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Evaporite evidence of a mid-Holocene (c. 4550–4400 cal. yr BP) aridity crisis in southwestern Europe and palaeoenvironmental consequences

Sedimentological evidence for an abrupt dry spell in south-eastern Spain during the middle Holocene, from c. 4906 to 4384 cal. yr BP, is presented. This phase was determined primarily from halite beds deposited between muddy slimes in a lagoon system of Puerto de Mazarrón (Murcia province) with a peak phase from c. 4550 to 4400 cal. yr BP. A multi-core, multi-proxy study of 20 geotechnical drills was made in the lagoon basin to identify the main sedimentary episodes and depositional environments. The results suggest that this halite bed, more than 80 cm thick, was conditioned by climate change and was accompanied by a generalized drying-out of the basin. Halite precipitation was linked with palaeoecological changes, including forest and mesophyte depletions and increasing cover and diversity of xerophytic plant species. Archaeological evidence indicates a demise of the population at this period probably due to resource exhaustion. An overall picture of the biostratigraphy and palaeoclimates of the region is given in a broader geographical context.