Abstract
Euphrates Flood Plain sediments are recorded in Barwana city which is 6 km south of Haditha City. Much vegetation and climatic and archaeological evidences in this study pointed to several stages of old human settlements in that area. Palynological evidences show the livelihood of those humans before the great Noah Deluge of the period 10,500 years before present (BP). Their food was gathered by collecting crops and hunting animals in a steppe region along the valleys. As a result of this suffering from deluge and climatic variations that affected the region, humans had taken the search for a new way of living by trying to settle in the areas near the Euphrates river and attempted cultivation of this land, where the study showed the first appearance of field crop (cereals) pollens, such as wheat, barley, corn …, etc., at depth of 475–500 cm of the studies section, which represents a warm–humid climate with summer precipitation during the period of 10,000–5,000 years BP. These environmental conditions helped the ancient humans to settle in the agriculture village of Barwana, living on cultivation of the land and domesticating animals, such as grazing animals, for their main forms of food. Evolving palm cultivation and record of many archaeological ceramic pieces in the sample at a depth of 250 cm emphasized his attempt to establish industrial culture in the region after a period of changing climate to warm and dry which affected the region since 6,000 years BP and changed the Barwana settlements to an industrial village. The grasses and tree exploitation for sheep shepherding, building houses, and fire use, as well as dam building and Naoor manufacture for irrigation added evidences for ancient cities developments such as Hanat (Presently Ana) and Heet since about 5000 Y.BP. The desertification manifestation of that warm and dry climate continued from that time to the present with drought increased and deficiency in the rainfall, as well as the human irresponsible activities, as evidenced by increased pollen and spores of Compositae and Bongardia.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Al-Ameri, T., Al-Jubowri, B., and Al-Dolaymi, A. S. 2000. Palynological evidence for events of the historical deluge on Mesopotamian People and future climatic changes. In: The 5th International Conference on the Geology of the Arab World. Cairo University, volume 3, pages 1575–1584
Al-Ameri TK, Jasim SY (2011) Environmental changes in the wetlands of Southern Iraq based on palynological studies. Arabian J. Geoscience, dSpringer-Germany, vol. 3 (4), pages 443–461
Al-Ameri TK, Jasim SY, Al-Khafaji AS (2011) Middle Paleolithic to Neolithic cultural history of North Iraq. Arab J Geosci 4(6):945–972
Al-Dolami, Abid S.F 1999: Late Quaternary paleoclimates and paleovegetation of Euphrates Flood plain sediments from Al-Qaim to Ramadi, Iraq. Unpublished PhD thesis, university of Baghdad, 118 pages
Al-Jumaliy WA, Al-Sheikhly SS (1997) Cyprides torosa (Jones) Jones, 1985, from the Quaternary deposits in the Southern Mesopotamian Basin, Dirasat. Nat Eng Sci 24(3):282–491
Al-Khatib, M., 1978: Desert Range Land of Iraq. Ministry of Agriculture, 486p
Al-Tawash, B.S.,1996. Pleistocene History of Razzaza and Tharthar depressions. Centeral iraq. Phd thesis ( unpub).University of Baghdad, College of Science. 124p. ( Arabic)
Barnet J (1989) Palynology and Palaeoecology of the Tertiary Weaverville Formation, Northwestern California, USA. Palynol 13:195–246
Bars, M. S., and Williams, G.L., 1974. Palynology and Nanofossils Processing techniques. Geol. Surv. Canada, Paper 73–26, pp. 1–25
Barwary, A.M., 1978. Report about Caves in Haditha area, (SOM) Rep. No. 892
Buday, T., and Jassim, S.Z., 1987. Tectonism, Magmatism and Metamorphism. In Kassab, I.I., and Abbas, M.J. (eds). The regional Geology of Iraq. Iraqi Geological Survey, Vol. 2, 325p
Dupont, L.M., Beug, H., Stalling, H., and Tidemann, R., 1989. First Palynological resut form Site 688 at 21 n off NW Africa: Pollen as Climate indicators. Proceeding of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol, 108, pp.93-111
EL-Moslimany AP (1986) Ecology and Late Quaternary history of the Kurdo Zagrosian Oak forest near Lake Zeribar, Westem Iran. Vegetatio 68:55–63
El-Moslimany AP (1987) The Late Pleistocene climates of the Lake Zeribar region (Kurdistan, W. Iran) deduced from the ecology and Pollen Production of non- arboreal vegetation. Vegetatio 72:131–139
Gasse F, Campo E (1994) Abrupt post- glacial Climate event in west Asia and North Africa Moonsoon demains. Epsl 12:435–456
Harrison T, Harrison T (1989) Palynology of late miocene oreopithecus bearing lignite from Baccinello, Italy. Palaeogeog Palaeo Clim Palaeeco 76:45–65
Horn, Maria Carina 1994: Miocene palynolostratigraphy and paleoenvironments of Northwestern Amazonia. LPP Contribution Series No. 1, Holand, 156 pages and 8 range charts
Jahns S (1995) A Holocene pollen diagram from El Atrun, northern Sudan. Veg Hist Archaeobot 4:23–30
Jassim, R.Z., 1997. Mineralogy, Geochemistry and origin of Sahari Saltern deposit, NE Samarra, Iraq. Ph. D. Thesis (Unpub), Baghdad University, p. 173
Kozlowaski S (1986) Preliminary result of the Paleolithic Survey at Al-Qadisiya dam project. Sumer 42:12
Mahdi, A. H., et al., 1986. Geologyical report on Haditha area. (GEOSURV), Lib., Rep. No. 1523
Moar NT, Suggate RP (1996) Vegetation history from the Kalhing (Last) Interglacial to the present, West Coast, south Island, New Zealand. Quaternary Sci Rev 15:521–547
Moore PD, Webb JA (1978) An illustrated guide to pollen Analysis. Hodder and Stoughton, London, p 133, 48 plates
Mudie, Peta J (1992) Circum Aectic Quaternary and Neogene marine palynoflora: Paleoecologt and Stratigraphical analysis. In: Head MJ, Wrenn JH (eds) Neogene and Quaternary dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs. American Association of Stratigraphic Foundation, Dallas, pp 347–390
Pons A, Reille M (1988) The Holocene- and Upper Pleistocene pollen record from Padul (Granoda, Spain): anew study. Palaeogeo Palaeoclim Palaeoeco 66:243–263
Roux, George 1964: Ancient Iraq. George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 480 pages
Shaker SN (1997) Geomorfological field study for four archeological sites in the Western Desert of Iraq. Journal of Arts 42(1):239–262
Tyrecock, J and Amin,R 1979: Rock pictures, petreglyphs near quest muhaiwir, Iraqi Western Desert. SOM library, 12 pages
Van Zeist W, Bottema S (1977) Palynological investigations in western Iran. Palaeohistiria 19:19–85
Willard DA, Cooper SR, Gamez D, Jensen J (2004) Atlas of pollen and spores of the Florida Everglades. Palynol 28:175–227
Wright H (1966) A note on a Paleolithic site in Southern Desert. Sumer 22:101–106
Zhou, Z., Baoyim, Y., and petit-Maire, N., 1998. Palaeoenvironments in China during the last Glacial Maximum and the Holocene Optimum. Episodes, pp.152-158
Zonneveld, Karina. 1996: Palaeoclimatic and Palaeoecologic Changes in the Eastern Mediterranean and Arabian Sea regions during the last deglaciation : a palynological approach to land–sea correlation. LPP Contribution Series No. 3, Holand, 199 pages
Acknowledgment
It is due now to acknowledge Department of Geology in the College of Science of the University of Baghdad for using their departmental facilities in the palynological preparations for this study. Many thanks and acknowledgements are also due to Dr Amer S. J. Al-Khafaji for redrawing some of the figures by software programming.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Al-Ameri, T.K., Al-Dolaymi, A.S.F. Human settlements adapted to environmental changes through the Paleolithic and Neolithic times in West Iraq. Arab J Geosci 6, 2951–2960 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0593-7
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0593-7