Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Mesolithic people were able to withstand dramatic climate shocks, new study shows

These ancient populations were impressively resilient.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
March 26, 2018
in Anthropology, Archaeology, News, Science

A new study found that Mesolithic hunter-gatherers in Britain were able to endure dramatic climate change, casting a new light on our understanding of these ancient populations.

A view of Star Carr in modern times. A Mesolithic inhabitant of Star Carr would be puzzled to see this — instead, he would be much more familiar with a watery landscape fringed by swamp and woodland. Image Credits: Kirsty High.

Star Carr is one of the most important Mesolithic archaeological sites in Europe. Tucked away in North Yorkshire (north-eastern England), it’s as important to the Mesolithic period (about 10,000 to 5000 BC) as Stonehenge is to the Neolithic.

Although the Ice Age had ended by then and temperatures were pretty close to pre-industrial levels, much of the ice hadn’t melted yet, and Britain was still connected to mainland Europe through the now-submerged landmass we call Doggerland.

Normally, all that’s left from Mesolithic sites are stone tools. However, Star Carr is special because its waterlogged peat preserved many artifacts which would have otherwise completely decayed. Among others, Star Carr yielded Britain’s oldest structure, 21 red deer stag skull-caps that may have been head-dresses, and nearly 200 projectile points made of red deer antler. This wetland site told us a lot about how its inhabitants went about their lives.

Simon Blockley, from the University of London, UK, and colleagues studied lake deposits adjacent to Star Carr. They constructed a record of past environments based on fossilized plants and animals, as well as radiocarbon datings of volcanic ash (even though all active volcanoes are far away, massive eruptions can spread ash throughout the entire planet). With all this information, they were able to paint a picture of how the Mesolithic environment was like at Star Carr.

They then correlated it with archaeological findings straight from the site, matching it with evidence of human activity.

When the site was inhabited, humans worked wood and animal material, and the population was thriving. They raised wooden structures to serve as houses and had spiritual beliefs and rituals. As two abrupt climatic events struck, they lowered temperatures by 10 and 4 degrees Celsius respectively, drastically stunting woodland and shrub growth. But even through these hardships, inhabitants of Star Carr seemed to continue their way of life.

Assisted by rich natural resources locally, as well as their cultural adaptations, they were able not only to survive but also to maintain their lifestyle — an impressive feat for the times, especially considering that both climatic events lasted for up to a century.

The article, The resilience of postglacial hunter-gatherers to abrupt climate change, was published in Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0508-4.

 

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Ancient haute cuisine — Mesolithic people had caviar feast
  2. NASA data shows dramatic pollution drop in the US
  3. Climate shocks are already costing the US $650 M / day. It will be $1 billion / day by 2027
  4. New ‘super jelly’ is soft, but strong enough to withstand the weight of a few cars
  5. Striking new atlas shows dramatic extent of Arctic ice loss
Tags: archaeologyClimateStar Carr

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW