An ancient Syrian settlement transitioned from a hunting-gathering society to an agricultural one due to a cataclysmic comet strike, according to a new study. The theory, called The Younger Dryas Impact Hypothesis, suggests that an environmental catastrophe around 12,800 years ago triggered a significant shift in human subsistence methods in the village of Abu Hureyra.
Researchers have been investigating the hypothesis that a fragmented comet crashing into the Earth’s atmosphere caused a sudden global cooling period known as the Younger Dryas. This event dramatically altered the environment, shifting the area from a humid, forested landscape with abundant food sources to a cooler and drier one. As a result, the inhabitants of Abu Hureyra had to innovate.
James Kennett, an Earth scientist and professor emeritus of UC Santa Barbara, highlights the settlement’s significance in archaeological records. He notes that Abu Hureyra went from relying on foraging to cultivating barley, wheat, and legumes. The evidence clearly shows this transition from hunting-gathering to agriculture was prompted by the change in environmental conditions.
Abu Hureyra, now submerged under Lake Assad, provided valuable ancient dietary evidence. By studying material remnants, scientists discovered a shift in the village’s diet. The villagers began cultivating domestic-type grains and lentils, which marked the rise of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent. The region also saw an increase in drought-resistant plants, indicating the evolving climate.
The impact of the Younger Dryas not only accelerated agricultural innovation but also resulted in noticeable population shifts, architectural adjustments, and the beginnings of livestock domestication in the region. Evidence from the same period at Abu Hureyra, including a distinct carbon-rich “black mat” layer containing nanodiamonds, platinum, and metallic spherules, supports the theory of a fragmented comet causing large-scale destruction.
Similar evidence of cosmic airbursts was found at other locations, including the site of the ancient biblical city of Tall el-Hammam. These regions, collectively known as the Younger Dryas strewnfield, spanned North and South America and Europe. The markers found at these sites corroborate the theory of a fragmented comet causing significant destruction and the extinction of several megafauna species.
The absence of ground craters typically associated with such events is explained by the aerial nature of the explosion. Lower-pressure cosmic explosions, as the research suggests, do not leave visible craters.
To draw parallels with this cosmic phenomenon, scientists compared it to nuclear tests conducted in the 20th century. The characteristics of the shocked quartz from the nuclear test sites and the quartz from Abu Hureyra showed close associations. This discovery suggests that shock metamorphism in quartz grains exposed to an atomic detonation is essentially the same as during a low-altitude, lower-pressure cosmic airburst.
The researchers’ new protocol to identify shock fractures in quartz grains will help detect previously undiscovered airbursts. It is believed that such airbursts recur every few centuries to millennia.
The evidence uncovered at Abu Hureyra provides insight into ancient human history and the profound ways cosmic events can shape life on Earth. The prehistoric settlers in Abu Hureyra demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of cataclysmic environmental changes, laying the foundations for modern agriculture.
The research, consisting of four full papers, was published in the journal Science Open: Airbursts and Cratering Impacts.