Humans at the End of the Ice Age: The Archaeology of the Pleistocene―Holocene Transition (Interdisciplinary Contributions to Archaeology)

__Humans at the End of the Ice Age__ chronicles and explores the significance of the variety of cultural responses to the global environmental changes at the last glacial-interglacial boundary. Contributions address the nature and consequences of the global climate changes accompanying the end of the Pleistocene epoch-detailing the nature, speed, and magnitude of the human adaptations that culminated in the development of food production in many parts of the world. The text is aided by vital maps, chronological tables, and charts. Front Matter....Pages i-xv Front Matter....Pages 1-1 The World at the End of the Last Ice Age....Pages 3-9 Front Matter....Pages 11-13 At the Transition....Pages 15-41 Plus Ça Change....Pages 43-60 The Impact of Late Pleistocene—Early Holocene Climatic Changes on Humans in Southwest Asia....Pages 61-78 Front Matter....Pages 79-81 The Archaeology of the Pleistocene—Holocene Transition in Southwest Europe....Pages 83-99 Resource Exploitation, Subsistence Strategies, and Adaptiveness in Late Pleistocene—Early Holocene Northwest Europe....Pages 101-128 The North European Plain and Eastern Sub-Balticum between 12, 700 and 8,000 bp ....Pages 129-157 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition on the East European Plain....Pages 159-169 Front Matter....Pages 171-174 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition in Greater Australia....Pages 175-199 Human Activities and Environmental Changes during the Late Pleistocene to Middle Holocene in Southern Thailand and Southeast Asia....Pages 201-213 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition in Japan and Adjacent Northeast Asia....Pages 215-227 Siberia in the Late Glacial and Early Postglacial....Pages 229-242 Front Matter....Pages 243-253 Human Adaptation at the Pleistocene—Holocene Boundary (circa 13,000 to 8,000 bp ) in Eastern Beringia....Pages 255-276 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition along the Pacific Coast of North America....Pages 277-301 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition on the Plains and Rocky Mountains of North America....Pages 303-318 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition in the Eastern United States....Pages 319-338 The Pleistocene—Holocene Transition in Southern South America....Pages 339-354 Front Matter....Pages 355-355 Surprises, Recurring Themes, and New Questions in the Study of the Late Glacial and Early Postglacial....Pages 357-363 Back Matter....Pages 365-380

Humans at the End of the Ice Age chronicles and explores the significance of the variety of cultural responses to the global environmental changes at the last glacial-interglacial boundary. Contributions address the nature and consequences of the global climate changes accompanying the end of the Pleistocene epoch-detailing the nature, speed, and magnitude of the human adaptations that culminated in the development of food production in many parts of the world. The text is aided by vital maps, chronological tables, and charts.

Booknews

Looks at the diverse responses of human societies worldwide to the environmental changes of the Pleistocene-Holocene transition between 13,000 and 8,000 years ago, focusing on the effect the climactic changes had on the shift from exploitation of wild food sources to food production. Chapters detail archaeological findings and their implications on all of the inhabited continents, and discuss changes in human settlement patterns and culture. Contains continental overviews and comparisons, and a concluding chapter. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Since hominids began producing archeologically recognizable stone tools about 2.5 million years ago in tropical Africa, the world has undergone some two dozen transitions between glacial and interglacial conditions.