Hydroclimate reconstruction through MIS 3 in the Middle Paleolithic site of Crvena Stijena (Montenegro) based on hydrogen-isotopic composition of sedimentary n-alkanes
Fecha
2022Resumen
This study presents a hydroclimatic reconstruction from Crvena Stijena (Montenegro, Balkan Peninsula),
a rock shelter that has yielded evidence for Middle Paleolithic human occupation. The integration of lipid
biomarkers, hydrogen (dD) isotopic compositions of n-alkanes, and organic elemental geochemistry in
the 7-m deep vertical sedimentary sequence enables reconstruction of the main hydrological and
environmental changes during the MIS 3 and their correlation with the presence at the site. We apply
agglomerative hierarchical clustering and principal component analysis to the geochemical, molecular,
and stable isotopic data to obtain a robust hydrological record. We find evidence of three aridity trends
from the studied period, one of them correlated with the Heinrich Event 5, and humid and coldtemperate conditions in archaeology-rich layers. Our dataset also contributes to the knowledge of past
hydrological variability in the Balkan Peninsula, a sensitive area to short-lived climatic shifts, and overall,
in the Mediterranean region during the last glacial/interglacial cycle.