Environmental impacts around the time of Norse landnám in the Qorlortoq valley,Eastern Settlement,Greenland |
| |
Authors: | J Edward Schofield Kevin J Edwards Charlie Christensen |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Geography and Environment, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK;2. Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK;3. National Museum of Denmark, Frederiksholms Kanal 12, DK-1220 Copenhagen K, Denmark |
| |
Abstract: | Palynology, radiocarbon dating, and open-section stratigraphies from archaeological trenches are used to examine the impact of human activity around the time of Norse landnám on vegetation and landscape associated with a small farm (Ø34) in the Qorlortoq valley, Eastern Settlement, Greenland (61° N 45° W). Peat deposits from a mire abutting the Norse ruins revealed a discontinuous palaeoenvironmental record containing a possible hiatus from ca. AD 410–1020. Palaeovegetational data were recovered either side of this period. Pollen assemblages suggest that open Salix scrub dominated the landscape during the pre-settlement phase. The later phases of landnám resulted in the creation of hay fields and heavily-grazed grassy heath. Site abandonment is reflected by a re-expansion of Salix. This occurs shortly before the onset of deposition of a Sphagnum peat, dated to cal AD 1420–1630 (2σ) and reflecting an increase in mire surface wetness, probably in response to a deteriorating climate. Radiocarbon dates were obtained on peat and plant macrofossils sampled from either side of the proposed hiatus at two different but closely-spaced (<20 m) locations across the mire. These produced significantly different dates for the cessation of peat formation in the pre-landnám period (cal BC 2130–1770 and cal AD 240–410 respectively), but near-synchronous dates for the recommencement of peat growth (cal AD 890–1150 for peat and a probably more reliable interval of cal AD 1020–1190 based on plant macrofossils). It is suggested that this hiatus may represent the first direct evidence for peat cutting in Norse Greenland. |
| |
Keywords: | Greenland Norse Eastern Settlement Landná m Pollen analysis Radiocarbon dating Peat cutting |
本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录! |
|