Late Holocene Climatic Events, the Main Factor of the Cultural Decline in North Central Iran During the Bronze Age

Abstract

During the Bronze Age, the cultural region of North Central Iran (NCI) suffered a longterm cultural decline, probably due to severe droughts. According to paleoclimate research, during the overall period c. 5.4–3.5 ka BP, four widely observable climatic events occurred at c. 5.3–5.0, 4.9– 4.7, 4.2–3.9, and 3.8–3.5 ka BP, and these appear to have caused widespread environmental damage in the Near East. Archaeological evidence of the NCI-region reveals political events that can be associated with the observed climatic variability. Paleoclimate research and archaeological studies can attribute, in combination, the cultural decline of NCI during the Bronze Age to the Late Holocene climate change. IZVLE∞EK – V ≠asu bronaste dobe je pri∏lo na obmo≠ju severnega dela centralnega Irana do dolgoro≠nega kulturnega zatona, ki so ga verjetno povzro≠ila obdobja hude su∏e. Glede na paleoklimatske raziskave lahko prepoznamo ∏tiri zelo izrazite podnebne dogodke v obdobju med ok. 5,4 in 3,5 tiso≠ let pred sedanjostjo (le-ti so: 5,3–5,0 tiso≠ let, 4,9–4,7 tiso≠ let, 4,2–3,9 tiso≠ let ter 3,8–3,5 tiso≠ let pred sedanjostjo), ki so povzro≠ili raz∏irjeno okoljsko ∏kodo na Bli∫njem Vzhodu. Arheolo∏ki zapisi v tej regiji ka∫ejo na politi≠ne dogodke, ki jih lahko pove∫emo s podnebno spremenljivostjo. S pomo≠jo paleoklimatskih in arheolo∏kih raziskav lahko bronastodobni kulturni zaton na obmo≠ju severnega centralnega Irana ve∫emo na pozno holocenske podnebne spremembe.