Unkelbach, Julia ， Behling, Hermann ， Schmidt, Conrad
2025-10-01 PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY 2025 675(卷), null(期), (null页)
Multi-proxy data from Lizq, northern Central Oman, document the vegetation, climate, and fire history, as well as the local human activity since the Samad Late Iron Age from around 400 cal yr BCE (2350 cal yr BP) to present. The pollen record provides information about vegetation changes due to climatic fluctuations over Southeastern Arabia as well as about changes in the cultivated vegetation due to dynamic human practices (political and cultural developments, agriculture, herding, and grazing). We reconstructed a clear shift to more xerophytic vegetation and long-distance transport of Pinus pollen grains from the North indicating a weakening of the (summer) monsoon activity in northern Central Oman from around 250 to 500 cal yr CE (1700-1450 cal yr BP). Since then, the influence of southern-directed dry polar-continental air masses prevails. Palynological results also indicate plant cultivation on site from at least 250 cal yr BCE (2200 cal yr BP), but possibly already since the building of the Lizq Early Iron Age fort in the 5th to 4th century BCE. Over the last 2420 years there has been limited influence of animal husbandry and natural or anthropogenic fires on the local vegetation in the Lizq area.