The emergence of Baltic Moorkultur: visions of scientific-technological mastery of peatlands in the age of great social change, 1850–1914

ABSTRACT

This article looks at the imaginaries of progress through technology and new activities by tracing the emergence of Baltic Moorkultur in Estonia and Livonia from the 1850s to the early 1910s. Baltic Moorkultur, a set of modern drainage and peat extraction techniques, has been viewed as part of a modernisation process and evolving visions of future, which touched the identity of Baltic German landowners, scientists and entrepreneurs. General reasons for an impetus for the large-scale reclamation of peatlands were the growth of population, economic liberalisation, growing demand for fuels and the fact that the basis of manorial economy gradually crumbled and led to increasing urge to modernise its source of livelihood. Baltic Moorkultur can be thought as a high-tech response of that time to the exploitation of peatlands. This article explains why it became adopted and how it altered the appraisal of environments that had been perceived as suboptimal.     

A palynological investigation of a second millennium BC bank-system in the black moss of Achnacree

Evidence of agricultural activity in Scotland during the Bronze Age is sparse. A bank system of that date, covered by a deep peat accumulation, in Argyllshire, Scotland has preserved a podzolic palaeosol. Palynological investigation of the palaeosol allows a consideration of potential prehistoric land use. The existence of a well developed iron pan in the palaeosol divides the soil pollen into two contrasting groups, suggesting two quite distinctive periods of land use. Also discussed are the problems which the processes of podzolization cause pollen analysts, the dating of buried soils and the possibility of periodicity in pollen movement through a soil.     

Pothole erosion of a dissected Lake‐shore platform in Peat,Loch More,Halkirk, Caithness

An unusual combination of environmental factors has brought about the excavation of a series of classical cauldron‐shaped potholes in a dissected lake‐shore platform of peat on the shore of Loch More, Halkirk, Caithness. The potholes have both been eroded by, and now contain, ‘cobbles’ of peat. Some potholes are obviously currently active during periods of heavy rain, while others are abandoned or at least less active, being filled with a growing layer of grass. The platform has been deeply dissected by water erosion along contraction joints which formed as the peat dried out ('nagging') and it now generally resembles a karst‐like miniature ‘bad‐lands’ topography with small ‘mesas’ and ‘buttes’.     

Hydrogeological Modelling of Water-Level Changes in an Area of Archaeological Significance: A Case Study from Flag Fen,Cambridgeshire, UK

Concern exists regarding the long-term viability of the internationally important archaeological remains of the Flag Fen site near Peterborough. This paper describes a hydrogeological numerical groundwater model which has been used to understand the groundwater situation with regard to the archaeology, including drainage impacts, and also to explore future scenarios. Observed and modelled groundwater levels have been interpreted using three zones: the ‘dry’ zone 1 above the seasonal maximum water table; zone 2 of seasonal water table fluctuation; and a deeper zone 3 of permanent saturation. Archaeological wood is best preserved in Zone 3. Much of the Bronze Age wooden structure is located within Zone 2 or above. The hydrological conditions are therefore not ideal for the long-term in situ preservation of the material. Groundwater modelling indicates that the main factor controlling groundwater levels in the area is artificial drainage. The approach would be applicable to other wet-preserved archaeological sites.     

Partial Solutions to Partially Understood Problems — The Experience of In Situ Monitoring and Preservation in Somerset’s Peatlands

Abstract

The peat moors of lowland Somerset contain a wealth of waterlogged archaeological sites, including some of the most significant prehistoric monuments in the country. There has been a long history of attempts to preserve archaeological sites in situ and monitoring of the burial environment began in 1982. The monitoring has become more complex over time, but the results suggest the same continuing problem of a drop in the water table over the summer months across the whole landscape. With the sole exception of the portion of the Neolithic Sweet Track that benefits from an irrigation system, all the other known sites remain at risk of gradual destruction. The solutions must be found on a landscape scale using agri-environment payments to secure sustainable management of the peat resource. Unfortunately, short-term changes to these payments and long-term changes to the climate are likely to worsen the situation and eventually to require a more drastic solution to the problem. Evidence has been generated to support an ecosystems approach to sustainable peatland management.     

The Evolution of Peat‐Swamp Channels and Organic Floodplains,Barrington Tops,New South Wales,Australia

Geomorphology, geochronology and palynology are used to assess the development and stability of two channelled swamps on the Barrington Tops plateau. While both swamps commenced peat accumulation prior to about 4000 cal BP, new stratigraphic data indicate incision between 700 and 1000 cal BP, in response to regional climate change. Two broad stratigraphic units are identified in each swamp: the upper floodplain, comprised entirely of peat, and the inset floodplain, underlain by interbedded peat and fluvial sediments. Following incision, rapid vertical growth of the inset floodplain occurred on the Barrington River between 690 and 620 cal BP, and palynological data indicate a change from more saturated pre‐incision swamp flora to less saturated post‐incision swamp flora. Bankfull stage‐height, achieved many times in a year, is remarkably consistent along the length of each swamp channel. Its elevation controls the overall elevation of the swamps by controlling the height of the water‐table and hence the growth of swamp vegetation and formation of peat. In particular, contemporary channel dimensions control the growth and height of the inset floodplain, a process that results in the formation of an organic floodplain not previously described in the geomorphic literature.     

传统建筑泥灰类加固材料的性能研究与机理探讨

人们已经发现一些古建筑所使用的传统材料具有较好的加固作用,其耐久性、强度、与建筑本体的和谐、以及与环境的友好等方面都具有突出的优点。但是由于当时科学技术水平的限制,以及天然材料混合物本身的复杂性,这些传统材料的加固机理一直未被人们充分认识。为了利用和发展传统材料的优势并为古建筑和文物保护服务,本工作选择最具中国特色的以石灰等无机材料为基料,以糯米浆和蛋清等天然生物材料为配料的古代建筑灰浆配方和三合土配方,开展了一系列加固性能研究,并且结合现代SEM和XRD分析仪器,对一些典型的样品进行了微观结构和形貌分析。结果发现,这些古代配方具有现代复合材料的某些特点,即通过无机/有机相互协同的效应,达到了较好的加固效果;重要的是发现糯米浆具有一定的生物矿化的模板作用,即糯米浆的生物大分子对碳酸钙的结晶和生长起到了调控作用,使方解石结晶体的大小和形貌具有一定程度的有序性。本研究为传统材料进一步科学地应用于古建筑和石质文物的修复加固提供了新的思路。     

A Peaty-debris Flow in Glen Docherty,Wester Ross

Glen Docherty has a long history of debris flow activity along the glen’s north east slope, but in early August 2015 a peaty-debris flow was triggered on the glen’s south west slope, involving an initial slide volume of 190?m³ debris/peat, of which 89?m³ consisted of peat. The flow merited study due to (a) its unusual location relative to debris flow activity affecting the rest of the glen, (b) the volume of peat involved and its effect on flow behaviour, (c) the role of immediate post-debris flow fluvial activity and (d) later responses to the event including subsequent weathering, fluvial activity and the potential for debris flow reactivation.     

Submerged Mesolithic Landscape Investigation,Eleven Ballyboes,Republic of Ireland

This paper reports on the first systematic attempt to conduct archaeological survey and excavation for submerged prehistory on the island of Ireland. Fieldwork was conducted in two small bays where Early Mesolithic flint artefacts washed ashore hinted at the presence of a submerged assemblage. Methods employed include non‐intrusive survey, hand coring and excavation. Together, these allowed identification of the artefact source, albeit reworked, in one bay and an early Holocene peat in the other. Though the subtidal assemblage is reworked and relatively small, it is significant in an Irish context and more widely illustrates the potential preservation of prehistoric sites and palaeo‐landscapes in high‐energy settings.     

Obituary: Harry R. G. Inglis,F.R.S.G., F.S.A.Scot.

During the late 1970s a new aggressive strain of Dutch elm disease became established in parts of southern and central Scotland and it is continuing to spread in many areas. This paper outlines the geography of the disease within Scotland and explores the way in which the Regional Councils have responded to the threat to the elm population.