Prehistoric population expansion in Central Asia promoted by the Altai Holocene Climatic Optimum

Lixiong Xiang, Xiaozhong Huang (), Mingjie Sun, Virginia N. Panizzo (), Chong Huang, Min Zheng, Xuemei Chen and Fahu Chen
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Lixiong Xiang: Lanzhou University
Xiaozhong Huang: Lanzhou University
Mingjie Sun: Lanzhou University
Virginia N. Panizzo: University of Nottingham
Chong Huang: Lanzhou University
Min Zheng: Lanzhou University
Xuemei Chen: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fahu Chen: Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract How climate change in the middle to late Holocene has influenced the early human migrations in Central Asian Steppe remains poorly understood. To address this issue, we reconstructed a multiproxy-based Holocene climate history from the sediments of Kanas Lake and neighboring Tiewaike Lake in the southern Altai Mountains. The results show an exceptionally warm climate during ~6.5–3.6 kyr is indicated by the silicon isotope composition of diatom silica (δ30Sidiatom) and the biogenic silica (BSi) content. During 4.7-4.3 kyr, a peak in δ30Sidiatom reflects enhanced lake thermal stratification and periodic nutrient limitation as indicated by concomitant decreasing BSi content. Our geochemical results indicate a significantly warm and wet climate in the Altai Mountain region during 6.5–3.6 kyr, corresponding to the Altai Holocene Climatic Optimum (AHCO), which is critical for promoting prehistoric human population expansion and intensified cultural exchanges across the Central Asian steppe during the Bronze Age.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38828-4

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