Maier, Andreas 
ORCID: 0000-0002-5021-3341, Stojakowits, P., Mayr, C., Pfeifer, S., Preusser, F., Zolitschka, B., Anghelinu, M., Bobak, D., Duprat-Oualid, F., Einwögerer, T., Hambach, U., Händel, M., Kaminská, L., Kämpf, L., Łanczont, M., Lehmkuhl, F., Ludwig, P., Magyari, E., Mroczek, P., Nemergut, A., Nerudová, Z., Niţă, L., Polanská, M., Połtowicz-Bobak, M., Rius, D., Römer, W., Simon, U., Škrdla, P., Újvári, G. and Veres, D.
(2020).
Cultural evolution and environmental change in Central Europe between 40 and 15 ka.
Quaternary International.
ISSN 10406182
Abstract
The role of environmental change in the evolution of cultural traits is a topic of long-standing scientific debate with strongly contrasting views. Major obstacles for assessing environmental impacts on the evolution of material culture are the fragmentary nature of archaeological and – to a somewhat lesser extent – geoscientific archives and the insufficient chronological resolution of these archives and related proxy data. Together these aspects are causing difficulties in data synchronization. By no means does this paper attempt to solve these issues, but rather aims at shifting the focus from demonstrating strict chains of causes and events to describing roughly contemporaneous developments by compiling and comparing existing evidence from archaeology and geosciences for the period between 40 and 15 ka in Central Europe. Analysis of the archaeological record identifies five instances at around 33, 29, 23.5, 19, and 16 ka, for which evidence suggests an increased speed of cultural evolution. By comparing data from different geoscientific archives, we discuss whether or not these instances have common characteristics. We stress that common characteristics per se are no proof of causality; repeated co-occurrences of certain features over long periods of time, however, suggest that certain explanations may be more plausible than others. While all five cases roughly coincide with pronounced and rapid environmental changes, it is also observed that such conditions do not necessarily trigger major changes in the material culture. Increases and decreases in the diversity of cultural traits seem to be rather correlated with the overall demographic development. In compiling and comparing our data, we also identify periods with high need and potential for future research regarding the relation between environmental change and cultural evolution.
| Item Type: | Article |
| Creators: | Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Stojakowits, P. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Mayr, C. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Pfeifer, S. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Preusser, F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zolitschka, B. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Anghelinu, M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Bobak, D. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Duprat-Oualid, F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Einwögerer, T. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Hambach, U. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Händel, M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kaminská, L. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kämpf, L. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Łanczont, M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Lehmkuhl, F. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ludwig, P. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Magyari, E. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Mroczek, P. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Nemergut, A. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Nerudová, Z. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Niţă, L. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Polanská, M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Połtowicz-Bobak, M. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Rius, D. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Römer, W. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Simon, U. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Škrdla, P. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Újvári, G. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Veres, D. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED |
| URN: | urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-372668 |
| Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.quaint.2020.09.049 |
| Journal or Publication Title: | Quaternary International |
| Date: | 2020 |
| ISSN: | 10406182 |
| Language: | English |
| Faculty: | Faculty of Arts and Humanities |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Fächergruppe 2: Archäologie, Altertumskunde und Kulturen des Mittelmeerraums > Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte > Abteilung B - Jüngere Steinzeit |
| Subjects: | History of ancient world |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| URI: | http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/37266 |
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