ALBERT

Description: Lacustrine sediments are important archives for high resolution palaeoenvironmental reconstructions of the Holocene. Despite the density of ancient cities and settlements along the western coast of Turkey, the archives from coastal lakes in this area have until now not been recognized to their fullest potential and are, therefore, only poorly studied. The exceptional geo-bio-archive of Lake Belevi is located close to the ancient city of Ephesos in western Turkey. Two sediment cores have been analysed using geochemical, sedimentological, microfaunal, palynological, and archaeoparasitological methods. The in-depth study of these Holocene deposits is supported by a robust age-depth model that used 33 radiocarbon dates and tephrochronology. The results reveal the existence of a freshwater lake in the Early Holocene which turned brackish when the rising sea level connected it with the sea. The delta evolution of the Küçük Menderes led to the re-establishment of a freshwater lake. The natural vegetation was represented by open oak woodlands. There are hints for first agricultural activities in the environs of Belevi as early as 8000 cal yr BP. Intensive cultivation of Olea is proven since 3000 cal yr BP. Starting during the 3rd millennium BP, the human impact with enhanced deforestation activities and correlative high sedimentation rates is attested for sites such as Belevi (Ephesos), Elaia (Pergamon) and Miletos. For the first time, tephra from the eruption of Minoan Santorini has been identified in the environs of Ephesos. This ash covered the vegetation by a thick layer, wherefore low-growing plants were strongly affected. The comparison between the results from the quasi natural area of Lake Belevi and the area around the city of Ephesos gives insights into the development and use of the landscapes, the environmental changes as well as the duration and intensity of the human impact.

Description: The data result from a sedimentological and geochemical multiproxy approach to study a Holocene palaeolake record north of Tayma, NW Saudi Arabia. The lacustrine, partly varved record was analysed in the frame of the DFG founded project CLEAR “Holocene climatic events in Northern Arabia - Environmental changes and human response”. The Tayma palaeolake record comprises continuous lacustrine sediments covering the early to mid-Holocene. The dataset allows detailed palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimate interpretations from the early Holocene humid period and subsequent dryer conditions during the mid-Holocene. The dataset is part of the supplementary material to “Neugebauer et al. (submitted)” where further details about the locality, core composite, age model, sampling and analytical methods and data processing are given. The data are provided in individual xlsx-files per type of data. The different files include sedimentological and geochemical data determined on the ca. 6 m long master core from the sediment cores (Tay 220/221 and Tay 253/254/255/256): (i) sediment core microfacies data, (ii) bulk total organic carbon (TOC) and carbonate delta13C_carb and delta18O_carb data, (iii) single aragonite laminae delta13C_arag and delta18O_arag data, (iv) concentrations of n-alkanes n-C29 and n-C31 and hydrogen isotope composition deltaD, (v) XRF core scanning data. All data are provided on composite depths and age scales (based on Bayesian age modelling of radiocarbon dates, varve counting and one tephrochronological anchor; see details in the Supplementary material of Neugebauer et al., submitted).