late Holocene Geomorphodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid- to Late Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon micro-region, western Turkey

et al. 2023

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From 300 BC to AD 300, the city of Pergamon underwent a profound transformation that impacted the rural settlement patterns and the concomitant geomorphodynamics. We present a geoarchaeological study in a long-term settled catchment in the Pergamon micro-region to disentangle the Holocene geomorphodynamics and triggering factors, for example, climate change and human activity. The analyses of eight radiocarbon-dated sediment profiles from the Tekkedere alluvial fan and its catchment indicate four principal sedimentation phases. Phase 1 (ca. 6.2 to 5–4 ka) is dominated by the floodplain aggradation of the receiving Bakırçay River, which is followed by the formation of floodplain soils (phase 2). Substantial geomorphodynamic changes occurred around 4 ka (phase 3), when the edge of the floodplain was buried by fan sediments of the tributary Tekkedere creek. This is attributed to supraregional aridization and rapid climate change events, superimposed by the onset of local human activities. Repeated cycles of coarse- and fine-textured fan sediments with age inversions after ca. 3.8 ka and valley infills younger than 1300 yr BP indicate the strong erosion and redeposition of sediments in phase 4. These increased geomorphodynamics may coincide with the changing settlement pattern and thus reflect human–environment interactions.

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Section: Mid- To Late Holocene Geomorphodynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid- to Late Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon micro-region, western Turkey

et al. 2023

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“…As there are no known Early Bronze Age sites in this area of Corsica, an anthropogenic origin for this sudden change in vegetation cover is therefore highly hypothetical. As for the 4.2 kyr BP event, this climate change does not appear to be associated to any general deforestation patterns in Corsica (Di Rita et al, 2022a, 2022b. We can therefore only speculate that an arid climate event, if one occurred, had only a limited impact on intermittent coastal ecosystems.…”

Section: Vegetation History Of the Unesco Protected Site (Fangu And G...mentioning

confidence: 74%

Mid- to Late-Holocene coastal morphological evolution, vegetation history and land-use changes of the Porto Gulf UNESCO World Heritage site and its surroundings (NW Corsica Island, Western Mediterranean)

et al. 2023

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Two coastal areas located on the North-Western side of Corsica Island have been investigated to reconstruct their Mid- to Late-Holocene landscape evolution together with the history of human occupation. Particular attention has been paid to the study of shoreline migration and vegetation history alongside land-use. Three boreholes were drilled to a maximum depth of 4.20 m and laboratory work comprised the identification of molluscs and pollen/NPPs as well as sedimentological analyses. Chronostratigraphy is based on a series of 18 radiocarbon datings and enabled to reconstruct the environments in the Fangu Estuary to the north of the World Heritage site over the last six millennia, and over the last four millennia on the Girolata coastal plain to the south. Palaeogeographic reconstruction of shoreline mobility is established for each site based on borehole chronostratigraphy analysis. In addition, two original pollen and NPPs diagrams have been established for the Girolata and Fangu sites. These reveal that anthropogenic activities began to significantly impact local vegetation cover ca. 2500 years BP at Girolata, and ca. 2000 years BP at Fangu. Of particular interest, our work records the first complete pollen sequence in Corsica for Roman times at Girolata: first, the exploitation of cereals, grapevines and the development of husbandry is observed during the Roman Republic (500 BCE–0), followed by the almost exclusive cultivation of Olea sp. during the Roman Empire (0–500 CE). Following this, and using other regional pollen studies obtained for NW Corsica, we propose a regional evolution of the complex human-environment interactions for the last six millennia. Our results reveal a peak of regional forest decline (the most intense event recorded for the Late-Holocene) from the 11th to the 16th centuries CE which can be attributed to the exploitation of wood resources during the Pisan and Genoese dominations of the island.

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“…By comparing different proxies, such as the number of radiocarbon dates from cremation deposits, inhumation graves, and residential structures, it appears that the end of the 3rd and the beginning of the 2nd millennium BC, in comparison with earlier and later periods, were characterized by a low population count in the Belgian area. This period directly follows the 4.2 ka cal BP climatic event, which has been identified globally as a period of abrupt climate change (Bond et al 2001;Drysdale et al 2006;Roland et al 2014;Cheung et al 2019;Rousseau et al 2019;Lawrence et al 2021;Di Rita et al 2022;Younes and Bakry 2022). The origin of this rapid climate change has been traditionally linked to changes in the ocean-atmosphere circulation system in the North Atlantic, although recently this hypothesis has been questioned (Bradley and Bakke 2019).…”

Section: Early Bronze Agementioning

confidence: 97%

Final Neolithic and Bronze Age Funerary Practices and Population Dynamics in Belgium, the Impact of Radiocarbon Dating Cremated Bones

et al. 2023

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The Final Neolithic and the Bronze Age (3000–800 BC) are periods of great transformations in the communities inhabiting the area of modern-day Belgium, as testified by archaeological evidence showing an increasing complexity in social structure, technological transformations, and large-scale contacts. By combining 599 available radiocarbon dates with 88 new 14C dates from 23 from funerary sites, this paper uses kernel density estimates to model the temporality in the use of inhumation vs. cremation burials, cremation deposits in barrows vs. flat graves, and cremation grave types. Additionally, by including 78 dates from settlements, changes in population dynamics were reconstructed. The results suggest a phase of demographic contraction around ca. 2200–1800 BC highlighted by a lack of dates from both settlements and funerary contexts, followed by an increase in the Middle Bronze Age, with the coexistence of cremation deposits in barrows and, in a lower number, in flat graves. At the end of the 14th–13th century BC, an episode of cultural change with the almost generalized use of flat graves over barrows is observed. Regional differentiations in the funerary practices and the simultaneous use of different grave types characterize the Late Bronze Age.

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Sign-switching ecological changes in the Mediterranean Basin at 4.2 ka BP

Cited by 16 publications

References 75 publications

Mid- to Late Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon micro-region, western Turkey

Mid- to Late Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon micro-region, western Turkey

Mid- to Late-Holocene coastal morphological evolution, vegetation history and land-use changes of the Porto Gulf UNESCO World Heritage site and its surroundings (NW Corsica Island, Western Mediterranean)

Final Neolithic and Bronze Age Funerary Practices and Population Dynamics in Belgium, the Impact of Radiocarbon Dating Cremated Bones

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