Anatolia from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Holocene Climatic Optimum : cultural formations and the impact of the environmental setting.

Abstract

Anatolian peninsula does not constitute a uniform habitat, but it comprises extremely varied environmental zones, ranging from semi-arid basins to areas with heavy rainfall, each separated by ranges of mountains, in general, it presents more varied and optimal environmental possibilities than most parts of the Near East. As it is located at the meeting point of diverse climatic zones and surrounded by a chain of inner-seas, the impact of climatic fluctuations has been considerably complex and yet poorly understood. Compared with the other parts of the Near East, the prehistory of Anatolia has been poorly studied and until recent years, mostly overlooked. It was only during the last decades that the significance of Anatolian Neolithic cultures has been apparent, further developing perception of the neolithic period.