Paleoenvironmental reconstruction and evidence of human impact history during the holocene in the SE Iberian Peninsula: Lipid biomarkers and trace elements in the San Juan de los terreros record

The paleoenvironmental conditions of the SE Iberian Peninsula during the Holocene were reconstructed using sedimentological, mineralogical and trace element analysis, and lipid biomarker proxies, which allowed the identification of natural variations and the anthropic processes present in this coastal area. A well-preserved 14 m-deep core was drilled in San Juan de los Terreros (Almería). Employing a Bayesian age model, the chronological framework was established through amino acid racemization using ostracod valves and radiocarbon ( 14 C) dating of plant debris. The results revealed a chronology covering the last 7,800 yr cal BP, in which five main environmental periods were identified from the abundance and distribution of n- alkanes, fatty acids, n- alkan-2-ones, sterols, and organic sulfur, together with paleontological content. The data indicated water level oscillations of the lagoonal environment linked to regional and global climate variations. A clear human influence was also observed in the sedimentary record from the Chalcolithic, being noticeable during Phoenician and Roman times. Our findings showed a marked influence of anthropogenic factors linked to lead mining and metallurgical activities.