The role of climate change on past human living conditions: Resource acquisition strategies and landscape use in eastern Central Europe from the Gravettian Golden Age to the Last Glacial Maximum

Climate change, and thus environmental change, is one of the major challenges of all life forms. This was particularly the case in the Late Pleistocene (129,000–11,700 years ago), when the amplitude, frequency and severity of climate change was intense, making environmental conditions unpredictable and unprecedented. Animals respond differently to these challenges – affecting adaptability, ecological tolerance and behaviour. In the history of our species in Europe, these challenges became most pronounced in the period leading up to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Yet, very few prehistoric sites preserve records that span the whole period or preserve organic remains, thus limiting our understanding of how local human groups responded and survived. One exception is Grub-Kranawetberg, a site that not only preserves rich archaeological strata that span the entire onset of the LGM, but also has exceptional organic preservation, including a rich floral record. COPE aims at applying a range of techniques that bridge traditional archaeology and cutting-edge archaeological science to explore the lithic, faunal, floral and hydrological records from this extraordinary site, and throw light on human behavioural resilience to climate change. COPE uses recent advances in sedimentary biomarkers, oxygen isotope and aDNA analyses to gain a novel, comprehensive view of both past local environmental conditions and environmentally-driven adaptive responses in the exploitation of a mosaic of resources. Gained insights will, in turn, be used to re-evaluate regional archaeological records that lack organic preservation. Ultimately, by investigating what strategies ancient populations employed that maximised inert and living resources in the face of extreme climate change, COPE offers a highly original perspective to environmentally-driven adaptation and human resilience in deep time.