Speleothem growth phases in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt reveal enhanced humidity throughout MIS 5

Henselowsky, Felix; Eichstädter, René; Schröder‐Ritzrau, Andrea; Herwartz, Daniel; Almoazamy, Ahmed; Frank, Norbert; Kindermann, Karin; Bubenzer, Olaf

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2021.05.006

Cited by 18 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…1 A) 1 , 2 . Multi-disciplinary studies carried out over the last two decades have shown that this arid belt was subjected to several wet episodes, which narrowed its geographical boundaries 3 – 7 . The strongest and most recognized episode, evident in various records, occurred in MIS 5 (130–80 kya), which is the timespan associated with hominin and faunal expansions to south Arabia and the Levantine corridor 8 – 14 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expansion of eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic into the desert region in early marine isotopic stage 5

Barzilai

Oron

Porat

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Marine Isotopic Stage 5 is associated with wetter climatic conditions in the Saharo-Arabian deserts. This stage also corresponds to the establishment of Middle Paleolithic hominins and their associated material culture in two geographical provinces in southwest Asia—the Eastern Mediterranean woodland and the Arabian Peninsula desert. The lithic industry of the Eastern Mediterranean is characterized by the centripetal Levallois method, whereas the Nubian Levallois method characterizes the populations of the Arabian desert. The Negev Desert, situated between these regions is a key area to comprehend population movement in correlation to climatic zones. This investigation addresses the nature of the Middle Paleolithic settlement in the Negev Desert during MIS 5 by studying the site of Nahal Aqev. High resolution chronological results based on luminescence dating and cryptotephra show the site was occupied from MIS 5e to MIS 5d. The lithic industries at Nahal Aqev are dominated by centripetal Levallois core method. These data demonstrate that Nahal Aqev is much closer in its cultural attributes to the Eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic than to the Arabian Desert entity. We conclude that Nahal Aqev represents an expansion of Middle Paleolithic groups from the Mediterranean woodland into the desert, triggered by better climatic conditions. These groups possibly interacted with hominin groups bearing the Nubian core tradition from the vast region of Arabia.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expansion of eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic into the desert region in early marine isotopic stage 5

Barzilai

Oron

Porat

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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“…In the uppermost 1.5 m of the central depression, late Pleistocene sediments were not encountered. However, the new results do not contradict the assumption that human activities at Sodmein Playa took place during the Late Pleistocene under wetter climatic conditions, since these Late Pleistocene environmental changes could be documented in the immediate vicinity by means of speleothem deposits at Saquia Cave (Henselowsky et al, 2021). Sodmein Playa is thus a distinctive case of a geoarchaeological palimpsest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 58%

“…For the sake of completeness, it should also be mentioned that the discussion of potential precipitation sources (summer rainfall vs. winter rainfall) should also be added, as discussed for example for the Fayum (cf. Phillipps et al, 2012), for Djara in the Western Desert (Kindermann et al, 2006), or for the Eastern Desert at the time of the Last Interglacial (Henselowsky et al, 2021). Evidence of Jericho Rose ( Anastatica hierochuntica ), as an indicator of Mediterranean winter rainfall, as well as Capparaceae species ( Capparis decidua and Maerua crassifolia ), indicating summer rainfall, were found in Djara (Kindermann et al, 2006).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rare Holocene sediment deposits from Sodmein Playa (Eastern Desert, Egypt)—Stratigraphic assessment and environmental setting

et al. 2022

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Sodmein Playa is one of the rare Pleistocene open‐air sites in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Based on the associated stone artefact material, it could be assigned to the Middle Stone Age/Last Interglacial. However, it has not yet been possible to clarify whether the sediments at the basin originated during the Pleistocene or later during Holocene wet phases. Our integrative approach combining Optically Stimulated Luminescence chronology, and cryptotephra analysis, allows us to link the environmental archive of Sodmein Playa with the site of Sodmein Cave. Sodmein Playa indicates wetter climate conditions starting around 9 ka with a (relative) maximum around 7 ka, in line with the general framework of the Holocene Humid Period in Northeast Africa. Despite the climatic similarity, regional environmental differences can still be identified and the effective available water around Sodmein Playa is reduced. The results are well integrated into the current archaeological knowledge with the change from hunter‐gatherers to herders during the Holocene in the area. Analyses of cryptotephra reveal a wide range of source regions, including Eastern and Central Anatolian, the Azores, and the Aegean, as well as those which remain uncorrelated. A tentative correlation with the Holocene cryptotephra record from Sodmein Cave is established.

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“…Speleothems from the eastern Sahara also attest to the ‘Green Sahara’ during the same periods. Wadi Sannur Cave (northern Eastern Desert, Egypt) reveals that the periods of speleothem growth during MIS 5 was restricted to MIS 5e but speleothem growth also occurred during MIS 7 and MIS 9 (El‐Shenawy et al ., 2018), while Saqia Cave (central Eastern Desert, Egypt) documents speleothem growth for all sub‐stages of MIS 5 and even during MIS 6 (Henselowsky et al ., 2021). Expansion of the B. arietans complex north from southern Arabia or across the eastern Sahara towards the Southern Levant could have been initiated in any of the speleothem growth stages.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An African adder (Bitis arietans complex) at Qafzeh Cave, Israel, during the early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5)

Biton

Bailón

2021

J Quaternary Science

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We studied Viperidae remains from Qafzeh Cave, Israel, to understand past dispersal timing and range expansion of Afro‐Arabian taxa to the Southern Levant during the early Late Pleistocene (Marine Isotope Stage 5). A total of 62 African adder (Bitis) snake remains were retrieved from multiple layers at Qafzeh Cave, alongside five non‐Bitis ‘Oriental viper’ taxa vertebrae. These are the only available specimens of Bitis ever reported in the Southern Levant. The morphology of the maxilla and vertebrae corresponds well to that of the Bitis arietans complex. Qafzeh Cave thus becomes the northernmost boundary of the B. arietans complex expansion ever recorded outside Africa. The unprecedented occurrence of Bitis at Qafzeh Cave, in conjunction with other archaeozoological evidence at the site, attest to exceptional climatic and environmental conditions in the surroundings of the cave during the Mousterian Homo sapiens occupations. It reinforces previous evidence for taxa expanding from sub‐Saharan Africa to the Mediterranean biome of the Southern Levant through the now hyper‐arid Saharo‐Arabian desert belt. The environmental conditions following deposition of the early Late Pleistocene layers were probably not favourable for the establishment of the snake, and eventually the B. arietans complex became locally extirpated.

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Speleothem growth phases in the central Eastern Desert of Egypt reveal enhanced humidity throughout MIS 5

Cited by 18 publications

References 50 publications

Expansion of eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic into the desert region in early marine isotopic stage 5

Expansion of eastern Mediterranean Middle Paleolithic into the desert region in early marine isotopic stage 5

Rare Holocene sediment deposits from Sodmein Playa (Eastern Desert, Egypt)—Stratigraphic assessment and environmental setting

An African adder (Bitis arietans complex) at Qafzeh Cave, Israel, during the early Late Pleistocene (MIS 5)

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