Impacts of palaeoclimate change 60 000–8000 years ago on humans and their environments in Europe: Integrating palaeoenvironmental and archaeological data

Abstract

Humans respond in a variety of ways to climate and environmental change. They may adapt, migrate, evolve new technologies, or experience breakdowns in their socio-cultural and economic systems. Working group 4 of the INTIMATE COST action ES0907 aims to summarise and synthesise the effects of climate changes from 60 000–8000 years ago on ecosystems, including animals and humans. The study of ecosystem and human responses and their causes requires close collaboration between archaeologists, zoologists, palaeoecologists, and geomorphologists. An INTIMATE workshop in Ghent, Belgium (November 6–7, 2012) focused on stimulating the integration of archaeological and palaeoecological approaches and methodology to improve reconstructions of ecosystem and human responses to climate changes in the full- and late-glacial and early-Holocene periods in Europe. Six main topics were delimited. High quality chronological control and accurate correlation is crucial for precisely relating ecosystem responses to climate changes and the ensuing human responses. The palaeoecological tool-box should contain both biotic proxies and physical proxies that can be applied flexibly to data collection during this period. Geomorphological and palynological studies reveal direct or indirect climate impacts and environmental changes at regional-scales. The geographical scale of human response will depend on the questions being asked. Humans depend almost exclusively on their local environment, so the impacts of climate changes on both terrestrial and wetland habitats need to be reconstructed at local ecosystem scales in relation to habitation sites. An array of high quality local data-sets across Europe that integrate palaeoenvironmental and archaeological records can be synthesised and examined for causal relationships in time and space. Emerging geographical patterns of climate and environmental change will give an overview of patterns of resilience and vulnerability of human societies to these changes. Gaps in knowledge will become apparent. Humans are a top predator and thus changes affecting the food chain, particularly in keystone prey composition, will be important to their survival. Integrative studies carried out at a variety of spatial and temporal scales encourage a development towards a better understanding of the varying resilience and sensitivity of ecosystems and human societies to palaeoclimate changes.