The unexpectedly short Holocene Humid Period in Northern Arabia

Abstract

The early to middle Holocene Humid Period led to a greening of today’s arid Saharo-Arabian desert belt. While this phase is well defined in North Africa and the Southern Arabian Peninsula, robust evidence from Northern Arabia is lacking. Here we fill this gap with unprecedented annually to sub-decadally resolved proxy data from Tayma, the only known varved lake sediments in Northern Arabia. Based on stable isotopes, micro-facies analyses and varve and radiocarbon dating, we distinguish five phases of lake development and show that the wet phase in Northern Arabia from 8800–7900 years BP is considerably shorter than the commonly defined Holocene Humid Period (~11,000–5500 years BP). Moreover, we find a two century-long peak humidity at times when a centennial-scale dry anomaly around 8200 years BP interrupted the Holocene Humid Period in adjacent regions. The short humid phase possibly favoured Neolithic migrations into Northern Arabia representing a strong human response to environmental changes.

Cult, herding, and ‘pilgrimage’ in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia: Excavations at a mustatil east of AlUla

“…Indeed, recent research at the Tayma palaeolake has suggested that the Holocene Humid Period was much shorter in this part of the Arabian Peninsula, dating to ca. 6800-5900 BCE, with the phase gradually ending by 5800 BCE [150]. This research indicated that the period between 5800-4800 BCE, which correlates with extant radiocarbon evidence for the mustatil tradition, was marked by an increasing aridity and aeolian influx [150].…”

“…6800-5900 BCE, with the phase gradually ending by 5800 BCE [150]. This research indicated that the period between 5800-4800 BCE, which correlates with extant radiocarbon evidence for the mustatil tradition, was marked by an increasing aridity and aeolian influx [150]. Whilst broadly corresponding to conclusions made regarding the preservation of organic material within mustatil IDIHA-F-0011081, this data appears to be somewhat incongruous with the significant bovine deposits recovered, animals that need ready access to secure water sources.…”

Watering the desert: Oasis hydroarchaeology, geochronology and functionality in Northern Arabia

“…At Rasif (Zielhofer et al, 2018) increasing salinity in qa sediments starting during the fifth millennium BCE may be interpreted as an onset of aridification at the site. Latest results from the analysis of sabkha deposits from Tayma indicate a considerably shorter wet period in Northern Arabia, only lasting from 8800–7900 yr BP as opposed to the more commonly defined Holocene Humid Period lasting up to about ~5500 years BP (Neugebauer et al, 2022). Within this palaeoclimatic framework, our dating results show that the SWHS of Qurayyah was established during a period of climate change on a landscape surface, which was formed up to about ~6.5–5.5 ka (~4500–3500 BCE) (Area E, stone dam and Area J, main inlet), with anthropogenic constructions of the SWHS probably documented as early as 5.4 ± 0.6 ka (4000–2800 BCE) (potential mudbricks in Area J, main inlet).…”

“…Relevant palaeoclimatic reference sites are included in Figure 1a (for references please see figure caption), to provide a palaeoclimatic framework for the discussion of the results. Among these sites, the oasis of Tayma is the nearest site providing a continuous palaeoclimatic record based on the analysis of sabkha deposits (Engel et al, 2012; Neugebauer et al, 2022).…”