Mediterranean and north-African cultural adaptations to mid-Holocene environmental and climatic changes

A significant link between mid-Holocene climatic shifts and cultural transformations is revealed through archaeobotanical evidence from Mediterranean and North African regions. The study identifies three critical dry periods—c. 8200, 6000, and 4200 cal. yr BP—as pivotal moments for both environmental and cultural change. Using pollen and charcoal analyses from five key sites (Wadi Teshuinat in Libya, Benzù cave in Spain, La Vaquera Cave in Spain, Terramara di Montale in Italy, and Arslantepe in Turkey), researchers demonstrate that human activities, such as overexploitation of plant resources, exacerbated aridity during drying phases. These findings suggest that cultural adaptations, including shifts in land-use strategies, were both a response to and an amplifier of climatic stress. The Bronze Age period, in particular, appears to have had a profound impact on the environment, likely due to advancements in knowledge and complex land management practices.

Mercuri, A. M., Sadori, L., & Uzquiano Ollero, P. (2011). Mediterranean and north-African cultural adaptations to mid-Holocene environmental and climatic changes. The Holocene, 21(1), 189–206. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683610377532