Science

Cold without consequences? Short-term climate fluctuations appear to have had less impact on early farmers

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Briefings

A German study published in PNAS suggests that extreme cold did not halt the spread of farming in southeastern Europe during prehistory. Researchers analyzed archaeological data from the Greek site of Franchthi, finding no evidence of severe temperature drops or a causal link between local weather fluctuations and changes in food acquisition methods. This finding challenges the traditional view that climate shocks were the primary driver of agricultural expansion in the region.

Key points

• Researchers at the Leibniz-Zentrum für Archäologie (LEIZA) in Germany analyzed archaeological data from the Greek site of Franchthi.
• No evidence of extreme cold was found at Franchthi, and no statistically significant link between temperature fluctuations and changes in food acquisition methods was identified.

Context

This research challenges the traditional view that climate shocks were the primary driver of agricultural expansion in southeastern Europe during prehistory. The study, published in PNAS, suggests that early farmers may have adapted to local conditions rather than waiting for extreme weather events to spread farming.

Limitations

The analysis is limited to the Franchthi site in Greece. The study does not provide data on other regions or time periods, and the authors do not claim to have identified all possible factors influencing early farming spread.

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