TY - JOUR A1 - Lev, L. A1 - Almogi-Labin, Ahuva A1 - Mischke, Steffen A1 - Ito, E. A1 - Ben-Avraham, Zvi A1 - Stein, M. T1 - Paleohydrology of Lake Kinneret during the Heinrich event H2 JF - Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences N2 - During the last glacial period lake Kinneret (the Sea of Galilee) fluctuated between high and low water levels reflecting the hydrological conditions of the lake watershed. Here, we focus on the hydrology of the lake after its retreat from the last glacial MIS2 (similar to 27-25 ka BP) highest stand of similar to 170 m below mean sea level (m bsl) to the low stand of similar to 214 m bsl at similar to 24-21 ka BP. The limnological-hydrological history of this time interval is recovered from trench and borehole that were dug and drilled in the southwestern shore of the lake at Ohalo-II archeological site. Cyprideis torosa (Ostracoda) recovered from the trench yielded elemental, Sr-87/Sr-86 and delta O-18 isotope data that provide information on the shore environment during the low stand period. The Sr-87/Sr-86 and Sr/Ca ratios in the ostracods, varying between similar to 0.70789 and similar to 0.70815 and 0.0017 and 0.0030, respectively indicate contributions of waters from the last glacial lake and regional runoff. The increase in the Sr-87/Sr-86 ratios reflects the decreasing effect of the last glacial Lake Kinneret waters and enhanced contribution of local runoff that washed down dried mountain soils that were previously developed during the wet and vegetated glacial. The lake retreat at similar to 24 ka BP coincided with the Heinrich event H2 at the northern Atlantic. H2 was expressed by severe aridity in Lake Kinneret-Dead Sea watershed. The limnological-hydrological change at post H2 was accompanied by 2% decrease in the delta O-18 value from -2% to -4% reflecting the change in the composition of the east Mediterranean rain sources. The last glacial lake Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio is similar to the Tiberias Spa saline waters and distinctly different from the modern Lake Kinneret fresh waters: Sr-87/Sr-86 similar to 0.70785 compared to similar to 0.70760, respectively. This difference is explained by enhanced contribution of Ca-chloride brines with high Sr-87/Sr-86 values to the last glacial lake and reduced Jordan River contribution due to cold freezing conditions at its headwaters, while the modern Lake Kinneret is more affected by low Sr-87/Sr-86 freshwater from the Jordan watershed. KW - Ostracods KW - Lake Kinneret KW - Paleolimnology KW - Paleohydrology KW - Sr-87/Sr-86 KW - delta O-18 Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.01.005 SN - 0031-0182 SN - 1872-616X VL - 396 SP - 183 EP - 193 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Mischke, Steffen A1 - Ashkenazi, Shoshana A1 - Almogi-Labin, Ahuva A1 - Goren-Inbar, Naama T1 - Ostracod evidence for the Acheulian environment of the ancient Hula Lake (Levant) during the early-mid Pleistocene transition JF - Palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology, palaeoecology : an international journal for the geo-sciences N2 - Ostracod shells from the archaeological site Gesher BenotYa'aqov (GBY) in the upper Jordan River Valley (Israel) were investigated to improve the understanding of the environmental conditions of the Acheulian occupation site during the early-mid Pleistocene transition (0.78 Ma). The diverse ostracod assemblage consists of 28 species. The distribution of most of the recorded species in the region today shows that the hydrological conditions at the early-mid Pleistocene transition were not fundamentally different from the modern ones. However, the predominance of Candona neglecta shells in the GBY sequence probably indicates cooler climatic conditions than today. Shells of Candona angulata in the artefact-richer upper half of the sequence suggest a slight salinity increase in the ancient Hula Lake from pure freshwater to slightly oligohaline conditions. This shift probably resulted from wetter conditions and a more stable lake environment with increased residence time of the lake water and stronger influence of evaporation. Shells of the brackish water ostracod Cyprideis torosa and the slightly halophilic Heterocypris sauna and Plesiocypridopsis newtoni were recorded only rarely suggesting that the lake maintained an outlet through the entire period represented by the GBY sequence. Shells of Gomphocythere ortali in GBY cycles 1 and 2 imply that a permanent freshwater stream existed close to the site. Humphcypris subterranea shells in cycles 3-5 provide further evidence that a tributary entered the lake from the south in contrast to the modern setting with the north-south flowing Jordan River at GBY. Statistical analysis of the quantitative ostracod data from GBY identified a group of samples from layers containing more abundant stone artefacts and another group of samples from layers with scarce artefacts. Samples from layers containing more abundant artefacts have relatively high abundances of C. angulata, Darwinula stevensoni and Physocypria kraepelini shells and include rare shells of Ilyocypris hartmanni, Ilyocypris salebrosa, Heterocypris incongniens and Pseudocandona sp. 2 which do not occur in the other samples. The presence of P. kraepelini and H. incongruens shells in artefact-richer sediments possibly indicates poor bottom water oxygenation in the ancient Hula lake sometimes during the periods of Acheulian occupation. However, more detailed studies are required to assess whether lower dissolved oxygen levels in the lake resulted from a slight lake level rise and possibly higher nutrient flux to the lake during wetter conditions or whether hominins already impacted lake's nutrient status by butchering at its shore or by burning of near-shore vegetation. (c) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. KW - Levant KW - Israel KW - Acheulian KW - Lower Palaeolithic KW - Ostracods KW - Palaeoecology Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2014.07.036 SN - 0031-0182 SN - 1872-616X VL - 412 SP - 148 EP - 159 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER -