Land use patterns and climate change

a modeled scenario of the Late Bronze Age in Southern Greece

authored by

Daniel Knitter, Gerrit Günther, Wolfgang Berengar Hamer, Torben Keßler, Joana Seguin, Ingmar Unkel, Erika Weiberg, Rainer Duttmann, Oliver Nakoinz

Abstract

In this study, we present a modeling approach that investigates how much cultivable land was required to supply a society and whether societies were in need when environmental conditions deteriorated. The approach is implemented for the North-Eastern Peloponnese and is based upon the location of Late Helladic IIIB (1300-1200 BCE) archaeological sites, an assessment of their sizes, and a proposed diet of the people. Based on these information, the areal requirement of each site is calculated and mapped. The results show that large sites do not have sufficient space in their surroundings in order to supply themselves with the required food resources and thus they depended on supplies from the hinterland. Dry climatic conditions aggravate the situation. This indicates that potential societal crisis are less a factor of changing environmental conditions or a shortage of arable land but primarily caused by socio-economic factors.

External Organisation(s)

Kiel University
Uppsala University

Type

Article

Journal

Environmental research letters

Volume

14

ISSN

1748-9326

Publication date

27.11.2019

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Environmental Science, Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 15 - Life on Land, SDG 13 - Climate Action, SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ab5126 (Access: Open)