Professor Adrian Parker
BSc (Hons), DPhil (Oxon)
Professor in Geography
School of Law and Social Sciences
Teaching and supervision
Courses
Modules taught
I am the module leader for Quaternary Environmental Change and I contribute to Arid Zone Environments.
Research Students
Name | Thesis title | Completed |
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Sophie Edwards | A Comparison of Craniodental Morphology of Hominoids of the Late Miocene and Early Pliocene in relation to Contemporary Climate Change and Paleoecological Shifts | Active |
Kira Raith | Quaternary climate change and landscape evolution of Southeast Arabia | Active |
Research
Prehistory of the Middle East, North Africa, Southern Africa and southern England. Quaternary science, geoarchaeology, geomorphology, environmental archaeology, palaeoecology. Application of multi proxy techniques e.g. Phytoliths, pollen, geochemistry.
Centres and institutes
Groups
Projects
Projects as Principal Investigator, or Lead Academic if project is led by another Institution
- Proposal for geomorphological survey and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction – Julfar al-Mataf, Julfar al-Nudud, Kush and Shimal (01/04/2024 - 31/12/2024), funded by: Government of Ras al Khaimah, funding amount received by Brookes: £41,900
- Phytolith Analysis Univ. Michigan (01/08/2023 - 31/07/2024), funded by: University of Michigan, funding amount received by Brookes: £1,563
Publications
Journal articles
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Turnbull M
Parker AG
Jankowski NR, 'The history of phytolith research in Australasian archaeology and palaeoecology'
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 32 (2023) pp.655-677
ISSN: 0939-6314 eISSN: 1617-6278AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARAlthough phytolith research has come of age in archaeology and palaeoecology internationally, it has remained relatively marginalised from mainstream practice in Australasia. The region’s initial isolation from international scientific communities and uniqueness of its vegetation communities, has led to an exclusive set of challenges and interruptions in phytolith research. Examining a history of Australasian phytolith research presents the opportunity to recognise developments that have made phytoliths a powerful tool in reconstructing past environments and human uses of plants. Phytolith research arrived early in Australia (1903), after a convoluted journey from Germany (1835–1895) and Europe (1895–1943), but phytoliths were initially misidentified as sponge spicules (1931–1959). Formal understanding of phytoliths and their applications began in Australasia during the late 1950s, continuing throughout the 1960s and 1970s (1959–1980). After a brief hiatus, the modern period of phytolith analyses in Australasian archaeological and palaeoenvironmental research began in the 1980s (1984–1992), focusing on investigating the deep past. Advancements continued into the 1990s and early 2000s. Wallis and Hart declared in 2003 that Australian phytolith research had finally come of age, but more a fitting description would be that it had peaked. Since then phytolith research in Australasia slowed down considerably (2005-present). Local phytolith reference collections for Australasian flora, critical for identifying ancient phytoliths, are essentially no longer produced.
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Patalano Robert, Arthur Charles, Carleton William Christopher, Challis Sam, Dewar Genevieve, Gayantha Kasun, Gleixner Gerd, Ilgner Jana, Lucas Mary, Marzo Sara, Mokhachane Rethabile, Pazan Kyra, Spurite Diana, Morley Mike W., Parker Adrian, Mitchell Peter, Stewart Brian A., Roberts Patrick, 'Ecological stability of Late Pleistocene-to-Holocene Lesotho, southern Africa, facilitated human upland habitation'
Communications Earth & Environment 4 (2023)
ISSN: 2662-4435 eISSN: 2662-4435AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARInvestigation of Homo sapiens’ palaeogeographic expansion into African mountain environments are changing the understanding of our species’ adaptions to various extreme Pleistocene climates and habitats. Here, we present a vegetation and precipitation record from the Ha Makotoko rockshelter in western Lesotho, which extends from ~60,000 to 1,000 years ago. Stable carbon isotope ratios from plant wax biomarkers indicate a constant C3-dominated ecosystem up to about 5,000 years ago, followed by C4 grassland expansion due to increasing Holocene temperatures. Hydrogen isotope ratios indicate a drier, yet stable, Pleistocene and Early Holocene compared to a relatively wet Late Holocene. Although relatively cool and dry, the Pleistocene was ecologically reliable due to generally uniform precipitation amounts, which incentivized persistent habitation because of dependable freshwater reserves that supported rich terrestrial foods and provided prime locations for catching fish.
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Woodbridge J, Fyfe R, Smith D, de Varielles A, Pelling R, Grant MJ, Batchelor R, Scaife R, Greig J, Dark P, Druce D, Garbett G, Parker A, Hill T, Schofield EJ, Simmonds M, Chambers F, Barnett C, Waller M, 'Agricultural systems regulate plant and insect diversity and induce ecosystem novelty'
Anthropocene 41 (2023)
ISSN: 2213-3054 eISSN: 2213-3054AbstractPublished hereLand-use change plays an important role in shaping plant and insect diversity over long time timescales. Great Britain provides an ideal case study to investigate patterns of long-term vegetation and insect diversity change owing to the existence of spatially and temporally extensive environmental archives (lake sediments, peatlands, and archaeological sites) and a long history of landscape transformation through agrarian change. The trends identified in past environmental datasets allow the impacts of land-use change on plant and insect diversity trends to be investigated alongside exploration of the emergence of ecological novelty. Using fossil pollen, insect (beetle), archaeodemographic, archaeobotanical and modern landscape datasets covering Britain, similarities are identified between insect diversity and pollen sample evenness indicating that vegetation heterogeneity influences insect diversity. Changing land use captured by archaeobotanical data is significantly correlated with pollen diversity demonstrating the role of human activity in shaping past diversity trends with shifts towards ecosystem novelty identified in the form of non-analogue pollen taxa assemblages (unique species combinations). Modern landscapes with higher agricultural suitability are less likely to have pollen analogues beyond the last 1000 years, whilst those in areas less suited to agriculture and on more variable topography are more likely to have analogues older than 1000 years. This signifies the role of agriculture in the creation of novel ecosystems. Ecological assemblages characteristic of earlier periods of the Holocene may persist in areas less affected by agriculture. The last 200 years has witnessed major shifts in novelty in a low number of pollen sites suggesting that novel ecosystems emerged over a longer time period resulting from the cumulative impacts of land-use change.
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Mueller, D., Raith, K., Bretzke, K., Fülling, A. Parker, A.G., Parton, A., Preston, G.W., Jasim, S., Yousif, E., Preusser, F. , 'Luminescence chronology of fluvial and aeolian deposits from the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE'
Quaternary Research: An Interdisciplinary Journal 112 (2022) pp.111-127
ISSN: 0033-5894 eISSN: 1096-0287AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARQuaternary environments on the Arabian Peninsula shifted between pronounced arid conditions and phases of increased rainfall, which had a profound impact on Earth surface processes. However, while aeolian sediment dynamics are reasonably well understood, there is a lack of knowledge with regard to the variability in the fluvial systems. Presented here are the findings from several locations within wadi drainage systems to the west of the Hajar Mountain (United Arab Emirates). The performance of Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating using a customised standardised growth curve approach is investigated, showing that this approach allows reliable determination of ages by reducing the machine time required. Three main periods of fluvial activity are observed at 160-135 ka, 43-34 ka and ca. 20 ka. Further ages fall into the latest Pleistocene and late Holocene. Interestingly, none of the ages coincide with major wet periods in SE Arabia, identified in stalagmites and by the deposition of lake sediments. It is shown that fluvial activity was partly contemporaneous (within the given time resolution) with phases of aeolian deposition and was almost continuously, but likely sporadically, during the Mid-Late Pleistocene. This highlights the need for regionally defined palaeoenvironmental records in order to fully understand the response of dryland systems to long-term climatic change.
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Samaya K, Parker AG, Parton A, Viles H, 'Developing a Geocultural Database of Quaternary Palaeoenvironmental sites and Archaeological sites in Southeast Arabia: inventory, endangerment assessment, and a roadmap for conservation'
Sustainability 14 (2022)
ISSN: 2071-1050 eISSN: 2071-1050AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARQuaternary Paleoenvironmental (QP) sites in Southeast Arabia are important not only to understand the history of global climate change but also to study how ancient humans adapted to a changing natural environment. These sites, however, are currently missing from conservation frameworks despite reports of destroyed sites and sites under imminent threat. This study presents the Geocultural Database of Southeast Arabia, the first open-access database on QP sites in this region, created as a comprehensive inventory of regional QP sites and a tool to analyse QP records and archaeological records. The endangerment assessment of QP sites in this database reveals that 13% of QP sites have already been destroyed and 15% of them are under imminent threat of destruction, primarily due to urban development and infrastructure development. Chronological and spatial analyses of QP and archaeological sites and records highlight the intricate relationship between palaeoenvironment and archaeology and emphasise the need for sub-regional scale studies to understand the variation of climatic conditions within the region, especially to study changes in the ancient human demography. This database illustrates the potential of a geocultural approach that combines archaeological heritage with Quaternary geoheritage as a way forward for the conservation of QP sites at risk.
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Cohen TJ, Arnold LJ, Gázquez F, May JH, Marx SK, Jankowski NR, Chivas AR, Garćia A, Cadd H, Parker AG, Jansen JD, Fu X, Waldmann N, Nanson GC, Jones BG, Gadd P,, 'Late Quaternary climate change in Australia's arid interior: Evidence from Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre'
Quaternary Science Reviews 292 (2022)
ISSN: 0277-3791 eISSN: 1873-457XAbstractPublished hereWilliams Point is an iconic late Quaternary sedimentary sequence exposed at the southern margin of Madigan Gulf at Kati Thanda – Lake Eyre (KT-LE), Australia's largest lake. The ∼15 m high cliff outcrop includes 6 m of aeolian sediments, capping a ∼0.5 m beach/shoreline facies containing abundant Coxiella (aquatic gastropod) unconformably overlying 5–6 m of fluvio-lacustrine facies. The base of the outcrop and the playa floor comprises shallow and deeper water laminated lacustrine sediments. We re-examine the stratigraphic sequence using detailed excavations, micromorphological analysis and geochemical characterisation (X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, palaeoecology, stable isotope analysis of gypsum hydration water and biogenic carbonates, rare earth element analysis) and present a revised chronology using single-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) within a Bayesian framework. Our new chronostratigraphic data generally supports previous interpretations for Williams Point, but crucially refines the timing of several of the key sedimentological units. The deeper-water lacustrine facies on the lake floor, unconformably overlying the Miocene Etadunna Formation, were deposited 206 ± 13 ka (232–169 ka, 95% credible interval; C.I.). A palaeoplaya, or oxidised shallow lake deposits, formed at 153 ± 11 ka (175–131 ka, 95% C.I.) and the uppermost shallow water lacustrine facies at the base of the cliff was deposited at 131 ± 9 ka (150–113 ka, 95% C.I.). An unconformity separates these sediments from the overlying fluvio-lacustrine phase, securely constrained (with eight OSL samples) to 86 ± 4 ka (95–78 ka, 95% C.I.). The isotopic composition of the palaeo-lake water (δ18O and δD), reconstructed from the hydration water of syndepositional gypsum formed in-situ in these fluvio-lacustrine sediments, indicates wetter conditions at 95–78 ka than at ca. 232–131 ka. Based on the provenance analysis these fluvio-lacustrine and lacustrine sediments were sourced from the northern catchments within the Lake Eyre basin but with an additional contribution from the northern Flinders Ranges. An erosional unconformity separates this sedimentary unit from the overlying Coxiella beach facies, which itself dates to 71 ± 4 ka (79–63 ka; 95% C.I.). This beach facies is interpreted to represent a regressional shoreline or near-shore deposit formed during Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 4. This is the most reliable palaeolake level indicator in the sequence and indicates a maximum water depth of 12 m. The overlying Williams Point aeolian unit (WPAU) dates to 49 ± 4 ka (56–41 ka, 95% C.I.), slightly younger than previous estimates. The modelled age for WPAU overlaps with (and is within uncertainty of) the last KT-LE megalake phase, which reached +5 m AHD at 48 ± 2 ka. However, considering its elevation (−3 to +3 m AHD), the age of this gypsiferous aeolian unit demands that it accreted as KT-LE was entering a playa phase with lengthy periods of exposed lake floor. In turn, this means that the putative Genyornis newtoni (a megafaunal flightless bird) which laid its eggs in the gypsiferous dunes, went extinct during a time of hydrological transformation. These results bring fresh perspectives to a site that has held a heavy sway over previous views of the Quaternary history of Australia's arid zone.
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Bretzke K, Preusser F, Jasim S, Miller C, Preston G, Raith K, Underdown SJ, Parton A, Parker AG, 'Multiple phases of human occupation in Southeast Arabia between 210,000 and 120,000 years ago'
Scientific Reports 12 (2022)
ISSN: 2045-2322 eISSN: 2045-2322AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARChanging climatic conditions are thought to be a major control of human presence in Arabia during the Paleolithic. Whilst the Pleistocene archaeological record shows that periods of increased monsoon rainfall attracted human occupation and led to increased population densities, the impact of arid conditions on human populations in Arabia remains largely speculative. Here, we present data from Jebel Faya in Southeast (SE) Arabia, which document four periods of human occupation between c. 210,000 and 120,000 years ago. The Jebel Faya record indicates that human occupation of SE Arabia was more regular and not exclusively linked to major humid periods. Our data show that brief phases of increased rainfall additionally enabled human settlement in the Faya region. These results imply that the mosaic environments in SE Arabia have likely formed a population refugia at the end of the Middle and the beginning of the Late Pleistocene.
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Forbes M, Cohen T, Jacobs Z, Marx S, Barber E, Dodson J, Zamora A, Cadd H, Francke A, Constantine M, Mooney S, Short S, Tibby J, Parker A, Cendón D, Peterson M, Tyler J, Swallow E, Haines H, Gadd P, Woodward C,, 'Comparing interglacials in eastern Australia: A multi-proxy investigation of a new sedimentary record'
Quaternary Science Reviews 252 (2020)
ISSN: 0277-3791 eISSN: 1873-457XAbstractPublished hereThe widespread formation of organic rich sediments in south-east Australia during the Holocene (Marine Isotope Stage [MIS] 1) reflects the return of wetter and warmer climates following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Yet, little is known about whether a similar event occurred in the region during the previous interglacial (MIS 5e). A 6.8 m sediment core (#LC2) from the now ephemeral Lake Couridjah, Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area, Australia, provides insight into this question. Organic rich sediments associated with both MIS 1 and 5e are identified using 14C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating techniques. Also apparent are less organic sedimentary units representing MIS 6, 5d and 2 and a large depositional hiatus. Sediment δ13C values (−34 to −26‰) suggests that C3 vegetation dominates the organic matter source through the entire sequence. The pollen record highlights the prevalence of sclerophyll trees and shrubs, with local hydrological changes driving variations in the abundance of aquatic and lake-margin species. The upper Holocene sediment (0–1.7 m) is rich in organic matter, including high concentrations of total organic carbon (TOC; 20–40%), fine charcoal and macrophyte remains. These sediments are also characterised by a large proportion of epiphytic diatoms and a substantial biogenic component (chironomids and midges). These attributes, combined with low δ13C and δ15N values, and C:N ratios of approximately 20, indicate a stable peat system in a swamp like setting, under the modern/Holocene climate. In comparison, the lower organic rich unit (MIS 5e-d) has less TOC (5–10%), is relatively higher in δ13C and δ15N, and is devoid of macrophyte remains and biogenic material. Characterisation of the organic matter pool using 13C-NMR spectroscopy identified a strong decomposition signal in the MIS 5e organic sediments relative to MIS 1. Thus the observed shifts in δ13C, δ15N and C:N data between the two periods reflects changes in the organic matter pool, driven by decompositional processes, rather than environmental conditions. Despite this, high proportions of aquatic pollen taxa and planktonic diatoms in the MIS 5e–d deposits, and their absence in the Holocene indicates that last interglacial Lake Couridjah was deeper and, or, had more permanent water, than the current one.
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Parker AG, Morley MW, Armitage SJ, Engel M, Parton A, Preston GW, Russ H, Drechsler P, 'Palaeoenvironmental and sea level changes during the Holocene in Eastern Saudi Arabia and their implications for Neolithic populations'
Quaternary Science Reviews 249 (2020)
ISSN: 0277-3791 eISSN: 1873-457XAbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARThis paper presents the key findings of a multidisciplinary study investigating the nature and timing of coastal landscape evolution in eastern Saudi Arabia during the Holocene. To date, most sea level reconstructions for the Arabo-Persian Gulf are based on uncalibrated 14C ages without correction for marine reservoir effects, or lack precision with regard to the effects of neotectonic changes, indicators of sea level used, errors in elevation of sedimentary units used, and the relationship with actual tides. As a consequence, the nature and timing of relative sea level (RSL) changes during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene remain poorly understood. To help address this, we use sea level index points (SLIPs) based on calibrated 14C ages to present a RSL curve for the central-southern Gulf of Saudi Arabia from coastal sabkha deposits near the archaeological site of Dosariyah. The sediments record rapid transgression during the early Holocene with a midHolocene high-stand immediately prior to 6880–6560 cal. BP when the upper limit for the palaeo Mean Highest High tide water (MHHW) was 2.8–3.10 m above present day mean sea level. Transgression continued until shortly after 5575–5310 cal. BP with an upper limit to the palaeo-MHHW of 3.75 m above present sea levels. Thereafter a fall in RSL was recorded, with the regression leading to the progradation of the coastal system and the development of coastal sabkhas. Nonetheless later transgressions are recorded in the region between 4848–4536 and 4335–3949 cal BP. Radiometric dating results from archaeological excavations at Dosariyah, one of the most important Neolithic coastal sites in the Gulf, suggest that occupation of the site during the Neolithic coincides with the mid-Holocene marine transgression (ca. 7200 – 6500 cal. BP). Whilst the close proximity of the site to the sea may have facilitated maritime exchange activities, occupation of the site was short-lived and the phase of abandonment occurred during a period of rapid RSL rise, which would have transformed the area around Dosariyah into an island or certainly cut it off tidally from the mainland.
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Jones MD, Abu-Jibar N, Alshdaifat A, Baird D, Cook BI, Cuthbert MO, Dean JR, Djamali M, Eastwood W, Fleitmann D, Haywood A, Kweicien O, Larsen J, Maher LA, Metcalfe SE, Parker A, Petrie CA, Primmer N, Richter T, Roberts N, Roe J, Tindall JC, Unal-Imer E, Weeks L, '20,000 years of societal vulnerability and adaptation to climate change in southwest Asia'
WIREs: Water 6 (2) (2019)
ISSN: 2049-1948 eISSN: 2049-1948AbstractThe Fertile Crescent, its hilly flanks and surrounding drylands has been a critical region for studying how climate has influenced societal change, and this review focuses on the region over the last 20,000 years. The complex social, economic and environmental landscapes in the region today are not new phenomena and understanding their interactions requires a nuanced, multidisciplinary understanding of the past. This review builds on a history of collaboration between the social and natural palaeoscience disciplines. We provide a multidisciplinary, multi-scalar perspective on the relevance of past climate, environmental and archaeological research in assessing present day vulnerabilities and risks for the populations of SW Asia. We discuss the complexity of palaeoclimatic data interpretation, particularly in relation to hydrology, and provide an overview of key time periods of palaeoclimatic interest. We discuss the critical role vegetation plays in the humanclimate-environment nexus and discuss the implications of the available palaeoclimate and archaeological data, and their interpretation, for palaeonarratives of the region, both climatically and socially. We also provide an overview of how modelling can improve our understanding of past climate impacts and associated change in risk to societies. We conclude by looking to future work, and identify themes of ‘scale’ and ‘seasonality’ as still requiring further focus. We suggest that by appreciating a given locale’s place in the regional hydroscape, be it an archaeological site or palaeoenvironmental archive, more robust links to climate can be made where appropriate and, interpretations drawn will demand the resolution of factors acting across multiple scales.Published here Open Access on RADAR -
Parton A, Clark-Balzen L, Parker A, Preston G, Sung WW, Breeze PS, Leng M, Groucutt H, White T, Alsharekh A, Petraglia M, 'Middle-Late Quaternary Palaeoclimate Variability from Lake and Wetland Deposits in the Nefud Desert, Northern Arabia'
Quaternary Science Reviews 202 (2018) pp.78-97
ISSN: 0277-3791 eISSN: 1873-457XAbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARRecords of former lake and wetland development in present day arid/hyper-arid environments provide an important source of information for palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental studies. In Arabia, such records are typically confined to eccentricity-modulated insolation maxima, and are often spatially and temporally discontinuous. Here we present records from a single locality in Northern Arabia of wetter interludes during both global interglacial and glacial conditions, providing a unique opportunity to examine the nature of these events in a common setting. At Jubbah, in the southern Nefud Desert, lake and wetland deposits reveal the repeated formation of a water body within a large endorheic basin over the past ca. 360 kyr. Lake/wetland formation occurred during MIS 11/9, 7, 5, 3 and the early Holocene, assisted by local topographic controls, and spring recharge. Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological data reveal the existence of a large still water body formed during either MIS 11 or 9 (ca. 363 ka), and basin wide alluviation followed by lake formation during MIS 7 (ca. 212 ka). During MIS 5e (ca. 130 ka) a large freshwater lake occupied the basin, while during MIS 5a (ca. 80 ka) the basin contained a shallow wetland and freshwater lake complex. Lake/wetland formation also occurred during early MIS 3 (ca. 60 ka), at the Terminal Pleistocene-Holocene transition (ca. 12.5 ka), and the early-middle Holocene (ca. 9-6.5 ka). Phases of lake and wetland development coincided with human occupation of the basin during the Middle Palaeolithic, Epipalaeolithic and Neolithic periods, highlighting the significance of the region for early demographic change.
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Jennings RP, Parton A, Clark-Balzan L, White TS, Groucutt HS, Breeze PS, Parker AG, Drake NA, Petraglia MD, 'Human occupation of the northern Arabian interior during early Marine Isotope Stage 3'
Journal of Quaternary Science 31 (8) (2016) pp.953-966
ISSN: 0267-8179AbstractThe early part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (ca. 60–50 ka) is a crucial period for studying human demography and behaviour in south-west Asia, and how these relate to climatic changes. However, the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records for MIS 3 in critical areas such as the Arabian Peninsula remain poorly developed. Here, we present findings from the Al Marrat basin in the Nefud desert, which provides the first clear evidence for both increased humidity and human occupation of the interior of northern Arabia during early MIS 3. A Middle Palaeolithic assemblage, dated by optically stimulated luminescence to ca. 55 ka, was found stratified within a sequence of relict palustrine deposits indicative of shallow water body formation in the Al Marrat basin. Hominin presence in northern Arabia at this time coincides with the intensification and northward displacement of monsoon rainfall systems during a period of maximum insolation. These findings add to a growing corpus of palaeoenvironmental evidence, which indicates that the Arabian interior was neither arid nor unpopulated during early MIS 3, and that hydrodynamic responses to enhanced moisture availability facilitated demographic expansions into the Arabian interior.Published here Open Access on RADAR -
Engel M, Matter A, Parker AG, Parton A, Petraglia MD, Preston GW, Preusser F, 'Lakes or wetlands? A comment on ‘The middle Holocene climatic records from Arabia: Reassessing lacustrine environments, shift of ITCZ in Arabian Sea, and impacts of the southwest Indian and African monsoons’ by Enzel et al.'
Global and Planetary Change 148 (2016) pp.258-267
ISSN: 0921-8181AbstractEnzel et al. (2015) reassess sedimentary records of Early to Mid-Holocene lake sites in Arabia based on a reinterpretation of published multiproxy data and a qualitative analysis of satellite imagery. The authors conclude that these sites represent palaeo-wetland environments rather than palaeolakes and that the majority of the Arabian Peninsula experienced no or, if at all, only a very minor increase of rainfall at that time mainly due to eastward expansion of the East African Summer Monsoon. We disagree with their reassessment and identify several cases where unequivocal evidence for early Late Pleistocene and Early to Mid-Holocene perennial lake environments in Arabia, lasting for centuries to millennia, was neglected by Enzel et al. (2015). Here we summarize findings which indicate the presence of lakes from the sites of Jubbah, Tayma, Mundafan (all Saudi Arabia), Wahalah, Awafi (both UAE), and the Wahiba Sands (Oman), supported by evidence including occurrence of barnacle colonies in living position, remnant bioclastic shoreline deposits, undisturbed varve formation, shallowing-up lacustrine sequences, various aquatic freshwater, brackish and saline micro- and macrofossils, such as ichnofaunal remains, which are the result of prolonged field-based research. While the precise depth, hydrology and ecology of these water bodies is still not entirely resolved, their perennial nature is indicative of a markedly increased precipitation regime, which, inPublished here Open Access on RADAR
combination with more abundant groundwater and increased spring outflow in terminal basins fed by charged aquifers, was sufficient to overcome evaporative losses. The palaeolakes’ influence on sustaining prehistoric populations is corroborated by the presence of rich archaeological evidence. -
Parker A, Preston G, Parton A, Walkington H, Jardine P, Leng M, Hodson M, 'Low-latitude Holocene hydroclimate derived from lake sediment flux and geochemistry'
Journal of Quaternary Science 31 (4) (2016) pp.286-299
ISSN: 0267-8179AbstractThis study investigates hydrological responses to climatic shifts using sediment flux data derived from two dated palaeolake records in southeast (SE) Arabia. Flux values are generally low during the early Holocene humid period (EHHP) (~9.0 to 6.4 k cal a BP) although several short-lived pulses of increased detrital input are recorded, the most prominent of which is dated between ~8.3 and 7.9 k cal a BP. The EHHP is separated from the mid-Holocene humid period (MHHP) (~5.0 to 4.3 k cal a BP) by a phase of increased sediment flux and aridity, which began between ~6.4 and 5.9 k cal a BP and peaked between ~5.2 and 5.0 k cal a BP. The termination of the MHHP is marked by a phase of high detrital sediment flux between ~4.3 and 3.9 k cal a BP. Whilst long-term shifts in climate are most likely linked to changes in the summer position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and associated Indian and African monsoon systems, it is noted that the abrupt, short-term phases of aridity observed in both records are coeval with intervals of rapid climate change globally, which triggered non-linear, widespread landscape reconfigurations throughout SE Arabia.Published here Open Access on RADAR -
Farrant AR, Duller GAT, Parker AG, Parton A, Roberts HM, Knox RWO, Bide T, 'Developing a framework of Quaternary dune accumulation in the northern Rub' al-Khali, Arabia'
Quaternary International 382 (2015) pp.132-144
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractLocated at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for human migration and dispersal during the Late Pleistocene. Deducing the timing of humid and arid phases is critical to understanding when the Rub' al-Khali desert acted as a barrier to human movement and settlement. Recent geological mapping in the northern part of the Rub' al-Khali has enabled the Quaternary history of the region to be put into a regional stratigraphical framework. In addition to the active dunes, two significant palaeodune sequences have been identified. Dating of key sections has enabled a chronology of dune accretion and stabilisation to be determined. In addition, previously published optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates have been put in their proper stratigraphical context, from which a record of Late Pleistocene dune activity can be constructed. The results indicate the record of dune activity in the northern Rub' al-Khali is preservation limited and is synchronous with humid events driven by the incursion of the Indian Ocean monsoon.Published here -
Groucutt HS, White TS, Clark-Balzan L, Parton A, Crassard R, Shipton C, Jennings RP, Parker AG, Breeze PS, Scerri EML, Alsharekh A, Petraglia MD, 'Human occupation of the Arabian Empty Quarter during MIS 5: evidence from Mundafan Al-Buhayrah, Saudi Arabia'
Quaternary Science Reviews 119 (1 July 2015) (2015) pp.116-135
ISSN: 0277-3791 eISSN: 1873-457XAbstractPublished hereThe Empty Quarter (or Rub' al Khali) of the Arabian Peninsula is the largest continuous sandy desert in the world. It has been known for several decades that Late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits, representing phases of wetter climate, are preserved there. These sequences have yielded palaeontological evidence in the form of a variety of vertebrate and invertebrate fossils and have been dated using various radiometric techniques. However, evidence for human presence during these wetter phases has until now been ephemeral. Here, we report on the first stratified and dated archaeology from the Empty Quarter, recovered from the site of Mundafan Al-Buhayrah (MDF-61). Human occupation at the site, represented by stone tools, has been dated to the later part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 using multiple luminescence dating techniques (multigrain and single grain OSL, TT-OSL). The sequence consists primarily of lacustrine and palustrine sediments, from which evidence for changing local environmental conditions has been obtained through analysis of fossil assemblages (phytoliths and non-marine molluscs and ostracods). The discovery of securely-dated archaeological material at ∼100 to 80 ka in the Empty Quarter has important implications for hypotheses concerning the timing and routes of dispersal of Homo sapiens out of Africa, which have been much debated. Consequently, the data presented here fill a crucial gap in palaeoenvironmental and archaeological understanding of the southern Arabian interior. Fossils of H. sapiens in the Levant, also dated to MIS 5, together with Middle Palaeolithic archaeological sites in Arabia and India are thought to represent the earliest dispersal of our species out of Africa. We suggest that the widespread occurrence of similar lithic technologies across southern Asia, coupled with a growing body of evidence for environmental amelioration across the Saharo-Arabian belt, indicates that occupation of the Levant by H. sapiens during MIS 5 may not have been a brief, localized ‘failed dispersal’, but part of a wider demographic expansion.
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Parton A, White TS, Parker AG, Breeze PS, Jennings R, Groucutt HS, Petraglia MD, 'Orbital-scale climate variability in Arabia as a potential motor for human dispersals.'
Quaternary International 382 (2015) pp.82-97
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractPublished here Open Access on RADARThe Arabian Peninsula is situated at an important crossroads for the movement of Pleistocene human populations out of, and into, Africa. Although the timings, routes and frequencies of such dispersals have not yet been confirmed by genetic, fossil or archaeological evidence, expansion into Arabia would have been facilitated by humid periods driven by incursions of monsoon rainfall, potentially from both Indian Ocean and African monsoon systems. Here we synthesise terrestrial and marine core palaeoclimatic data in order to establish the spatial and temporal variability of humid periods in Arabia between late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 and 3. Incursions of monsoon rainfall occurred during periods of insolation maxima at ca. 200–190, 170, 155, 130–120, 105–95, 85–75 and 60–55 ka, providing multiple ‘windows’ of favourable climatic conditions that could have facilitated demographic expansion through Arabia. Strong summer monsoons are generally associated with mid-high latitude interglacials, however, enhanced monsoon convection also brought rainfall into Arabia during global glacial phases, possibly due to a strengthened winter monsoon and a greater influence of southern hemispheric temperature changes. Key periods for dispersal into northern regions of Arabia correspond with the synchronous intensification of both eastern Mediterranean and monsoon rainfall systems at insolation maxima during MIS 7 and MIS 5, which may have facilitated demographic connectivity between the Levant and the Arabian interior. Environmental conditions throughout southern and southeast regions were also favourable to expansion during these times, although strong monsoons in these regions during MIS 6 and MIS 3 suggest further opportunities for demographic expansion and exchange. Terrestrial and marine evidence show that during early MIS 3 (ca. 60–50 ka), a strengthened monsoon led to the activation of interior drainage systems and increased productivity in coastal zones, indicating that favourable environmental conditions existed along both coastal and interior routes at that time.
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Parton A, Farrant AR, Leng MJ, Telfer MW, Groucutt HS, Petraglia MD, Parker AG, 'Alluvial fan records from southeast Arabia reveal multiple windows for human dispersal'
Geology 43 (4) (2015) pp.295-298
ISSN: 0091-7613 eISSN: 1943-2682AbstractPublished hereThe dispersal of human populations out of Africa into Arabia was most likely linked to episodes of climatic amelioration, when increased monsoon rainfall led to the activation of drainage systems, improved freshwater availability, and the development of regional vegetation. Here we present the first dated terrestrial record from southeast Arabia that provides evidence for increased rainfall and the expansion of vegetation during both glacial and interglacial periods. Findings from extensive alluvial fan deposits indicate that drainage system activation occurred during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6 (ca. 160–150 ka), MIS 5 (ca. 130–75 ka), and during early MIS 3 (ca. 55 ka). The development of active freshwater systems during these periods corresponds with monsoon intensity increases during insolation maxima, suggesting that humid periods in Arabia were not confined to eccentricity-paced deglaciations, and providing paleoenvironmental support for multiple windows of opportunity for dispersal out of Africa during the late Pleistocene.
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Preston GW, Thomas DSG, Goudie AS, Atkinson OAC, Leng MJ, Hodson MJ, Walkington H, Charpentier V, Mery S, Borgi F, Parker AG, 'A multi-proxy analysis of the Holocene humid phase from the United Arab Emirates and its implications for southeast Arabia's Neolithic populations'
Quaternary International 382 (2015) pp.277-292
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractPublished hereAn early- to mid-Holocene humid phase has been identified in various Arabian geo-archives,
although significant regional heterogeneity has been reported in the onset, duration and stability of this period. A multi-proxy lake and dune record from Wahalah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) documents significant variations in hydrology, biological productivity and landscape stability during the first half of the Holocene. These data reveal that post-Last Glacial Maximum dune emplacement continued into the earliest part of the Holocene, with the onset of permanent lacustrine sedimentation at the site commencing ~8.5 ka cal. BP. A long-term shift towards more arid conditions is inferred between ~7.8 - 5.9 ka cal. BP, with intermittent flooding of the basin and distinct phases of instability throughout the catchment area. This transition is linked to the southwards migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and associated weakening of monsoon rains. A peak in landscape instability is recorded between ~5.9 - 5.3 ka cal. BP and is marked by a pronounced increase in regional dune emplacement. These variations are considered alongside the record of human settlement raising important questions about the interactions between population demographics, climate and environment in southeast Arabia during the Neolithic.
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Jennings R, Singarayer J, Stone ., Krebs-Kanzow U, Khon V, Kerim H, Nisancioglu KH, Parker AG, Parton A, White T, Groucutt H, Petraglia M, 'The greening of Arabia: an ensemble of climate model simulations infers multiple opportunities for human occupation of the Arabian Peninsula during the Upper Pleistocene.'
Quaternary International 382 (24 Sept. 2015) (2015) pp.181-199
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractClimate models are potentially useful tools for addressing human dispersals and demographic change. The Arabian Peninsula is becoming increasingly significant in the story of human dispersals out of Africa during the Late Pleistocene. Although characterised largely by arid environments today, emerging climate records indicate that the peninsula was wetter many times in the past, suggesting that the region may have been inhabited considerably more than hitherto thought. Explaining the origins and spatial distribution of increased rainfall is challenging because palaeoenvironmental research in the region is in an early developmental stage. We address environmental oscillations by assembling and analysing an ensemble of five global climate models (CCSM3, COSMOS, HadCM3, KCM, and NorESM). We focus on precipitation, as the variable is key for the development of lakes, rivers and savannas. The climate models generated here were compared with published palaeoenvironmental data such as palaeolakes, speleothems and alluvial fan records as a means of validation. All five models showed, to varying degrees, that the Arabia Peninsula was significantly wetter than today during the Last Interglacial (130 ka and 126/125 ka timeslices), and that the main source of increased rainfall was from the North African summer monsoon rather than the Indian Ocean monsoon or from Mediterranean climate patterns. Where available, 104 ka (MIS 5c), 56 ka (early MIS 3) and 21 ka (LGM) timeslices showed rainfall was present but not as extensive as during the Last Interglacial. The results favour the hypothesis that humans potentially moved out of Africa and into Arabia on multiple occasions during pluvial phases of the Late Pleistocene.Published here -
Hilbert Y, White TS, Parton A, Clark-Balzan L, Crassard R, Groucutt HS, Jennings RP, Breeze P, Parker A, Shipton C, Al-Omari A, Alsharekh AM, Petraglia MD, 'Epipalaeolithic occupation and palaeoenvironments of the southern Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia, during the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene'
Journal of Archaeological Science 50 (2014) pp.460-474
ISSN: 0305-4403AbstractPublished hereThe transition from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Early Holocene is poorly represented in the geological and archaeological records of northern Arabia, and the climatic conditions that prevailed in the region during that period are unclear. Here, we present a new record from the site of Al-Rabyah, in the Jubbah basin (southern Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia), where a sequence of fossiliferous lacustrine and palustrine deposits containing an archaeological assemblage is preserved. Sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental investigations, both at Al-Rabyah and elsewhere in the Jubbah area, indicate phases of humid conditions, during which shallow lakes developed in the basin, separated by drier periods. At Al-Rabyah, the end of a Terminal Pleistocene phase of lake expansion has been dated to ∼12.2 ka using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), with a mid-Holocene humid phase dated to after ∼6.6 ka. Palaeoecological reconstructions based primarily on non-marine molluscs and ostracods from the younger lacustrine deposits indicate a relatively shallow body of freshwater surrounded by moist, well-vegetated environments. A lithic assemblage characterized by bladelets and geometric microliths was excavated from sediments attributed to a drier climatic phase dated to ∼10.1 ka. The lithic artefact types exhibit similarities to Epipalaeolithic industries of the Levant, and their occurrence well beyond the ‘core region’ of such assemblages (and at a significantly later date) has important implications for understanding interactions between Levantine and Arabian populations during the Terminal Pleistocene–Early Holocene. We suggest that the presence of foraging populations in the southern Nefud during periods of drier climate is due to the prolonged presence of a freshwater oasis in the Jubbah Basin during the Terminal Pleistocene–Early Holocene, which enabled them to subsist in the region when neighbouring areas of northern Arabia and the Levant were increasingly hostile.
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Parton A, Farrant AR, Leng MJ, Schwenninger JL, Rose JI, Uerpmann HP, Parker AG, 'An Early Mis 3 Pluvial Phase in Southeast Arabia: Climatic and Archaeological Implications'
Quaternary International 300 (2013) pp.62-74
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractPublished hereClimatic changes in Arabia are of critical importance to our understanding of both monsoon variability and the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) out of Africa. The timing of dispersal is associated with the occurrence of pluvial periods during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 (ca. 130–74 ka), after which arid conditions between ca. 74 and 10.5 ka are thought to have restricted further migration and range expansion within the Arabian interior. Whilst a number of records indicate that this phase of aridity was punctuated by an increase in monsoon strength during MIS 3, uncertainties regarding the precision of terrestrial records and suitability of marine archives as records of precipitation, mean that the occurrence of this pluvial remains debated. Here we present evidence from a series of relict lake deposits within southeastern Arabia, which formed at the onset of MIS 3 (ca. 61–58 ka). At this time, the incursion of monsoon rainfall into the Arabian interior activated a network of channels associated with an alluvial fan system along the western flanks of the Hajar Mountains, leading to lake formation. Multiproxy evidence indicates that precipitation increases intermittently recharged fluvial systems within the region, leading to lake expansion in distal fan zones. Conversely, decreased precipitation led to reduced channel flow, lake contraction and a shift to saline conditions. These findings are in contrast to the many other palaeoclimatic records from Arabia, which suggest that during MIS 3, the latitudinal position of the monsoon was substantially further south and did not penetrate the peninsula. Additionally, the occurrence of increased rainfall at this time challenges the notion that the climate of Arabia following MIS 5 was too harsh to permit the further range expansion of indigenous communities.
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Drake NA, Breeze P, Parker A, 'Palaeoclimate in the Saharan and Arabian Deserts During the Middle Palaeolithic and the Potential for Hominin Dispersals'
Quaternary International 300 (2013) pp.48-61
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractPublished hereTo disperse out of sub-Saharan Africa, it was necessary for hominins to cross the deserts of either the Sahara and/or Arabia. Thus, understanding the palaeoclimate of the Saharo-Arabian region is central to determining the role these deserts played in the peopling of the planet; when did they act as barriers and when were they more humid, opening dispersal routes across them? To address these questions we have conducted a temporal and spatial evaluation of dated sites from 20 to 350 ka using combined probability density function (PDF) and geographical Information System (GIS) analyses of all sites dated using uranium/thorium (U/TH) or optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) methods. Radiocarbon dates were not considered because of contamination problems in this time range. The results show that during MIS 2 there is little evidence for humidity in Arabia as would be expected during the height of the last glacial maximum, however, the Sahara shows a sharp rise in probability at the beginning of MIS 2, peaking near the boundary with MIS 3 at ∼29 ka. There appear to be brief periods of humidity in MIS 3 and 6, though at different times in the Sahara (ca. 37, 44, 138, 154 and 180 ka) and Arabia (ca. 40, 54 and 163 ka). During MIS 5, both regions show much evidence for humidity, with PDF peaks corresponding to insolation maxima, though not all maxima are represented in either the Saharan or Arabian record. This situation can be explained by eccentricity-modulated precession: when eccentricity is strong, insolation is enhanced (but also more variable) and the desert climate is generally more humid, particularly at times of high insolation. The opposite happens when eccentricity is low, and deserts tend to be more arid, but local factors exert more of an influence on climate, affecting the timing and strength of the brief humid periods experienced, so that they no longer coincide with insolation maxima. The spatial distribution of humid sites is compatible with a number of different modern human dispersal theories. Southern Arabia experienced humid periods centred on 54 ka and 125 ka, and this could have facilitated dispersal from east Africa to southern Arabia and beyond via the Bab el Mandab. The Sahara shows considerable evidence for humidity during MIS 5 and may have had dispersal across its expanse at this time.
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Bretzke K, Armitage SJ, Parker AG, Walkington H, Uerpmann HP, 'The Environmental Context of Paleolithic Settlement at Jebel Faya, Emirate Sharjah, UAE'
Quaternary International 300 (2013) pp.83-93
ISSN: 1040-6182AbstractPublished hereKey to the understanding of Pleistocene human dispersals and settlement dynamics is knowledge about the distribution of human habitats in space and time. To add information about the characteristics of inhabited environments along the South Arabian dispersal route, this paper presents paleo-environmental data from deposits excavated at Jebel Faya (FAY-NE1) in the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE. The sedimentary sequence at FAY-NE1 spans a period of about 125,000 years, including the last interglacial and the Holocene. Particle size and phytolith content of samples from two sediment columns were analyzed, including both archaeology bearing layers and archaeologically sterile layers. The results demonstrate that human occupation of the site is related to pluvial periods. Assemblage C, dated to about 127–123 ka, was deposited during a wet phase with an environment characterized by an increased proportion of C3 grasses. Grassland with sedges but lacking tree cover characterize ecological conditions during the youngest of the Paleolithic occupation periods, Assemblage A, dated to about 45–40 ka. Environmental conditions during periods lacking archaeological remains are characterized by the absence of vegetation cover during phases of desiccation. There is no evidence for human presence at the site between 38 and 11 ka.
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, 'Understanding the evolution of the Holocene Pluvial Phase and its impact on Neolithic populations in south-east Arabia'
Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 24 (2013) pp.87-94
ISSN: 0905-7196 eISSN: 1600-0471 -
Mitchell P, Plug I, Bailey G, Charles R, Esterhuysen A, Thorp JL, Parker A, Woodborne S, 'Beyond the Drip-line: a High-resolution Open-air Holocene Hunter-gatherer Sequence From Highland Lesotho'
Antiquity 85 (2012) pp.1225-1242
ISSN: 0003-598X eISSN: 1745-1744AbstractPublished hereThe activities of hunter-gatherers are often captured in rockshelters, but here the authors present a study of a riverside settlement outside one, with a rich sequence from 1300 BC to AD 800. Thanks to frequent flooding, periods of occupation were sealed and could be examined in situ. The phytolith and faunal record, especially fish, chronicle changing climate and patterns of subsistence, emphasising that the story here is no predictable one-way journey from hunter-gatherer to farmer. Right up to the period of the famous nineteenth-century rock paintings in the surrounding Maloti-Drakensberg region, adaptation was dynamic and historically contingent.
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Preston GW, Parker AG, Walkington H, Leng MJ, Hodson MJ, 'From nomadic herder-hunters to sedentary farmers: the relationship between climate change and ancient subsistence strategies in south-eastern Arabia'
Journal of Arid Environments 86 (November) (2012) pp.122-130
ISSN: 0140-1963AbstractPublished hereDespite the present hyper-aridity, archaeological investigations in South-east Arabia have demonstrated that the region supported extensive human communities throughout the Neolithic and Bronze Age. These early populations utilised the region’s natural environment in a variety of ways, ranging from the exploitation of coastal resources to practicing pastoral and agrarian lifestyles in the interior. Palaeoclimate data suggests the corresponding period was characterised by considerable climatic variability yet, to date, few studies have attempted to investigate the relationship between climate, the environment and early human populations in the region. This paper combines new high-resolution palaeoclimate data from Awafi palaeolake, United Arab Emirates (UAE), with the region’s archaeological record from the Neolithic through to the onset of the Bronze Age. The evidence presented in this paper suggests that the environment of South-east Arabia offered different constraints and opportunities for early human occupation and subsistence. In particular, abrupt phases of aridity are demonstrated to have had a profound impact. Most notable is the change which occurred following the onset of climatic aridity at 5900calyr BP, when the region’s semi-nomadic, herder-gatherer populations abandoned much of the landscape and concentrated in selected environmental refugia, such as along the northern Omani coast. Human repopulation during the Bronze Age coincided with a return to more pluvial conditions under which a network of oasis agricultural settlements appeared along the piedmont zone of the northern Hajar Mountains.
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Petraglia MD, Alsharekh A, Breeze P, Clarkson C, Crassard R, Drake NA, Groucutt HS, Jennings R, Parker AG, Parton A, Roberts RG, Shipton C, Matheson C, al-Omari A, Veall MA, 'Hominin Dispersal Into the Nefud Desert and Middle Palaeolithic Settlement Along the Jubbah Palaeolake, Northern Arabia'
PLoS ONE 7 (11) (2012)
ISSN: 1932-6203 eISSN: 1932-6203Published here -
Parker A G, Lee-Thorp J, Mitchell P, 'Late holocene neoglacial conditions from the Lesotho highlands, southern Africa: phytolith and stable carbon isotope evidence from the archaeological site of Likoaeng'
Proceedings of the Geologists' Association 122 (1) (2011) pp.201-211
ISSN: 0016-7878AbstractPublished hereThe late Holocene environmental history of the Lesotho highlands, southern Africa, is poorly understood with few detailed studies to date. At Likoaeng, Senqu Valley, Lesotho, a 3 m stratified sedimentary sequence from an open-air archaeological site records vegetation development for the period 3400-1070 cal. BP. Phytolith analyses and bulk sediment organic matter δ13C indicate that C4 grassland dominated the lower part of the sequence until approximately 2960 cal. BP when there was a switch to C3 Pooid grassland (2960-2160 cal. BP). Also noted was a change from hunting mainly bovids to a dominance of fishing at the site. The change in grassland type and archaeological subsistence strategies corresponds with an episode of neoglacial cooling and the expansion of Alpine sourgrasses into lower altitudes. From 2160 to 1600 cal. BP grassland became a mix of C3 and C4 types and by 1600-1070 cal. BP there was a return to C4 dominated grassland. During this latter phase there was a reversal from fishing to hunting again (and eventually some keeping of domestic livestock) at the site. These data outline the vegetation response to latitudinal shifts of frontal systems, and relatively strong atmospheric circulation variability, perhaps underpinned by variations of polar water into the Benguela Current during the late Holocene.
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Petraglia M D, Alsharekh A, Crassard R, Drake N, Huw Groucutt H, Parker A G, Roberts, R, 'Middle paleolithic occupation on a marine isotope stage 5 lakeshore in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia'
Quaternary Science Reviews 30 (13-14) (2011) pp.1555-1559
ISSN: 0277-3791Published here -
Armitage S J, Jasim S A, Marks A E, Parker A G, Usik V I, Uerpmann H-P, 'The Southern Route "Out of Africa": Evidence for an Early Expansion of Modern Humans into Arabia'
Science 331 (6016) (2011) pp.453-456
ISSN: 0036-8075 eISSN: 1095-9203AbstractPublished hereThe timing of the dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) out of Africa is a fundamental question in human evolutionary studies. Existing data suggest a rapid coastal exodus via the Indian Ocean rim around 60,000 years ago. We present evidence from Jebel Faya, United Arab Emirates, demonstrating human presence in eastern Arabia during the last interglacial. The tool kit found at Jebel Faya has affinities to the late Middle Stone Age in northeast Africa, indicating that technological innovation was not necessary to facilitate migration into Arabia. Instead, we propose that low eustatic sea level and increased rainfall during the transition between marine isotope stages 6 and 5 allowed humans to populate Arabia. This evidence implies that AMH may have been present in South Asia before the Toba eruption (1).
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Telfer M W, Thomas D S G, Parker A G, Walkington H, Finch A A, 'Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating and palaeoenvironmental studies of pan (playa) sediment from Witpan, South Africa'
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 273 (1-2) (2009) pp.50-60
ISSN: 0031-0182AbstractRobust, dateable sources of palaeoenvironmental proxy data are scarce in the southwestern Kalahari Desert, and this study investigates the potential of pan (playa) floor sediments as an archive of late Quaternary environmental change. Augering has revealed the presence of up to 3m of clay- and silt-rich deposits in the base of Witpan, a small pan basin set amongst linear and lunette dunes. The weakly-stratified deposits include aeolian quartz sands and evaporites amongst a clay-rich groundmass, and are believed to have accumulated on a wetter-than-present pan surface. The aeolian quartz fraction has been dated with Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL), and reveals accumulation of at least 50cm of sediment at around 20ka, and previous accumulation at around 32ka. The northern and southern sections of the pan are shown to maintain some hydrological independence, attributed to bedrock outcropping, and also show distinct differences in their physical sedimentology. Biogenic proxies are poorly preserved, with neither diatoms nor pollen found in adequate quantities, although phytoliths, found in both the pan-floor sediments and the fringing lunette dune, may offer a more resilient palaeoenvironmental indicator. The possible value of pan floor sediments as dryland archives of physical and chemical, and possibly selected biogenic, palaeoenvironmental proxies, combined with OSL-constrained chronologies, should not be discounted.Published here -
Parker A G, Goudie A S, 'Geomorphological and palaeoenvironmental investigations in the southeastern Arabian Gulf region and the implication for the archaeology of the region '
Geomorphology 101 (3) (2008) pp.458-470
ISSN: 0169-555XAbstractDuring the Late Quaternary, the climate of Arabia has fluctuated between periods of higher rainfall and fluvial activity, dominated by the influence of the Indian Ocean Monsoon (IOM) and drier/arid conditions under the influence of the westerlies. This has left a rich legacy of landforms from which temporal and spatial patterns of environmental change are reconstructed. The coastal desert region of the southeastern Arabian Gulf has been a focal point for human settlement since ~ 8000 cal yr BP. The region is strategically located on an important trade route between two"cradles of civilization" , namely, Mesopotamia and the Indus. Changes in the evolution and modification of this landscape under varying climatic conditions have influenced humans living in and exploiting this landscape for food and water, raw materials and trade routes. In this study, geomorphological and palaeoenvironmental investigations are integrated to provide a framework of environmental change for the Late Glacial and early-mid Holocene periods against which the archaeology of the area can be set. The Late Glacial and earliest Holocene was characterised by intense aridity and accumulation of mega linear dunes driven by the Shamal winds. In the Arabian Gulf region, this continued into the earliest part of the Holocene, whilst southern Arabia was under the influence of the IOM. The monsoon rains migrated into the Gulf region between 8500-6000 cal BP. During this time, semi-nomadic herders occupied this region and grazing their animals in a landscape covered with C3 savanna grassland. The Neolithic peoples also practised hunting and fishing and the collection of shellfish was an important activity. Pottery shows links with Mesopotamia at this time. From 6000 cal BP the IOM retreated south and rainfall was derived from winterly westerly sources. Under drier conditions a switch occurred to a sparser cover of C4 grasses. From 4500 cal BP the climate became much drier with the development of stronger westerly summer Shamal winds and the reactivation of dunes across the region. An intense arid period occurred at 4100 BP which corresponds with major drought conditions in Mesopotamia and the Indus region, which led to major changes in society. This event occurs at a major transition in the Arabian Gulf Bronze Age archaeological record with a decline in population and trade. The last 4000 yr has largely been characterised by arid conditions similar to those found in the region today.Published here -
Barton N, Bouzouggar A, Humphrey L, Berridge P, Collcutt S, Gale R, Parfitt S, Parker A, Rhodes E, Schwenninger JL, 'Human burial evidence from the Hattab II cave and the question of continuity in late Pleistocene-Holocene mortuary practices in northwest Africa'
Cambridge Archaeological Journal 18 (2) (2008) pp.195-214
ISSN: 0959-7743 eISSN: 1474-0540AbstractPublished hereArchaeological excavations in 2002–3 at Hattab II Cave in northwestern Morocco revealed an undisturbed Late Palaeolithic Iberomaurusian human burial. This is the first Iberomaurusian inhumation discovered in the region. The skeleton is probably that of a male aged between 25 and 30 years. The individual shows a characteristic absence of the central upper incisors reported in other Iberomaurusian burials. Accompanying the burial are a stone core and a number of grave goods including bone points, a marine gastropod and a gazelle horn core. Thermoluminescence dating of a burnt stone artefact in association with the burial has provided an age of 8900?1100 BP. This is one of the youngest ages reported for the Iberomaurusian and raises questions about persistence of hunter-gatherer societies in the Maghreb and the potential for continuity in burial practices with the earliest Neolithic.
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Hodson M, Parker A G, Leng M J, Sloane H J, 'Silicon, oxygen and carbon isotope composition of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) phytoliths: implications for palaeoecology and archaeology'
Journal of Quaternary Science 23 (4) (2008) pp.331-339
ISSN: 0267-8179AbstractSix mature wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants from one crop were collected one week before harvest, and organs were separated as follows: culm, rachis, leaf sheaths, leaf blades and inflorescence bracts. Percentage silica (% SiO2), % C, % N and δ13C were determined in these samples. Phytoliths isolated from the individual organs were subsequently analysed for δ29Si, δ30Si, and δ18O, as well as % C, % N and δ13C from occluded organic material within the phytoliths. Percentage silica was highest in the leaf sheaths and leaf blades and lower in the inflorescence bracts, culm and rachis. δ30Si and δ29Si were highly correlated, and both increased in the upper parts of the plant. It appears there are two routes for Si transport within the plant, and that heavier isotopes increase towards the end of both routes. The δ18O results indicate that the culm and the leaf blades were the sites of highest δ18O, with lower values in the rachis, leaf sheath and inflorescence. There was no correlation between the accumulation of either heavy silicon isotope (29Si and 30Si) and heavy oxygen accumulation (18O). δ13C values were typical of C3 species, and whole plant and isolated phytolith values were similar. Low % N concentrations were detected in phytoliths. © Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) copyright 2008. Reproduced with the permission of NERC.Published here -
Parker AG, Preston G, Walkington H, Hodson MJ, 'Developing a Framework of Holocene Climatic Change and Landscape Archaeology for the Lower Gulf Region, Southeastern Arabia'
Arabian Archaeology and Epigraphy 17 (2007) pp.125-130
ISSN: 0905-7196 eISSN: 1600-0471 -
Carr S, Engel Z, Kalvoda J, Parker A, 'Sedimentary Evidence for Extensive Glaciation of the Upa Valley, Krkonoge Mountains, Czech Republic'
Annals of Geomorphology 46 (2003) pp.523-537
ISSN: 0372-8854 eISSN: 1864-1687 -
White K, Goudie A, Parker A, Al-Farraj S, 'Mapping the Geochemistry of the Northern Rub Al Khali Using Multispectral Remote Sensing Techniques'
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 26 (2001) pp.735-748
ISSN: 0197-9337 eISSN: 1096-9837 -
Goudie AS, Colls A, Stokes S, Parker A, White K, Al-Farraj A, 'Latest Pleistocene and Holocene Dune Construction at the North-eastern Edge of the Rub Al Khali, United Arab Emirates'
Sedimentology 47 (2000) pp.1011-1021
ISSN: 0037-0746 eISSN: 1365-3091
Book chapters
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Parker AG, Underdown SJ, 'Environmental Controls on Human Dispersal and Adaptation' in Pollard AM, Armitage RA, Makarewicz CA, (ed.), Handbook of Archaeological Sciences, Wiley (2023)
AbstractPublished hereHuman dispersals and adaptations are the result of the dynamic relationship between cultural and biological systems. This chapter focuses on the last half a million years with an emphasis on the environmental controls on human dispersal and adaptation, with the perspective of spatiotemporal variations in environments as a key factor. It provides a brief overview of landscapes and their complexity and controls over time and space. Human dispersals and adaptations require an understanding of complex interactions and strong couplings that link human dynamics, biology, biochemistry, geochemistry, geology, hydrology, geomorphology, and atmospheric dynamics, including climate change. The literature is increasingly full of proposals about environmental barriers, glacial/interglacial cycles, sea-crossings, land bridges, and adaptive specializations, but they often lack the means to evaluate their individual and combined impacts on hominid dispersal. The chapter highlights aspects relating to examples of three of these, namely sea level variations, deserts, and mountains.
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Parker AG, Armitage SJ, Engel M, Morley MW, Parton A, Preston GW, Russ H, 'Geomorphology, Geoarcheology and Paleoenvironments' in Philipp Drechsler (ed.), Dosariyah Reinvestigating a Neolithic coastal community in eastern Arabia, Archaeopress Publishing Ltd (2018)
ISBN: 9781784919627 eISBN: 9781784919634 (e-Pdf)Published here -
Stewart BA, Parker AG, Dewar G, Morley MW, Allott LF, 'Follow the Senqu: Maloti-Drakensberg Paleoenvironments and Implications for Early Human Dispersals into Mountain Systems.' in Africa from MIS 6-2, Springer (2016)
ISBN: 9789401775199 eISBN: 9789401775205AbstractThe Maloti-Drakensberg Mountains are southern Africa’s highest and give rise to South Africa’s largest river, the Orange-Senqu. At Melikane Rockshelter in highland Lesotho (~1800 m a.s.l.), project AMEMSA (Adaptations to Marginal Environments in the Middle Stone Age) has documented a pulsed human presence since at least MIS 5. Melikane can be interrogated to understand when and why early modern humans chose to increase their altitudinal range. This paper presents the results of a multi-proxy paleoenvironmental analysis of this sequence. Vegetation shifts are registered against a background signal of C3-dominated grasslands, suggesting fluctuations in temperature, humidity and atmospheric CO2 within a generally cool highland environment with high moisture availability. Discussing Melikane in relation to other paleoenvironmental and archeological archives in the region, a model is developed linking highland population flux to prevailing climate. It is proposed that short-lived but acute episodes of rapid onset aridity saw interior groups disperse into the highlands to be nearer to the Orange-Senqu headwaters, perhaps via the river corridor itself.Published here -
Méry S, Gasparini D, Basset G, Berger J-F, Berthelot A, Borgi F, Parker A, Preston G, McSweeney K, 'Mort violente en Arabie: La sépulture multiple d’Umm al-Quwain UAQ2 (Émirats arabes unis), VIe millénaire BC' in Catherine Dupont, Gregor Marchand (ed.), Archaeology of maritime hunter-gatherers. From settlement function to the organization of the coastal zone, Société préhistorique française (2016)
ISBN: 2-913745-65-2 eISBN: 2263-3847Published here Open Access on RADAR -
Parker A G, 'Pleistocene climate change in Arabia: Developing a framework for hominin dispersal over the Last 350 kyr late quaternary climate change in Arabia: lacustrine records from MIS 9-1' in The evolution of human populations in Arabia, Springer (2009)
ISBN: 9789048127184 -
, 'Early to Middle Holocene Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics in the Northern Oman Peninsula: An Ecogeographical Synthesis of the Jebel al-Buhais Environment' in The Archaeology of Jebel al-Buhais: Volume 2: The Natural Environment of Jebel al-Buhais: Past and Present, Kerns Verlag (2008)
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, 'Younger Dryas Glaciation of the Brecon Beacons: Cwm Pwlffa' in The Quaternary of the Brecon Beacons, Quaternary Research Association (2006)
Conference papers
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Méry S, Degli Esposti M, Aoustin D, Borgi F, Gallou C, Leroyer C, Lidour K, Lindauer S, Preston GW, Parker AG, 'Neolithic settlement pattern and environment evolution along the coast of the northern UAE: the case of Umm al-Quwain UAQ36 vs. UAQ2 and Akab shell-middens'
49 (2019) pp.223-240
ISSN: 0308-8421 ISBN: 978-1-78969-230-3AbstractNew data on the Neolithic occupation of the northern UAE coast were collected during the 2017–2018 excavations at the shellmidden site of UAQ36. Although so far limited to a fifth-millennium occupation, this data can be contextualized within the broader research programme of the French Archaeological Mission in the Emirate of Umm al-Quwain.
When compared to the previously excavated Neolithic sites of UAQ2 (last third of the sixth–beginning of the fourth millennium) and Akab (second third of the fifth–beginning of the fourth millennium), this new data can be used to discuss the nature of the Neolithic occupation along the UAE Gulf coast, which overall attests a good and recurring adaptation of the human communities to the changing surrounding environment.
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Bull PA, Parker A, Morgan RM, 'The Forensic Analysis of Soils and Sediment Taken From the Cast of a Footprint'
Forensic Science International 162 (2006) pp.6-12
ISSN: 0379-0738Published here -
Morgan RM, Wiltshire P, Parker A, Bull PA, 'The Role of Forensic Geoscience in Wildlife Crime Detection'
Forensic Science International 162 (2006) pp.152-162
ISSN: 0379-0738Published here
Reviews
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Jennings RP, Pacheco FG, Barton RNE, Collcutt SN, Gale R, Gleed-Owen CP, Lopez JMG, Higham TFG, Parker A, Price C, Rhodes E, Perez AS, Schwenninger JL, Turner E, review of New Dates and Palaeoenvironmental Evidence for the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic Occupation of Higueral De Valleja Cave, Southern Spain
28 (2009) pp.830-839
Published here
Professional information
Memberships of professional bodies
- Fellow of the the Society of Antiquaries (FSA)
- Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS)
- Fellow of the Royal Anthropological Institute (FRAI)
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
Further details
Former interests include the restoration of vintage lawnmowers and at one stage I had over 30 in my collection induling makes such as Ransomes, Webb, Dennis, Atco. I have also restored several vintage motorcycles (BSA, Royal Enfield) and tractors (David Brown).