Description
Global concerns about climate change are ever-growing and an emphasis on how these events will impact contemporary societies has led us to look to the past to see how previous populations were affected, especially during the Bronze Age. The LEAP project (LEArning from the Past) seeks to answer this by evaluating the impact of Rapid Climate Change events (RCCs) on pre- and protohistoric societies and the environment in Belgium through a multidisciplinary approach.Palaeoclimatic, palaeoenvironmental and palaeomobility data are used to see potential repercussions of the 3.2 ka cal BP climate event on the transition from the Middle to the Late Bronze Age in Belgium. Statistical modelling applied to available radiocarbon data for Belgium shows a population contraction during the Middle Bronze Age, followed by a resurgence during and after the 3.2 event and a shift in funerary practice from cremation deposits under barrows to cremations in flat graves (urnfields). Strontium isotope analysis comparing populations before and after the 3.2 RCC provides an additional framework for investigation and highlights potential episodes of human mobility and changes in funerary rites, as well as changes in landscape use that can be correlated to climatic deterioration or improvement.
Through using this data, we can see how climate change can affect past communities and place today’s climate change within this historical perspective. Through a consideration of the environmental and societal impacts, the LEAP project hopes to be able to inform policymakers on potential future scenarios and enhance public awareness.
| Periode | 31 aug 2024 |
|---|---|
| Evenementstitel | 30th European Association of Archaeologists Annual Meeting 2024 |
| Evenementstype | Conference |
| Conferentienummer | 30 |
| Locatie | Rome, Italy |