Climate change and human occupation in the southern arabian lowlands during the late Quaternary

Paleohydrological and archaeological evidence from the Central and Southern Arabian Peninsula reveal strong relations between phases of human settlements and climate change linked to the Indian monsoon system. During the early to mid-Holocene, large fresh-water lakes extended in the lowland deserts of Ramlat as-Sab'atayn (Yemen), Wahiba Sands (Oman) and Rub' al-Khali (Saudi Arabia). Many archaeological sites, characterized by scattered stone artefacts, ostrich-eggshells and bones around hearths, are related to this lacustrine phase, which culminated around 10 000-8000 cal yr BP in the lowland deserts before the lakes progressively dried up. Then, fresh-water was probably available only from seasonal runoff from adjacent highlands, where paleolakes persisted into the late Holocene. Dry climate conditions in the inland desert of Yemen during the late Holocene coincide with a phase of intensive human inhabitation as testified by development of irrigation in the piedmontane areas, numerous necropolises of built collective burials and houses. Relations between man and environment are not easily detectable in absence of high resolution paleoenvironmental archives