S U M M A R YThis paper presents new directional archaeomagnetic data from nine Meso-/Neolithic fireplaces, sampled in a cave shelter, at Arconciel, in western Switzerland. Rock magnetic measurements indicate a homogenous magnetic mineralogy in all fireplaces, with magnetite as the main magnetic carrier. The remanent magnetization is stable and generally shows one characteristic directional component. Nine new directions, which were obtained from Arconciel, are combined with 356 other archaeomagnetic data from a circular area with a radius of 700 km around this site, to obtain a penalized least square spline fit for the past 9000 yr. We found in general good agreement with other local compilations, such as the Balkan curve, the regional SCHA.DIF.8k model and with lake sediments from UK, Fennoscandia and Switzerland. Nevertheless, a time lag of several centuries is observed for a declination maximum between the archaeomagnetic spline fit and the other European data records around 5900 BC. This time lag is also observed in the Swiss lake sediment record; therefore we interpret this shift as a local feature of the Earth's magnetic field.
Abstract. The 50 to 100 metre deep canyon of the Sarine River that develops north of the prealpine front in the Molasse Plateau is classically attributed to postglacial erosion. However, the discovery of a Mesolithic archaeological site (~ 8600 years cal. BP), located at the bottom of the gorge five metres above the actual river bed, has evident implications for the canyons morphogenesis. This new chronological datum indicates that most of the canyon was already formed 8600 years ago, and that only five metres of Molasse have eroded since that time. This implies a dramatically high erosion rate during Late Glacial to early Holocene times 0.9 to 1.48 cm/ year) and, consequently, a very low erosion rate since the Atlantic period approximately 0.06 cm/ year). These new archaeological and geological findings offer exciting perspectives for Quaternary research.
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