Late Holocene climate variability and its impact on cultural dynamics in central India

Abstract An understanding of long-term climate variability may provide a valuable perspective on the possible response of human societies to modern climate change. The present study, based on geochemical and sedimentological analyses on well dated (using AMS 14 C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dates) alluvial sediments from Sina River basin (in Maharashtra, central India), provides a detailed understanding of the complex interplay between climate and cultural dynamics during the Late Holocene. The radiocarbon dates of the organic residues from the potsherds represent the Medieval period ( c. 1.6–0.95 cal ka BP), whereas the OSL sample shows an age of c. 7.5 ± 0.4 ka. Further, several cultural objects (e.g. potsherds, shell bangles, and copper artefacts) available at the site were also investigated in order to understand the extent of human activity in the region. The temporal changes in the proxies along with the abundance of cultural materials in the fluvial section during the Medieval period suggest that the human population attempted to adapt against the fluctuating climate conditions. The regional comparison of geo-archaeological datasets shows that the pronounced weakening of the monsoonal rainfall during the Late Holocene coincides with the disruption, migration and resettlement of indigenous societies, deciphering the possible impact of climate on human settlement.