THE PLEISTOCENE-HOLOCENE TRANSITION IN NORTHERN EURASIA - ENVIRONMENTAL-CHANGES AND HUMAN ADAPTATIONS

Following the establishment of Late Palaeolithic occupation during the Last Glacial Maximum, climate change and glacial recession led to the disintegration of the Late Palaeolithic cultures between 15,000 and 1 0,000 B.P. Extinction of mammoth and other megafauna forced humans to exploit other tundra and forest-tundra species, including enhanced uti lization of aquatic resources. Northward migrations coincided with the warm Bolling and Allerod events, but much of northern Eurasia remaine d occupied during the Younger Dryas. Late Glacial sites are commonly l ocated on the crests of large parabolic dunes. Following the initiatio n of the Holocene, Mesolithic groups in the catchments of the Pripet a nd Neman occupied riverine sites during the summer, and more permanent winter dwelling in upland areas. In contrast, Mesolithic communities adjacent to the Baltic Sea occupied more permanent estuarine and lacus trine sites, marked by greater resources. During the Holocene Climatic Optimum, the increased biomass led to a marked intensification in for aging by all groups, the development of inter-group contacts, and the initiation of agriculture. (C) 1997 INQUA/Elsevier Science Ltd.