Climate, sea level and culture in the Southeastern Mediterranean 20–4 ky BP

In this paper sediments accumulated between 20 and 4 ky BP on the Israeli coastal plain and their cultural contents are described. Sediments carried by the Nile River into the Mediterranean are transported northward along the Levant coast. These sediments are intermittently windblown on land and together with their derivative sandy loams form the bulk of sediments on the coastal plain of Israel. The younger these sediments are further west they are located. The sand beds apparently accumulated during cold and dry periods and pedogenesis occurred during warm and humid periods. Cultural remains on the coastal plain are encountered only in the soils. Hence in periods of sand transport humans avoided the coastal plain. Between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, ca. 18–20 ky BP) and about 4 ky BP, global sea level rose from −130 to 0m. The coastal sediments accumulated during that period are here correlated with both sea level and climatic factors. From the last glacial the living space was continuously shrinking under the encroaching sea and human communities were continuously driven landward. Cultural evolution since 20 ky ago includes major leaps such as the move from hunting-gathering nomads to permanent, year-round settlements, the birth of religion, domestication and food production. Climatic events seemingly played a minor role in these leaps. They were apparently initiated by social factors possibly stemming from environmental constraints – the progressive loss of living space. Cet article décrit les sédiments accumulés entre 20 000 et 4000 ans BP sur la plaine littorale israélienne et leurs contenus culturels. Les sédiments transportés par le Nil dans la Méditerranée sont chariés vers le nord le long de la côte du Levant. Ces sédiments sont également amenés par le vent de façon intermittente sur la terre. Avec les limons, ils forment un ensemble de sédiments répartis sur la plaine littorale d’Israël. Plus ces sédiments sont jeunes, plus ils sont localisés à l’ouest. Les lits sableux se sont accumulés apparemment pendant des périodes froides et sèches, et la pédogenèse s’est produite quant à elle pendant des périodes chaudes et humides. Les restes archéologiques sur la plaine littorale ne se retrouvent que dans ces sols. Dans les périodes de dépôts sableux, les humains ont donc évité la plaine littorale. Entre le dernier maximum glaciaire (LGM, environ 18–20 000 ans) et environ 4000 ans BP, le niveau de la mer s’est élevé de −130 à 0m. Les sédiments côtiers