A speleothem record from the Fertile Crescent covering the last deglaciation better contextualizes neolithization

This study presents a high-resolution, multiproxy (carbon and oxygen isotopes, trace elements, and strontium isotopes) speleothem record from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq extending from the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene (18.0 to 7.5 ka), encompassing the Epipaleolithic-Neolithic transition in the core area of the Fertile Crescent (FC). The record shows that changes in local rainfall amount were coincident with changes in Greenland temperatures, with increased precipitation and enhanced multidecadal hydroclimatic variability during the Bølling-Allerød chronozone, followed by a drier and dustier Younger Dryas. Comparison with regional paleoclimate data suggests similar precipitation patterns across the FC, but with greater hydroclimate variability during the BA and drier conditions during the YD in the eastern sector. Crucially, the record provides a detailed and well-dated paleoenvironmental template by which to contextualize specific cultural events at the subregional scale, as revealed by recent archaeological research on key sites sharing similar environmental settings, allowing to investigate the role of climatic and environmental changes in shaping different neolithization patterns across the FC.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2502092122
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.30
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

A speleothem record from the Fertile Crescent covering the last deglaciation better contextualizes neolithization

Russell N. Drysdale, Luca Forti, Rafał Koliński, Chuan‐Chou Shen et al.
1 citations
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
1.30
article

A speleothem record from the Fertile Crescent covering the last deglaciation better contextualizes neolithization

Russell N. Drysdale, Luca Forti, Rafał Koliński, Chuan‐Chou Shen, Cecilia Conati Barbaro, Michael L. Griffiths, Eleonora Regattieri, Daniele Morandi Bonacossi, Andrea Zerboni, Hsun‐Ming Hu, Irene Cornacchia, Samuele Agostini, Ilaria Isola
article en
1 citations

Abstract

This study presents a high-resolution, multiproxy (carbon and oxygen isotopes, trace elements, and strontium isotopes) speleothem record from the Kurdistan Region of Iraq extending from the end of the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene (18.0 to 7.5 ka), encompassing the Epipaleolithic-Neolithic transition in the core area of the Fertile Crescent (FC). The record shows that changes in local rainfall amount were coincident with changes in Greenland temperatures, with increased precipitation and enhanced multidecadal hydroclimatic variability during the Bølling-Allerød chronozone, followed by a drier and dustier Younger Dryas. Comparison with regional paleoclimate data suggests similar precipitation patterns across the FC, but with greater hydroclimate variability during the BA and drier conditions during the YD in the eastern sector. Crucially, the record provides a detailed and well-dated paleoenvironmental template by which to contextualize specific cultural events at the subregional scale, as revealed by recent archaeological research on key sites sharing similar environmental settings, allowing to investigate the role of climatic and environmental changes in shaping different neolithization patterns across the FC.

Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVol. 122(50)
William Paterson University (US), University of Udine (IT), The University of Melbourne (AU), National Taiwan University (TW), University of Milan (IT), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (IT), Institute of Environmental Geology and Geoengineering (IT), Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (IT), Institute of Earth Environment (CN), Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (PL), Sapienza University of Rome (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
1.30
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.