4_CLIMATE
A PERPETUAL HOT-COLD PATTERN
For 2.5 million years, the climate has alternated between glacial and interglacial periods. Every 100,000 years, temperate phases, temperate phases occur between long glaciations, themselves punctuated by short warming periods called interstadials.
We are currently living in the Holocene, an interglacial period. The previous one, 100,000 years ago, also offered a temperate climate. Steppes and forests covered Europe, with a fauna similar to that of today. But 21,000 years ago, during the Last Glacial Maximum, between these two periods of mild climate, the average temperature was 10°C lower than today's! The development of glaciers led to a drop in sea and ocean levels, pushing coastlines further away. The southwest of Europe, the Mediterranean coasts and the protected valleys of the Charentes, Périgord and Quercy were seen as refuges. The Neanderthal Pierrette lived here around 39,000 years ago in the valley carved by a river, the Coran
Thus, until today, humans have adapted to climate change, taking advantage of biodiversity during interglacial periods and seeking refuge during glaciations.
