Universität zu Köln

Schmidt, Isabell ORCID: 0000-0002-0836-6862, Gehlen, Birgit ORCID: 0000-0003-1345-8072, Winkler, Katja ORCID: 0000-0003-4580-9981, Arrizabalaga, Alvaro ORCID: 0000-0001-6127-2972, Arts, Nico, Bicho, Nuno ORCID: 0000-0001-9655-0549, Crombé, Philippe ORCID: 0000-0002-4198-8057, Eriksen, Berit Valentin, Grimm, Sonja B. ORCID: 0000-0003-2752-5918, Kapustka, Katarina ORCID: 0000-0003-3174-5614, Langlais, Mathieu, Mevel, Ludovic, Naudinot, Nicolas, Nerudová, Zdeňka ORCID: 0000-0001-9654-7411, Niekus, Marcel ORCID: 0000-0003-1082-8058, Peresani, Marco ORCID: 0000-0001-6562-6336, Riede, Felix, Sauer, Florian ORCID: 0000-0001-9687-4762, Schön, Werner ORCID: 0000-0001-7474-1555, Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona ORCID: 0000-0001-5913-1177, Vandendriessche, Hans, Weber, Mara-Julia, Zander, Annabell, Zimmermann, Andreas ORCID: 0000-0001-5856-1159, Maier, Andreas ORCID: 0000-0002-5021-3341 and Mroczek, Przemysław (2025). Large scale and regional demographic responses to climatic changes in Europe during the Final Palaeolithic. PLOS ONE, 20 (4). pp. 1-35. PLoS Public Library of Science. ISSN 1932-6203

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Abstract

[Aritkel-Nr.: e0310942] The European Final Palaeolithic witnessed marked changes in almost all societal domains. Despite a rich body of evidence, our knowledge of human palaeodemographic processes and regional population dynamics still needs to be improved. In this study, we present regionally differentiated population estimates for the Greenland Interstadial 1d-a (GI-1d-a; 14-12.7 ka cal BP) and the Greenland Stadial 1 (GS-1; 12.7-11.6 ka cal BP) for Southern, Western, Northern and Central Europe. The data were obtained by applying the Cologne Protocol, a geostatistical approach for estimating prehistoric population size and density, to a newly compiled dataset of Final Palaeolithic sites. On a large spatio-temporal scale and compared to preceding Upper Palaeolithic phases, areas north of the Alps become the dominant demographic growth area for the first time since the dispersal of anatomically modern humans into Europe. At smaller scales, we observe divergent regional trends, with a conspicuous lack of archaeological evidence appearing in previously occupied areas of central France and Germany. Our study also shows that during the Final Palaeolithic, the climatic cooling of GS-1 coincides with a pronounced population decline in most parts of the study area. An apparent increase in population density occurs only in north-eastern Central Europe and north-eastern Italy. Our estimates suggest that the total population was reduced by half. Similar results, with a relationship between decreasing temperatures and decreasing populations, have already been observed for the late phase of the Gravettian, when populations were reduced to only one third of those estimated for the early phase. Yet, in contrast to the collapse of local populations during the late Gravettian, the increase in population densities in Central Europe during GS-1 indicates population movements eastwards, possibly in response to deteriorating climatic conditions, particularly in western regions during the Younger Dryas.

Item Type:	Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Schmidt, Isabell UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0836-6862 UNSPECIFIED Gehlen, Birgit UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1345-8072 UNSPECIFIED Winkler, Katja UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4580-9981 UNSPECIFIED Arrizabalaga, Alvaro UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6127-2972 UNSPECIFIED Arts, Nico UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Bicho, Nuno UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9655-0549 UNSPECIFIED Crombé, Philippe UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4198-8057 UNSPECIFIED Eriksen, Berit Valentin UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Grimm, Sonja B. UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2752-5918 UNSPECIFIED Kapustka, Katarina UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3174-5614 UNSPECIFIED Langlais, Mathieu UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Mevel, Ludovic UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Naudinot, Nicolas UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Nerudová, Zdeňka UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9654-7411 UNSPECIFIED Niekus, Marcel UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1082-8058 UNSPECIFIED Peresani, Marco UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6562-6336 UNSPECIFIED Riede, Felix UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Sauer, Florian UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9687-4762 UNSPECIFIED Schön, Werner UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7474-1555 UNSPECIFIED Sobkowiak-Tabaka, Iwona UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5913-1177 UNSPECIFIED Vandendriessche, Hans UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Weber, Mara-Julia UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zander, Annabell UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Zimmermann, Andreas UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5856-1159 UNSPECIFIED Maier, Andreas UNSPECIFIED https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5021-3341 UNSPECIFIED Mroczek, Przemysław UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-811471
Identification Number:	10.1371/journal.pone.0310942
Journal or Publication Title:	PLOS ONE
Volume:	20
Number:	4
Page Range:	pp. 1-35
Number of Pages:	35
Date:	2 April 2025
Publisher:	PLoS Public Library of Science
ISSN:	1932-6203
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
Subjects:	History of ancient world
['eprint_fieldname_oa_funders' not defined]:	Publikationsfonds UzK
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/81147