Catastrophic early Holocene sea level rise, human migration and the Neolithic transition in EuropeChris S.M. Turneya
School of Geography, Archaeology and Earth Resources, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4RJ, UKHeidi Brown
GeoQuEST Research Centre, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, NSW 2522, AustraliaAbstractThe collapse of the Laurentide Ice Sheet and release of freshwater 8740–8160 years ago abruptly raised global sea levels by up to 1.4 m. The effect on human populations is largely unknown. Here we constrain the time of the main sea level rise and investigate its effect on the onset of the Neolithic across Europe. An analysis of radiocarbon ages and palaeo-shoreline reconstruction supports the hypothesis that flooding of coastal areas led to the sudden loss of land favoured by early farmers and initiated an abrupt expansion of activity across Europe, driven by migrating Neolithic peoples.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VBC-4PNFB1S-2&_user=906544&_coverDate=09%2F30%2F2007&_rdoc=2&_fmt=summary&_orig=browse&_srch=doc-info(%23toc%235923%232007%23999739982%23672759%23FLA%23display%23Volume)&_cdi=5923&_sort=d&_docanchor=&_ct=18&_acct=C000047747&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=906544&md5=69e0d42f0d7877169453a6bf5f8642cbComment:The spread of farming in Europe, Caucasia and Asia, as well as the highlands of Africa and Meso-America (!) started some 9.000 years ago.
The first seeds of an agri culture are found a few generations after the crack-down of the Scandinavian ice-sheet, 10.000 BP. Though, the spread throughout Europe and America was still halted by the cold interface caused by the crack-up of the ice-sheets of N America.
When these enormous ice-massives started to crack, move and crack up the speed of the melting was rapidly accelerating. Helped by the saline ocean the melt-down became ABRUPTLY fast, some 8.700 BP.
So - as the ice melted to water, where did the all that stored coldness go?
Into the ocean water AND the immediate atmosphere, of course - releasing the final "rush" of ice-time throughout the melting-zone.
By 8.000 BP the meltdown had been accumulated and a new and more stable thermic balance were established around the northern hemisphere. 500 years later the temperatures of north Scandinavia and Greenland had risen to a level 2,3 Celsius HIGHER than today.
In the period between 7.500 BP and 2.500 BP this temperate climate endured. Then we have had a stepwise drop in temperature, that culiminated 650 years ago. In 1350-55 the temperature of N Europe were at its all-time LOW since the end of ice-time.
During the 18th century the temperature gradually increased, although there were small set-backs as late as 1876. Since then the temperature have risen slowly until the middle of last century. After WWII the temperature-rise has boosted - and today we seem to be heading back to the lush climate of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age, when local truffles and sparkling grape-wine was enjoyed along the coast of Norway...
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Thus may stress that main reason for the spread of agriculture in Europe and Caucasia were the rising temperature and the melting of the enormous fields of Eur-Asia that used to be glaciers, tundra, taiga or permafrost...
The rise in water observed by the present reporters tells an important story about the effects of rapid melt-downs. It further confirms the preceding observations of a major melt-down causing the end of ice-time. Which ignites the spread of agriculture - throughout Europe as well as the highlands of Asia and Africa...
Though; the 1,4 meter rise of the sea-level hardly explains anything about the origin or the spreading-pattern of agriculture. If we look around the area of the Black Sea we find that even locally the RAPID spread of agriculture - throughout Egypt, Greece, Caucasus, Mesopotamia, NW India AND Europe - started and developed long with the "climatic optimum" - 7.500 to 2.500 BP.
And - it's still funny how the authors of the report find it relevant to head-line a connection between:
1) the final end of ice-time
2) the story of Noa
3) the spread of agriculture
I heard that explicit connection explained before, somewhere...
