Exploring the onset of Anthropocene in the Upper Jordan valley (Hula lake)

The Holocene represents a key period for the Upper Jordan Valley since major transformations occurred in ecosystems there provoked by environmental changes and humans. The region, and in particular the Hula lake, is rich in palaeoecological and geochemical materials and provides unique information about the effects of climate change and human activity on the environment. The EU-funded GEOLAKE project aims at an understanding of the role of climate change and anthropogenic activity in local ecosystems and will study the long-term human adaptation process in the region. It will compare palaeoenvironmental data generated in the context of the project with archaeological and historical evidence to understand how ancient societies perceived climate changes, permanently modified their environment and used methods of environmental management.