Understanding the evolution of the Holocene Pluvial Phase and its impact on Neolithic populations in south-east Arabia.

ARABIAN Peninsula; MIDDLE East

The early to mid-Holocene has long been recognised as a period of wetter climate with widespread lacustrine development and vegetation expansion throughout south-east Arabia. Recent palaeoclimate data has, however, transformed our understanding of the Holocene Pluvial Phase ( HPP) and evidence presented in this paper demonstrates that climate was neither homogeneous during the period, nor were shifts between pluvial and arid episodes synchronous across the region. This dynamic setting provided the backdrop for human expansion during the Neolithic, and in turn raises important questions about the interactions between these populations and the natural environment in south-east Arabia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arabian Archaeology & Epigraphy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)