New research from the Hebrew University reveals how natural fires and soil erosion following extreme climate events pushed the transition to agricultural life about 10,000 years ago
The modern era of human innovation began about ten thousand years ago in what is known as The Neolithic Revolution in the Levant – a period in which humanity made a dramatic transition from a nomadic lifestyle of hunting and gathering to a settled life based on agriculture. Now, research by Prof. Amos Frumkin of the Institute of Earth Sciences at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem sheds light for the first time on the natural factors behind this revolution.
A surprise from the ground: severe fires and erosion as driving forces
The study presents a series of geological data from Israel indicating that severe fires and extensive soil erosion were among the key factors that led humans to adopt agriculture and settle permanently.
These findings include:
- Micro-coal particles from Lake Hula, indicating extreme peaks in fires.
- Carbon and Strontium Isotopes in Stalactite Caves, indicating dramatic changes in vegetation and soil stability.
- Luminescence (light emission) dating of soils beneath terraces, which allows for an understanding of the rate and timing of erosion.
- Dead Sea level fluctuation measurements, indicating periods of extreme drought.
The connection between climate change and agricultural beginnings
The study identifies a period of extreme climate change about 8200 years ago, when there was a sharp increase in the intensity of thunderstorms and lightning as a result of increased solar radiation – a phenomenon caused by changes in the Earth's orbit. These storms led to waves of wildfires that destroyed vegetation, caused soil erosion and left alluvial valleys more suitable for agricultural cultivation.
Prof. Amos Frumkin: "The early agricultural settlement in the region was located precisely in those places where water-rich soil layers accumulated, following erosion – locations that became potential agricultural lands. Thus, an environment was created that encouraged humanity to begin growing crops and domesticating animals – perhaps not only out of desire but out of environmental constraint."
The Neolithic Revolution: The Beginning of a New Era in Human History
The Neolithic Revolution is considered a critical milestone in human evolution. It paved the way for the development of villages, towns, cities, and even complex cultures and states. The new research sheds light on how sudden climate change, rather than deliberate human decisions, was the driving force behind the process.
"We are used to thinking of humans as leading historical changes, but here it was nature that apparently caused us to fundamentally change our way of life," concludes Prof. Frumkin.
More of the topic in Hayadan:
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Has anyone examined whether there is a connection between the disappearance (extermination due to overhunting) of large animals (elephants, wild oxen, deer) from the relevant areas and the development of agriculture? Because from the layman's point of view (I plead guilty :)), this seems to be the most significant connection.
and maybe
Just maybe, this Age of Fires, evidence of humans finding and controlling fire, deliberately burning forests, and simply collecting burnt animal carcasses when the fire died down.
An excellent hunting method, even if it's a one-time thing.