A new research study dug into the relationship in between environment change and human populations in Neolithic Europe. Analyzing geological and archaeological information from Central European regions, the research discovered that warm and damp periods led to population development, while cold and dry times typically led to population decreases and cultural shifts.
Harsher European climates were associated with reduced populations and increased social inequality.
Human populations in Neolithic Europe changed with changing environments, according to a research study released on October 25, 2023, in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Ralph Großmann of Kiel University, Germany, and associates.
Archaeological Insights
The historical record is an important resource for checking out the relationship between humans and the environment, especially how each is impacted by the other. In this study, researchers analyzed Central European regions rich in archaeological remains and geologic sources of climate data, utilizing these resources to identify correlations in between human population patterns and climate modification.
The study discovered a noteworthy correlation in between climate and human populations. Throughout warm and damp times, populations tended to increase, likely boosted by enhanced crops and economies. During cold and dry times, populations frequently decreased, sometimes experiencing major cultural shifts with prospective proof of increasing social inequality, such as the introduction of high-status “handsome burials” of some individuals in the Circumharz area.
These results suggest that at least some of the trends in human populations over time can be attributed to the impacts of altering environments.
The Schneiderberg near Baalberge (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) is a burial mound constructed in the Neolithic duration which was enlarged several times. One extension took place around 2000 BCE and consisted of a strikingly richly furnished burial. It is one of a whole series of burials of this kind in the region around the Harz Mountains, dating from a period of undesirable weather conditions. The linking of information on market development with regional environment data and actual archaeological finds in the study provides brand-new insights into the interconnectedness of environment changes and social modifications in Central Europe in between 5500 and 3500 years earlier. Credit: Johannes Müller, CC-BY 4.0
The 3 regions analyzed are the Circumharz area of central Germany, the Czech Republic/Lower Austria area, and the Northern Alpine Foreland of southern Germany. Scientists assembled over 3400 published radiocarbon dates from archaeological websites in these regions to act as indications of ancient populations, following the logic that more dates are available from bigger populations leaving more products.
Environment data originated from cavern developments in these regions which provide datable details about ancient environment conditions. These data cover 3550-1550 BC, from the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age.
Secret Findings
The study found a notable correlation in between environment and human populations. During warm and damp times, populations tended to increase, most likely strengthened by improved economies and crops. During cold and dry times, populations often reduced, often experiencing major cultural shifts with prospective evidence of increasing social inequality, such as the development of high-status “baronial burials” of some individuals in the Circumharz region.
These results suggest that at least some of the trends in human populations in time can be attributed to the effects of altering environments. The authors acknowledge that these information are vulnerable to skewing by limitations of the archaeological record in these areas, and that more information will be very important to support these results. This type of study is vital for understanding human connection to the environment and the impacts of altering climates on human cultures.
The authors add: “Between 5500 and 3500 years earlier, environment was a major factor in population advancement in the areas around the Harz Mountains, in the northern Alpine foreland, and in the region of what is now the Czech Republic and Austria. Not just the population size, but also the social structures altered with climate variations.”
Recommendation: “Demographic characteristics in between 5500 and 3500 calBP (3550– 1550 BCE) in picked study regions of Central Europe and the role of local environment affects” by Ralph Großmann, Mara Weinelt and Johannes Müller, 25 October 2023, PLOS ONE.DOI: 10.1371/ journal.pone.0291956.