The project will investigate the complex interface between the environmental, anthropogenic, climatic, and cultural factors that shaped the decline of Neolithic Civilizations in Eastern-Central and South-Eastern Europe. That process proceeded in Europe along a spatial gradient, i.e. from East to West and North to South. The DOMINO-CLIMATE project aims to track the decline and fall of Neolithic Civilizations from a multi-proxy perspective to identify the causes of the tell site abandonments at 4250-4550 cal yr BC in the region, which was followed by their decline over 1200 years (4550-3300 BC). The geographical distribution of the decline at different times suggests a ‘Domino Effect’, where one collapse triggers a chain of events. Our aim is to examine whether rapid climate change events and consequent ecosystem changes show a similar time-transient pattern along the examined N-S (from the North Carpathian Basin to Southern Serbia and Bulgaria) and E-W transect (from the Pontic steppe to the Iron Gates). Even though a deterministic approach is unlikely to explain the Neolithic Civilizations decline, it serves as a basis for understanding better the proposed explanations that involve both external and internal stimuli. To reach this aim, within the project we will analyse wood charcoal, seed and bone assemblages in addition to eDNA samples from Late Neolithic and Copper Age archaeological sites. In scope of this project the postdoctoral fellow will specifically have to analyze lipid biomarkers (brGDGT) from 3 Holocene alpine lake sediment cores (South Carpathians, Pirin Mts, Durmitor Mts) and carry out high resolution (centennial) quantitative annual temperature reconstructions over the 4000-8500 cal yr BP interval.
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