Early Holocene climate change in SE Iberia as inferred from the oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of archaeological shells

Evidence suggests that land snail s have been harvested by ancient human groups since at least the late Pleistocene throughout the Mediterranean coast of Europe and Africa . The discharged shells left behind are often pristinely preserved for thousands of years and inform about species selec tion, intensity of exploitation, season of harvest and resource handling processes , among others . Moreover, t he oxygen and carbon isotope composition of the shells can be applied to reconstruct paleoprecipitation, paleovegetation, and season of harvesting. In this study, we present new paleoclimate reconstructions in the Upper Vinalopó Valley (SE Spain) using oxygen and carbon isotope composition of the land snail Sphincterochila candidissima (Gastropoda: Sphincterochilidae) retrieved from the Mesolithic sites of Casa Corona and Arenal de la Virgen (Villena, Alicante). These records present a unique opportunity to infer local paleoclimate shifts in eastern Iberia during important ancient cultural transitions that may have been impacted by climate change. In this presentation, we illustrate how this archaeological snail record tracks Holocene climate and vegetation change , and we illustrate how season of harvest can be inferred from the geochemical signature of these shells