Climate and Cultural Change in Prehistoric Europe and the Near East

Description

The subject of climate change could hardly be more timely. In Climate and Cultural Change in Prehistoric Europe and the Near East, an interdisciplinary group of contributors examine climate change through the lens of new archaeological and paleo-environmental data over the course of more than 10,000 years from the Near East to Europe. Key climatic and other events are contextualized with cultural changes and transitions for which the authors discuss when, how, and if, changes in climate and environment caused people to adapt, move or perish. More than this publication of crucial archaeological and paleo-environmental data, however, the volume seeks to understand the social, political and economic significance of climate change as it was manifested in various ways around the Old World. Contrary to perceptions of threatening global warming in our popular media, and in contrast to grim images of collapse presented in some archaeological discussions of past climate change, this book rejects outright societal collapse as a likely outcome. Yet this does not keep the authors from considering climate change as a potential factor in explaining culture change by adopting a critical stance with regard to the long-standing practice of equating synchronicity with causality, and explicitly considering alternative explanations.

Illustrations
Acknowledgments

Introduction: Climate and Culture Change in Archaeology
Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse, Peter F. Biehl

Part I. Near East

1. The Oasis of Palmyra in Prehistory: Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Paleoclimate and Human Occupation in the Region of Palmyra/Tadmor (Central Syria)
Mauro Cremaschi, Andrea Zerboni

2. When the Going Gets Tough: Risk Minimization Responses to the 8.2 ka Event in the Near East and Their Role in Emergence of the Halaf Cultural Phenomenon
Mandy Mottram

Chapter Three,
3. The 8.2 Event in Upper Mesopotamia: Climate and Cultural Change
Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse, Peter Akkermans, Johannes van der Plicht, Anna Russell, Akemi Kaneda

4. The Aftermath of the 8.2 Event: Cultural and Environmental Effects in the Anatolian Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic
Patrick T. Willett, Ingmar Franz, Ceren Kabukcu, David Orton, Jana Rogasch, Elizabeth Stroud, Eva Rosenstock, Peter F. Biehl

5. Managing Risk through Diversification in Plant Exploitation during the Seventh Millennium B.C.: The Phytolith Record at Catalhoyuk
Philippa Ryan, Arlene Rosen

6. The 8.2 Event and the Neolithic Expansion in Western Anatolia
Bleda S. Düring

Part II. Europe

7."Singing in the Rain": Khirokitia (Cyprus) in the Second Half of the Seventh Millennium cal B.C.
Odile Daune-Le Brun, Alain Le Brun

8. Early Holocene Climatic Fluctuations and Human Responses in Greece
Catherine Perlès

9. Rapid Climate Change and Radiocarbon Discontinuities in the Mesolithic-Early Neolithic Settlement Record of the Iron Gates: Cause or Coincidence?
Clive Bonsall, Mark Macklin, Adina Boroneanţ, Catriona Pickard, László Bartosiewicz, Gordon Cook, Thomas Higham

10. Climate Fluctuations, Human Migrations, and the Spread of Farming in Western Eurasia: Refining the Argument
Detlef Gronenborn

11. Economic and Social Changes and Climate between 3200 and 2500 B.C.: Late Neolithic Transformations in Southeastern Poland
Andrzej Pelisiak

12. Climate and the Definition of Archaeological Periods in Sweden
Daniel Löwenborg, Thomas Eriksson

Part III. Commentary

13. Epilogue to a Prologue: The Changing Climate of the Past, Present, and Future
Ezra B. W. Zubrow

Contributors
Index

Sujets

• Ancient World
• Archaeology
• Ancient history
• Anthropology

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 23 novembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781438461847
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Climate and Cultural Change in Prehistoric Europe and the Near East
THE INSTITUTE FOR EUROPEAN AND MEDITERRANEAN ARCHAEOLOGY DISTINGUISHED MONOGRAPH SERIES

Peter F. Biehl, Sarunas Milisauskas, and Stephen L. Dyson, editors
The Magdalenian Household: Unraveling Domesticity
Ezra Zubrow, Françoise Audouze, and James G. Enloe, editors
Eventful Archaeologies: New Approaches to Social Transformation in the Archaeological Record
Douglas J. Bolender, editor
The Archaeology of Violence: Interdisciplinary Approaches
Sarah Ralph, editor
Approaching Monumentality in Archaeology
James. F. Osborne, editor
The Archaeology of Childhood: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on an Archaeological Enigma
Güner Coşkunsu, editor
Diversity of Sacrifice: Form and Function of Sacrificial Practices in the Ancient World and Beyond
Carrie Ann Murray, editor
Climate and Cultural Change in Prehistoric Europe and the Near East
Peter F. Biehl and Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse, editors
CLIMATE AND CULTURAL CHANGE IN PREHISTORIC EUROPE AND THE NEAR EAST

IEMA Proceedings,
Volume 6
EDITED BY
Peter F. Biehl and
Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse
STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK PRESS
Logo and cover/interior art: A vessel with wagon motifs from Bronocice, Poland, 3400 B.C. Courtesy of Sarunas Milisauskas and Janusz Kruk, 1982, Die Wagendarstellung auf einem Trichterbecher au Bronocice, Polen, Archäologisches Korrespondenzblatt 12: 141–144
Published by
State University of New York Press, Albany
© 2016 State University of New York
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.
For information, contact
State University of New York Press, Albany, NY
www.sunypress.edu
Production, Eileen Nizer
Marketing, Michael Campochiaro
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Biehl, Peter F., editor. | Nieuwenhuyse, Olivier, editor. | European Association of Archaeologists. Annual Meeting (16th : 2010 : Hague, Netherlands), sponsoring body. | 8.2 ka Climate Event and Archaeology in the Ancient Near East (Conference) (2010 : Leiden, Netherlands), sponsoring body
Title: Climate and cultural change in prehistoric Europe and the Near East / edited by Peter F. Biehl and Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse.
Description: Albany : State University of New York Press, 2016. | Series: Institute for European and Mediterranean Archaeology distinguished monograph series | “The chapters of this book arose from two symposia on the archaeology of climate change: The 8.2 ka Climate Event and Archaeology in the Ancient Near East (Leiden, March 19, 2010), and Climate and Cultural Change in Prehistoric Europe and the Near East, (European Association of Archaeologists annual meeting in The Hague, 2010).”—Acknowledgements. | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2015042619 (print) | LCCN 2016003288 (ebook) | ISBN 9781438461830 (hardcover : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781438461847 (e-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Paleoclimatology—Holocene—Congresses. | Paleoecology—Holocene—Congresses. | Prehistoric peoples. | Human beings—Effect of climate on.
Classification: LCC QC884 .C568 2016 (print) | LCC QC884 (ebook) | DDC 939.4/01—dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015042619
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
I LLUSTRATIONS
A CKNOWLEDGMENTS
I NTRODUCTION
Climate and Culture Change in Archaeology
Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse, Peter F. Biehl
P ART I
N EAR E AST
C HAPTER O NE
The Oasis of Palmyra in Prehistory: Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene Paleoclimate and Human Occupation in the Region of Palmyra/Tadmor (Central Syria)
Mauro Cremaschi, Andrea Zerboni
C HAPTER T WO
When the Going Gets Tough: Risk Minimization Responses to the 8.2 ka Event in the Near East and Their Role in Emergence of the Halaf Cultural Phenomenon
Mandy Mottram
C HAPTER T HREE
The 8.2 Event in Upper Mesopotamia: Climate and Cultural Change
Olivier P. Nieuwenhuyse, Peter Akkermans, Johannes van der Plicht, Anna Russell, Akemi Kaneda
C HAPTER F OUR
The Aftermath of the 8.2 Event: Cultural and Environmental Effects in the Anatolian Late Neolithic and Early Chalcolithic
Patrick T. Willett, Ingmar Franz, Ceren Kabukcu, David Orton, Jana Rogasch, Elizabeth Stroud, Eva Rosenstock, Peter F. Biehl
C HAPTER F IVE
Managing Risk through Diversification in Plant Exploitation during the Seventh Millennium B.C.: The Phytolith Record at Çatalhöyük
Philippa Ryan, Arlene Rosen
C HAPTER S IX
The 8.2 Event and the Neolithic Expansion in Western Anatolia
Bleda S. Düring
P ART II
E UROPE
C HAPTER S EVEN
“Singing in the Rain”: Khirokitia (Cyprus) in the Second Half of the Seventh Millennium cal B.C.
Odile Daune-Le Brun, Alain Le Brun
C HAPTER E IGHT
Early Holocene Climatic Fluctuations and Human Responses in Greece
Catherine Perlès
C HAPTER N INE
Rapid Climate Change and Radiocarbon Discontinuities in the Mesolithic-Early Neolithic Settlement Record of the Iron Gates: Cause or Coincidence?
Clive Bonsall, Mark Macklin, Adina Boroneanț, Catriona Pickard, László Bartosiewicz, Gordon Cook, Thomas Higham
C HAPTER T EN
Climate Fluctuations, Human Migrations, and the Spread of Farming in Western Eurasia: Refining the Argument
Detlef Gronenborn
C HAPTER E LEVEN
Economic and Social Changes and Climate between 3200 and 2500 B.C.: Late Neolithic Transformations in Southeastern Poland
Andrzej Pelisiak
C HAPTER T WELVE
Climate and the Definition of Archaeological Periods in Sweden
Daniel Löwenborg, Thomas Eriksson
P ART III
C OMMENTARY
C HAPTER T HIRTEEN
Epilogue to a Prologue: The Changing Climate of the Past, Present, and Future
Ezra B. W. Zubrow
C ONTRIBUTORS
I NDEX
Illustrations
F IGURES Figure 1.1 Left, Landsat satellite imagery of the region surrounding Palmyra/Tadmor (central Syria) indicating the name of the main localities cited in the text; the inset illustrates the position of the study area in a regional context. Right, geomorphological sketch of the area described in the text. Key: 1, pre-Quaternary bedrock (limestone); 2, Quaternary deposits; 3, Pleistocene lake deposits; 4, delta system; 5, sabkhat; 6, erosional streams. Figure 1.2 Ikonos satellite imagery indicating the distribution of Upper Pleistocene and Early Holocene lake (1) and aeolian (2) deposits in the sabkhat area, the archaeological sites (dots), and the main localities cited in the text (triangles: 1, tell Site 288; 2, wadi Aid section; 3, Site 250; 4, Site 389) (modified from Cremaschi and Zerboni 2012). Figure 1.3 Stratigraphic section at wadi Aid, illustrating the results of sedimentological analyses (grain size, content of carbonate equivalent, and organic carbon). Black triangles indicate the locations of flint artifacts (a, lamellar débitage; b, Mousterian), dots indicate the position of sampling points; the dated layer and results are also indicated. Note in the cumulative grain size distributions from the upper part of the section (sampling points 2 and 3) a clear input of aeolian sand (for the interpretation of sedimentological data see: Krumbein and Sloss 1963; Kukal, 1971). Figure 1.4 Geomorphological features at the southern margin of the Sabkhat al Mouh. (a) Late Pleistocene/Early Holocene lacustrine terraces at the southern margin of the sabkhat. (b) A gypsum-sand dune at the southern margin of the sabkhat. Cross-sections indicating the relationships between sand dunes (c) and lacustrine terraces (d) at the southern margin of the sabkhat (modified from Cremaschi and Zerboni 2012); the distribution of sites and the result of an AMS- 14 C dating are also reported. Figure 1.5 Some findings from the archaeological sites at the margin of the Sabkhat al Mouh dating to the Late Epipaleolithic and the Pre-Pottery Neolithic. 1: burin and backed point; 2: end scraper on blade; 3: rectangular geometric; 4: truncated and backed point; 5: partly backed point; 6: backed point; 7, 8: perforators; 9, 10: Khiam points; 11: Byblos point (recto/verso). Figure 1.6 Geomorphological map of Abu Fawares area, diamonds indicated the position of Epipaleolithic and Neolithic archaeological sites; a geological cross section is also reported (modified from Cremaschi and Zerboni 2012). Key: 1, limestone outcrop; 2, slope deposits; 3, pediment; 4, windblown depression cut into Pleistocene alluvial sediments; 5, Holocene lake sediments; 6, archaeological mounds; 7, archaeological sites; 8, main wadis. Figure 1.7 Flint artifacts from archaeological sites in the Abu Fawares area. 1: backed pointed bladelet; 2–4: backed blade and bladelet associated with truncations; 5: end scraper; 6: burin on a fracture, opposite to end scraper; 7: burins; 8: frontal end scraper on a flake; 9, 10: pedunculated backed points on bladelet; 11: perforator on a backed bladelet; 12, 13: lunates; 14: pedunculated flake; 15: perforator; 16: backed point on backed bladelet; 17: Khiam (?) point (recto/verso); 18–20: Byblos points (recto/verso). Figure 1.8 (a