Objective This project explores the relationship between climate change and human behaviour. During the harshest conditions of the last ice age European human populations abandoned northern latitudes, with their range contracting to southern regions. By the time ice sheets retreated and large areas of land became available for resettlement there had been a hiatus of at least 7000 years. This project examines the recolonisation of these Northern regions which took place during a period of rapid climate change, the last major global warming event on earth. As people move eastwards and northwards increasing diversification is seen in their stone and bone tool industries which indicate human development. This project examines whether climate a) drove the human dispersal and development, b) played a more indirect role, or c) was of little significance to humans at this time. State-of-the-art scientific techniques (radiocarbon dating, DNA, stable isotope, clumped isotope and charcoal ring width analyses) will be used to create integrated chronological, palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological frameworks that are directly linked to the Late and Final Palaeolithic archaeological record. Temporal and spatial trends in climate change, prey abundance and behaviour, and technological development will be compared and considered in light of regional and global climate trends and archaeological evidence for hunting strategies, human mobility and landscape use. Such data will provide an insight into the conditions Palaeolithic people experienced and how this influenced their perceptions of the landscape they inhabited and the decisions they made. Fields of science natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesatmospheric sciencesclimatologyclimatic changes Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-CG-2013-SH6 - ERC Consolidator Grant - The Study of the Human Past Call for proposal ERC-2013-CoG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-CG - ERC Consolidator Grants Host institution UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON EU contribution € 1 648 638,22 Address GOWER STREET WC1E 6BT London United Kingdom See on map Region London Inner London — West Camden and City of London Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Giles Machell (Mr.) Principal investigator Rhiannon Stevens (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data Beneficiaries (3) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON United Kingdom EU contribution € 1 648 638,22 Address GOWER STREET WC1E 6BT London See on map Region London Inner London — West Camden and City of London Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Giles Machell (Mr.) Principal investigator Rhiannon Stevens (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM United Kingdom EU contribution € 280 344,00 Address CROMWELL ROAD SW7 5BD London See on map Region London Inner London — West Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham Activity type Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Lucy Reeve (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE Participation ended United Kingdom EU contribution € 70 527,38 Address TRINITY LANE THE OLD SCHOOLS CB2 1TN Cambridge See on map Region East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Administrative Contact Renata Schaeffer (Ms.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Total cost No data