Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics: A Global Perspective on Mid-Holocene Transitions
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Table of contents
- Contentsvii
- List of Contributorsix
- List of Figuresxiii
- List of Tablesxix
- Preface and Acknowledgmentsxxi
- Forewordxxiii
- Chapter 1. Climate and culture change: exploring Holocene transitions1
- 1. Introduction1
- 2. Holocene climate change3
- 3. Possible causes of Holocene climate change7
- 4. Lessons from the past for the future9
- 5. Linkages between climate and culture change12
- 6. Conclusion18
- References18
- Chapter 2. Mid-Holocene climate and culture change in coastal Peru25
- 1. Introduction25
- 2. The Peruvian archaeological record of Holocene El Niño frequency variation26
- 3. Mid-Holocene climate from natural archives30
- 4. Cultural records37
- 5. Conclusions42
- References45
- Chapter 3. Mid-Holocene climate and culture change in the South Central Andes51
- 1. Introduction52
- 2. The physiogeographical setting55
- 3. Habitats for human occupation in the Atacama Desert58
- 4. Mid-Holocene aridity: Hostile conditions and scarce resources around 5000 cal yr BP62
- 5. Archaic settlement patterns and paleoenvironmental variability72
- Acknowledgments104
- References104
- Chapter 4. Mid-Holocene climate and cultural dynamics in Brazil and the Guianas117
- 1. Introduction117
- 2. The coastal strip119
- 3. Amazonia128
- 4. Conclusion144
- References146
- Chapter 5. Culture and climate in Mesoamerica during the Middle Holocene157
- 1. Introduction157
- 2. Chronology158
- 3. Paleoclimate160
- 4. Prehistory167
- 5. Conclusions179
- Acknowledgments181
- References181
- Chapter 6. Middle Holocene environments of north and east Africa, with special emphasis on the Afric189
- 1. Introduction189
- 2. Tropical Africa191
- 3. The Sahara194
- 4. Discussion217
- Acknowledgement220
- References220
- Chapter 7. Influence of Holocene marine transgression and climate change on cultural evolution in so229
- 1. Introduction229
- 2. Postglacial environmental change in southern Mesopotamia231
- 3. State development in southern Mesopotamia242
- 4. Discussion248
- 5. Conclusions253
- Acknowledgments254
- References254
- Chapter 8. Mid-Holocene cultural dynamics and climatic change in the Western Pacific265
- 1. Introduction265
- 2. Regional climatology268
- 3. Climatic and environmental change in the mid-Holocene272
- 4. Cultural change in mid- to late Holocene Australia277
- 5. Highland New Guinea agriculture282
- 6. Some conclusions288
- Acknowledgments290
- References290
- Chapter 9. Mid-Holocene climate and cultural dynamics in eastern Central China297
- 1. Introduction297
- 2. Paleoclimate of the mid-Holocene in eastern Central China298
- 3. Cultural dynamics in eastern Central China305
- 4. Discussion: paleoclimates, paleoenvironments and cultural dynamics in the mid-Holocene in eastern318
- 5. Conclusions323
- References325
- Chapter 10. Mid-Holocene climatic changes and cultural dynamics in the basin of the Sea of Japan and331
- 1. Introduction332
- 2. Climatic and environmental changes335
- 3. Cultural dynamics in the mid-Holocene in the basin of the Sea of Japan362
- 4. Discussion and conclusions386
- Acknowledgments390
- References391
- Chapter 11. Mid-Holocene climatic and cultural dynamics in Northern Europe407
- 1. Introduction407
- 2. Fluctuations in the Scandinavian climate410
- 3. Mid-Holocene cultural dynamics in northern Europe414
- 4. Summing up427
- 5. Conclusions427
- References428
- Chapter 12. Mid-Holocene cultural adaptations to central Maine435
- 1. Introduction435
- 2. Previous environment/culture interpretations437
- 3. The cultural record438
- 4. Wetland adaptations440
- 5. Paleoecology441
- 6. Archaeology444
- 7. Culture and environment linkages448
- 8. Conclusions450
- Acknowledgments451
- References451
- Chapter 13. Mid-Holocene cultural dynamics in southeastern North America457
- 1. Introduction457
- 2. Emergent riverine economies and cultural complexity in the midcontinent460
- 3. The initiation of mound building and other monumental construction465
- 4. The persistence of interriverine forager adaptations471
- 5. Pond, river, and coastal settlement in Florida and adjoining areas473
- 6. Population distributions476
- 7. Conclusions477
- Acknowledgments479
- References479
- Chapter 14. Mid-Holocene culture and climate on the Northwest Coast of North America491
- 1. Introduction491
- 2. Mid-Holocene paleoclimate494
- 3. Archaeological models500
- 4. The archaeological record512
- 5. Mid-Holocene environmental change515
- 6. Recent fluctuations in climate and resources516
- Acknowledgements521
- References521
- Chapter 15. Middle Holocene climate change and human population dispersal in western North America531
- 1. Introduction531
- 2. Climate records533
- 3. Linguistic, genetic, and archeological records540
- 4. Discussion547
- 5. Conclusions548
- Acknowledgments549
- References549
- Subject Index559
The Middle Holocene epoch (8,000 to 3,000 years ago) was a time of dramatic changes in the physical world and in human cultures. Across this span, climatic conditions changed rapidly, with cooling in the high to mid-latitudes and drying in the tropics. In many parts of the world, human groups became more complex, with early horticultural systems replaced by intensive agriculture and small-scale societies being replaced by larger, more hierarchial organizations. Climate Change and Cultural Dynamics explores the cause and effect relationship between climatic change and cultural transformations across the mid-Holocene (c. 4000 B.C.).
* Explores the role of climatic change on the development of society around the world
* Chapters detail diverse geographical regions
* Co-written by noted archaeologists and paleoclimatologists for non-specialists
* Explores the role of climatic change on the development of society around the world
* Chapters detail diverse geographical regions
* Co-written by noted archaeologists and paleoclimatologists for non-specialists