A Late Pleistocene Eastern Mediterranean palaeoclimate record based on stable carbon isotopes (Δ13C) of archaeological charcoal: New data from the Epipalaeolithic sequence of Ein Qashish South, Israel

Chiara Belli*, Mina Weinstein-Evron, Valentina Caracuta, Dani Nadel, Reuven Yeshurun, Lior Regev, Elisabetta Boaretto, Alla Yaroshevich

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The Levantine Epipaleolithic period witnessed remarkable cultural processes, culminating with the rise of sedentary hamlets in the Early Natufian. The role of terminal Pleistocene climate changes as a catalyst for these societal shifts has been debated, suffering from a lack of well-dated and localized proxies associated with the human landscape. The charcoal assemblage from the Epipalaeolithic sequence (Kebaran, Geometric Kebaran and Natufian; ca. 25,000–12,700 cal. BP) at Ein Qashish South (EQS, Israel) indicates an Eastern Mediterranean vegetation and the common use of oak (both evergreen and deciduous/semi-deciduous) and almond throughout the sequence. A precipitation curve is presented for the region under study based on stable carbon isotope (δ13C) measurements of identified and dated charcoals from the EQS sequence and from the Natufian el-Wad Terrace (EWT), Mount Carmel, and interpreted in relation to precipitation, the primary environmental factor influencing plant δ13C absorption in the region under study. The resulting proxy covers a period spanning the Last Glacial Maximum and the end of the Pleistocene in the southern Levant. This is the first time a charcoal-based sequence from a high-resolution archaeological record encompasses the precipitation patterns of the entire Epipalaeolithic sequence in the southern Levant. To assess the viability of δ13C analysis of southern Levantine oak (Tabor oak, Quercus ithaburensis, and evergreen oak, Quercus calliprinos) for palaeoclimate reconstruction, isotope measurements were performed on three current oak tree growth rings sampled from a sequence characterised by documented varying annual precipitation. Our experimental results suggest that almond is more susceptible to climate change and, therefore, more suitable as a palaeoclimatic proxy. Δ13C records from almond and oak suggest a more humid climate than today throughout the Epipalaeolithic sequence, with the most humid peak in the Early Natufian. The overall productive environments, particularly in the time when sedentarisation is most apparent, may have contributed to the observed cultural shifts.

Original languageEnglish
Article number104597
JournalJournal of Archaeological Science: Reports
Volume57
Early online date7 Jun 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2024

Funding

This article is part of C.B.'s Ph.D. dissertation, supervised by D.N., M.W-E., and V.C. We thank Prof. Danny Rosenberg from the Laboratory for Ground Stone Tools Research (Zinman Institute of Archaeology) and Prof. Nicolas Waldmann from the Basin Analysis and Petrophysical Lab (PetroLab, Dr. Moses Strauss, Department of Marine Geosciences) of the University of Haifa for providing access to the microscope equipment used in this research. We thank Prof. Dafna Langgut for access to the modern wood collection at the Laboratory of Archaeobotany and Ancient Environments at Tel Aviv University. The Exilarch Foundation for the Dangoor Research Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (D-REAMS) Laboratory (Weizmann Institute of Science) supported the radiocarbon and stable isotopes research. We thank Eugenia Minz from the D-REAMS laboratory, for the help in the preparation of the modern samples for IRMS analysis. We thank Rivka Mishaev, Israel Antiquities Authority, and Sapir Haad, who respectively created the site plan and Figures 1-2. The Schwartzman Fund for Archaeological Science supported fieldwork for the radiocarbon and stable isotope sample collection. Fieldwork at Ein Qashish South was carried out under Permit No. A-6866 of the Israel Antiquities Authority. Tree sampling was conducted with the approval and help of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority under Permit No. 2020/42497. Publisher Copyright: © 2024 Elsevier Ltd

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Archaeology
  • Archaeology

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