Variability in ancient Near Eastern environmental and agricultural development

The dynamics of Early to Middle Bronze Age agriculture are investigated by means of archaeobotany and stable carbon isotope analysis and factors leading to variation from the general trend are discussed. Although a general trend of environmental stress through increasing aridity is indicated in the stable carbon isotopes of archaeobotanical barley remains of Middle Bronze Age sites (from ca. 2000 BC), archaeobotanical patterns indicate that this effect was insufficient to lead to an area-wide abandonment of settlements.Continuous change of environmental parameters such as climate variation, anthropogenic impact on the environment, population growth, cultural and ethical diversity in human groups, and the impossibility of finding a consensus on questions important to decision-making can lead to very diverse effects in economy and question the validity of sustainability concepts.

► Interdisciplinary methods (archaeobotany, stable carbon isotope analysis).
► Reconstruction of interrelationship between a changing environment and agricultural production.
► System analysis of variable factors.