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Significant multi‐centennial climate oscillations have been documented in a number of well‐dated climate records across the Holocene epoch and left various imprints in human cultural history. In this study, we developed speleothem δ13C, δ18O, trace elements, and lamina thickness records from the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau (YGP). Our high‐resolution and precisely dated records show a significant ∼550‐yr cycle as the dominant pattern of regional temperature and vegetation variations between ∼5,870 and ∼3,670 years ago. The phase analyses of the 550‐yr cycles among our speleothem records, other Northern Hemisphere climate records, solar activity index, and Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) variations suggest that this climate cycle has a large spatial extent, and may be causally linked to the AMOC changes through coupled oceanic‐atmospheric processes. Additionally, the first cold phase of the ∼550‐yr cycle in our records coincides with the major cultural development on the YGP at ∼5,500–5,000 years ago, suggesting a critical relationship between climate and prehistorical cultural changes in the region. Plain Language Summary: This study presents precisely dated speleothem isotope and lamina thickness records, which shows a ∼550‐yr periodicity of vegetation and temperature changes between ∼5,870 and ∼3,670 years ago in the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau (YGP), southwestern China. The phase analyses between our records and other Northern Hemisphere climate records suggest that these climate cycles have a large spatial scale in Northern Hemisphere and may be linked to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation changes through coupled oceanic‐atmospheric processes. Besides, the records show that a cold phase during ∼5,500–5,000 years ago coincided with the period of development of YGP Neolithic production tools, suggesting a critical role of climate change in the prehistorical cultural evolution in the region. Key Points: A significant multi‐centennial temperature and vegetation oscillation of ∼550‐yr cycles occurred between ∼5,870 and ∼3,670 years ago in the Yunnan‐Guizhou Plateau (YGP)The climate cycles were likely linked to the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation variation through coupled oceanic‐atmospheric processesThe first cold phase of the ∼550‐yr cycles in our records coincided with a change of population and major cultural transform in the YGP at ∼5,500–5,000 years ago, implying a critical role of climate change and resource shortage in the prehistorical cultural evolution in the region [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the Bronze and Iron Age, Sardinia was home of one of the most technologically advanced Mediterranean societies (the Nuragic culture). Given its key geographical location, the island was also the fulcrum of deep cultural exchanges. Toward the end of the Iron Age, Phoenicians, and especially Carthaginians and Romans, massively frequented Sardinia for different purposes. This marks an important cultural transition for the region, as the ancient Nuragic-related society terminated. At the same time, this impacted the subsistence and land use practices. Together with middle to late Holocene climate changes, the novel anthropic activities had a pivotal role in shaping the landscape around the island. However, high resolution climate and environmental records for these culturally important phases are still lacking in Sardinia. Thus, this paper explores palaeoenvironmental changes from the Bronze Age to post Iron Ages times by using carbonate speleothems from Suttaterra de Sarpis Cave (Urzulei, central east Sardinia), strategically located nearby the Or Murales Nuragic Village. U–Th ages (n = 20) indicate that five stalagmites comprehensively span the last ∼7000 years. Peculiarly, they all show an evident stratigraphic discontinuity. Age models attest that hiatuses can be at times associated with the discontinuities, spanning periods of ∼1200 to ∼200 years. Importantly, the discontinuities occurred from the Late Iron Age to the Roman period. Based on fabric observations, trace elements and δ13C- δ18O analyses, the discontinuities are primarily attributed to a progressive change of land use above the cave. We suppose that deforestation aimed to clearance for agriculture and livestock practices probably was the most impacting factor for infiltration dynamics and soil state, thus affecting the studied speleothems, although archaeological and historical data are absent for the specific study area. Instead, this is in line with the cultural transition occurring in Sardinia toward the end of the Iron Age, with novel agricultural practices imported by the overseas populations. The anthropic disturbance to the millennial-long karst equilibrium possibly overprinted the response of speleothem proxies to climate oscillations, although future higher resolution analyses are necessary to better investigate the evolution of climate during the Holocene as well as its role in the development of ancient civilizations. Indeed, this is the first speleothem-based Holocene palaeoenvironmental reconstruction accomplished in Sardinia. Considering the paucity of natural lakes in this key location, speleothems here demonstrate their potential in exploring human-driven palaeoenvironmental changes during times of cultural transitions within the Mediterranean context. • The first Holocene speleothem paleoenvironmental record from Sardinia (Italy). • Changes in geochemical and physical speleothems' properties point to variation of land use. • Land use variation is connected to cultural shifts during intra- and post-Nuragic period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]