Despite the meanwhile well-developed evidence of global Holocene climate fluctuations and the correlation of such events with the transition of cultural periods it remains difficult to estimate regional environmental effects of these climate fluctuations and their impact on human populations. The complexity of ancient societies, our lack of knowledge on their perception of possible environmental problems, and its interrelation with human decision-making, challenges archaeological interpretation of a climatic impact on past societies. Stable carbon isotope data in ancient cereal grains from northern Mesopotamian sites indicate climatic fluctuation throughout the Early Bronze Age, with an abrupt increase in aridity towards the end of the Early Bronze Age, which is supported by oxygen isotopes in biogenic Lithospermae carbonate. These changes have been linked to climatic fluctuations, which are widely considered global, such as Bond Event 3 or the 4.200 cal BP event. In our study we aim to consider how far global climatic fluctuations may have affected agriculture in the Early to Middle Bronze Age Troad. We combine stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from Troy with archaeobotanical data to consider changes in water and nutrient availability for the Early Bronze Age crops. We further consider anthracological data to reconstruct the Early Bronze Age woodland vegetation, to refine observable changes in stable isotope composition and in the crop assemblages. The results show a continuous reduction in oak and pine throughout Troy I to IV in favour for maquis components. There is indication that woodland exhaust may have started during Troy III with a consecutive use of open and alluvial habitats. The seed remains indicate a certain diversification in crop production in Troy IV with an inclusion of coastal habitats into land use, which may have been a consequence of increased aridity, a changing landscape, and erosion processes on the plateaus that must have already started at the end of Troy II. Stable carbon isotopes in barley, which indicate increased water stress in Troy IV grains add an additional support to the necessity of agricultural change starting in Troy III with the shift of fields into alluvial and in Troy IV to coastal habitats. Our data also correlate with the 4.200 BP event, and the general assumption of an increased aridity, but do rather support all-embracing reformation as an expression of human resilience than the common idea of societal collapse.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
In Northwestern Europe, the Dinantian limestone formation, could be a promising geothermal reservoir from 1 kilometer deep for heat production in densely populated regions. In the 1970s and 1980s, scientific drilling in Belgium encountered hot water at high flow rates in this layer, turning these wells into productive geothermal sources for district heating (e.g., Saint-Ghislain, Douvrain, and Ghlin). However, similar wells in France (Jeumont and Condé-sur-l'Escaut) were not productive enough for economic viability due to the heterogeneous nature of the Dinantian reservoir, influenced by the region’s complex geological history.To enhance understanding of this formation, an interdisciplinary study was conducted under the INTERREG NWE DGE-Rollout project. This study involved creating a cross-border map of the Dinantian structure and building a lithological chart to represent variations across the region, including Belgium, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. The formation is mainly composed of carbonate rocks but also contains significant heterogeneities, such as sedimentary breccias within the middle Visean (Livian), identified as a geothermal reservoir in Belgium's Mons region.Seismic surveys and petrophysical analyses were conducted across Belgium, France, and Germany. Results showed five main facies in the Dinantian: limestone, dolomite, anhydrite, sandstone, and clay. The Epinoy 1 well, for instance, revealed low porosity in dolomitic facies, while Jeumont 1 showed higher porosity levels in dolomitic intervals. Seismic data reprocessing further identified key geothermal targets, with dolomitic zones offering better reservoir properties in the north and east.Temperature data from wells in the region are scarce, though the Epinoy 1 well shows a normal geothermal gradient of 30°C/km. Favorable areas for geothermal development were identified based on energy demand and geothermal resource availability. The largest zone is located between Douai and Valenciennes, with significant heat demand and an existing district heating network. Another zone, around Maubeuge, also holds potential despite deeper Dinantian depths.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Many exotic animal species were introduced to Northern Europe during the Roman period, including fallow deer (Dama dama). To date, however, finds of fallow deer bones at archaeological sites in this region have been sporadic and disarticulated, leaving uncertainty over their origins. This article presents the first known articulated fallow deer skeleton from Roman North-western Europe. Osteological, ancient DNA, radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analyses confirm that the species was established in this region by the Roman period, probably originating from translocated, rather than native, Mediterranean populations. Clarifying the origins of fallow deer in North-western Europe is critical for understanding the dynamics of species exchange around the Roman Empire.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
