The Earth’s climate warmed abruptly, starting around 11,500 years ago after the final stages of the last glaciation. The Holocene climatic amelioration following the last ice age coincided with a major transition in human history – from the hunting-gathering lifestyle of our ancestors to the onset of agriculture, permanent settlements, and the beginnings of civilization. Early populations depended on hunting, fishing, and foraging for wild plants. The abundances of these resources were strongly influenced by seasonal cycles and multi-decadal climate trends. Even after the development of agriculture, ancient societies were probably more vulnerable to the impacts of sudden climate change than modern societies, since they were predominantly agrarian and dependent on weather-sensitive crops.
The post-glacial warming trend reached its peak in the Hypsithermal during the early to mid-Holocene, between ∼8,300 and 5,000 ybp. Although the Holocene has generally been regarded as a period of...
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Gornitz, V. (2009). Ancient Cultures and Climate Change. In: Gornitz, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Paleoclimatology and Ancient Environments. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-4411-3_4
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