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Environmental changes and the Migration Period in northern Germany as reflected in the sediments of Lake Dudinghausen

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Mirko Dreßler ,
Uwe Selig ,
Walter Dörfler ,
Sven Adler ,
Hendrik Schubert  and
Thomas Hübener
Mirko Dreßler*
Affiliation:
Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Botanik, Wismarsche Str. 8, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
Uwe Selig
Affiliation:
Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Ökologie, Albert Einstein Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany
Walter Dörfler
Affiliation:
Universität Kiel, Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Johanna-Mestorf-Straβe 2-6, 24118 Kiel, Germany
Sven Adler
Affiliation:
Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Botanik, Wismarsche Str. 8, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
Hendrik Schubert
Affiliation:
Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Ökologie, Albert Einstein Str. 3, 18059 Rostock, Germany
Thomas Hübener*
Affiliation:
Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Allgemeine und Spezielle Botanik, Wismarsche Str. 8, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
*
⁎Corresponding authors. Fax: +49 381 498 6202. E-mail address:mirko.dressler@gmx.de
⁎Corresponding authors. Fax: +49 381 498 6202. E-mail address:mirko.dressler@gmx.de
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Abstract

Paleolimnological techniques were used to identify environmental changes in and around Lake Dudinghausen (northern Germany) over the past 4800 yr. Diatom-inferred total phosphorus (DI-TP) changes identify four phases of high nutrient levels (2600–2200 BC, 1050–700 BC, 500 BC–AD 100 and AD 1850–1970). During these high DI-TP phases, fossil pollen, sediment geochemistry and archaeological records indicate human activities in the lake catchment. Although the same paleo-indicators suggest increased human settlement and agriculture activity during the late Slavonic Age, the Medieval Time and the Modern Time (AD 1000–1850), DI-TP levels were low during this period. In the sediments, iron and total phosphorus were high from ∼AD 100 to 1850, likely due to increased inflow of iron-rich groundwater into the lake. Increased iron input would have lead to a simultaneous binding and precipitation of phosphate in the upper sediment and overlying water column. As a result, anthropogenic impact on Lake Dudinghausen was masked by these phosphorus-controlling processes from AD 1000 to 1850 and was not evident by means of DI-TP. In accordance with fossil pollen, sediment geochemistry and limited archaeological records, DI-TP levels were low from AD 100–1000. Groundwater levels likely rose during this period as the climate gradually changed toward colder and/or moister conditions. Such climate change likely led to reduced settlement activities and forest regeneration in the catchment area. Our results are concordant with similar studies from central Europe which indicate rapid decreasing settlement activities from AD 100 to 1000.

Keywords

Multiproxy studyDiatomsPollenSediment geochemistryGroundwater inflowLandscape developmentCulture epochsLate HoloceneNorthern Germany
Type
Research Article
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 66 , Issue 1 , July 2006 , pp. 25 - 37
Copyright
University of Washington

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