LATE QUATENARY CLIMATIC CHANGE IN NW-NAMIBIA: SEDIMENTOLOGIC, PEDOLOGIC AND ARCHEOBOTANIC EVIDENCE

Northwestern Namibia (formerly Kaokoland) has been freely accessible to researchers only since independence in 1990. To date there are few studies of the climate history. A first reconstruction of the late Pleistocene vegetation and climate history of the former Kaokoland, northwestern Namibia, has been attempted using a synthesis of sedimentologic, archeobotanic and pedologic data. For the most part, the current knowledge stems from the activities of the Special Research Project 389: Cultural landscape changes and cultural innovation in Africa, of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. From about 20.000 BP until early Holocene time, strong eolian processes have been documented for central Kaokoland. Charcoal analysis also supports an arid climate during this period. In addition, the late Pleistocene appears to have been cooler then today. During this phase, characteristic species of mopane savanna are missing from the assemblage. Acacias dominated the woody vegetation. After about 6000 BP, the vegetation in the eastern part of Kaokoland resembled that of today. Charcoal samples from abris (rock shelters) in the arid western part of the area indicate two minor humid episodes during the mid and late Holocene, which might correlate with periods of soil formation in central Kaokoland. The most recent 3000 years once again were characterized by strong eolian processes, possibly caused by the thinning of the woody vegetation due to human influence. In opposition to the multiple climatic changes of northern Africa, the northwetern Namibia has less evidence for Late Quaternary climatic fluctuations. This has to be discussed in the sense of the large-scale synchronization of the climatic phases of the northern and southern hemisphere.