Local-scale environmental gradients in ‘snail-shell’ stable isotopes from Holocene Jordanian archaeological sites

Reconstructing environments around archaeological sites is complicated by past land management practices and regional-scale climate proxies that can be contradictory are often located at a distance from the themselves. Here we explore environmental information fossil snail shells which, even when few in number on an site, may prove invaluable constructing site-specific data. The palaeoecology of snails stable isotopic composition their shell carbonate provide context-specific vegetation, water availability, relative humidity during occupation site. We studied terrestrial aquatic two later Neolithic Jordanian badia, Wadi al-Qattafi Wisad Pools. At specific site-scale our study highlights importance reconstruction semi-arid environments. pools rare contexts dating between ~8.0 ~7.6 ka demonstrate episodes wetness; moreover, compositions indicate local watercourses were well established, corroborating previous findings this period immediate environs Pools host to C 3 plant species more typical Mediterranean zone. Moreover, δ 18 O signal these allow tentative rainwater identify effects evaporation. Such fine-grained much less evident snail-shell data alone, showing ensemble highly sensitive differentials across Finally, regional palaeoclimate-scale isotope consistent with sustained, Rapid Climate Change (RCC)-driven wetness 8.6 7.6 concurrent cold wet conditions wider Levant.