TY - JOUR

T1 - Holocene hydroclimate synthesis of the Aegean: Diverging patterns, dry periods and implications for climate-society interactions

AU - Jacobson, Matthew J.

AU - Seguin, Joana

AU - Finné, Martin

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.

PY - 2024/12

Y1 - 2024/12

N2 - The Aegean region has a wealth of archeological data originating from a long and rich human history and is frequently used as a testbed for climate-society interactions at different time scales. Here, we summarize and synthesize 31 proxy records derived from lake and wetland sediments, marine sediments, and speleothems reflecting hydroclimatic conditions over the last 10,000 years in the Aegean. To enable comparison and numerical analyses, we convert each record into z-scores and average values into centurial and decadal bins. The long-term hydroclimatic trajectory is best described by individual trends in three sub-regions that periodically converge and diverge. The results from our analyses highlight the complex long- and short-term spatio-temporal patterns of the hydroclimate with periods of wetter and drier conditions. Statistical analyses of the last 3500 years, the most data-rich period, corroborate the complex climate picture. Three periods that appear dry in the regional averages, at 7250–6650 BP, 3350–2750 BP, and 1200–700 BP, highlight spatio-temporal variability and underpin the importance of local data when comparing hydroclimate data with archeological information. Considering the complexities and uncertainties in hydroclimate records, we advocate for careful consideration when utilizing these in studies of climate-society interactions, including transparency regarding their uncertainties and the relevance of each record to a respective archeological site. We have produced a freely available, simplified dataset that can be used by those interested in studying the region, as well as maps displaying climatic conditions during each century.

AB - The Aegean region has a wealth of archeological data originating from a long and rich human history and is frequently used as a testbed for climate-society interactions at different time scales. Here, we summarize and synthesize 31 proxy records derived from lake and wetland sediments, marine sediments, and speleothems reflecting hydroclimatic conditions over the last 10,000 years in the Aegean. To enable comparison and numerical analyses, we convert each record into z-scores and average values into centurial and decadal bins. The long-term hydroclimatic trajectory is best described by individual trends in three sub-regions that periodically converge and diverge. The results from our analyses highlight the complex long- and short-term spatio-temporal patterns of the hydroclimate with periods of wetter and drier conditions. Statistical analyses of the last 3500 years, the most data-rich period, corroborate the complex climate picture. Three periods that appear dry in the regional averages, at 7250–6650 BP, 3350–2750 BP, and 1200–700 BP, highlight spatio-temporal variability and underpin the importance of local data when comparing hydroclimate data with archeological information. Considering the complexities and uncertainties in hydroclimate records, we advocate for careful consideration when utilizing these in studies of climate-society interactions, including transparency regarding their uncertainties and the relevance of each record to a respective archeological site. We have produced a freely available, simplified dataset that can be used by those interested in studying the region, as well as maps displaying climatic conditions during each century.

KW - Aegean

KW - Holocene

KW - climate-society interactions

KW - paleoclimate

KW - proxy synthesis

KW - uncertainties

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85203528500&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/09596836241275028

DO - 10.1177/09596836241275028

M3 - Article

VL - 34

SP - 1807

EP - 1823

JO - The Holocene

JF - The Holocene

SN - 0959-6836

IS - 12

ER -