Holocene environments of the high plateau, Yemen. Recent geoarchaeological investigations

Holocene Paleoclimates of Southern Arabia from Lacustrine Deposits of the Dhamar Highlands, Yemen

“…Soil surveys in the 1970s identified relict lakes and freshwater mollusk scatters across the Qa Jahran, and a thick paleosol, ubiquitous across the highland basins, that dated to the mid-Holocene (Acres, 1982). Characterized by high humic content, the soil represents a drying period of low to no lake levels (Acres, 1982;Hepper and Wood, 1979;Wilkinson, 1997). Soils on the valley sides are very thin and calcareous where agricultural terracing is not present.…”

“…These closed highland basins are ideal for examining long-term paleohydrologic responses to changing Holocene climates. These semiarid valleys responded to past changes in atmospheric circulation by rapid development of lakes and marshes during wet times, and the expansion of soils during drier phases (Wilkinson, 1997;Lezine et al, 1998).…”

A humid early Holocene in Yemen interpreted from palaeoecology and taxonomy of freshwater ostracods

“…It receives limited moisture twice yearly in the form of winter northwesterly circulation and summer monsoonal rains (Parker et al, 2006;. Wilkinson (1997) and , in their investigations of the Holocene lacustrine deposits of the Dhamār highlands, reported that these semi-arid valleys responded to past changes in atmospheric circulation by the rapid development of lakes and marshes during wet times and the expansion of soils during drier phases. They deduced that the alternating development of highland lakes and soils resulted from the shifts in Holocene palaeoclimate due to fluctuations in the Indian Ocean Monsoon between moist and dry phases.…”

“…Some of these studies reported the distribution and development of Holocene palaeolakes in the Arabian Peninsula, where water availability is a challenge for the future (e.g. Acres, 1982;Wilkinson, 1997;Lézine et al, 1998;Fleitmann et al, 2003;Parker et al, 2006;Rosenberg et al, 2011;Engel et al, 2012;Enzel et al, 2015). Understanding changes in the moisture availability of the past is a prerequisite for a sustainable management of water resources.…”

“…Understanding changes in the moisture availability of the past is a prerequisite for a sustainable management of water resources. The few previous surveys which have been done in Yemen, to review the relationship between the early human settlements and Holocene climatic changes, recognized lacustrine deposits and extensive scatters of shells of freshwater molluscs in the plain of Qa'a Jahran at very high elevations (2400 m above sea level) and some deserted districts in Ramlat as-Sab'atayn and Wadi Juba in Marib (Acres, 1982;Wilkinson, 1997;Lézine et al, 1998;. These studies illustrate that the Yemeni inland desert and highlands experienced strong climatic changes leading to the development and disappearance of freshwater lakes.…”