Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2021-185
https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-2021-185
05 Jan 2022
 | 05 Jan 2022
Status: this discussion paper is a preprint. It has been under review for the journal Climate of the Past (CP). The manuscript was not accepted for further review after discussion.

The use of paleoclimatic simulations to refine the environmental and chronological context of archaeological/paleontological sites

Léa Terray, Masa Kageyama, Emmanuelle Stoetzel, Eslem Ben Arous, Raphaël Cornette, and Pascale Braconnot

Abstract. To reconstruct the paleoenvironmental and chronological context of archaeological/paleontological sites is a key step to understand the evolutionary history of past organisms. Commonly used method to infer paleoenvironments rely on varied proxies such as faunal assemblages and isotopes. However, those proxies often show some inconsistencies. Regarding estimated ages of stratigraphic layers, they can vary depending on the dating method used. In this paper, we tested the potential of paleoclimate simulations to address this issue and contribute to the description of the environmental and chronological context of archaeological/paleontological sites. We produced a set of paleoclimate simulations corresponding to the stratigraphy of a Late-Pleistocene Holocene site, El Harhoura 2 (Morocco), and compared the climatic sequence described by these simulations to environmental inferences made from isotopes and faunal assemblages. Our results showed that in the studied site combined US-ESR ages were much more congruent with paleoenvironmental inferences than OSL ages. In addition, climatic variations were found to be more consistent with isotopic studies than faunal assemblages, allowing us to discuss unresolved discrepancies to date. This study illustrates the strong potential of our approach to refine the paleoenvironmental and chronological context of archaeological and paleontological sites.

Léa Terray, Masa Kageyama, Emmanuelle Stoetzel, Eslem Ben Arous, Raphaël Cornette, and Pascale Braconnot

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on cp-2021-185', Anonymous Referee #1, 02 Feb 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Léa Terray, 14 Apr 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on cp-2021-185', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Feb 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Léa Terray, 14 Apr 2022

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on cp-2021-185', Anonymous Referee #1, 02 Feb 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC1', Léa Terray, 14 Apr 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on cp-2021-185', Anonymous Referee #2, 03 Feb 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC2', Léa Terray, 14 Apr 2022
Léa Terray, Masa Kageyama, Emmanuelle Stoetzel, Eslem Ben Arous, Raphaël Cornette, and Pascale Braconnot
Léa Terray, Masa Kageyama, Emmanuelle Stoetzel, Eslem Ben Arous, Raphaël Cornette, and Pascale Braconnot

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Short summary
To reconstruct the paleoenvironmental and chronological context of archaeo/paleontological sites is a key step to understand the evolutionary history of past organisms. Paleoenvironmental proxies often show inconsistencies and age estimations can vary depending on the method used. We show the potential of paleoclimate simulations to address those discrepancies, illustrating the strong potential of our cross-disciplinary approach to refine the context of archaeo/paleontological sites.