TY - JOUR

T1 - High-resolution, multi-proxy reconstruction of central Zagros paleoclimate and paleoenvironment from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene

AU - Rostami, Homa

AU - Richter, Tobias

AU - Ruter, Anthony Henry

AU - Azizi, Ghasem

AU - Darabi, Hojjat

AU - Maleki, Sahar

N1 - Funding Information: The research reported in this paper was made possible via funding from the Tracking Cultural and Environmental Change: the Late Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic in the Seimarreh Valley project (TCEC) , funded by the C.L. David Foundation, Copenhagen, Denmark . It is also appreciated Marie-Louise Siggaard Andersen from the Center of GeoGenetics for her cooperation and conduction the XRF analysis reports and professor Roger John Matthews department of Archaeoogy, University o Reading UK. Publisher Copyright: © 2024

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - Proxy-based paleoclimate reconstructions in the central Zagros region suggest the occurrence of several climatic events during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to Holocene. The central Zagros region is situated in a unique transition zone between mid-latitude temperate climate in the north and sub-tropical arid climate in the south and was affected in different climatic periods by the strengthening and weakening of the Indian monsoons, the inter tropical convergence belt, the westerlies and the low-pressure systems of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. Our results suggest that a transition occurred from dry and dusty conditions during the LGM to a relatively wetter period with higher carbon accumulation rates in the Early Holocene (11600 cal yr BP). Between 30000 and 19000 cal yr BP, cold and dry climatic conditions with the dominance of Amaranthaceae and semi-desert steppe prevailed in the region. High values of magnetic susceptibility, decrease in organic matter, and increase in allogenic elements indicate the presence of cold and dry climate in the region during the LGM. The Holocene was characterized by relatively less dry and dusty conditions, which is consistent with orbital changes in insolation that affected much of the northern hemisphere. Numerous episodes of high aeolian input spanning a few decades to millennia are prevalent during the Holocene. Dry events identified in the area occurred at 10200, 9200, 8200, 5200, 4200, 3200, 2200, and 1600 cal yr BP. Also Younger Dryas, occurred in the region 12300-11600 years ago, and it was cold and dry period with a decrease amount of pollen and increase in dust.

AB - Proxy-based paleoclimate reconstructions in the central Zagros region suggest the occurrence of several climatic events during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to Holocene. The central Zagros region is situated in a unique transition zone between mid-latitude temperate climate in the north and sub-tropical arid climate in the south and was affected in different climatic periods by the strengthening and weakening of the Indian monsoons, the inter tropical convergence belt, the westerlies and the low-pressure systems of the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. Our results suggest that a transition occurred from dry and dusty conditions during the LGM to a relatively wetter period with higher carbon accumulation rates in the Early Holocene (11600 cal yr BP). Between 30000 and 19000 cal yr BP, cold and dry climatic conditions with the dominance of Amaranthaceae and semi-desert steppe prevailed in the region. High values of magnetic susceptibility, decrease in organic matter, and increase in allogenic elements indicate the presence of cold and dry climate in the region during the LGM. The Holocene was characterized by relatively less dry and dusty conditions, which is consistent with orbital changes in insolation that affected much of the northern hemisphere. Numerous episodes of high aeolian input spanning a few decades to millennia are prevalent during the Holocene. Dry events identified in the area occurred at 10200, 9200, 8200, 5200, 4200, 3200, 2200, and 1600 cal yr BP. Also Younger Dryas, occurred in the region 12300-11600 years ago, and it was cold and dry period with a decrease amount of pollen and increase in dust.

KW - Central Zagros region

KW - Hashilan marsh

KW - Holocene

KW - Last glacial maximum

KW - Paleoclimate

KW - Younger dryas

U2 - 10.1016/j.quaint.2024.02.003

DO - 10.1016/j.quaint.2024.02.003

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85184813521

JO - Quaternary International

JF - Quaternary International

SN - 1040-6182

ER -