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Lacustrine deposits of al-Hawa (15 degrees 52N, 46 degrees 53’E, 710 m above sea level) document the climatic and environmental history of the inland desert of Yemen during the early to mid-Holocene. A freshwater lake expanded in one of the most and areas of the world in response to increased Indian monsoon fluxes from 12,000 to 7500 cal B.P. Three dry intervals punctuated the lacustrine phase recording episodes of weaker summer monsoon activity over Arabia. Dry intervals were coeval with cold periods recorded in the North Atlantic, confirming the links between the Indian monsoon and the North Atlantic systems during the Holocene. We demonstrate that the regional vegetation remained of semi-arid character throughout the lacustrine period. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.