The overall goal is to illustrate the climatic patterns of 5000 to 7000 years ago over as wide an area of the northern hemisphere as possible. Mapping of the patterns in selected climatic variables at 5000 to 7000 years ago that can be reconstructed from pollen and marine-plankton data is planned. Multivariate statistical methods permit using the modern distribution of these data in order to transform their fossil remains into climate estimates of past times. Given these goals and methods, research during the first eight months focused on assembling the available modern and fossil data from each of the main areas under study. Two workshop conferences were held to help organize the joint work.