Paleoecology

Environmental crisis caused by extreme drought, volcanic eruptions or earthquakes, may have contributed to the social changes of southeast of the Peninsula during the third and second millennia cal BC. However, these did not determine the relationships from the early Argaric period and their further development.

The average temperature was similar to today’s. Summer season was as warm as nowadays.

The average temperature was similar to today’s. Summer season was as warm as Curve of marine paleo-temperatures obtained from oxygen isotope analyses of seashells at Gatas(Castro et al. 1999: fig. 167)

However, the discovery of vegetable and animal remains typical from more humid environments suggests the existence of lusher vegetation in the early Argaric period. This vegetation consisted in riverine forests and groups of pine trees, wild olives, mastic, kermes oaks and low thickets on hillsides and lowlands. It stands out some animal species like dears, wild boars and even some aquatic, like teals and turtles. These species together with other paleoecological analyses points out a climate with less extreme rainy weather conditions and drough than nowadays.

Since then, the botanical register displays an outcoming increase of species more adapted to dry environments. The identification of halophyte plants, such as Salsola, Atriplex and others from the Chenopodiaceae family, hints that some soils were already experiencing salinity effects due to the loss of the original vegetation cover.

  Likewise, the fall of carbon isotope values recorded in barley and wheat remains from the north and southeast of the Peninsula, indicate a drop of rainfall around 20% between recent prehistory and the present. (Araus et al. 1997: fig. 2).

This environmental degradation worsened due to expansive cultivation system. Extensive barley monoculture contributed to the clearance of timber and soil salinity. The deforestation needed to prepare land plots may explain the great presence of maquia species among the charcoal records of the last Argaric phase at Gatas (IV).

Graphic showing evident environmental changes occurred during the Argaric period, before collapsing due to fires caused by the increasing aridity and the anthropic transformation of the environment (Carrión et al. 2003)

The simulations on the agricultural territories in the lower Aguas (Almería) concluded that bad quality soils were only used in four historical periods: Late Argar, Roman Empire, Omeya Caliphate and contemporary capitalism. At least in three historical cases, we know that land property was very unequal and that working population was submitted to hard conditions of social exploitation.  In case of El Argar, the extensive exploitation of tertiary plains caused long term environmental consequences, since the vegetation there never grew back.

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