Reach-scale river dynamics moderate the impact of rapid Holocene climate change on floodwater farming in the desert Nile
Reach-scale river dynamics moderate the impact of rapid Holocene climate change on floodwater farming in the desert Nile
复制标题
DOI：
10.1130/g34037.1
复制
发表时间：
2013-06-01
期刊：
影响因子：
5.8
通讯作者：
Williams, Martin A. J.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Macklin, Mark G.;Woodward, Jamie C.;Williams, Martin A. J.
气候变化与旧大陆河流文明发展之间的关系尚不清楚，因为不充分的年代控制阻碍了考古、河流和气候记录的有效整合。本文介绍了最全面和可靠的考古和古环境数据集，迄今为止编制的沙漠尼罗河。它集中在苏丹北部克尔马王国（公元前2400-1450年）的谷底腹地。在非洲第一次“黑暗时代”干旱期间，克尔马成为埃及的竞争对手。与埃及和亚洲其他以灌溉为基础的农业相比，克尔马在大约公元前2200年的环境危机中繁荣起来。我们研究了克尔马上游尼罗河80公里范围内的古河道的地层和考古记录，使用光学刺激发光来确定河道流动和干涸的时间。当地冲积环境的动态对于确定气候波动和河流流量的变化是洪水农民的机会（公元前5000-3500年），是可以控制的危险（公元前2400-1300年），还是导致定居点废弃的环境灾难（公元前1300年之后）至关重要。
The relationship between climate change and the development of Old World riverine civilizations is poorly understood because inadequate dating control has hindered effective integration of archaeological, fluvial, and climate records. This paper presents the most comprehensive and robustly dated archaeological and paleoenvironmental data sets yet compiled for the desert Nile. It focuses on the valley floor hinterland of the Kingdom of Kerma (2400-1450 B. C.) in northern Sudan. Kerma emerged as a rival to Egypt during Africa's first "Dark Age" drought. In contrast to other irrigation-based agriculturists in Egypt and Asia, Kerma flourished during the environmental crisis ca. 2200 B.C. We have studied the stratigraphy and archaeological records of paleochannels across an 80 km reach of the Nile upstream of Kerma using optically stimulated luminescence to date when channels flowed and when they dried up. The dynamics of the local alluvial environment were critical in determining whether climatic fluctuations and changes in river flow represented an opportunity for floodwater farmers (5000-3500 B. C.), a hazard that could be managed (2400-1300 B. C.), or an environmental catastrophe that resulted in settlement abandonment (after 1300 B.C.).