Toba

[Robert Henvell]

 Prior to 70Ka ther was a significant period of cultural development in South Africa [ie;beads,etched ochre,bones,exploitation of marine resources at Blombos cave and the Howieson Poort blade industry etc].These achievements predate similar accomplishments in western and central Europe by over 35Ka.There appears to have been a hiatus in cultural evolution and the spread of new innovations.
 
 The Tobia volcanic eruption may have contributed to this delay.The degree is equivical,because many of the large mammals survived this natural disaster.Has anyone published a computerized reconstruction,which denotes the areas most affected by the aftermath and the postulated impact on hominids,fauna and flora in various regions?

[Jacques Cinq-Mars]

Prior to 70Ka ther was a significant period of cultural development in South Africa [ie;beads,etched ochre,bones,exploitation of marine resources at Blombos cave and the Howieson Poort blade industry etc].These achievements predate similar accomplishments in western and central Europe by over 35Ka.There appears to have been a hiatus in cultural evolution and the spread of new innovations.
 
 The Tobia volcanic eruption may have contributed to this delay.The degree is equivical,because many of the large mammals survived this natural disaster.Has anyone published a computerized reconstruction,which denotes the areas most affected by the aftermath and the postulated impact on hominids,fauna and flora in various regions?

Bob,

You must mean "Mount Toba". Using the Forum's "Search" function -- using Toba as the search term -- will provide you with access to some information that could be of help with your query.

This said, I personally tend to view the use of "catastrophism" in global explanations of human prehistory with quite a few grains of salt.

Jacques

[Robert Henvell]

Thank you Jacques.The request should have read Toba.Could not find anything under search--might not have selected the right words??

[Daryl Habel]

Thank you Jacques.The request should have read Toba.Could not find anything under search--might not have selected the right words??

You don't need words (plural), just use the single word Toba.

Dar

P.S. I corrected your thread title (I got tired of looking at Tobia)!!!

[Daryl Habel]

Bob,

The attachment below from:

Schulz, H., Emeis, K.-C., Erlenkeuser, H., von Rad, U. & Rolf, C. (2002). The Toba volcanic event and interstadial/stadial climates at the Marine Isotopic Stage 5 to 4 transition in the northern Indian Ocean.  Quaternary Research 57: 22-31.

shows the trend and relative impact of ashfall from the Toba eruption. 

See:

http://www.palanth.com/forum/index.php?topic=407.0

with which I tend to agree.

Dar

[Robert Henvell]

 
 Thank you for all the help and data.The six year anomalous sulphur content in the Greenland ice cores,which probably correlates with the Toba eruption circa 70Ka,provides some indication of the duration of volcanic material in the atmosphere.Six years of drought is not excessive,when compared to the ice ages.You are probably correct in your assessment.Tobia was a mega_natural disaster,which did not have a significant prolonged impact on hominid culture.