Climate Change and Social Unrest: A 6, 000‐Year Chronicle From the Eastern Mediterranean. Issue 7 (4th April 2020)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Climate Change and Social Unrest: A 6, 000‐Year Chronicle From the Eastern Mediterranean. Issue 7 (4th April 2020)
- Main Title:
- Climate Change and Social Unrest: A 6, 000‐Year Chronicle From the Eastern Mediterranean
- Authors:
- Kaniewski, David
Marriner, Nick
Cheddadi, Rachid
Fischer, Peter M.
Otto, Thierry
Luce, Frédéric
Van Campo, Elise - Abstract:
- Abstract: The history of the Eastern Mediterranean is punctuated by major crises that have influenced many of the region's established socioeconomic models. Recent studies have underscored the role of drought and temperature oscillations in driving changes but attempts to quantify their magnitude remain equivocal, hindering long‐term assessments of the potential interplay between climate and society. Here, we fill this knowledge gap using a 6, 000‐year pollen‐based reconstruction of temperature and precipitation from Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus. We find that major social changes and plague outbreaks often occurred in tandem with cooler climate conditions, with anomalies ranging from −3 ± 0.4 °C to −1 ± 0.5 °C, coupled with changing precipitation patterns. We suggest that major climate changes may weaken societies by affecting primary livelihood systems. This long‐term view highlights recurrent cold periods in the Eastern Mediterranean's climate history and advocates that, despite frequent adversity and pandemics, Near Eastern populations adapted and were ultimately resilient to major climate changes. Plain Language Summary: During the last 6, 000 years, the Eastern Mediterranean's climate has been characterized by several periods of marked climate deterioration and cooling. Many of these cooler phases were punctuated by historical crises and outbreaks of plague, suggesting that climate may partially influence social unrest and the spread of scourges. Drought has always been aAbstract: The history of the Eastern Mediterranean is punctuated by major crises that have influenced many of the region's established socioeconomic models. Recent studies have underscored the role of drought and temperature oscillations in driving changes but attempts to quantify their magnitude remain equivocal, hindering long‐term assessments of the potential interplay between climate and society. Here, we fill this knowledge gap using a 6, 000‐year pollen‐based reconstruction of temperature and precipitation from Hala Sultan Tekke, Cyprus. We find that major social changes and plague outbreaks often occurred in tandem with cooler climate conditions, with anomalies ranging from −3 ± 0.4 °C to −1 ± 0.5 °C, coupled with changing precipitation patterns. We suggest that major climate changes may weaken societies by affecting primary livelihood systems. This long‐term view highlights recurrent cold periods in the Eastern Mediterranean's climate history and advocates that, despite frequent adversity and pandemics, Near Eastern populations adapted and were ultimately resilient to major climate changes. Plain Language Summary: During the last 6, 000 years, the Eastern Mediterranean's climate has been characterized by several periods of marked climate deterioration and cooling. Many of these cooler phases were punctuated by historical crises and outbreaks of plague, suggesting that climate may partially influence social unrest and the spread of scourges. Drought has always been a significant component of past climate changes, but temperature deviations also appear to be as important in fully comprehending the complex interplay between climate and societies. Key Points: A 6, 000‐year climatic reconstruction from Cyprus suggests that cold conditions have affected past societies as much as drought events Five important cold periods were identified at 5250 ± 20, 4215 ± 40, 3200 ± 90, 1400 ± 70, and 620 ± 20 year BP Each cold period is consistent with a significant instability in precipitation, mainly for winter and spring seasons … (more)
- Is Part Of:
- Geophysical research letters. Volume 47:Issue 7(2020)
- Journal:
- Geophysical research letters
- Issue:
- Volume 47:Issue 7(2020)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 47, Issue 7 (2020)
- Year:
- 2020
- Volume:
- 47
- Issue:
- 7
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2020-0047-0007-0000
- Page Start:
- n/a
- Page End:
- n/a
- Publication Date:
- 2020-04-04
- Subjects:
- climate change -- societies -- Holocene -- Mediterranean
Geophysics -- Periodicals
Planets -- Periodicals
Lunar geology -- Periodicals
550 - Journal URLs:
- http://www.agu.org/journals/gl/ ↗
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ ↗ - DOI:
- 10.1029/2020GL087496 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0094-8276
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library DSC - 4156.900000
British Library DSC - BLDSS-3PM
British Library HMNTS - ELD Digital store - Ingest File:
- 20970.xml