How the Climate Change Package Affects Human Societies: The Archaeological-Historical Approach into Palaeoclimatology

Climate change is like a package full of disasters that affect all aspects of human life. The consequences of climate change are divided into two parts; Direct: climate hazards such as torrential rains, drought, cold and heat waves, and dust storms, which themselves have outcomes such as famine, malnutrition, physical and mental illnesses, homelessness, and mortality; Indirect: long-term socio-economic losses, such as unemployment, forced migrations, population decline, regional insecurity, civil conflicts, war, and socio-political collapse. In climate change periods, we usually face behaviors and occurrences seemingly independent of the climate event's consequences but mostly have an indirect link with it. Research on the current climate change caused by global warming can be useful for archaeologists and historians in knowing the direct and indirect outcomes of this phenomenon and generalizing this information to the past. The consequences of climatic events in archaeological studies are often inferred from signs such as changes in the subsistence system, the abandonment of settlements in a region without evidence of violence, the regional population reduction, changes in the distribution pattern of settlements, etc. Further, historical reports of floods, droughts, famines, outbreaks of epidemics, increases in rebellions, and civil wars can be adapted to periods of climate change. In this article, along with explanations regarding the details of the climate change package, related ancient and historical examples are presented. This research underlines the significance of using paleoclimate research in archaeological and historical studies. Currently, the number and resolution of paleoclimate research conducted in Iran are such that the Holocene climate can be reconstructed with relatively high confidence. The most notable Holocene climate changes include the 8.2 ka BP, 6.2 ka, 5.2 ka BP, 4.2 ka BP, and 3.2 ka BP events, the Early Medieval Cooling (ca. AD 450-850), and the Little Ice Age (ca. AD 1250-1870).The connection between paleoclimate research and archaeological and historical studies can help shed light on crucial issues such as what led to the dark and turbulent periods and the fall of ancient cultures and civilizations. Climate fluctuations in the past posed serious challenges to ancient cultures and historical civilizations, constraining their political adaptability and diminishing social resilience, ultimately leading to grave repercussions for human societies