Paleofire activity at Lake Ohrid (Eastern Mediterranean region) during MIS 12-11

We present microcharcoal data from Lake Ohrid (Eastern Mediterranean region) that span the time period from c. 484 to 367 ka and extend over the extreme glacial-interglacial cycle corresponding to Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 12-11. The data represent raw counts of microcharcoal particles that were categorized into three sizes, i.e., 10-50 µm, 50-150 µm, and >150 µm. The data have a temporal resolution of c. 450 years and were generated on samples previously used for palynological analysis. Furthermore, we have calculated the concentration of microcharcoal particles per g of dry sediment, which was estimated based on the addition of a known number of Lycopodium marker spores to each sample. Comparisons of the microcharcoal data with pollen-based temperature and precipitation reconstructions from Lake Ohrid yield insight into the paleofire intensity in SE Europe under extreme glacial and extreme interglacial conditions of the Middle Pleistocene. The dataset contributes to a better understanding of the vulnerability of Mediterranean forest ecosystems to naturally triggered fires.