Arabian Corridor 5

Climate change and human origins in southern Arabia Author(s): A.G. Parker and J.I.
Rose Source: Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, Vol. 38, Papers from the forty-first meeting of the Seminar for Arabian Studies held in London, 19-21 July 2007 (2008), pp. 25-42 Published by: Archaeopress Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41223935 . Accessed: 19/12/2013 20:13
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38 (2008): 25-42 Proceedings oftheSeminar forArabianStudies
in southern andhuman Climate Arabia change origins

A.G. Parker &. J.I. Rose
Summary Overthepastfewyears, have begunto consider SouthArabiawithincreasingly interest. As thecorpusof prehistorians greater data scholars now the "Arabian in realize the role Corridor" must have modern human genetic grows, prominent played origins. Palaeolithic thepeninsula have laggedsadlybehind; at thetimeofwriting areonly there Unfortunately, investigations throughout three stratified Palaeolithic sitesthat fallwithin theUpperPleistocene timeperiod andJebel dated, (Shi'bat Dihya,al-Hatab, Faya are meagre datato discussthehuman we possessabundant information to describe 1). Whilethere footprint uponthelandscape, thelanditself. This paperis intended to synthesize and present the palaeoenvironmental recordthroughout the late Quaternary in South thelandscape acrosswhich theearliest humans traversed theinitial from their ancestral Arabia, thereby presenting during expansion homeland. We present whichis a composite sumprobability theHOPE ENV database, curvethatincorporates severalhundred climatic conditions. This paperconsiders in theterrestrial ancient shifts as proxy signalsused to discern landscapemorphology, wellas reconfiguration oftheshorelines duetoeustatic andisostatic sea levelschange. Wediscusshowthis record ofenvironmental haveaffected human from thefirst ofanatomically Homosapienstothedevelopment modern change might emergence, appearance ofcomplex inthemiddle civilization Holocene. human climate Arabian Peninsula, Keywords: origins, change, palaeoenvironment, prehistoric archaeology
shells and lithic crusts,notingassociated freshwater scattered aroundthe edges (Philby 1933). implements ofancient stone toolsnearrelict lakebeds The pendulum of environmental changein Arabia has Theoccurrence South Arabiaand hints at a rich oscillatedbetweenclimaticextremesthroughout the is ubiquitous throughout one of which have with The is riddled evidence prehistoric past, archaeologists only Quaternary period. landscape thetipoftheiceberg. for inthelacustrine ancient sediments, yetencountered pluviais, apparent The aim of thispaperis to present thebackdrop of alluvial fansand gravels, palaeosols,and speleothems South Arabian an overview of McClure Schultz & Parker 1976; 1986; prehistory by providing (e.g. Whitney the et al 2006; Lzine et al 2007; Fleitmann et al 2007). themosaicof shifting landscapes during Quaternary. a useful framework for there are numerous Arabiawas Thesedataprovide understanding Conversely, signalsthat the role of the in climate the to in extremes most manifested patterning ebb and flowof subjected aridity, obviously - a in theexpansive sand seas comprising theNafud,Rub' hominin occupationacross the Arabiancorridor critical zone that has been established and Wahiba as well as al-Khali, deserts, geographic recently hyperalkaline inEurope, human soil as a conduit bridging early populations springs(Clark & Fontes 1990) and petrogypsic and Asia. horizons Africa, (Rose 2006). The earliest western to penetrate theRub' explorers and climate al-Khalioften described a seriesof smallbuttes standing Geography, geology, outin stark whiteor greyagainst theseemingly endless Peninsula is bounded onthewestbytheGulf wastelandof monotonous rust-coloured sand. During TheArabian of and the Red on the southby theGulfof hispioneering in across the desert St John Sea, Aqaba 1932, journey Aden and the Arabian and on the eastbytheGulfof these as small lake features eroded Sea, Philbyrecognized Oman and the Arabian Gulf. The subcontinent measures basins of marl terraces and hardened comprised evaporitic
Introduction
26
A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose
movement as well. As the 2 100 kmfrom tosouth north alongtheRed Sea coast,and linkedto the same tectonic toward the Indianplate is km from travels 2000 acrossat its maximum width the Arabianplate Asia, nearly the in sliding itandforcing ancient bedofthe ofYemento theeasternmost beneath westernmost Tethys point region theHajarMountains and sub- Sea tothrust Oman.The littoral is characterized Consequently, upward. by tropical 3000 m interior thespineof south-eastern while the basin-shaped is form Arabia, reaching tropical ecosystems, Oman.This relatively dominated by alternating steppeand desertlandscapes. above sea level in north-western in Arabia:theRub' al- long chainof mountains stretches from Ras al-Hadd in Threemajorsandseas are found Peninsula atthe and Wahiba eastern OmantothetipoftheMusandam Khali (600,000 km2), Nafud(72,000 km2), a distance of over600 km.Large,low Strait of Hormuz, Sands(12,500km2) (Goudie2003). from terrain Arabia is skirted front, by mountainous along the anglealluvialfanscoalesce at themountain network of widis flowinlandfrom and eastern western, southern, edges of the peninsula. whichan extensive intotheRub' al-Khali, theUmmasflank of the theHajarMountains runalongthewestern The 'Asir Highlands basins. andtheHaushi-Huqf of Saudi Arabia,called theYemenHighlands Samim, Kingdom outcomeof theAfricanwheretheyextendinto the Republicof Yemen. This Perhapsthemostprofound thathas affected the courseof 4000 m above sea level Arabiantectonic mountain chainreachesnearly rifting - thehighest of theArabian is compression in thesouth on theentire history plateas it peninsula; human point Eurasia.Thisprocess has led togeological it receivesup to 1000 mm of rainfall as a result, per pushesagainst theeastern ofArabia, most The coastalplainof southern Arabiais bounded subsidence annum. portion throughout that the Araboand a shallow the Hadramawt (in Yemen) (in Oman) depression comprises Nejd notably by north from theDhofarescarpment, PersianGulf basin. In addition, bucklingsedimentary plateaus.Extending a of north-south m created series beds rise to an elevation of 1000 strata folds, thereby sedimentary sharply oil reservoirs beneaththe the world's off northwards onto above sea level,gradually creating largest levelling arid climatic of uplifted ArabianShelf.Underthepresent the Nejd. The entireregionis comprised regime, Arabiaare dominated basinsof eastern that limestone by slopesintotheRub al- thelow-lying Tertiary gradually 4 blanketed Khalibasin.The ridgeof theDhofar marks aeoliandeposition, bymassivesandseas. escarpment are The Wahiba Sands are located in easternOman, thewatershed divide;southwards-flowing drainages This desert north-east of the Haushi-Huqf active under the conditions, Depression. incising seasonally present oriented on a of linear dunes north-south and is limestone cliffs at a steepgradeandcreating comprised springs forseveralhundred runparallelto one another the axis that lagoonsas they pool ontothecoastalplain.Presently, m inelevation to 100 The dunes reach and receive almost no storm kilometres. up northwards-flowing drainages km swales 1-3 wide & of are flowbut,during the the (Glennie Singhvi by separated pluvial cycles, magnitude Radies& Matter was sufficient monsoon 2002). The mostrecent enoughto producehigh-energy 2002; Preusser, inWahibaformed thelastglacial aeoliandeposits fluvial during systems. continental at whichtimetheemerged shelf the Arabian maximum, The tectonicplate that constitutes carbonates available abundant unconsolidated Africa. Formostof geological provided Peninsula is derived from Radies & both landmassesformed (Glennie1988; Preusser, history, part of a pan-Afro- foraeoliantransport 30 million the Matter Arabian continent. around Then, 2002). years ago the African Shieldandbegan Arabian broke off from Encompassingnearly 600,000 km2,most of the plate Arabia is blanketed in a counter-clockwise interior of southern to slideto thenorth-east, by the Rub' rotating This massive basin al-Khali sand sea. a reaction of seismic direction. Thisevent chain slopes froman triggered 1200 m above sea level in on the elevationof approximately transformations that have had an indelible effect sea level in theeast.The dunesof the andpalaeoanthropological thewestto nearly course ofpalaeoenvironmental a variety of types, from include of Rub' al-Khali One modification was the formation resulting history. significant and diverse sources of sand. wind is the theRed Sea trough. This narrow, alternating patterns elongate depression in thesouth-western of the more than 2000 kmlongandvariesinwidth from 180 to The dunesare tallest portion Like theWahiba, the 300 kmalongthemainchannel. The rifting ofthesetwo basin,as muchas 200 m in height. al-Khali dunes formed of the Rub' features also volcanic the western extant during along plates triggered activity of reworked thejagged basaltpeaksof the the late Pleistocene, primarily comprised edgeofArabia, producing above a bed of Pliocenealluvial sediments Pleistocene 'AsirYemenHighlands. is The genesisof Arabia's easternmountain (McClure1978). range gravels
Climate insouthern Arabia changeand human origins The peninsulais subjectto two different weather & Steinkohl From the north regimes(Barth 2004). comeAtlantic late-winter which move north-westerlies, eastwards overtheMediterranean Sea, downtheArabian Gulf,and eventually dissipateover the Rub' al-Khali desertand MusandamPeninsula, cool gentle bringing windsand lightprecipitation (Parkeret al. 2004). The second weather consists ofsummer storms regime brought IndianOcean monsoon From by thesouth-west system. June to September, thehighlands of Yemenand Oman receive relatively heavy rainfallas the mountainous terrain of southern Arabia traps moisturefromthe monsoon & Singhvi (Lzine et al 1998; Glennie 2002). the 'Asir and DhofarMountains receive Consequently, between 200-1000 mm annually; while areas closerto sea levelseldom collectmore than100-200mmperyear (Schyfsma 1978).
27
distribution of florahas (Lzine et al 1998). A similar been identified in the DhofarMountains and described as rolling and dense and verdant grasslands copses and reminiscent rather of uplandregionsin the woodlands, African savannah. theclose resemblance of South Arabian floral Indeed, varieties to that ofAfrica is due to thefactthat manyof these taxaspread eastwards from Africa. Thesewoodland and grassland ecosystems belongto the Saharo-Sindian and Saharo-Arabian zones (Mandaville phytogeographic & Fisher1998; Ghazanfar 1985; Ghazanfar 1999). The of plantcommunities and themorphology composition ofendemic a close botanical speciessuggest relationship between Africaand Arabia throughout the Quaternary. Examples of East African-derived planttypesinclude Acacia sp. (Acacia), Ziziphusziziphus (Jujube),and Apocynoideae rhazya (dogbane). Plant types in south-eastern Arabian (the modern territories of northern Oman and theUAE) showstrong Flora and fauna ties to the flora of Iran and south-western Pakistan The environmental across Arabia,the floral (Baluchistan), the Omano-Makranian subgradients comprising varietiesin adjacent territories, and the legacy of zoneofthe Nubo-Sindian centre ofendemism (Mandaville climatechange have all had a significant 1985;Ghazanfar & Fisher1998;Ghazanfar Quaternary 1999).Floral effect ofplant the elements that are linked toAsiantaxainclude uponthedistribution types throughout Euphorbia subcontinent etal 2004). In southern the larica (succulent Prunusamygdalus Arabia, (Parker spurge), (almonds), coveris grouped within thefollowing Ficus carica (figs), Lawsonia inermis(henna), and sparsevegetation interior Yemen Indigoferatinctoria(true indigo). These pronounced basin, 'Asirbiotopes:coastal habitat, Dhofar Mountains, and Hajar Mountains. affinities in plant distribution across the OmanoHighlands, Florasuchas Cressaeretica Nitraria retusa sub-zone are attributed to thefact that (cressa), (salt Makranian during maritimus much of the the basin of the Arabian Gulf was tree)andJuncus (sea rush)arefound growing Quaternary on themarine shores and saltflats. Wildrue,mangrove, exposed,forming one continuous from Arabia territory datepalms,henna, and ilb intoSouth Asia (Williams & Walkden tamarinds, mistletoe, indigo, 2002). those Of the large mammals,animals belongingto the prosperaroundcoastal wadi banks,particularly Bovidae are by farthe mostprominent on the along the Tihama (Red Sea) and al-Batinah(Gulf of family Peninsula.These include one species of oryx,three Oman)coasts(Miller& Thomas1996). In the interior, plants such as tamarisks, poplars, speciesof Gazella,twospeciesof Capra, one belonging acacias, and several otherspecies of reeds, grasses, tothegenus (wildgoat),andoneofthegenus Hemitragus and small shrubs are foundscattered near depressions Ovis (wild sheep).These animalstypically occupyareas and seasonal drainagesystems thatreceive a limited that receivemoderate to highamounts ofrainfall suchas of moisture & Mason Due to the Yemeni and the Mountains. degree 1946). (Hugh Dhofar, heavy highlands, Hajar there Gazelle have been notedfrom morearid settings such monsoon, precipitation deposited by the summer is a wide variety of flora in the'AsirYemenHighlands. as thehighplateaus, whilethedesert-adapted were oryx Wild figs, leguminoustrees, tamarisks, date palms, once ubiquitous theinterior, evenwithin the throughout and a of bushes Rub' al-Khali indigo,qat, myrrh, variety flowering (Harrison 1980). and herbs are found whileforests Small mammalsinclude various species fromthe alongthewadi banks, ofjuniper coverthemountain 2500 and family Soricidae(shrews), order Rodentia and slopesbetween (rodents), 3000 m elevations Pollen taken from order There are carnivores such as (1946). samples (bats). Chiroptera thewoodedYemenihighlands showa predominance of mongooses, and foxes genets,dogs, wolves, (Harrison of felinesare present, Fells acacia, Zygophyllum (Syrianbean caper), and several 1980). A variety including from the silvestris Felis Caracal species familyChenopodiaceae(goosefoot) (wild cat), (sand cat), margarita
28
Figure 1. Laminated lacustrine strataat Wahalah UAE. Lake,Ras al-Khaimah, caracal (Caracal lynx), Panthera pardus (leopard),and Acinonyx jubatus (cheetah)(Harrison& Bates 1991). Like the Bovidae family, these animals are typically found in and around themontane zones.Thereare some of hares, and pikas) examples Lagomorpha(rabbits, from the interior on the desert reported plateausand the of the Rub' al-Khali along margins (1991). Much like the pattern of floraldistributions, there are strong links Arabian between fauna inter-regional and adjacentareas.Terrestrial snailsof northern Oman are primarily Palaearctic snails while found west taxa, of Dhofarhave East African affinities (Mordan 1980). Fernandes et al. (2006) report mtDNAevidencefora recent between African and Arabian genetic divergence note several other small and medium-sized genets. They carnivores desert foxes, (e.g. mongooses, honey badger, caracal,jungle cat, goldenjackal) thatoccur on both sidesoftheRed Sea that linked. mayalso be genetically Harrison corroborates these African and Arabian (1980) faunalconnections, thatCrocidurasomalica observing and Genetta to (shrew) granii(genet)are closelyrelated EastAfrican varieties. Another indicator of faunalconnections across the Red Sea is thepresence oftheprimate Papio hamadryas - SacredBaboon- inYemen. these Presently, primates are indigenous to the rockyhill country of Somalia, andYemen.Papio hamadryas are arid-adapted Ethiopia, creatures that andother insects, hares, forage protein-rich small mammals; obtain water from shallow they pools and by digging smallwells in desert witha high regions water table(Nowak 1991).Analyses ofPapio hamadryas mtDNA the on both sides of Red Sea suggest that lineages in East Africa sometime between 150,000 they originated and 50,000 yearsago, and subsequently into migrated
Arabia insouthern Climate origins changeand human
29
Ar Oman. in Wadi Figure 2. Relict ah, southern fluvialterrace etal 2004; Fernandes, Arabia(Wildman 2000; Wildman baboon & Siddell2006). ThattheEast African Rohling that there must theArabian implies lineageis olderthan release sometime have been a demographic bottleneck theUpperPleistocene. during of snowand This spikeis attributed to thedisappearance the ice cover over central Asia, Tibet,and Himalayas, mechanisms thatone of theprimary driving suggesting at glacialmonsoon fluctuations are climatic conditions and lithogenic boundaries. interglacial Biogeochemical thelast 350,000 data from ArabianSea cores spanning Pleistocene and Early Holoceneclimate windswere thatmonsoon thenotion yearsalso support of sensitiveto changingglacial climates.The retreat changein Arabia albedo (solarradiation ice sheets, therisein continental that fallsoverArabiais brought reflected Mostoftheprecipitation offthe earth'ssurface),and the increaseof south-west Indian Oceanmonsoon watersurface afore-mentioned bythe in thewestern IndianOcean temperatures so than from more "north-westerly" system, considerably (Clemensetal 1991). triggered spikesin magnitude fateof winter storms. theenvironmental Consequently, the simulations havebeenusedto estimate Computer restsupon the the region, amelioration or desiccation, monsoonduring averagewind speed of the south-west of themonsoon, whichhas been in fluxforat such intensity average phasesof intensification. Speeds currently leastthelast quarter of a million years(Clemenset al of activity the around10 m/sec, whileincreased periods etal 2004). 1991;Muzuka2000; Fleitmann would saw windspeedsreaching 15 m/sec. Precipitation have been 50 % greater thanitspresent value,growing Indian Ocean monsooncycles:lifeand deathofthe from5 mm/day to 7.5 mm/day. Northwards-shifting SouthArabian landscape intothe further insulation drovethemonsoons patterns withevidencefor seasonal storms Marine coresfrom theIndianOcean,Gulfof Oman,and ArabianPeninsula, as farnorth as BubiyanIsland in theArabian south-west reaching Arabian a detailed ofthe the Sea provide history the Indian Oceanmonsoon 1972;Kutzbach1981). Quaternary. Gulf(Sarnthein throughout system to model the rate of Researchers have attempted Sea from Arabian ofdinoflagellate Analysis cystcontent of in monsoon shifts an abrupt changeduring reveals thelastglaciation Analysis magnitude. deepsea coresduring Sea ofArabian was conducted on an interval et al 1997). 15N fluctuation at 12,500yearsago (Zonneveld isotopes
30
at ash-Shwaib, UAE. Figure3. Late Pleistocene dune profile core spanning thebracket monsoon of timebetween 43,000 and notetheonsetofintensified episodescan lag up shifts in glacial conditions, climatic 42,000years ago - a well-established boundary. to 1000 yearsafter possibly in within a due to the threshold for sufficient amounts of mean occurred Significant necessary changes strength 200 snow and ice to melt and affect Indian Ocean insulation of which is instantaneous on span years, relatively a Pleistocene timescale (Higginson2004). While the patterns Lourens& Zachariasse1997; Petit(Reichart, onsetoftheintensified has Maireetal 1999;Ivanovaet al 2003). monsoon was rapid, evidence in monsoon areevidenced been presented thatthe shift Fluctuations back towards intensity bya suggesting within the The aridification on a of and most was a moregradual landscape. variety signals upon processoccurring a series ofdated millennial records comefrom themostrecent scale, at leastduring speleothems wet/dry complete in the and Dhofar mountains. Pronounced shift al Hajar pluvial (Lckgee 2001). Thestable arealso signalled of ancient lake record ofvarious byremnants oxygen isotope planktonic conditions foraminiferal fluvial terraces ruber, travertines, 1), 2), (i.e. (Fig. (Fig. and species Globigerinoides deposits the The alluvial fans and bulloides, dutertrei) along regions. Globigerina spreading piedmont Neogloboquadrina seas found Arabia's desert are attests totemporal inmarine sand variations throughout palaeoproductivity.expansive that have of last a testament to the distribution over the occasionally Analysis speciesfrequency hyperarid phases acrossthepeninsula correlation between glacialcycleshowsa direct (Fig. 3). palaeo- swept in the Arabian Sea, the strength of the We have compiledall of thesepalaeoenvironmental productivity to build a comprehensive and theglobaloxygen curve. Scholars databaseof monsoon, isotope signalstogether
Climate insouthern Arabia changeand human origins
31
Figure4. HOPE ENV sum curve Arabiaduring theUpper probability depicting wet/dry signalsthroughout Pleistocene. climatechangein Arabia,referred to as HOPE ENV. Thesedataarederived from sources as well as published newevidence collected in thefield. Based bytheauthors on a totalof 396 absolute a composite dates,we present sum probability curve (Fig. 4) to illustrate climatic oscillations overthepast 175,000years, from MIS 6 to Peaks in sum probability present. represent periodsof increased whiletroughs drier wetness, highlight phases. All datesarereported in calendar yearsP. Climatic conditions thelateMiddleandUpper during Pleistocene are of particular interest to our study, given that this of time formed the ofearly human span backdrop from Africa.Was the climatearid enough emergence thelastfewglacialmaximato preclude hominin during habitationand, conversely, were conditionshumid humanoccupation the Last enoughto facilitate during Interglacial? Anton(1984) speculated thatthe environment was MIS that monsoon 6, hyperarid during given intensity with tracks theglobalmarine The roughly isotopecurve. in Arabia indicates the situation was emerging picture morevariedthanthisinitial a smattering of assessment; Chronometrie dates suggests therewere briefpulses in evidence for increased moisture precipitation. Compelling at theMIS 7-MIS 6 interface comesfrom in speleothems Hoti Cave, northern Oman,whereU/Thmeasurements an increasein growth exhibit ratebetween 200-180 ka of stage6 sub-pluvials (Burnset al 2001). The prospect arecorroborated dateson fluvial siltsat Sabkha byoptical Matti(147,000 12,000 BP) (Goodall 1995), two U/ Th measurements from freshwater mollusca within lacustrine sediments at Mudawwara(170,000 14,000 BP and 152,000 8,000 BP) (Petit-Maire et al 1999), dated fluvial silts at in theWadi al-Moalla optically Falaj Dhaid,UAE (193,110 30,750BP), OSL measurements on fluvialsilts recordedat the Camel Pit Site, Umm al-Qawain,UAE (174,300 24,110 BP), and optical measurements onevaporitic lacustrine sediments sampled from a relict interdunal sabkhain theLiwa region of the Rub' al-Khali, UAE (160,000 8000 BP) (Wood,Rizk& Alsharhan 2003). The onset of the Last Interglacial period around an 130,000 years ago was punctuated by abruptand drastic in rainfall increase overSouthArabiathatlasted
32
until 120ka,followed a seriesof smalllakes spreadacrossthe approximately bya secondpeakin 3 thatfeatured with MIS 5a U/ interior (82-74 ka). precipitation corresponding (McClure 1984). Radiocarbonmeasurements Th dateson palaeosolsfrom thewestern of the on mollusc shellsand marlsindicate the lakes reached piedmont in Mountains Oman that are correlated with levels around37,000 BP (McClure 1976). Hajar isotopie their highest stages5e and5a (Sanlaville1992). Soils werealso noted These playas rangedfrom ephemeral puddlesto pools in the ad-DahnaDesertof northern well over 1000. They Arabia,wherelate up to 10 m deep, and numbered Pleistocene dunesoverlietwo separate strata are primarily distributed axis across pedogenic along an east-west thatcould only have formed on stabilized dunes with thecentre oftheRub' al-Khalibasin,covering a distance a dense cover of vegetation (Anton1984). There is a of some 1200 km (McClure 1984). Similarlake basins network of Plio-Pleistocene bas-relief from theRamlatas-Sabatayn desert gravelchannels have been reported westoftheWahiba that desert is superimposed bythinner inYemen(Lzineetal 1998;2007),as wellas theNafud fluviatile associated withparticularly in northern Arabia(Garrard & Harvey1981; Schulz & gravels tentatively humidepisodes during MIS 5e and MIS 5a (Maizels Whitney 1986). overfifty Researchers that 1987).StokesandBray(2005) obtained optical speculate lake-filling episodeswere datesfrom dunesintheLiwa region, which short-lived; these poorly drainedbasins would have megabarchan lies alongtheeastern of theRub' al-Khali.Their beenrecharged stormflow runoff margin byoccasionaltorrential a prolonged ofduneaccumulation and disappeared within a fewyears.Due to theregion's findings suggest period from130 to 75 ka. This deposition was attributed to a wide catchment was the area,theMundafan depression offactors suchas reduced sea levels exceptionto this model. Arabia's thickest lacustrine uniquecombination in theArabo-Persian Gulfthatproduced an abundance depositswere recorded here,wheresinglelake periods of sedimentary material availablefortransport, a risein areestimated to havelastedat least800 years. Fossilized cover that faunal remains excavated within theMundafan sediments levels,and vegetation regional groundwater stabilized thedunes.Multiple MIS 5 pluvialepisodesare yieldeda menagerie of largevertebrates including oryx, HotiCave speleothems, gazelle,aurochs, wildass, hartebeest, water buffalo, tahr, signalled bytheaforementioned which U/Th dates between wild and ostrich camel, yield indicating rapidgrowth (McClure goat,hippopotamus, 135-120 ka and 82-78 ka. Researchersnoted that 1984).Mostofthese tothefamily Bovidae, speciesbelong was most MIS whose survival 5e, speleothem growth pronounced during required expansive grasslands produced moreso thanall subsequent rainfall distributed pluviais(Burnset al. 1998; by lightto medium evenlyover the we have dateda seriesof buried Rub' al-Khali. 2001). Most recently, alluvialfansinterstratified withfluvialsands along the and freshwater Ostracoda molluscaindicative of low western in of the Mountains Ras were at as well as al-Khaimah, salinity edge Hajar present Mundafan, species UAE. OSL ages obtained from thatattest thesesediments indicate of foraminifera to highly brackish conditions weredeposited at 117,030 15,080BP and 107,970 (McClure& Swain 1974). Evidenceof grasses, shrubs, they 9660 BP. andherbs are indicated and dikaka bybothphytoliths Therearemeagre climatic datafrom MIS 4 andearly thin, of fossilized tubular material scattered fragments MIS 3 in southern Arabia.Indirect evidencefrom the in theaeolian sediments around thebasins.These floral HOPE ENV summed curve as when well as the fossils were formed dissolved calcium in carbonate probability indexof IndianOcean Monsoonactivity et the water onto as the lake (Fleitmann precipitated plants evaporated. al. 2007) suggests thistimeframe was characterized by Evidence of fish remains are conspicuouslyabsent conditions around 70 from theRub' al-Khalilakes,because lakeswererarely increasingly hyperarid culminating followed a return to a more humid refilled andbecametoo alkaline too quickly to developa ka, by regime by50,000 The evidence for aridification (McClure1984). yearsago. onlyphysical population MIS 4 can be inferred In addition from to interior during palaeolakes,other stratigraphie profiles signalsfor in theRub' al-Khali,whichattest to a stageof aeolian an MIS 3 wet phase includedepositional in terraces accumulation sometime before37,000 yearsago. This the Wadi Dhaid; although their undated, stratigraphie is relatively minor as compared to positionsuggestsan age between35 and 22 ka BP however, deposition, theimmense aeolian structures thataccumulated sibakh recordedin the during (Sanlaville 1992). Interdunal theterminal have Pleistocene Liwa of the UAE dates (McClure1978). region produced thirty-one in as the heart of the Rub' aluncalibrated 14C well as that cluster (both OSL) Geologicalinvestigations Khali sand sea have revealeda landscapeduring MIS between46,500 and 21,500 BP (Wood & Imes 1995;
insouthern Arabia Climate origins changeand human
33
routeof dispersal, facilitated Juyal,Singhvi& Glennie 1998; Glennie & Singhvi across the southern by a in Palaeosols have been the ad-Dahna new to resources recorded 2000; 2002). adaptation aquatic (e.g. Stringer whichare stratigraphically between Mithen & Reed2002; Mellars desert, 2006). Evidence suggesting positioned of low-lying coastal habitats the MIS 4 and MIS 2 aeoliandeposits (Anton1984). Clark the importance during from ancient early andmiddle and Fontes(1990) datedcalciteformations Holocenehasbeendiscovered byBailey theFarasanIslandsin the Oman, producing et al. (2007; 2001b) around hyperalkaline springsin northern a nearly radiocarbon 33 and 19ka.Twosoilhorizons southern Red Sea, whoreport continuous lineof agesbetween werediscovered around thecentral oftheYemeni over1000 shellmounds plateau alongthebeachfront. - soilsthat form on a characterized as molissols Faure, Walterand Grant(2002) have identified highlands, to as covered Uncalibrated processof littoral freshwater landscapes bysavannah vegetation. upwelling theyrefer the the"coastaloasis" hypothesis that radiocarbon measurements were26,150 350 BP for mayhelpexplainthe horizon importance of coastalhabitats lower and 19,290 350 BP for theupper forearlyhumans stratum, groups. & Ghaleb1997). (Brinkmann Depressedsea levels during glacial maximacaused an that Pleistocene within Researchers the Terminal submarine rivers; dry increaseof hydraulic pressure speculate more freshwater had experienced consequently, flowed through these phasewas morearidthanthepeninsula since the Penultimate if not earlier(Anton aquifers. thisprocessled to thecreation of Glaciation, Eventually, in theRub' springsin favourable from duneformations loci on the emergedshelfwith 1984).Ages obtained al-Khali(McClure 1984; Goudie et al 2000; Parker & and/or conducive faults, lithology, bathymetry, topography Sucha phenomenon can be observed Goudie,2007), an-Nafud (Anton1984),and theWahiba to upwelling. today Sands (Gardner1988; Glennie & Singhvi 2002) all in the abundant of the submerged seeps at the bottom Gulf. between Arabo-Persian The areaaround modern Qataris the signala majorphase of aeolian accumulation in northern of severalsubmarine Oman terminus rivers thatflowbeneath 17,000and 9000 BP. Calcitefractures a mass of upwelling corroborate theevidence for increasing aridity, indicating Arabia,creating plumesonce used in theenvironment byancient there was considerably less moisture seafarers for their stores restocking freshwater BP The Terminal around 19,000 1996). (Clark 1990). (Church starting Pleistocenehyperarid a god known as Enki,the"LordoftheSweet Indeed, phase ended with yet another This oscillation back to humid conditions. was revered inhabitants Waters", pronounced by the Gulf's earliest at a lasted until c. 5000 which time which in basin to itsfinal the BP, pluvial phaseperiod group originated prior in thepresent climatic was established inundation the fourth Enki millennium . was believed (Overstreet regime the"Abzu",thefreshwater & Grolier1988; Cleuziou,Inizan& Marcolongo1992; to dwellwithin of thedeep; Sanlaville1992; Brunner of EnkiandNinhursag" with he is credited 1997; Wilkinson 1997; Stokes in the"Myth & Bray2005; Parker etal. 2004; 2006a; 20066; 2006c). canals to Dilmun freshwater to (Jacobsen building bring 1987). This exampletakenfromSumerian mythology shorelines and humanrefugia servesas a usefulframe of reference both to highlight Shifting theavailability and importance of freshwater within the As profound as these climaticoscillations have been Arabo-Persian Gulf basin throughout the Pleistocene overthecourseoftheQuaternary, theriseandfallof sea and EarlyHolocene.The Gulfis the shallowest inland m in levelhas had an evengreater effect on theconfiguration sea in the world,averaging 40 just depthand of the Arabiansubcontinent. into account the some km2 225,000 1972).Therefore, covering (Sarnthein Taking shallowbathymetry of theArabo-Persian Gulfand Red between115,000and 6,000 yearsago, whensea levels Sea basins,nearly1 millionkm2of contiguous land were depressed below current that levels,we speculate havebeenrepeatedly this and served as a for local biomass by glacioregion exposed submerged largerefugium eustatic and transgression (including constricted hominins) (for cycles of marineregression by aridconditions The of the continental shelf around further discussion of the role of the Gulfbasinin proto(Fig. 5). emergence Arabiahaddirect for see Sayce et al 1912; Barton1929; Cooke 1987; implications prehistoric occupation, history sincetheexposedlandmass abundant sources of Teller et al 2000; Kennett & Kennett 2006; Sanford provided a generally fresh water amidst desiccated The 2006). landscape. roleoflittoral zonesinthedispersal ofmodern humans is theUpperPleistocene and Early/Middle Throughout thecruxof ongoing of human all recent models excess runoff in south-west Asia discussion; Holocene,nearly from coastal was Africa envision funnelled into the Gulf basin via submarine emergence migration rapid aquifers
34
'L
'/(t' > v' 'i
"" / ---"'
'
'
'
River Valley ^ IWlfof Oman >
Ur-Schatt
-,
- -,_
lV NV
ancient rivergravels ; ; wadi channel
^~'~''^^
''
Arabian Sea
^<^-'
Jn^^GulfofAden
^o^ ^^=^^
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palaeolake basin
j submerged coastal shelf
J/ A/ /1
^^je^
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Figure5. Map ofArabiashowing channels and significant Pleistocene geomorphic features. drainage in present as recently beneath theKarun shoreline as 6000 yearsago, at which Arabia, flowing drainage originating the andthe andEuphrates Rivers time thesea exceededitscurrent levelsby2 m (Bernier et Mountains, Zagros Tigris from theAnatolian All ofthesedrainage al 1995;Lambeck1996;Williams & Walkden Plateau. 2002). flowing within thecentre There is freshly unearthed evidencehinting at the ofthebasin, systems converged forming the Ur-Schatt which oncetraversed of the Gulf basin refugium theentire River, throughout length importance of thebasinthrough a deeplyincisedcanyon that One suchexampleis theunexpectedly is still prehistory. early in theextant evident ofUbaid-related sitesclustering (lateNeolithic) (Seibold & Vollbrecht presence bathymetry coastlineand located on islands 1969; Sarnthein 1972; Uchupi, Swift& Ross 1999). along the southern The mostrecent theGulfitself Riverdowncutting within 1991; 1994; Hermansen (Haerinck phase of Ur-Schatt culminated duringthe Last Glacial Maximum,when 1993; Jasim1996; Beech & Elders1999; Beech,Elders 2000; Beech et al 2005; Carter 2006). The global sea levelswerereduced by 120 m and thebasin & Shepherd was exposed in its entirety. of a fully-sedentary, Sometimearound 14,000 suddenappearance agrarian society of Hormuzwere breachedby the Gulf within thispreviously uninhabited nicheis incongruous BP, the Straits of Oman,and by 12,500 BP marineincursion thepace of local Neolithic reached with Therefore, development. the central basin of the Gulf.This processof infilling we suggest the pattern of Ubaid-related settlements has beenrelatively Arabiais reasonto revivetheage old, thewaters the in south-eastern gradual; onlyreached
insouthern Climate Arabia changeand human origins
35
ans?" predominantly unanswered debate: "from whence cametheSumeri Palearctic taxa- demonstrate theregion's Eurasian affinities. It is notsurprising that (Barton 1929). This question becomes even more natural Upper in light ofnewgenetic evidence obtained from Pleistocene lithicindustries followthesame geographic intriguing modern around theGulf, whocarry (Rose 2007). populations signature patterning et al. We have seen thatlifeand deathwithin theinterior Africa, Asia, and Europe(Reguiero lineagesfrom & Herrera of the 2006; Shepard 2006). Based on these findings, of SouthArabiawas dependant upontheintensity etal. (2006) describe theareaas a "tricontinentalIndianOcean monsoon. Whenglobalinsulation Reguiero patterns forcedthe monsoon northwards, nexus"for human dissemination. the hinterland was transformed into a sub-tropical savannah.Conversely, Discussion:modelling whenrainfall ceasedduring themajority demographic glacialmaxima, ofthepeninsula becamea barren wasteland. Giventhese response extreme in conjunction withitsposition at fluctuations, In considering the early humandrama thatunfolded theintersection of Africa, Asia, and Europe,it is likely amidst the backdropof the wildly metamorphosingthatSouthArabiaserveda uniquerolein theprehistoric a passagefrom world:a bridge Arabian itis useful toconsider arid landscape, during pluviaisand a barrier during text KitabSirral- phases. Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani's ninth-century later translated intoEnglish It is onlyappropriate to envision Asrar, theseprocessesin by Sir Isaac Newton: "that which is belowis likethat which is above"(Dobbs, thesense of longterm, inter-regional genetic exchange; rendition of thisstatement we do not yet possess a suitabledegreeof resolution 1983).A moredown-to-earth in Arabiamirrors within that thepalaeoclimatic and archaeological records to might imply demographic history theevolution ofthelandscape. assess actualdemographic events. statement about Any is rooted indeepgeological when UpperPleistocene Thismetaphor humanmigrations time, out of Africaand theArabian tectonic the into Africa, Arabiawouldbe premature andgrossly platesplitfrom forming presumptive. Red Sea trough. Geneticstudiesindicatethatmodern There are data suggesting that certainparts of the in a similar whena Arabian subcontinent human occurred manner, served as stable refugiaduring emergence A superhaplogroup derived from mtDN L3 branched environmental downturns. therole group Thus,to understand from the ancestral sometime to75,000BP of thepeninsula in thestory it of human prior population origins, is more et al. 2004), perhaps as earlyas 300,000 productive to considerpopulations tethered to refugia, (e.g. Metspalu a geographic expandingand contracting fromsuch habitats yearsago (Yotovaet al. 2007). Far from during forbothplantsand cyclesofamelioration theRed Sea was a conduit anddesiccation. barrier, Whilethere was no animalsthroughout theQuaternary. Thispaperhas demonstrated that climate Quaternary landbridge at anypointduring thisphase(Siddallet al. changein Arabiawas a complexprocessthat produced thenarrow diverselandscapesacross the peninsula.For instance, 2002: 203-206), reduced sea levelsrendered atthesouthern oftheRed Sea a negligible whileglacial eventsresulted extent in an entirely crossing inhospitable theeastern environment barrier. thebodyofwater within theinterior, of theemerged Moreover, flanking portions of the Arabiansubcontinent did not exist for continental than shelfwereparadisiacal Rather margin gardens. themajority of theUpperPleistocene scenarioof Homo sapiens marching across (Lambeck 1996; a simplistic Swift & Ross 1999);theabsence ofthis we must waterway Arabiaat theonsetof the"human Uchupi, revolution", an integral of the was undoubtedly that was as plot. expect part prehistoric prehistoric occupation complexand and fauna acrosseastern ArabiaDistributions offlora variedas thelandscapes which dwelt. upon they
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Climate change and human origins in southern Arabia Author(s): A.G. Parker and J.I.

38 (2008): 25-42 Proceedings oftheSeminar forArabianStudies

in southern andhuman Climate Arabia change origins

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

Arabia insouthern Climate origins changeand human

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

Climate insouthern Arabia changeand human origins

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

insouthern Arabia Climate origins changeand human

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

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insouthern Climate Arabia changeand human origins

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

insouthern Arabia Climate changeand human origins A. Clark

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

insouthern Arabia Climate origins changeand human

&. J.I.Rose A.G. Parker

Climate insouthern Arabia changeand human origins

A.G. Parker &. J.I.Rose

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