Sequence completed – palynological investigations on Lateglacial/Early Holocene environmental changes recorded in sequentially laminated lacustrine sediments of the Nahe palaeolake in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.

Abstract

The exploration of Lateglacial vegetation history in Schleswig-Holstein is elaborate and comprehensive. Despite being one of the most studied areas, regarding to the Lateglacial, no biostratigraphy covering the complete Lateglacial and Early Holocene periods without hiatus have so far been recovered. In this paper we present a biostratigraphy of the Nahe palaeolake, therewith intending to deal with this desideratum.The special strength of the presented sequence is expressed in the fact that these are the only palynologically investigated sequentially annual laminated limnic sediments of the Lateglacial in Schleswig-Holstein. These laminated sediments, as well as radiocarbon dating of botanical macrofossils and three geochemically confirmed cryptotephra layers (Laacher See Tephra, Vedde Ash and Saksunarvatn Ash), provide excellent chronological control and allow for a Europe-wide correlation. Particularly important is a complete discussion of the vegetation history and the spatial proximity to Late Palaeolithic sites, which renders it possible to evaluate potential humanenvironment-interaction long before classical palynological human indicators occur. (2017) and radiocarbon ages of bones and antler suggest a temporal classification into the Dryas 3 period and partly into the early Preboreal period. Faunal remains have been investigated by WildFor that time, a ford situation can be reconstructed at the south-eastern end of the lake in the form of a shallow water area above a sand ridge, situated at the foot of the morain. The composition of the finds, antler technology as well as the topographical situation reflect a comparable situation as reconstructed for the Ahrensburg tunnel valley, located only 18 km to the south (Rust 1943; Rust and Gripp 1937). Materials and Methods Field methods and samplingThe coring took place in October 2017. A modified Livingston piston corer (Mingram et al. 2007)the so called Usinger-corerwas used to extract the sediment cores. Two overlapping sediment sequences with a diameter of 80 mm and a length of 16 m have been reached by drilling. Each 1-msegment was cut longitudinally, stored in PVC-liners and processed at the Institute for Pre-and Protohistoric Archaeology in Kiel, Germany. In order to connect the core sequences a series of distinct layers and stratigraphic marker horizons have been defined in the parallel cores. In this way, a composite core was constructed, representing a continuous record avoiding gaps (Dörfler et al. 2012).The interdisciplinary approach of the study required that the results of different methods could be correlated across depths. Therefore, a grid of 5 mm step size was created spanning the lower 5 m of the sequence. Each sample has been labelled according to consecutive numbers (953 potential samples in total, 11.10 m -15.89 m below the surface). A preliminary examination with 16 pollen samples determined the focus sequence for the analyses. The scope of the analyses is set on the sequence between sample 330 (12.745-12.750 m, ~10,030 cal yr BP) and 90...

Small shards and long distances — three cryptotephra layers from the Nahe palaeolake including the first discovery of Laacher See Tephra in Schleswig‐Holstein (Germany)

“…The general results of the pollen analysis of the complete section are presented by Krüger et al . (2020).…”

“…On the basis of the preceding pollen analysis and a preliminary comparison of these results with investigations in northern central Europe (Krüger et al ., 2020), certain sequences were selected for a search for cryptotephra (Fig. 2).…”

“…2020; Krüger et al . 2020). The sediment cores reached glacial sand at 15.8 m. The chronology is based on AMS radiocarbon dates, pollen events, varve counting and additionally on the identified tephra layers (Dreibrodt et al .…”

“…Despite numerous palaeo‐environmental investigations (Krüger et al . 2020 and literature cited therein), a correlation of the individual records is difficult because age modelling is mainly missing, or because of hiatuses (Usinger 1981). The analyses of sediment cores from the Nahe palaeolake (NAH; Dreibrodt et al .…”

“…2020; Krüger et al . 2020) fill a gap in Lateglacial/Early Holocene palaeo‐environmental research in Schleswig‐Holstein. For the first time a complete Lateglacial to Early Holocene sequence is described without being affected by the Allerød–Younger Dryas hiatus that had been documented for numerous lake sediments in northern Germany and Denmark (Krüger and Damrath 2019; Bennike et al .…”