THERA, SULPHUR, and CLIMATIC ANOMALIES

Summary: A major climatic 'event'is known from the 17th century BC, and some scientists and archaeologists have sought to associate it with the large Late Bronze Age eruption of the Thera volcano in the Aegean. Sulphur production is the key to the climatic impact of a volcanic eruption, and petrologic estimates of the sulphur production of the Thera eruption appeared to show that it was far too small to have caused the climatic event, and, in particular, the 17th century BC sulphuric acid spike in a Greenland ice-core. However, study of recent eruptions demonstrates that petrologic estimates can be very significant under-estimations, and so the Theran sulphur production may have been much greater than presently thought. Therefore Thera is again a candidate as the cause of the 17th century BC climatic disturbances, and, from current chronometric evidence, perhaps the best candidate. Further multi-parameter chronometric research could very soon enable possibilities and probabilities to become more definite.     

A Study on the Paleolithic-Neolithic Transition in the Northern Region of Northeast China from the Perspective of Cultural Ecology

Lithic technology, subsistence modes, mobility strategies, and habitation modes in the northern part of Northeast China co-evolved during the Paleolithic-Neolithic transitional period, from the end of the Pleistocene through the beginning of the Holocene, exhibiting notable continuity and the phases of development. The investigation of climate, environment, population, technology, subsistence, and mobility is helpful in understanding environmental adaptation strategies and reconstructing cultural adaptation processes. The study of paleoclimatic records in this region indicates that remarkable climatic turbulence during the late Pleistocene, alongside extreme fluctuations in temperature and humidity, significantly influenced human technological systems and behavior.     

中国南方十一座旅游名城避寒疗养气候旅游资源评估

文章对人体健康与气候环境作了分析,阐明寒冷气候与呼吸道系统、心血管系统、消化道系统疾病发病率、死亡率的对应关系。运用生理气候舒适度指数,对中国南方11座旅游名城的避寒气候作了横向分析比较,得出中国最佳避寒疗养地的区域格局,为开展中国冬季避寒疗养旅游提供了发展基础。     

淮河中游地区史前人类文化演化过程的环境考古学观察

淮河中游地区位于我国东部地理、气候等自然条件多重过渡地带,又是长江流域与黄河流域、东部沿海与西部腹地之间古文化相互交流、碰撞和融合的重要区域,也是中华文明孕育和发展的重要地区之一。淮河中游地区新石器时代考古学文化的演化过程与全新世气候环境的变迁密切相关。暖干型气候条件有利于史前人类文化的发展,而冷湿型气候环境则不利于人类的生存繁衍。该地区文化的演化过程充分反映了史前人类对全新世气候环境变化的适应性和主观能动性。     

秦始皇帝陵文化遗产安全影响因素及价值传播分析

随着"秦始皇帝陵博物院·丽山园"正式对外开放,管理者面临着多重的管理压力,为此以秦始皇帝陵文化遗产地的实际出发,将影响文化遗产管理的安全因素从地理尺度上划分为的遗产地尺度、遗址尺度和文物尺度,着重以这三个尺度为出发点分析了安全监控、遗址风貌、气候环境、人为活动等影响因素,并就如何更好地开展大遗址的文化价值传播提出了自己的见解。     

Buried assumptions: Some problems in the interpretation of the “Younger Fill” raised by recent data from Greece

A distinctive “Younger Fill” has been identified in the Mediterranean and adjacent regions. The dominant explanation for it is that of climatic change, first advanced by Vita-Finzi in 1960. Recent work on Greece by Bintliff appears to support the hypothesis. However, there are weaknesses. The present paper isolates the assumptions upon which the climatic hypothesis rests, particularly the notion of synchroneity and the apparent need for a universal mechanism. It sets out the grounds for scepticism, which include the ambiguity of the data, and attempts to evaluate the recent evidence from Greece. The paper then proceeds to argue that an anthropogenic origin cannot be ruled out and that it merits serious consideration. Criteria are suggested which the reinstated explanation would need to meet.     

白洋淀地区史前环境考古初步研究

作为典型的冲积低平原与浅湖沼地貌形态的白洋淀地区,是研究全新世环境变迁及古环境与古文化相互关系的重要地域。全新世气候的变化,不仅影响着白洋淀地区的自然环境,同时也影响着史前人类的生存模式。多年来该区域考古发现的资料证实,全新世气候暖湿与冷干的交替变化,直接影响到遗址分布的数量和所处的地貌位置,亦即影响到人类对居住点的选择,与此同时也影响着史前文化的经济生活类型。     

Geoarchaeological approaches to the environmental history of Cyprus: explication and critical evaluation

Geoarchaeology represents crossdisciplinary research focused on environmental issues and human activities, and directed primarily to social scientists. Site micro-studies are central to the enterprise, emphasizing cultural sediments and the taphonomic record of site formation, preservation, or destruction. But when expanded to include off-site investigation and watershed studies, geoarchaeology can go well beyond stratigraphy and context, to address human impacts on the environment or long-term sustainability. This paper articulates a research agenda to evaluate the largely anecdotal premise that the island of Cyprus has been degraded by millennia of improvident land use. First, it outlines Holocene settlement, land use and forest histories, as a differentiated model against which to apply specific types of investigation, and in conjunction with other archaeological sciences. Second, it applies Quaternary-style watershed study to confront commonplace misunderstandings about possible degradation, to show that most of the slope and stream deposits on Cyprus are of Pleistocene age. Third, it switches to examples of site micro-geoarchaeology to illustrate the possibilities of understanding detailed change. The purpose is heuristic, in the absence of many more site and off-site studies that incorporate bioarchaeology. Provisional inferences suggest that environmental damage may be limited, that even with heavy land-use stress, climatic triggers were critical to inaugurate change, and that the system may be more resilient than anticipated. Such caveats may encourage greater attention to environmental research design in ongoing and future excavation projects.     

A microarchaeological approach for the study of pits

Abstract

The study of the technology underlying pre-industrial storage structures has an interest from an anthropological and archaeological perspective, in terms of the evolution of key cultural and cognitive capabilities, often related to the transition to food production.

Microarchaeological techniques offer a unique perspective on the study of pre-industrial storing technologies. In this work, examples are presented from two archaeological contexts in different climatic and socio-ecological situations during the Holocene in S Asia and SW Europe. Microarchaeological techniques used in this study include micromorphology, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and phytolith analyses. The comparative study of two pits highlights key aspects of the decision-making process involved in technological solutions of storage: ? The choice of a location for the construction of a given storage facility is highly affected by contextual climatic, microclimatic, soil and bioturbative factors

? The time taken to consume stored foodstuffs seems to affect technological investment as much as the intrinsic conservation requirements of the stored taxa

? The use of fire to hygienise pits implies that such structures were not conceived for single use

? Pre-industrial storage systems can be seen as modular structures, which components (e.g. topographical location, sediment type, lining type, hygienisation techniques and cover) can be recombined to improve storage performance for different climatic settings and foodstuffs.

     

Cultural Response to Environmental Change in the Alpine Lacustrine Regions: The Displacement Model

Summary. Following an abrupt change in climatic conditions, the Middle Bronze Age northern Alpine lake‐dwellers were forced to abandon their settlements. As a result, the archaeological record shows a gap of occupation from the end of the sixteenth century to the beginning of the twelfth century BC. Where did those groups go during that period? Recent studies show that some Middle Bronze Age sites hitherto regarded as traditional dry‐land dwellings might represent constructions by former lacustrine people. Typological analyses of pottery assemblages and house structure remains found on these sites have made it possible to trace them back to an origin in the lacustrine tradition. The MBA lake‐dwelling occupational hiatus could finally be bridged and the process of cultural continuity reconstructed. The MBA lake‐dwellers certainly did not disappear; they just temporarily adapted to a drier environment until the lake shores became ‘safe’ again for re‐settlement.     

地理环境与疾病──论古代医学对岭南地区疾病的解释

本文利用医书资料,探讨古人如何理解岭南地区的自然环境及气候,并以脚气病、疟疾、麻病病、梅毒为例子,说明岭南地区自然环境与疾病的关系。从史书中知道,自汉代已形成对南方炎热潮湿的看法,并以此解释岭南地区流行的疾病,这个看法一直支配著古人对岭南地区疾病的解释。虽然如此,医家在治疗这些疾病时却取得一些成果。     

Reconstruction of the Late Glacial and Early Holocene landscape and human presence in Lubrza,Western Poland,on the basis of multidisciplinary analyses

This paper presents the results of a multidisciplinary study that combines archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research to examine the relationship between environment and human activities in Western Poland during the Late Glacial and Early Holocene. The study area lying within the young moraine landscape produced several Late Palaeolithic and Early Mesolithic sites, varied in terms of size and function. Analyses of pollen, plant macro-remains and molluscs accompanied by geomorphological investigations and supported by series of radiocarbon dates have enabled a detailed reconstruction of environment. It has shown that despite climatic fluctuations during the Allerød and Younger Dryas, the studied area provided favourable conditions for hunter-gatherer occupation. The presence of micro- and macroscopic charcoal, charred particles of herbaceous plants and charred mosses in peat deposits of former water bodies evidence various activities carried out by Federmesser and Swiderian groups, for example setting up camp-fires and deliberate burning of the local marsh vegetation. Usewear analyses of flint implements have revealed further traces of diversified human activities undertaken at examined sites. Most importantly, this article focuses on plant-based craft activities undertaken by hunter-gatherers, about which little has hitherto been known.     

Bronze Age upland settlement decline in southwest England: testing the climate change hypothesis

The division of land on Dartmoor during the Bronze Age by the construction of moor-wide boundaries known as reaves represents a significant development in agricultural practice and land tenure. Previous research relating to the Dartmoor reaves suggests this way of life may have continued for no longer than 200–400 years. It has been suggested that their abandonment occurred as the result of a deteriorating climate, although there are no published palaeoclimatic reconstructions from the area. We therefore test the hypothesis that on Dartmoor, a marked climatic deterioration occurred in the late Bronze Age that can be linked to the abandonment of the reaves. A palaeoclimatic reconstruction derived from testate amoebae and peat humification analyses is presented from Tor Royal Bog, central Dartmoor, the first such record from southwest England. A major shift to a cooler and/or wetter climate is inferred from ca. 1395 to 1155 cal BC that is coincident with the period hypothesised as encompassing the abandonment. This climatic deterioration is replicated in sites in northern Britain, suggesting it was a widespread event. It is concluded that while the evidence supports a climatically forced retreat, there are a range of other socio-economic factors that must also be taken into consideration.     

Perceptions of Risk among Households in Two Australian Coastal Communities

There is limited knowledge of risk perceptions in coastal communities despite their vulnerability to a range of risks including the impacts of climate change. A survey of 400 households in two Australian coastal communities, combined with semi‐structured interviews, provides insight into household perceptions of the relative importance of climatic and non‐climatic risks and the subsequent risk priorities that may inform household adaptive action. In contrast to previous research, the results demonstrated that geographic location and household characteristics might not affect perceptions of vulnerability to environmental hazards. However, past experience was a significant influence, raising the priority of environmental concerns. Overall, the results highlight the priority concerns of coastal households (from finance, to health and environment) and suggest to increase the profile of climate issues in coastal communities climate change strategies need to better demonstrate links between climate vulnerability and other household concerns. Furthermore, promoting generic capacities in isolation from understanding the context in which households construe climate risks is unlikely to yield the changes required to decrease the vulnerability of coastal communities.     

Climatic signal in tree-ring chronologies of Cedrus deodara from Chitral Hindukush Range of Pakistan

Tree-rings are an important tool for the investigation of paleoclimatic records for regions or periods of time with no instrumental climatic data. However, the responses of different species and sites to various climatic parameters are unusual. In the present study, we developed tree-ring-width chronologies of Cedrus deodara from three different sites of Chitral Hindukush range of Pakistan. The study was conducted to understand tree-growth climate relationship and its applicability in proxy climate investigations. The chronologies covered the past 469 to 595 years, with a mean segment length (MSL) ranging from 148 to 223 years. Climatic data obtained from the three weather stations showed strong correlation and was found useful for tree-ring climate relationships. Correlation Function (CF) and Response Function (RF) analysis showed that spring precipitation (March–May) is a critical limiting factor for tree-ring growth, and temperature prior to November may also play a major role in affecting tree ring-growth. The results exposed that the three sites have continuous relationship indicated that only single species from different locations are affected by the same environmental variables and hence can be used in climate reconstruction in combination. The Cedrus deodara chronologies developed at different locations had several corresponding narrow and wide marker rings indicating a large macroclimatic response to regional climatic conditions. The current study suggests that the tree-rings of Cedrus deodara from the Chitral Hindukush range could be used to develop chronologies for the reconstruction of seasonal climatic variables.     

广州增城墨依山玉器材质和受沁过程分析

为综合研究出土玉器的风化机理,正确评估玉器的保存状况,本研究采用物相、成分和电镜等方法对2016年广州重要考古发现——增城墨依山玉器进行了材质和结构分析,确认了墨依山玉器材质为透闪石。在此基础上,对玉器周边土壤进行了物相、成分、结构和酸碱度等分析,并结合玉器本体和遗址气候条件,综合探讨了强酸性环境下墨依山玉器的受沁过程。本研究有助于丰富对玉器风化机理的认识,有利于科学制定玉器的保护措施。     

Spatial and temporal variation in vulnerability of crop production to drought in southern Alberta

Growing evidence of global climate change has led to global concerns over the vulnerability of agriculture to drought. Located in a semiarid environment, southern Alberta has suffered significant losses of agricultural productivity due to drought hazards in recent decades. Understanding the relationship between crop production and drought conditions is essential for coping with increasingly uncertain climate conditions. This study attempts to quantify the magnitude of crop production vulnerability to drought in southern Alberta. The standard precipitation index is used to measure drought stress in the region. The empirical results provide a detailed picture of the spatial variation in crop production vulnerability to varying drought conditions. Vulnerability maps from this study reveal that pockets in the study area may experience significant productivity loss given the existing level of adaptive capacity. While the irrigation districts have been associated with a lower level of vulnerability than dryland outside the irrigated region, uncertain water supply under varying climatic conditions coupled with increasing water allocation for non‐agricultural uses may increase the vulnerability in these districts.     

Post-glacial environmental change and hunting-gathering societies of the southern Prairie Peninsula

Evidence from several disciplines supports the proposition that following the Wisconsinan and an initial but brief moist phase of the Holocene, there was a gradual drying trend in the mid-continent Prairie Peninsula that peaked about 7000 years ago, a pattern that was not reversed until about 4000 years ago. Except for minor perturbations, conditions during the past four millennia have essentially been similar to those of the present. Studies in palynology and geomorphology have shown that the climatic regimes of the early/mid Post-glacial had a marked influence on both the biota and landscape erosional patterns, especially along the margins of the Prairie Peninsula. Measurable changes in the landscape and attendant biota show a time-transgressive pattern of drought related phenomena recorded palaeo-ecologically from west to east.Few studies of archaeological sites in the Prairie Peninsula have examined the evidence in and around the sites themselves for data reflecting local environmental dynamics. In fact, earlier models proposed for explaining the evolution of food-procuring systems in eastern North America virtually ignored potential changes in the natural environment. This paper examines data from two archaeological sites along the prairie-forest border in Missouri that contain long cultural sequences. Evidence is presented that pronounced changes in the natural environment occurred and that these biophysical variables are indeed critical for understanding the evolution of food-procuring societies in the American Midwest.     

The Dendroecological Potential of Eucalyptus Camaldulensis Dehnhardt (River Red Gum) from the Barmah Forest,Victoria, Australia

The study of tree rings has been used for over 100 years to inform climatic and geomorphological reconstructions. In mainland Australia, no tree species are currently recognised as providing reliable sources for such studies over extensive areas. Eucalyptus camaldulensis is a widely growing species with a growth pattern that is closely linked to high levels of available moisture, such as that associated with floods. The species therefore has the potential to provide palaeoclimatic information that may be of use in hydrological and geomorphological studies. This study initially examines the microstructure of samples of E. camaldulensis taken from the Barmah Forest to assess the applicability of the species to dendroecological investigation. It is found that samples of the species exhibit ring‐like structures, although there are areas of the samples that contain zones of growth without clear ring boundaries. The patterns of growth rings and zones are found to be common to many trees at a site, although the level of variability of pattern from tree to tree is high. Options for future development of the approach described here are to combine ring studies with isotopic‐based analysis to provide a combination of tree age and climatic history.     

塔里木盆地近4 ka来的气候变迁与古人类文明兴衰

通过对尼雅剖面多环境替代指标的研究,结合塔里木盆地相关剖面的研究成果,重建了塔里木盆地近4.0 kaB.P.以未的气候环境演变过程与特征,研究揭示,近4.0 kaB.P以来塔里木盆地的气候环境经历了多次的干湿变迁;同时通过有关塔里木盆地的历史文献记载和考古发掘资料,恢复了历史时期以来塔里木盆地的古人类文明的兴衰变迁,并将气候环境的演变过程与古人类文明的兴衰阶段进行了对照研究,研究发现历史时期以来塔里木盆地的气候环境与人文历史之间具有很好的耦合关系:在气候的相对湿润期,环境条件适宜,有利于人类活动,使农牧业生产繁盛,人类活动范围扩大;在暖干的环境条件下,由于水份的减少,则会抑制人类的活动,导致农业歉收,人类的生存环境和条件恶化,古城废弃。