Response of the Akrotiri Marsh, island of Cyprus, to Bronze Age climate change

Here we present two multiproxy records covering the last 5000 years from Akrotiri Marsh in southern Cyprus. Pollen and diatom analysis of radiocarbon dated marsh sediments with an average chronological resolution one date every thousand years, reveal expansion contraction response to mid-late Holocene climate events, peak aridity reconstructed early Bronze Age, inferred between 4.3 4.1 cal ka BP, repeated dry intervals Late 3.4 3.1 BP. The record provides important contextual data debate surrounding reported Early Age societal collapse events numerous archaeological archives throughout Mediterranean Near Eastern region. This is first island Cyprus potentially displaying 4.2 BP event. characteristics 3.2 event are very similar manifestation east on Levantine mainland. These results contribute regional understanding climates Cyprus, give insight into expression global forcing mechanisms such as North Atlantic Oscillation Siberian High, provide potential evidence for reduced anthropogenic land-use during Events supporting what documented archives. • Two 5000-year-old Marsh, Both K had impact island's water balance. & diatoms infer Repeat W-Shaped Insight High