Shifts from deserted to inhabited terrain in the arid part of the Middle East, a function of climate changes

The shifts from cold to warm climates during the Quaternary were characterized by the northward and southward movements of the desert belt of the Middle East. During cold periods the desert border moved southward causing this region to enjoy a more humid climate.Whenever the desert became more humid it also became passable, particularly during the glacial periods, as well as during the shift of the monsoon belt to the north. This enabled early humans and their descendants to cross the deserts of the Middle East and even settle down there on their way from Africa to Eurasia. After the domestication of small cattle and the invention of flood harvesting methods, agricultural settlements flourished. The abundance of water resources, during the cold global periods enabled the opening of trade routes through the desert of the Middle East and Arabia.On the other hand, during most interglacial periods and warm phases during the Holocene, the desert border moved northward and the southern part of the Middle East became increasingly arid forcing the abandonment of settlements and leaving only a sparse population of nomadic herders.

► Data for the Middle East is synthesized in order to elucidate whether climatic and human settlement patterns were related.
► The paper offers an integration of paleo-climatic and archaeological information.
► Central thesis offers insights into mechanisms and human responses associated with Global Warming.