Drysdale, R., Zanchetta, G., Hellstrom, J., Maas, R., Fallick, A., Pickett, M., Cartwright, I. and Piccini, L. (2006) Late Holocene drought responsible for the collapse of Old World civilizations is recorded in an Italian cave flowstone. Geology, 34(2), pp. 101-104. (doi: 10.1130/G22103.1)
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Abstract
A severe drought in parts of low-latitude northeastern Africa and southwestern Asia ∼4200 yr ago caused major disruption to ancient civilizations. Stable isotope, trace element, and organic fluorescence data from a calcite flowstone collected from the well-watered Alpi Apuane karst of central-western Italy indicate that the climatic event responsible for this drought was also recorded in mid-latitude Europe. Although the timing of this event coincides with an episode of increased ice-rafted debris to the subpolar North Atlantic, the regional ocean-atmosphere response seems atypical of similar Holocene ice-rafting events. Furthermore, comparison of the flowstone data with other regional proxies suggests that the most extreme part of the dry spell occurred toward the end of a longer-term climate anomaly.
Item Type: | Articles |
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Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Fallick, Professor Anthony |
Authors: | Drysdale, R., Zanchetta, G., Hellstrom, J., Maas, R., Fallick, A., Pickett, M., Cartwright, I., and Piccini, L. |
Subjects: | Q Science > QE Geology C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CB History of civilization |
College/School: | College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre |
Journal Name: | Geology |
Publisher: | Geological Society of America |
ISSN: | 0091-7613 |
ISSN (Online): | 1943-2682 |
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