A new formal subdivision of the Holocene Series/Epoch in Estonia

Abstract

Over the past 25 years since the ratification of the last official Holocene Stratigraphic Chart in Estonia, the stratigraphic framework of global Quaternary geology has significantly progressed. The Pleistocene/Holocene boundary is defined in the NGRIP2 ice core from Greenland, with an age of 11 700 calendar yr b2k (before AD 2000). The International Subcommission on Quaternary Stratigraphy developed a formal tripartite stratigraphical subdivision of the Holocene into the Greenlandian, Northgrippian and Meghalayan stages/ages, each supported by a Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). All three GSSPs are defined on the basis of geochemical markers reflecting abrupt global climatic events dated with high accuracy and serving as a reliable foundation for cross correlation. In the light of this development we present a new formal subdivision for the Holocene in Estonia. The new chart is climatostratigraphic with tripartite subdivision. The chronological boundaries and corresponding names for the stages/ages are aligned with the International Holocene Stratigraphic Chart. The correlation is achieved using synchronous and significant global climatic oscillation events, preserved in Estonian Holocene sedimentary proxy archives. The correlation relies on the direct dating of these Holocene sedimentary successions, particularly AMS 14 C dating, lake sediment varve counts, etc. The subdivision of the Baltic Sea sediments in the new Holocene stratigraphic chart is based on the internationally recognized stages in the Baltic Sea history and the chronology of their boundaries. Longterm traditions in geoarchaeological studies in Estonia require a common understanding of the chronological background. Therefore, the subdivision of the Estonian Prehistoric period was included in the new Holocene Stratigraphic Chart of Estonia which was approved by the Estonian Commission on Stratigraphy on 15 January 2020.

Archaeological Traces of Hunter-gatherer Seasonal Occupation in Western Coastal Estonia from the Second Half of the 6th Millennium to the End of the 3rd Millennium BC

“…The aim of the present study is to map the Stone Age landscape use and its dynamics along the Baltic Sea paleocoastlines from the Litorina Sea Transgression Maximum (LTM) in about 5300 cal BC (corresponding to the Late Mesolithic in the Estonian archaeological periodization, Fig. 2) to the Limnea Sea development stage (final part of the Neolithic) in about 2000 BC (Hang et al 2020;Kriiska et al 2020.17). For that, two study areas were selected, covering more than half of the area of the West Estonian Lowland (Fig.…”

Observed and dark diversity dynamics over millennial time scales: fast life-history traits linked to expansion lags of plants in northern Europe

“…Considering functional dark diversity can be particularly important when local extinctions and colonization balance each other, resulting in no net change in species richness [18,57] ; Early Holocene (in green); Mid-Holocene (in red); Late Holocene (in yellow). Over time, different climatic (warming period and climatic optimum) and starting point of major human impacts (first traces of humans, beginning of agriculture, increasing population density and modern period), as well as vegetation dynamics are depicted and were reported in different palaeocological studies in northeastern Europe [49,50]. Bottom panel represents the functional space occupied by taxa in observed and dark diversity (yellow and blue area and points, respectively) in a single site [51] over three different periods (Early Holocene, Mid-Holocene and Late Holocene).…”