High-resolution climatic changes at early neolithic franchthi

Abstract

This doctoral research investigates how early farming communities at Franchthi, a key coastal settlement in southern continental Greece, interacted with their environment during the Neolithic transition. It examines how climatic conditions may have influenced the westward spread of early farming communities from the Near East and Anatolia into Europe, contributing to one of the most significant transformations in European prehistory. Central to this research is the question of whether climatic stress shaped the pace and trajectory of Neolithic migration. By combining Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and oxygen isotope analysis on archaeological mollusc shells, the study bridges the gap between archaeological and climatic records, offering a high-resolution reconstruction of past climatic conditions. Addressing long-standing methodological challenges in linking archaeological and palaeoenvironmental data, the project introduces an innovative, high-resolution approach to synchronizing these records. Using mollusc shells from Franchthi as a case study, it reconstructs seasonally resolved climatic data, enabling insights into short-term environmental variability and its potential effects on early farmers. This interdisciplinary study explores the interplay between climate and human agency. Ultimately, it offers a nuanced understanding of how prehistoric communities adapted to environmental fluctuations, providing perspectives on human resilience and adaptation in the face of climatic change.