The geochemical signature of Saharan dust in lake sediments

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Northern Belize Archaic Period and Sahara Dust" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The transport and deposition of dust from the Sahara across the Atlantic and into the Yucatan Peninsula can play a role in modifying temperature and precipitation patterns in northern Belize. Presumably, the flux of this dust changes through the Holocene as climate patterns and consequent land cover of the Sahara varies. At 4,200 years BP (2,250 BCE), the Sahara underwent a shift towards increased aridity and desertification. At this time, distinctive pink layers of fine silt were deposited in two small lakes in northern Belize, near Progresso Lagoon. Our primary research question was, “Does the geochemical composition of these deposits match that of Saharan material?” To test our hypothesis that the geochemical compositions are similar, we measured the trace elemental concentrations of the lake sediments and compared them to previous research on Saharan material. Preliminary results suggest similar geochemical compositions, although additional and more spatially extensive data on Saharan material is needed before our conclusions are definitive. Tentatively, our results suggest a possible link between global climate change, Sahara dust transport, regional climate impacts in Belize, and societal re-organization.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Northern Belize Archaic Period and Sahara Dust

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51529