Anton Hansson
Forskningsingenjör
Caring for preservation - coring for prehistoric life. Revisiting 15 000 years of sedimentation at the Ageröd peatland, Southern Sweden
Författare
Summary, in English
The R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex, situated in central Scania, contains numerous archaeological sites
discovered since the 19th century. Two sediment sequences were obtained at the Ager¨od peatland to compare the
sediment stratigraphy with a previous sequence obtained in 1960 to detect any modern-day changes and to
establish the Holocene environmental development in the area. To clarify the timing of ceased peat-cutting
activities, dendrochronological analysis was performed on trees growing on the peatland. The results indicate
that the lake transitioned into first a fen stage and later a raised bog stage, at about 7300 cal BP and 6500 cal BP,
respectively. Furthermore, the dendrochronological analysis indicates that peat cutting ceased at least before
1960 in the sampled areas. Depending on e.g. hydrological conditions and human impact, the potential for
preservation of organic remains varies greatly within the R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex. After peatcutting
activities ceased at the Ager¨od peatland, the area was abandoned, without being restored to its original
state and the drainage systems were left open but without maintenance. Our results show that these drainage
ditches are still effective at the Ager¨od peatland, which contributes to an active loss of peat at the top of the
stratigraphic sequence. This causes the youngest formed peat layers to degrade, in turn, exposing older layers and
reducing the buffer zone above the preserved organic cultural heritage from the lake-phase of the wetland with
their destruction. To increase the understanding of modern-day processes affecting the preservation of organic
remains in peatlands, continued monitoring and measuring of the peatland preservation status is needed in areas
with archaeological deposits. We predict that if we fail to take action and establish a routine for finding and
mitigating ongoing wetland degradation, the organic cultural and environmental heritage in them will, in the
not-too-distant future, collapse and irrevocably deteriorate.
discovered since the 19th century. Two sediment sequences were obtained at the Ager¨od peatland to compare the
sediment stratigraphy with a previous sequence obtained in 1960 to detect any modern-day changes and to
establish the Holocene environmental development in the area. To clarify the timing of ceased peat-cutting
activities, dendrochronological analysis was performed on trees growing on the peatland. The results indicate
that the lake transitioned into first a fen stage and later a raised bog stage, at about 7300 cal BP and 6500 cal BP,
respectively. Furthermore, the dendrochronological analysis indicates that peat cutting ceased at least before
1960 in the sampled areas. Depending on e.g. hydrological conditions and human impact, the potential for
preservation of organic remains varies greatly within the R¨onneholm-Ager¨od peatland complex. After peatcutting
activities ceased at the Ager¨od peatland, the area was abandoned, without being restored to its original
state and the drainage systems were left open but without maintenance. Our results show that these drainage
ditches are still effective at the Ager¨od peatland, which contributes to an active loss of peat at the top of the
stratigraphic sequence. This causes the youngest formed peat layers to degrade, in turn, exposing older layers and
reducing the buffer zone above the preserved organic cultural heritage from the lake-phase of the wetland with
their destruction. To increase the understanding of modern-day processes affecting the preservation of organic
remains in peatlands, continued monitoring and measuring of the peatland preservation status is needed in areas
with archaeological deposits. We predict that if we fail to take action and establish a routine for finding and
mitigating ongoing wetland degradation, the organic cultural and environmental heritage in them will, in the
not-too-distant future, collapse and irrevocably deteriorate.
Avdelning/ar
- Kvartärgeologi
- Arkeologi
- Historisk osteologi
Publiceringsår
2024-11-15
Språk
Engelska
Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie
Quaternary Environments and Humans
Volym
2
Issue
6
Dokumenttyp
Artikel i tidskrift
Förlag
Elsevier
Ämne
- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences
- History and Archaeology
Nyckelord
- Peatlands
- Southern Sweden
- Organic preservation
- Archaeology
- Stone Age
- peatlands
- Southern Sweden
- Organic preservation
- Archaeology
- Stone age
Aktiv
Published
ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt
- ISSN: 2950-2365