Late Saalian and Eemian palaeoenvironmental history of the Bol''shoy Lyakhovsky Island (Laptev Sea region, Arctic Siberia)

Palaeoenvironmental records from permafrost sequences complemented by infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and [Formula: See Text]Th/U dates from Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island (73°20'N, 141°30'E) document the environmental history in the region for at least the past 200 ka. Pollen spectra and insect fauna indicate that relatively wet grass-sedge tundra habitats dominated during an interstadial c. 200-170 ka BP. Summers were rather warm and wet, while stable isotopes reflect severe winter conditions. The pollen spectra reflect sparser grass-sedge vegetation during a Taz (Late Saalian) stage, c. 170-130 ka BP, with environmental conditions much more severe compared with the previous interstadial. Open Poaceae and Artemisia plant associations dominated vegetation at the beginning of the Kazantsevo (Eemian) c. 130 ka BP. Some shrubs (Alnus fruticosa, Salix, Betula nana) grew in more protected and wetter places as well. The climate was relatively warm during this time, resulting in the melting of Saalian ice wedges. Later, during the interglacial optimum, shrub tundra with Alnus fruticosa and Betula nana s.l. dominated vegetation. Climate was relatively wet and warm. Quantitative pollen-based climate reconstruction suggests that mean July temperatures were 4-5°C higher than the present during the optimum of the Eemian, while late Eemian records indicate significant climate deterioration.     

Depositional environment of the Laptev Sea (Arctic Siberia) during the Holocene

The Holocene depositional setting of the Laptev Sea was studied using three marine sediment cores from water depths between 77 and 46 m. Based on sedimentary parameters (TOC content, δ¹³C_org, sedimentation rates) controlled by radiocarbon age models the palaeoenvironment of a strongly coupled river-shelf system was reconstructed since ˜11 ka BP. Caused by a transgressing sea after the last glaciation, all cores reveal progressive decreases in sedimentation rates. Using the sedimentary records of a core from the Khatanga-Anabar river channel in the western Laptev Sea, several phases of change are recognized: (1) an early period lasted until ˜10 ka BP characterized by an increased deposition of plant debris due to shelf erosion and fluvial runoff; (2) a transitional phase with consistently increasing marine conditions until 6 ka BP, which was marked at its beginning near 10 ka BP by the first occurrence of marine bivalves, high TOC content and an increase in δ¹³C_org; (3) a time of extremely slow deposition of sediments, commencing at ˜6 ka BP and interpreted as Holocene sea-level highstand, which caused a southward retreat of the depositional centres within the now submerged river channels on the shelf; (4) a final phase with the establishment of modern conditions after ˜2 ka BP.     

Vegetation history inferred from pollen in Late Quaternary faecal deposits (hyraceum) in the Cape winter-rain region and its bearing on past climates in South Africa

Pollen analysis shed light on vegetation community structure over the last 23,000 year in the western Cape. The pollen from dated hyrax faecal accumulations (hyraceum) relates to the evolution of climate and contributes to proxy records in southern Africa. Principal components analyses of the pollen data and δ¹³C values of the hyrax dung samples show millennial and shorter scale temperature, moisture and seasonality variations in the winter rain region. The moisture availability at times do not parallel that in previously studied proxy records in the summer rain region showing an asynchronous moist event in the early Holocene and drier conditions in the Middle Holocene. Anomalies in climate between the two regions may depend on the degree of northward or southward shifting of winter- and summer-rain circulation systems. Scenarios with winter-rain or cool growing seasons mostly typify the dung sequence but do not exclude the possibility of southward displacement of the westerly belt under precessional strength with slight summer rain increases during the Last Glacial Maximum. Limited southward displacement is also possible during the Mid Holocene.     

Late Quaternary ice-rich permafrost sequences as a paleoenvironmental archive for the Laptev Sea Region in northern Siberia

Ice-rich permafrost sequences with large polygonal ice wedges represent excellent archives for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. Such deposits contain numerous well-preserved records (ground ice, paleosols, peat beds, different types of fossils), which permit characterization of environmental conditions during a clearly defined period of the past 60 ka. Based on field investigations carried out within framework of the German-Russian project "Laptev Sea System 2000" on the Bykovsky Peninsula (SE of the Lena Delta) results from cryolithological studies, sedimentological analyses, as well as new radiocarbon data are presented. For the first time it is shown that the Ice Complex accumulated without significant interruptions from approximately 60 k.y. B.P. until the end of the Pleistocene. Geochemical data (total organic carbon, C/N, '¹³C_org) and the mass-specific magnetic susceptibility clearly show changing environmental conditions from stadial to interstadial times in the Late Pleistocene and during the transition to the Holocene. These results permit us to reconstruct the development of an Arctic periglacial landscape in the coastal lowland during Ice Complex formation in the Late Quaternary. This evolution coincided generally with the global environmental trend up to marine isotope stage 4.     

Late Pleistocene(MIS 2) climate change on the Northern Tibetan Plateau inferred from pollen and geochemical records from Lake Gomo Co

正Introduction A 405-cm sediment section GM02 from Gomo Co salt lake in the northern Tibetan Plateau was used to reconstruct climate changes during marine isotope stage(MIS)2,including the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM)and last     

Jurassic and Cretaceous stratigraphy of the Anabar area (Arctic Siberia,Laptev Sea coast) and the Boreal zonal standard

Recent integrated studies of Mesozoic reference sections of the Anabar area (northern Middle Siberia, Laptev Sea coast) and the reinterpretation of all the previous data on a modern stratigraphic basis permit considerable improvement of the bio- and lithostratigraphic division and facies zoning of Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments in the region. Analysis of abundant paleontological data allows the development or considerable improvement of zonal scales for ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, foraminifers, ostracods, dinocysts, and terrestrial palynomorphs from several Jurassic and Cretaceous intervals. All the zonal scales have been calibrated against one another and against regional ammonite scale. Reference levels of different scales useful for interregional correlation have been defined and substantiated based on the analysis of lateral distribution of fossils in different regions of the Northern Hemisphere. It provides the possibilities to propose and consider parallel zonal scales within the Boreal zonal standard for the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. A combination of these scales forms an integrated biostratigraphic basis for a detailed division of Boreal-type sediments regardless of the place of their formation and for the comparison with the international stratigraphic standard as far as a possible use of a set of reference levels for correlation.     

Vegetation and climate changes in northwestern Russia during the Lateglacial and Holocene inferred from the Lake Ladoga pollen record

The new pollen record from the upper 12.75 m of a sediment core obtained in Lake Ladoga documents regional vegetation and climate changes in northwestern Russia over the last 13.9 cal. ka. The Lateglacial chronostratigraphy is based on varve chronology, while the Holocene stratigraphy is based on AMS ¹⁴C and OSL dates, supported by comparison with regional pollen records. During the Lateglacial (c. 13.9–11.2 cal. ka BP), the Lake Ladoga region experienced several climatic fluctuations as reflected in vegetation changes. Shrub and grass communities dominated between c. 13.9 and 13.2 cal. ka BP. The increase in Picea pollen at c. 13.2 cal. ka BP probably reflects the appearance of spruce in the southern Ladoga region at the beginning of the Allerød interstadial. After c. 12.6 cal. ka BP, the Younger Dryas cooling caused a significant decrease in spruce and increase in Artemisia with other herbs, indicative of tundra‐ and steppe‐like vegetation. A sharp transition from tundra‐steppe habitats to sparse birch forests characterizes the onset of Holocene warming c. 11.2 cal. ka BP. Pine forests dominated in the region from c. 9.0 to 8.1 cal. ka BP. The most favourable climatic conditions for deciduous broad‐leaved taxa existed between c. 8.1 and 5.5 cal. ka BP. Alder experiences an abrupt increase in the local vegetation c. 7.8 cal. ka BP. The decrease in tree pollen taxa (especially Picea) and the increase in herbs (mainly Poaceae) probably reflect human activity during the last 2.2 cal. ka. Pine forests have dominated the region since that time. Secale and other Cerealia pollen as well as ruderal herbs are permanently recorded since c. 0.8 cal. ka BP.     

Composition and Flux of Holocene Sediments on the Eastern Laptev Sea Shelf, Arctic Siberia

A 467-cm-long core from the inner shelf of the eastern Laptev Sea provides a depositional history since 9400 cal yr. B.P. The history involves temporal changes in the fluvial runoff as well as postglacial sea-level rise and southward retreat of the coastline. Although the core contains marine fossils back to 8900 cal yr B.P., abundant plant debris in a sandy facies low in the core shows that a river influenced the study site until 8100 cal yr B.P. As sea level rose and the distance to the coast increased, this riverine influence diminished gradually and the sediment type changed, by 7400 cal yr B.P., from sandy silt to clayey silt. Although total sediment input decreased in a step-like fashion from 7600 to 4000 cal yr B.P., this interval had the highest average sedimentation rates and the greatest fluxes in most sedimentary components. While this maximum probably resulted from middle Holocene climate warming, the low input of sand to the site after 7400 cal yr B.P. probably resulted from further southward retreat of the coastline and river mouth. Since about 4000 cal yr B.P., total sediment flux has remained rather constant in this part of the Laptev Sea shelf due to a gradual stabilization of the depositional regime after completion of the Holocene sea-level rise.     

Long-term Arctic peatland dynamics, vegetation and climate history of the Pur-Taz region, Western Siberia

Stratigraphic analyses of peat composition, LOI, pollen, spores, macrofossils, charcoal and AMS ages are used to reconstruct the peatland. vegetation and climatic dynamics in the Pur-Taz region of western Siberia over 5000 years (9300-4500 BP). Section stratigraphy shows many changes from shallow lake sediment to different combinations of forestcd or open sedge, moss, and Equisetum fen and peatland environments. Macrofossil and pollen data indicate that Larix sibirica and Beth pubescens trees were the first to arrive, followed by Picea obovata . The dominance of Picea macrofossils 6000-5000 BP in the Pur-Taz peatland along with regional Picea pollen maxima indicate warmer conditions and movement of the spruce treeline northward at this time. The decline of pollen and macrofossils from all of these tree species in uppermost peats suggests a change in the environment less favorable for their growth, perhaps cooler tempratures and/or less moisture. Of major significance is the evidence for old ages of the uppermost peats in this area of Siberia, suggesting a real lack of peat accumulation in recent millennia or recent oxidation of uppermost peat.     

Late Quaternary deglaciation and climate history of the Larsemann Hills (East Antarctica)

The Late Quaternary climate history of the Larsemann Hills has been reconstructed using siliceous microfossils (diatoms, chrysophytes and silicoflagellates) in sediment cores extracted from three isolation lakes. Results show that the western peninsula, Stornes, and offshore islands were ice‐covered between 30 000 yr BP and 13 500 cal. yr BP. From 13 500 cal. yr BP (shortly after the Antarctic Cold Reversal) the coastal lakes of the Larsemann Hills were deglaciated and biogenic sedimentation commenced. Between 13 500 and 11 500 cal. yr BP conditions were warmer and wetter than during the preceding glacial period, but still colder than today. From 11 500 to 9500 cal. yr BP there is evidence for wet and warm conditions, which probably is related to the early Holocene climate optimum, recorded in Antarctic ice cores. Between 9500 and 7400 cal. yr BP dry and cold conditions are inferred from high lake‐water salinities, and low water levels and an extended duration of nearshore sea‐ice. A second climate optimum occurred between 7400 and 5230 cal. yr BP when stratified, open water conditions during spring and summer characterised the marine coast of Prydz Bay. From 5230 until 2750 cal. yr BP sea‐ice duration in Prydz Bay increased, with conditions similar to the present day. A short return to stratified, open water conditions and a reduction in nearshore winter sea‐ice extent is evident between 2750 and 2200 cal. yr BP. Simultaneously, reconstructions of lake water depth and salinity suggests relatively humid and warm conditions on land between 3000 and 2000 cal. yr BP, which corresponds to a Holocene Hypsithermal reported elsewhere in Antarctica. Finally, dry conditions are recorded around 2000, between 760 and 690, and between 280 and 140 cal. yr BP. These data are consistent with ice‐core records from Antarctica and support the hypothesis that lacustrine and marine sediments on land can be used to evaluate the effect of long‐term climate change on the terrestrial environment. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

孟加拉湾晚第四纪的季风气候及其古海洋学记录

分析了研究区季风的形成、演变及其控制因素 ,指出强烈的盐度对比是在北印度洋占主导地位的季风气候系统的直接反映。通过位于孟加拉湾地区的 3支岩心 MD771 81、MD771 83和MD771 69的 δ1 8O值所反映的表层海水盐度变化的分析 ,认为研究区全新世及末次冰期—间冰期氧同位素第 3期西南季风强烈 ,末次冰期最盛期氧同位素第 2期西南季风微弱。通过与阿拉伯海等地区进行对比 ,进一步证明南亚季风的主要驱动因素是周期为 2 3 ka的低纬度太阳辐射。     

Coastal permafrost landscape development since the Late Pleistocene in the western Laptev Sea,Siberia

Winterfeld, M., Schirrmeister, L., Grigoriev, M. N., Kunitsky, V. V., Andreev, A., Murray, A. & Overduin, P. P. 2011: Coastal permafrost landscape development since the Late Pleistocene in the western Laptev Sea, Siberia. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2011.00203.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. The palaeoenvironmental development of the western Laptev Sea is understood primarily from investigations of exposed cliffs and surface sediment cores from the shelf. In 2005, a core transect was drilled between the Taymyr Peninsula and the Lena Delta, an area that was part of the westernmost region of the non‐glaciated Beringian landmass during the late Quaternary. The transect of five cores, one terrestrial and four marine, taken near Cape Mamontov Klyk reached 12 km offshore and 77 m below sea level. A multiproxy approach combined cryolithological, sedimentological, geochronological (¹⁴C‐AMS, OSL on quartz, IR‐OSL on feldspars) and palaeoecological (pollen, diatoms) methods. Our interpretation of the proxies focuses on landscape history and the transition of terrestrial into subsea permafrost. Marine interglacial deposits overlain by relict terrestrial permafrost within the same offshore core were encountered in the western Laptev Sea. Moreover, the marine interglacial deposits lay unexpectedly deep at 64 m below modern sea level 12 km from the current coastline, while no marine deposits were encountered onshore. This implies that the position of the Eemian coastline presumably was similar to today's. The landscape reconstruction suggests Eemian coastal lagoons and thermokarst lakes, followed by Early to Middle Weichselian fluvially dominated terrestrial deposition. During the Late Weichselian, this fluvial landscape was transformed into a poorly drained accumulation plain, characterized by widespread and broad ice‐wedge polygons. Finally, the shelf plain was flooded by the sea during the Holocene, resulting in the inundation and degradation of terrestrial permafrost and its transformation into subsea permafrost.     

Variations of continental discharge pattern in space and time: implications from the Laptev Sea continental margin, Arctic Siberia

Variations in sediment input and distribution to the Laptev Sea continental margin during the Holocene and Termination I could be identified based on radiocarbon dated magnetic susceptibility logs and sediment thickness in high-resolution seismic profiles. Magnetic susceptibility of surface samples reveals an increased input of magnetic grains to the Laptev Sea deriving from the Anabar and Khatanga river catchments. Exposed magnetite schists and volcanic rocks of the Anabar shield and Putoran Plateau, respectively, function as major source of magnetic material. The distribution of magnetic susceptibility in association with the thickness of the Holocene sediments indicates bottom-current induced sediment transport guided by major submarine valleys on the Laptev Sea shelf. The sites of filled paleoriver channels identified in the seismic profiles suggest that during the Late Weichselian sea-level lowstand river runoff continued through four of the major valleys on the exposed Laptev Sea shelf. The sediments at the top of the lowstand deposits in front of the Anabar-Khatanga valley, represented in the seismic profiles by prograding deltas, are characterized by outstandingly high magnetic susceptibility values. Radiocarbon datings approximate the deposition of these high magnetic sediments between 10 and 13.4 ka. It is suggested that this increased input of magnetic material is related to the deglaciation of the Anabar shield and the Putoran Plateau and thus support their glaciation during marine isotope stage (MIS) 2.     

Vegetation and climate during the penultimate interglacial of the northeastern Russian Arctic: the Lake El'gygytgyn pollen record

We present a high‐resolution reconstruction of the vegetation and climate dynamics during the penultimate interglacial, corresponding with Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7, based on detailed palynological analyses of lacustrine sediments from Lake El'gygytgyn, northeastern Siberia. The analysed sediments were deposited between 246 and 181 ka ago (late MIS 8 to early MIS 6.6). The interglacial vegetation was characterized by herb and shrub (mainly alder and birch) dominated plant communities. Pollen‐based biome reconstruction shows a dominance of the tundra (TUND) biome, thus indicating rather open vegetation. Warmer intervals (MIS 7.5, 7.3 and 7.1) were marked by an increase in the cold deciduous forest (CLDE) biome scores and a synchronous decrease in the cold steppe (STEP) biome scores. The thermal maximum occurred during MIS 7.1, as indicated by the highest CLDE biome scores occurring in this period, and lasted ~10 ka, possibly favoured by the high precession‐related summer insolation and the legacy of the preceding mild and dry stadial (MIS 7.2). In contrast, MIS 7.3 and 7.5 were characterized by shorter durations (~4 ka) and lower summer temperatures. The preceding cold glacial and stadial (MIS 8 and 7.4, respectively) might have led to an extensive distribution of permafrost that hindered vegetation development during the subsequent warm intervals. MIS 7.4 and 6.6 were cold and wet, probably triggered by low obliquity values and coevally low precession‐related summer insolation. As a result, these periods were marked by significantly reduced summer temperatures and an enhanced snow‐ice albedo feedback. The obtained reconstructions provide potential scenarios for future climate changes and allow a better understanding of the relationship between vegetation, climate and external/internal forcings in the high latitudes.     

Vegetation and climate change in southeastern Madhya Pradesh during Late Holocene,based on pollen evidence

Pollen analysis of 2 m deep sediment core from Kiktiha swamp, Shahdol district has revealed that between 1600 and 700 yr BP, tropical deciduous Sal forests comprising Shorea robusta (Sal), Madhuca indica, Terminalia, Lagerstroemia, Aegle marmelos flourished in the region under a warm and moist climate. Between 700 and 300 yr BP the deciduous Sal forests were succeeded by mixed deciduous forests, which turned sparse and less diversified, reflecting a relatively less moist climate attributed to the weak SW monsoon. The unfavourable climate also adversely affected the agricultural practice as evidenced from the diminution of Cerealia and other culture taxa. Since 300 yr BP onwards the modern deciduous Sal forests were re-established with the timely arrival of active SW monsoon. The increase in Cerealia and culture taxa indicates agricultural prosperity.     

Reconstruction of the Late Holocene climate and environmental history from North Bolgoda Lake,Sri Lanka,using lipid biomarkers and pollen records

The catastrophic impact and unpredictability of the Indian Ocean Monsoon (IOM) over South Asia are evident from devastating floods, mudslides and droughts in one of the most densely populated regions of the globe. However, our understanding as to how the IOM has varied in the past, as well as its impact on local environments, remains limited. This is particularly the case for Sri Lanka, where erosional landscapes have limited the availability of well-stratified, high-resolution terrestrial archives. Here, we present novel data from an undisturbed sediment core retrieved from the coastal Bolgoda Lake. This includes the presentation of a revised Late Holocene age model as well as an innovative combination of pollen, source-specific biomarkers, and compound-specific stable carbon isotopes of n-alkanes to reconstruct the shifts in precipitation, salinity and vegetation cover. Our record documents variable climate between 3000 years and the present, with arid conditions c. 2334 and 2067 cal a bp. This extreme dry period was preceded and followed by more wet conditions. The high-resolution palaeoenvironmental reconstruction fills a major gap in our knowledge on the ramifications of IOM shifts across South Asia and provides insights during a time of major redistribution of dense human settlements across Sri Lanka.     

Late Quaternary vegetation,climate and fire dynamics inferred from the El Tiro record in the southeastern Ecuadorian Andes

In order to study the stability and dynamics of mountain rainforest and paramo ecosystems, including the biodiversity of these ecosystems, the Holocene and late Pleistocene climate and fire variability, and human impact in the southeastern Ecuadorian Andes, we present a high‐resolution pollen record from El Tiro Pass (2810 m elevation), Podocarpus National Park. Palaeoenvironmental changes, investigated by pollen, spores and charcoal analysis, inferred from a 127 cm long core spanning the last ca. 21 000 cal. yr BP, indicate that grass‐paramo was the main vegetation type at the El Tiro Pass during the late Pleistocene period. The grass‐paramo was rich in Poaceae, Plantago rigida and Plantago australis, reflecting cold and moist climatic conditions. During the early Holocene, from 11 200 to 8900 cal. yr BP, subparamo and upper mountain rainforest vegetation expanded slightly, indicating a slow warming of climatic conditions during this period. From 8900 to 3300 cal. yr BP an upper mountain rainforest developed at the study site, indicated by an increase in Hedyosmun, Podocarpaceae, Myrsine and Ilex. This suggests a warmer climate than the present day at this elevation. The modern subparamo vegetation became established since 3300 cal. yr BP at El Tiro Pass. Fires, probably anthropogenic origin, were very rare during the late Pleistocene but became frequent after 8000 cal. yr BP. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late glacial vegetation and climate oscillations on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau inferred from the Lake Naleng pollen profile

We present a late glacial pollen record (17,700 to 8500 cal yr BP) from a Lake Naleng sediment core. Lake Naleng is located on the southeastern Tibetan Plateau (31.10°N 99.75°E, 4200 m) along the upper tree-line. Variations in the summer monsoon are evident from shifts in vegetation that correspond to late glacial climate trends from other monsoon-sensitive regions. Alpine steppe was recorded between 17,700 and 14,800 cal yr BP, indicating low effective moisture at the study site. Expansion of alpine meadows followed by advances in the position of tree-line around Lake Naleng suggest that climate became warmer and wetter between ∼ 14,800 and 12,500 cal yr BP, probably representing an enhancement of the Asian monsoon. Climatic cooling and reduced effective moisture are inferred from multivariate analysis and the upward retreat of tree-line between ∼ 12,500 and 11,700 cal yr BP. The timing and nature of these shifts to warm, wet and then cold, dry climatic conditions suggest that they correspond to the Bølling/Allerød and Younger Dryas intervals. Abies-Betula forests, representing warm and moist conditions, spread during the early Holocene.     

Late holocene climate changes in the Sea of Azov region

The results of paleoclimatic reconstructions made with the help of the information-statistical method developed by V.A. Klimanov based on palynological data from the Sea of Azov bottom sediments. For the period of the last 3000 years, four phases of warm and dry climates and three phases of relatively cool and humid climates were identified. The latter phases were characterized by wider expansion of tree vegetation in the region around the Sea of Azov. The range of mean annual temperatures between warmer and cooler intervals was about 4°C.     

Terrestrial stable isotope records of Late Quaternary paleoclimates in the eastern Mediterranean region

Terrestrial stable isotope records (¹³C/¹²C, ¹⁸O/¹⁶O, and D/H ratios) of late Quaternary paleoclimates in the eastern Mediterranean region are reviewed. Significant paleoclimatic reconstructions come from a variety of isotopic studies. Paleogroundwaters, although they cannot be accurately dated, show oxygen and hydrogen isotopic compositions highly depleted in heavier isotopes compared to modern meteoric waters in arid regions of southern Israel, Sinai and northeastern Africa and attest to a major difference in climatic regime some time in the Pleistocene. Th-U dating of land snails showing a similar ¹⁸O depletion indicates ages of 100,000 yr and ≥300,000 yr for this climatic regime in the Negev Desert of southern Israel. Carbon isotope records of organic matter have not been studied extensively in the region, except for the record of Holocene land snails in the Negev. These document a southward shift in pure C₃ plant communities in the middle and early Holocene relative to their present distribution and indicate wetter conditions at those times. An oxygen isotope curve for the Holocene, reflecting changes in the isotopic composition of precipitation, has been established from analysis of carbonate materials—land snail shells and speleothems. The curve indicates a depletion of ca. 2‰ in ¹⁸O centered around 7000 cal yr bp, with modern levels being reached by 5000 cal yr bp. Carbon isotope analysis of soil carbonates in paleosols developed in loess in the Negev show the existence of dramatic north–south climatic gradients at the times of formation of the soils (ca. 13,000, 28,000, and ≥37,000 ¹⁴C yr bp), as occur also today due to the waning influence of Mediterranean to the south. Some isotopic methods, widely used in other regions, have received little or no attention in the eastern Mediterranean region. These include oxygen and hydrogen isotopes in wood, phosphate oxygen and organic carbon in bones and teeth, and carbon in soil organic matter.