Raw data sets from Jones et al. 2018 QSR publication: A multi-proxy approach to understanding complex responses of saltlake catchments to climate variability and human pressure: A Late Quaternary case study from south-eastern, Spain

Attached are the raw data sets containing the pollen data, DXR, Grain size and C14 ages from the recent publication: Jones et al. 2018 QSR publication: A multi-proxy approach to understanding complex responses of saltlake catchments to climate variability and human pressure: A Late Quaternary case study from south-eastern, Spain. Note that these data sets do contain hiatuses and a major age-reversal due to erosian which have likely been caused by increased seasonal wetness at the onset of the Holocene. A full explanation is provided in our 2018 publication. If you do wish to use the data, it is essential that you read the publication inorder to interpret the results correctly. We also require that when using this data that you correctly cite it (Bibliographic reference and the doi number of the data set). There were some problems uploading the XRF (geochemical) data sets, so I haven't included these yet, but hopefully will do eventually. Below I have also included the abstract from our publication, which provides an overview of the purpose of our work and a brief summary of the main findings. Abstract of Jones et al. 2018: The article focuses on a former salt lake in the upper Vinalopo Valley in south-eastern Spain. The study spans the Late Pleistocene through to the Late Holocene, although with particular focus on the period between 11 ka cal BP and 3000 ka cal BP (which spans the Mesolithic and part of the Bronze Age). High resolution multi-proxy analysis (including pollen, non pollen palynomorphs, grain size, X-ray fluorescence, and X-ray diffraction) was undertaken on the lake sediments. The results show strong sensitivity to both long term and small changes in the evaporation/precipitation ratio, affecting the surrounding vegetation composition, lake-biota and sediment geochemistry. To summarise the key findings the main general trends identified include: 1) Hyper-saline conditions and low lake levels at the end of the Late Glacial 2) Increasing wetness and temperatures which witnessed an expansion of mesophilic woodland taxa, lake infilling and the establishment of a more perennial lake system at the onset of the Holocene 3) An increase in solar insolation after 9 ka cal BP which saw the re-establishment of pine forests 4) A continued trend towards increasing dryness (climatic optimum) at 7 ka cal BP but with continued freshwater input 5) An increase in sclerophyllous open woody vegetation (anthropogenic?), and increasing wetness (climatic?) is represented in the lake record between 5.9 and 3 ka cal BP 6) The Holocene was also punctuated by several aridity pulses, the most prominent corresponding to the 8.2 ka cal BP event. These events, despite a paucity of well dated archaeological sites in the surrounding area, likely altered the carrying capacity of this area both regionally and locally, particularly during the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition, in terms of fresh water supply for human/animal consumption, wild plant food reserves and suitable land for crop growth.