The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy
The potential impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on human demography, settlement patterns and culture in Europe and the Near East has emerged as a key theme in current discussion and debate. We test whether this event had an impact on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland, a case study l...
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Online Access: | https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/60211/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 |
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ftunivreading:oai:centaur.reading.ac.uk:60211 2023-09-05T13:21:26+02:00 The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy Wicks, Karen Mithen, Steven 2014 https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/60211/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 unknown Elsevier Wicks, Karen and Mithen, Steven (2014) The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy. Journal of Archaeological Science, 45. pp. 240-269. ISSN 0305-4403 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003> Article PeerReviewed 2014 ftunivreading https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 2023-08-14T18:00:53Z The potential impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on human demography, settlement patterns and culture in Europe and the Near East has emerged as a key theme in current discussion and debate. We test whether this event had an impact on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland, a case study located within the North Atlantic region where the environmental impact of the 8.2 ka event is likely to have been the most severe. By undertaking a Bayesian analysis of the radiocarbon record and using the number of activity events as a proxy for the size of the human population, we find evidence for a dramatic reduction in the Mesolithic population synchronous with the 8.2 ka event. We interpret this as reflecting the demographic collapse of a low density population that lacked the capability to adapt to the rapid onset of new environmental conditions. This impact of the 8.2 ka event in the North Atlantic region lends credence to the possibility of a similar impact on populations in Continental Europe and the Near East. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic CentAUR: Central Archive at the University of Reading Journal of Archaeological Science 45 240 269 |
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Open Polar |
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CentAUR: Central Archive at the University of Reading |
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ftunivreading |
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unknown |
description |
The potential impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on human demography, settlement patterns and culture in Europe and the Near East has emerged as a key theme in current discussion and debate. We test whether this event had an impact on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland, a case study located within the North Atlantic region where the environmental impact of the 8.2 ka event is likely to have been the most severe. By undertaking a Bayesian analysis of the radiocarbon record and using the number of activity events as a proxy for the size of the human population, we find evidence for a dramatic reduction in the Mesolithic population synchronous with the 8.2 ka event. We interpret this as reflecting the demographic collapse of a low density population that lacked the capability to adapt to the rapid onset of new environmental conditions. This impact of the 8.2 ka event in the North Atlantic region lends credence to the possibility of a similar impact on populations in Continental Europe and the Near East. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wicks, Karen Mithen, Steven |
spellingShingle |
Wicks, Karen Mithen, Steven The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
author_facet |
Wicks, Karen Mithen, Steven |
author_sort |
Wicks, Karen |
title |
The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
title_short |
The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
title_full |
The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
title_fullStr |
The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
title_full_unstemmed |
The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
title_sort |
impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the mesolithic population of western scotland: a bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://centaur.reading.ac.uk/60211/ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 |
genre |
North Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic |
op_relation |
Wicks, Karen and Mithen, Steven (2014) The impact of the abrupt 8.2 ka cold event on the Mesolithic population of western Scotland: a Bayesian chronological analysis using ‘activity events’ as a population proxy. Journal of Archaeological Science, 45. pp. 240-269. ISSN 0305-4403 doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003> |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2014.02.003 |
container_title |
Journal of Archaeological Science |
container_volume |
45 |
container_start_page |
240 |
op_container_end_page |
269 |
_version_ |
1776202039026515968 |