Sprecher
Beschreibung
This study presents a high-resolution palaeoclimatic reconstruction from a 145 cm radiocarbon-dated sediment trench profile recovered from Bari Tal (Lake) in the Central Gangetic Plain of the Indian Subcontinent. Palynological evidence reveals significant variations in vegetation composition and climatic conditions over the past ~8,700 years. The interval between 8650 and 8100 cal yr BP was characterized by warm and relatively arid conditions, followed by a phase of climatic improvement between 8100 and 7230 cal yr BP, marked by increased warmth and moisture availability. Notably, the first occurrence of Cerealia during this interval suggests the emergence of early agricultural activities in the region.
A prolonged warm and humid phase prevailed between 7230 and 4450 cal yr BP, reflecting enhanced monsoonal precipitation. Moisture availability reached its peak between 7230 and 6350 cal yr BP, after which a gradual decline was observed until 4450 cal yr BP, although the seasonal monsoon regime remained well established. The subsequent period, spanning 4450–1270 cal yr BP, witnessed reduced precipitation and increasing climatic instability, coinciding with an expansion of agricultural practices as indicated by higher frequencies of Cerealia and other potential cultivated pollen taxa. From 1270 cal yr BP onwards, the record indicates a progressive shift towards drier and less humid environmental conditions.
The palaeovegetational and palaeoclimatic inferences derived from pollen data are further supported by Earth System Palaeoclimate Simulation (ESPS) model outputs, providing an independent line of evidence and strengthening the reliability of the reconstructed environmental history for the Central Ganga Plain.