Crete, Greece and the Levant ca. 7,000 Years Ago

[solidark]

Setting: Eastern Mediterranean, ca. 5,000 BC

Comments

[threnodyjones]

I haven't broken out my books yet, but I did some googling and this may be of interest to you, on the ag and veg aspects of Sesklo and the region

[solidark]

Thank you, the site is very helpful indeed (especially the part about the tools - I hadn't really thought of that)!

I suppose I simply have to accept the fact that at the moment there is very little information about that age and place, at least not online. I'll have to improvise and try to keep things plausible anyway.

[uozaki]

Nobody in my department doing paleoclimate is also doing it in the right area for you, unfortunately. I just...I just needed you to know that I saw the title while skimming my flist and didn't even have to look at the icon. <3 <3

[solidark]

*lol* Yeah, I do think I already ranted about this topic and that there was no information to be found anywhere... two or three years ago? But back then it was only hypothetical - it has become more urgent because this year this will actually be relevant to my Nano-story.

I'm also starting to think that paleoclimate in the Eastern Mediterranean anywhere that is not Egypt isn't done by any department, anywhere. Or maybe in Greece. Probably in Greece. Unfortunately despite spending so much time there and in Cyprus my Ελληνική is still woefully lacking and I can't feed Google the right terms :(

[uozaki]

Heh, I'm kind of doing the same thing. My quasi-pastoral fantasy epic has somehow become rooted in the Cordoban caliphate's issues with the Upper March and post-Vandal transitions near the Middle Atlas, except Magic, which is both awesome and a little overwhelming/frustrating.

BUT although I am on the opposite end of the Sea from you, I did run into something yesterday about how the general area used to be more vegetated etc, but then Overgrazing - I had issues with it because it was from a fairly polemic and generally questionable book, so...yeah. Not helpful, in the end. If I come across anything useful, I will of course let you know! ---wait. I actually might have just found a couple of papers for you? Where shall I email them?

[sollersuk]

Greece and the islands in the Aegean were densely forested later as well - too early (6.30 am) to check my books but I think it's Plato who comments on deforestation. He is quite clear, and there's archaeological confirmation, that this was due to human action.

[solidark]

Yes, I know about the deforestation that but I'd still like to know if the vegetation during the Neolithic Subpluvial was markedly different from what's growing there today. For example - Wiki says that olive trees are native to Greece and Asia Minor - were there any olive trees on Crete 7,000 years ago? Wild ones? I think so because they found fossilized remains from ca. 50,000 years ago on Santorini but the climate was different, too. Would they even have grown there (I'd say yes because they are growing in Northern Italy, which is generally cooler and wetter than Greece but I don't know)? It's things like that. I could simply ignore this for my story but I'd like a litte accuracy.

[oh_meow]

It's much later on, (about 5,000 years ago) but maybe you could get an idea from Minoan trade records? They kept very diligent accounts of their imports and exports.

[janewilliams20]

I could find you a contact who's an expert in the Bronze Age in that area, but not Neolithic, unfortunately.
Just in case it's of use: Oliver is not your ordinary retired professor. Here's his academic summary
http://www.dur.ac.uk/classics/staff/?id=92
but he's also the author of this:
http://www.griselda.org.uk/main.html

[solidark]

Bronze Age is a little too late for me but yay for professors with interesting hobbies! :D