Adrian Parker | Oxford Brookes University (original) (raw)

Papers by Adrian Parker

Research paper thumbnail of Luminescence chronology of fluvial and aeolian deposits from the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE

Quaternary Research

Quaternary environments on the Arabian Peninsula shifted between pronounced arid conditions and p... more Quaternary environments on the Arabian Peninsula shifted between pronounced arid conditions and phases of increased rainfall, which had a profound impact on Earth surface processes. However, while aeolian sediment dynamics are reasonably well understood, there is a lack of knowledge with regard to variability in the fluvial systems. Presented here are the findings from several locations within wadi drainage systems to the west of the Hajar Mountains (United Arab Emirates). The performance of optically stimulated luminescence dating using a customized standardized growth curve approach is investigated, showing that this approach allows reliable determination of ages by reducing the machine time required. Three main periods of fluvial activity occurred at 160–135, 43–34, and ca. 20 ka. Additional ages fall into the latest Pleistocene and Late Holocene. None of the ages coincides with major wet periods in SE Arabia that have been identified in stalagmites and by the deposition of lake ...

Research paper thumbnail of Developing a Geocultural Database of Quaternary Palaeoenvironmental Sites and Archaeological Sites in Southeast Arabia: Inventory, Endangerment Assessment, and a Roadmap for Conservation

Sustainability

Quaternary palaeoenvironmental (QP) sites in Southeast Arabia are important not only to understan... more Quaternary palaeoenvironmental (QP) sites in Southeast Arabia are important not only to understand the history of global climate change but also to study how ancient humans adapted to a changing natural environment. These sites, however, are currently missing from conservation frameworks despite reports of destroyed sites and sites under imminent threat. This study presents the Geocultural Database of Southeast Arabia, the first open-access database on QP sites in this region, created as a comprehensive inventory of regional QP sites and a tool to analyse QP records and archaeological records. The endangerment assessment of QP sites in this database reveals that 13% of QP sites have already been destroyed and 15% of them are under imminent threat of destruction, primarily due to urban development and infrastructure development. Chronological and spatial analyses of QP and archaeological sites and records highlight the intricate relationship between palaeoenvironment and archaeology ...

Research paper thumbnail of Multiple phases of human occupation in Southeast Arabia between 210,000 and 120,000 years ago

Scientific Reports, 2022

Changing climatic conditions are thought to be a major control of human presence in Arabia during... more Changing climatic conditions are thought to be a major control of human presence in Arabia during the Paleolithic. Whilst the Pleistocene archaeological record shows that periods of increased monsoon rainfall attracted human occupation and led to increased population densities, the impact of arid conditions on human populations in Arabia remains largely speculative. Here, we present data from Jebel Faya in Southeast (SE) Arabia, which document four periods of human occupation between c. 210,000 and 120,000 years ago. The Jebel Faya record indicates that human occupation of SE Arabia was more regular and not exclusively linked to major humid periods. Our data show that brief phases of increased rainfall additionally enabled human settlement in the Faya region. These results imply that the mosaic environments in SE Arabia have likely formed a population refugia at the end of the Middle and the beginning of the Late Pleistocene.

Research paper thumbnail of Palaeoenvironmental and sea level changes during the Holocene in eastern Saudi Arabia and their implications for Neolithic populations

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Geomorphology, Geoarcheology and Paleoenvironments

Dosariyah: An Arabian Neolithic Coastal Community in the Central Gulf, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Mort violente en Arabie: La sépulture multiple d’Umm al-Quwain UAQ2 (Émirats arabes unis), VIe millénaire BC

Research paper thumbnail of Human occupation of the northern Arabian interior during early Marine Isotope Stage 3

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

The early part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (c. 60-50 ka) is a crucial period for studying hum... more The early part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (c. 60-50 ka) is a crucial period for studying human demography and behaviour in Southwest Asia, and how these relate to climatic changes. However, the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records for MIS 3 in critical areas such as the Arabian Peninsula remain poorly developed. Here, we present findings from the Al Marrat basin in the Nefud desert, which provides the first clear evidence for both increased humidity and human occupation of the interior of northern Arabia during early MIS 3. A Middle Palaeolithic assemblage, dated by OSL to c. 55 ka, was found stratified within a sequence of relict palustrine deposits indicative of shallow water body formation in the Al Marrat basin. Hominin presence in northern Arabia at this time coincides with the intensification and northward displacement of monsoon rainfall systems during a period of maximum insolation. These findings add to a growing corpus of palaeoenvironmental evidence, which indicates that the Arabian interior was neither arid nor unpopulated during early MIS 3, and that hydrodynamic responses to enhanced moisture availability facilitated demographic expansions into the Arabian interior.

Research paper thumbnail of Lakes or wetlands? A comment on ‘The middle Holocene climatic records from Arabia: Reassessing lacustrine environments, shift of ITCZ in Arabian Sea, and impacts of the southwest Indian and African monsoons’ by Enzel et al

Global and Planetary Change, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Neolithic sites of northern Arabia and palaeohydrology

<p>Potential Holocene drainage is displayed in blue, with currently severed drainage connec... more <p>Potential Holocene drainage is displayed in blue, with currently severed drainage connections that may have been active during Holocene humid periods interpreted and displayed in grey. Numbered Wadis: (1) Wadi as Sirhan, (2) Wadi al Hamd, (3) Euphrates, (4) Wadi al Batin, (5) Wadi Sabha. Potential palaeolake or swamp deposits detected through remote sensing which may relate to Holocene humidity are displayed for the region surrounding Jubbah. All data is overlain upon SRTMv4 elevation data <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Jarvis1&quot; target="_blank">[124]</a> and Natural Earth 2 offshore data. Archaeological site locations calculated from survey data of the ‘Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Programme’, more information is provided in Groucutt and Petraglia <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Groucutt1&quot; target="_blank">[111]</a>.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Three El-Khiam points from JQ-101

<p>The enlarged views represent the basal ventrally retouched parts (x3). Top one (broken) ... more <p>The enlarged views represent the basal ventrally retouched parts (x3). Top one (broken) is in crystal quartz.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Low‐latitude Holocene hydroclimate derived from lake sediment flux and geochemistry

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

ABSTRACTThis study investigates hydrological responses to climatic shifts using sediment flux dat... more ABSTRACTThis study investigates hydrological responses to climatic shifts using sediment flux data derived from two dated palaeolake records in south‐east Arabia. Flux values are generally low during the early Holocene humid period (EHHP) (∼9.0–6.4k cal a BP) although several short‐lived pulses of increased detrital input are recorded, the most prominent of which is dated between ∼8.3 and 7.9k cal a BP. The EHHP is separated from the mid‐Holocene humid period (MHHP) (∼5.0–4.3k cal a BP) by a phase of increased sediment flux and aridity, which began between ∼6.4 and 5.9k cal a BP and peaked between ∼5.2 and 5.0k cal a BP. The termination of the MHHP is marked by a phase of high detrital sediment flux between ∼4.3 and 3.9k cal a BP. While long‐term shifts in climate are most likely linked to changes in the summer position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and associated Indian and African monsoon systems, it is noted that the abrupt, short‐term phases of aridity observed in both r...

Research paper thumbnail of DMP VIII: Palaeohydrology and palaeoenvironment

Libyan Studies, 2009

The January 2009 fieldwork season conducted geomorphological and palaeoenviromental surveys in as... more The January 2009 fieldwork season conducted geomorphological and palaeoenviromental surveys in as yet unexplored parts of the Lake Megafazzan Basin, as well as continuing research in the Wadi al-Hayat and Ubari Sand Sea. Lake Megafazzan sediments were investigated at two sites on the eastern margin of the basin. At the first site, east of Tamessah, 24 m of stratigraphy was investigated and found to consist of a lacustrine carbonate unit at the base progressing into a fluvial unit and then an upper carbonate unit. The sediments were sampled for magnetostratigraphy and cosmogenic nucleide dating in order to determine their age. Similar studies were undertaken in the vicinity of the Arial Agricultural Project, where 31 m of section were logged and sampled. Here the sediments were quite different, being composed of a deltaic sequence consisting of stacked channels and palaeosols, thought to represent the outflow delta of the palaeolake. Many new Holocene lake sediment deposits were disc...

Research paper thumbnail of The greening of Arabia: Multiple opportunities for human occupation of the Arabian Peninsula during the Late Pleistocene inferred from an ensemble of climate model simulations

Quaternary International, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Human occupation of the Arabian Empty Quarter during MIS 5: evidence from Mundafan Al-Buhayrah, Saudi Arabia

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Developing a framework of Quaternary dune accumulation in the northern Rub' al-Khali, Arabia

Quaternary International, 2015

Located at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for huma... more Located at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for human migration and dispersal during the Late Pleistocene. Deducing the timing of humid and arid phases is critical to understanding when the Rub' al-Khali desert acted as a barrier to human movement and settlement. Recent geological mapping in the northern part of the Rub' al-Khali has enabled the Quaternary history of the region to be put into a regional stratigraphical framework. In addition to the active dunes, two significant palaeodune sequences have been identified. Dating of key sections has enabled a chronology of dune accretion and stabilisation to be determined. In addition, previously published optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates have been put in their proper stratigraphical context, from which a record of Late Pleistocene dune activity can be constructed. The results indicate the record of dune activity in the northern Rub' al-Khali is preservation limited and is synchronous with humid events driven by the incursion of the Indian Ocean monsoon.

Research paper thumbnail of A multi-proxy analysis of the Holocene humid phase from the United Arab Emirates and its implications for southeast Arabia's Neolithic populations

Quaternary International, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Alluvial fan records from southeast Arabia reveal multiple windows for human dispersal

Research paper thumbnail of Orbital-scale climate variability in Arabia as a potential motor for human dispersals

Quaternary International, 2015

The Arabian Peninsula is situated at an important crossroads for the movement of Pleistocene huma... more The Arabian Peninsula is situated at an important crossroads for the movement of Pleistocene human populations out of, and into, Africa. Although the timings, routes and frequencies of such dispersals have not yet been confirmed by genetic, fossil or archaeological evidence, expansion into Arabia would have been facilitated by humid periods driven by incursions of monsoon rainfall, potentially from both Indian Ocean and African monsoon systems. Here we synthesise terrestrial and marine core palaeoclimatic data in order to establish the spatial and temporal variability of humid periods in Arabia between late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 and 3. Incursions of monsoon rainfall occurred during periods of insolation maxima at ca. 200-190, 170, 155, 130-120, 105-95, 85-75 and 60-55 ka, providing multiple 'windows' of favourable climatic conditions that could have facilitated demographic expansion through Arabia. Strong summer monsoons are generally associated with mid-high latitude interglacials, however, enhanced monsoon convection also brought rainfall into Arabia during global glacial phases, possibly due to a strengthened winter monsoon and a greater influence of southern hemispheric temperature changes. Key periods for dispersal into northern regions of Arabia correspond with the synchronous intensification of both eastern Mediterranean and monsoon rainfall systems at insolation maxima during MIS 7 and MIS 5, which may have facilitated demographic connectivity between the Levant and the Arabian interior. Environmental conditions throughout southern and southeast regions were also favourable to expansion during these times, although strong monsoons in these regions during MIS 6 and MIS 3 suggest further opportunities for demographic expansion and exchange. Terrestrial and marine evidence show that during early MIS 3 (ca. 60-50 ka), a strengthened monsoon led to the activation of interior drainage systems and increased productivity in coastal zones, indicating that favourable environmental conditions existed along both coastal and interior routes at that time.

Research paper thumbnail of Epipalaeolithic occupation and palaeoenvironments of the southern Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia, during the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014

The transition from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Early Holocene is poorly represented in the g... more The transition from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Early Holocene is poorly represented in the geological and archaeological records of northern Arabia, and the climatic conditions that prevailed in the region during that period are unclear. Here, we present a new record from the site of Al-Rabyah, in the Jubbah basin (southern Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia), where a sequence of fossiliferous lacustrine and palustrine deposits containing an archaeological assemblage is preserved. Sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental investigations, both at Al-Rabyah and elsewhere in the Jubbah area, indicate phases of humid conditions, during which shallow lakes developed in the basin, separated by drier periods. At Al-Rabyah, the end of a Terminal Pleistocene phase of lake expansion has been dated to ~12.2 ka using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), with a mid-Holocene humid phase dated to after ~6.6 ka. Palaeoecological reconstructions based primarily on non-marine molluscs and ostracods from the younger lacustrine deposits indicate a relatively shallow body of freshwater surrounded by moist, well-vegetated environments. A lithic assemblage characterized by bladelets and geometric microliths was excavated from sediments attributed to a drier climatic phase dated to ~10.1 ka. The lithic artefact types exhibit similarities to Epipalaeolithic industries of the Levant, and their occurrence well beyond the 'core region' of such assemblages (and at a significantly later date) has important implications for understanding interactions between Levantine and Arabian populations during the Terminal Pleistocene-Early Holocene. We suggest that the presence of foraging populations in the southern Nefud during periods of drier climate is due to the prolonged presence of a freshwater oasis in the Jubbah Basin during the Terminal Pleistocene-early Holocene, which enabled them to subsist in the region when neighbouring areas of northern Arabia and the Levant were increasingly hostile.

Research paper thumbnail of Middle Paleolithic occupation on a Marine Isotope Stage 5 lakeshore in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2011

Major hydrological variations associated with glacial and interglacial climates in North Africa a... more Major hydrological variations associated with glacial and interglacial climates in North Africa and the Levant have been related to Middle Paleolithic occupations and dispersals, but suitable archaeological sites to explore such relationships are rare on the Arabian Peninsula. Here we report the discovery of Middle Paleolithic assemblages in the Nefud Desert of northern Arabia associated with stratified deposits dated to 75,000 years ago. The site is located in close proximity to a substantial relict lake and indicates that Middle Paleolithic hominins penetrated deeply into the Arabian Peninsula to inhabit landscapes vegetated by grasses and some trees. Our discovery supports the hypothesis of range expansion by Middle Paleolithic populations into Arabia during the final humid phase of Marine Isotope Stage 5, when environmental conditions were still favorable.

Research paper thumbnail of Luminescence chronology of fluvial and aeolian deposits from the Emirate of Sharjah, UAE

Quaternary Research

Quaternary environments on the Arabian Peninsula shifted between pronounced arid conditions and p... more Quaternary environments on the Arabian Peninsula shifted between pronounced arid conditions and phases of increased rainfall, which had a profound impact on Earth surface processes. However, while aeolian sediment dynamics are reasonably well understood, there is a lack of knowledge with regard to variability in the fluvial systems. Presented here are the findings from several locations within wadi drainage systems to the west of the Hajar Mountains (United Arab Emirates). The performance of optically stimulated luminescence dating using a customized standardized growth curve approach is investigated, showing that this approach allows reliable determination of ages by reducing the machine time required. Three main periods of fluvial activity occurred at 160–135, 43–34, and ca. 20 ka. Additional ages fall into the latest Pleistocene and Late Holocene. None of the ages coincides with major wet periods in SE Arabia that have been identified in stalagmites and by the deposition of lake ...

Research paper thumbnail of Developing a Geocultural Database of Quaternary Palaeoenvironmental Sites and Archaeological Sites in Southeast Arabia: Inventory, Endangerment Assessment, and a Roadmap for Conservation

Sustainability

Quaternary palaeoenvironmental (QP) sites in Southeast Arabia are important not only to understan... more Quaternary palaeoenvironmental (QP) sites in Southeast Arabia are important not only to understand the history of global climate change but also to study how ancient humans adapted to a changing natural environment. These sites, however, are currently missing from conservation frameworks despite reports of destroyed sites and sites under imminent threat. This study presents the Geocultural Database of Southeast Arabia, the first open-access database on QP sites in this region, created as a comprehensive inventory of regional QP sites and a tool to analyse QP records and archaeological records. The endangerment assessment of QP sites in this database reveals that 13% of QP sites have already been destroyed and 15% of them are under imminent threat of destruction, primarily due to urban development and infrastructure development. Chronological and spatial analyses of QP and archaeological sites and records highlight the intricate relationship between palaeoenvironment and archaeology ...

Research paper thumbnail of Multiple phases of human occupation in Southeast Arabia between 210,000 and 120,000 years ago

Scientific Reports, 2022

Changing climatic conditions are thought to be a major control of human presence in Arabia during... more Changing climatic conditions are thought to be a major control of human presence in Arabia during the Paleolithic. Whilst the Pleistocene archaeological record shows that periods of increased monsoon rainfall attracted human occupation and led to increased population densities, the impact of arid conditions on human populations in Arabia remains largely speculative. Here, we present data from Jebel Faya in Southeast (SE) Arabia, which document four periods of human occupation between c. 210,000 and 120,000 years ago. The Jebel Faya record indicates that human occupation of SE Arabia was more regular and not exclusively linked to major humid periods. Our data show that brief phases of increased rainfall additionally enabled human settlement in the Faya region. These results imply that the mosaic environments in SE Arabia have likely formed a population refugia at the end of the Middle and the beginning of the Late Pleistocene.

Research paper thumbnail of Palaeoenvironmental and sea level changes during the Holocene in eastern Saudi Arabia and their implications for Neolithic populations

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Geomorphology, Geoarcheology and Paleoenvironments

Dosariyah: An Arabian Neolithic Coastal Community in the Central Gulf, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Mort violente en Arabie: La sépulture multiple d’Umm al-Quwain UAQ2 (Émirats arabes unis), VIe millénaire BC

Research paper thumbnail of Human occupation of the northern Arabian interior during early Marine Isotope Stage 3

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

The early part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (c. 60-50 ka) is a crucial period for studying hum... more The early part of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 (c. 60-50 ka) is a crucial period for studying human demography and behaviour in Southwest Asia, and how these relate to climatic changes. However, the archaeological and palaeoenvironmental records for MIS 3 in critical areas such as the Arabian Peninsula remain poorly developed. Here, we present findings from the Al Marrat basin in the Nefud desert, which provides the first clear evidence for both increased humidity and human occupation of the interior of northern Arabia during early MIS 3. A Middle Palaeolithic assemblage, dated by OSL to c. 55 ka, was found stratified within a sequence of relict palustrine deposits indicative of shallow water body formation in the Al Marrat basin. Hominin presence in northern Arabia at this time coincides with the intensification and northward displacement of monsoon rainfall systems during a period of maximum insolation. These findings add to a growing corpus of palaeoenvironmental evidence, which indicates that the Arabian interior was neither arid nor unpopulated during early MIS 3, and that hydrodynamic responses to enhanced moisture availability facilitated demographic expansions into the Arabian interior.

Research paper thumbnail of Lakes or wetlands? A comment on ‘The middle Holocene climatic records from Arabia: Reassessing lacustrine environments, shift of ITCZ in Arabian Sea, and impacts of the southwest Indian and African monsoons’ by Enzel et al

Global and Planetary Change, 2017

Research paper thumbnail of Neolithic sites of northern Arabia and palaeohydrology

<p>Potential Holocene drainage is displayed in blue, with currently severed drainage connec... more <p>Potential Holocene drainage is displayed in blue, with currently severed drainage connections that may have been active during Holocene humid periods interpreted and displayed in grey. Numbered Wadis: (1) Wadi as Sirhan, (2) Wadi al Hamd, (3) Euphrates, (4) Wadi al Batin, (5) Wadi Sabha. Potential palaeolake or swamp deposits detected through remote sensing which may relate to Holocene humidity are displayed for the region surrounding Jubbah. All data is overlain upon SRTMv4 elevation data <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Jarvis1&quot; target="_blank">[124]</a> and Natural Earth 2 offshore data. Archaeological site locations calculated from survey data of the ‘Comprehensive Archaeological Survey Programme’, more information is provided in Groucutt and Petraglia <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0068061#pone.0068061-Groucutt1&quot; target="_blank">[111]</a>.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Three El-Khiam points from JQ-101

<p>The enlarged views represent the basal ventrally retouched parts (x3). Top one (broken) ... more <p>The enlarged views represent the basal ventrally retouched parts (x3). Top one (broken) is in crystal quartz.</p

Research paper thumbnail of Low‐latitude Holocene hydroclimate derived from lake sediment flux and geochemistry

Journal of Quaternary Science, 2016

ABSTRACTThis study investigates hydrological responses to climatic shifts using sediment flux dat... more ABSTRACTThis study investigates hydrological responses to climatic shifts using sediment flux data derived from two dated palaeolake records in south‐east Arabia. Flux values are generally low during the early Holocene humid period (EHHP) (∼9.0–6.4k cal a BP) although several short‐lived pulses of increased detrital input are recorded, the most prominent of which is dated between ∼8.3 and 7.9k cal a BP. The EHHP is separated from the mid‐Holocene humid period (MHHP) (∼5.0–4.3k cal a BP) by a phase of increased sediment flux and aridity, which began between ∼6.4 and 5.9k cal a BP and peaked between ∼5.2 and 5.0k cal a BP. The termination of the MHHP is marked by a phase of high detrital sediment flux between ∼4.3 and 3.9k cal a BP. While long‐term shifts in climate are most likely linked to changes in the summer position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone and associated Indian and African monsoon systems, it is noted that the abrupt, short‐term phases of aridity observed in both r...

Research paper thumbnail of DMP VIII: Palaeohydrology and palaeoenvironment

Libyan Studies, 2009

The January 2009 fieldwork season conducted geomorphological and palaeoenviromental surveys in as... more The January 2009 fieldwork season conducted geomorphological and palaeoenviromental surveys in as yet unexplored parts of the Lake Megafazzan Basin, as well as continuing research in the Wadi al-Hayat and Ubari Sand Sea. Lake Megafazzan sediments were investigated at two sites on the eastern margin of the basin. At the first site, east of Tamessah, 24 m of stratigraphy was investigated and found to consist of a lacustrine carbonate unit at the base progressing into a fluvial unit and then an upper carbonate unit. The sediments were sampled for magnetostratigraphy and cosmogenic nucleide dating in order to determine their age. Similar studies were undertaken in the vicinity of the Arial Agricultural Project, where 31 m of section were logged and sampled. Here the sediments were quite different, being composed of a deltaic sequence consisting of stacked channels and palaeosols, thought to represent the outflow delta of the palaeolake. Many new Holocene lake sediment deposits were disc...

Research paper thumbnail of The greening of Arabia: Multiple opportunities for human occupation of the Arabian Peninsula during the Late Pleistocene inferred from an ensemble of climate model simulations

Quaternary International, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Human occupation of the Arabian Empty Quarter during MIS 5: evidence from Mundafan Al-Buhayrah, Saudi Arabia

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Developing a framework of Quaternary dune accumulation in the northern Rub' al-Khali, Arabia

Quaternary International, 2015

Located at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for huma... more Located at the crossroads between Africa and Eurasia, Arabia occupies a pivotal position for human migration and dispersal during the Late Pleistocene. Deducing the timing of humid and arid phases is critical to understanding when the Rub' al-Khali desert acted as a barrier to human movement and settlement. Recent geological mapping in the northern part of the Rub' al-Khali has enabled the Quaternary history of the region to be put into a regional stratigraphical framework. In addition to the active dunes, two significant palaeodune sequences have been identified. Dating of key sections has enabled a chronology of dune accretion and stabilisation to be determined. In addition, previously published optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates have been put in their proper stratigraphical context, from which a record of Late Pleistocene dune activity can be constructed. The results indicate the record of dune activity in the northern Rub' al-Khali is preservation limited and is synchronous with humid events driven by the incursion of the Indian Ocean monsoon.

Research paper thumbnail of A multi-proxy analysis of the Holocene humid phase from the United Arab Emirates and its implications for southeast Arabia's Neolithic populations

Quaternary International, 2015

Research paper thumbnail of Alluvial fan records from southeast Arabia reveal multiple windows for human dispersal

Research paper thumbnail of Orbital-scale climate variability in Arabia as a potential motor for human dispersals

Quaternary International, 2015

The Arabian Peninsula is situated at an important crossroads for the movement of Pleistocene huma... more The Arabian Peninsula is situated at an important crossroads for the movement of Pleistocene human populations out of, and into, Africa. Although the timings, routes and frequencies of such dispersals have not yet been confirmed by genetic, fossil or archaeological evidence, expansion into Arabia would have been facilitated by humid periods driven by incursions of monsoon rainfall, potentially from both Indian Ocean and African monsoon systems. Here we synthesise terrestrial and marine core palaeoclimatic data in order to establish the spatial and temporal variability of humid periods in Arabia between late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7 and 3. Incursions of monsoon rainfall occurred during periods of insolation maxima at ca. 200-190, 170, 155, 130-120, 105-95, 85-75 and 60-55 ka, providing multiple 'windows' of favourable climatic conditions that could have facilitated demographic expansion through Arabia. Strong summer monsoons are generally associated with mid-high latitude interglacials, however, enhanced monsoon convection also brought rainfall into Arabia during global glacial phases, possibly due to a strengthened winter monsoon and a greater influence of southern hemispheric temperature changes. Key periods for dispersal into northern regions of Arabia correspond with the synchronous intensification of both eastern Mediterranean and monsoon rainfall systems at insolation maxima during MIS 7 and MIS 5, which may have facilitated demographic connectivity between the Levant and the Arabian interior. Environmental conditions throughout southern and southeast regions were also favourable to expansion during these times, although strong monsoons in these regions during MIS 6 and MIS 3 suggest further opportunities for demographic expansion and exchange. Terrestrial and marine evidence show that during early MIS 3 (ca. 60-50 ka), a strengthened monsoon led to the activation of interior drainage systems and increased productivity in coastal zones, indicating that favourable environmental conditions existed along both coastal and interior routes at that time.

Research paper thumbnail of Epipalaeolithic occupation and palaeoenvironments of the southern Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia, during the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene

Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014

The transition from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Early Holocene is poorly represented in the g... more The transition from the Terminal Pleistocene to the Early Holocene is poorly represented in the geological and archaeological records of northern Arabia, and the climatic conditions that prevailed in the region during that period are unclear. Here, we present a new record from the site of Al-Rabyah, in the Jubbah basin (southern Nefud desert, Saudi Arabia), where a sequence of fossiliferous lacustrine and palustrine deposits containing an archaeological assemblage is preserved. Sedimentological and palaeoenvironmental investigations, both at Al-Rabyah and elsewhere in the Jubbah area, indicate phases of humid conditions, during which shallow lakes developed in the basin, separated by drier periods. At Al-Rabyah, the end of a Terminal Pleistocene phase of lake expansion has been dated to ~12.2 ka using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL), with a mid-Holocene humid phase dated to after ~6.6 ka. Palaeoecological reconstructions based primarily on non-marine molluscs and ostracods from the younger lacustrine deposits indicate a relatively shallow body of freshwater surrounded by moist, well-vegetated environments. A lithic assemblage characterized by bladelets and geometric microliths was excavated from sediments attributed to a drier climatic phase dated to ~10.1 ka. The lithic artefact types exhibit similarities to Epipalaeolithic industries of the Levant, and their occurrence well beyond the 'core region' of such assemblages (and at a significantly later date) has important implications for understanding interactions between Levantine and Arabian populations during the Terminal Pleistocene-Early Holocene. We suggest that the presence of foraging populations in the southern Nefud during periods of drier climate is due to the prolonged presence of a freshwater oasis in the Jubbah Basin during the Terminal Pleistocene-early Holocene, which enabled them to subsist in the region when neighbouring areas of northern Arabia and the Levant were increasingly hostile.

Research paper thumbnail of Middle Paleolithic occupation on a Marine Isotope Stage 5 lakeshore in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia

Quaternary Science Reviews, 2011

Major hydrological variations associated with glacial and interglacial climates in North Africa a... more Major hydrological variations associated with glacial and interglacial climates in North Africa and the Levant have been related to Middle Paleolithic occupations and dispersals, but suitable archaeological sites to explore such relationships are rare on the Arabian Peninsula. Here we report the discovery of Middle Paleolithic assemblages in the Nefud Desert of northern Arabia associated with stratified deposits dated to 75,000 years ago. The site is located in close proximity to a substantial relict lake and indicates that Middle Paleolithic hominins penetrated deeply into the Arabian Peninsula to inhabit landscapes vegetated by grasses and some trees. Our discovery supports the hypothesis of range expansion by Middle Paleolithic populations into Arabia during the final humid phase of Marine Isotope Stage 5, when environmental conditions were still favorable.