Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut
To complement discussions about vegetation history and climate variations in south Greenland, especially during the Norse settlement, we developed a sedimentological multiproxy approach to study a 4300-year-old lacustrine core comprising pollen analysis, NPPs analysis, physical measurements (magneti...
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/4/123 |
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| author | Emilie Gauthier Andrés Currás Charly Massa Typhaine Guillemot Hervé Richard Vincent Bichet |
| author_facet | Emilie Gauthier Andrés Currás Charly Massa Typhaine Guillemot Hervé Richard Vincent Bichet |
| author_sort | Emilie Gauthier |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | To complement discussions about vegetation history and climate variations in south Greenland, especially during the Norse settlement, we developed a sedimentological multiproxy approach to study a 4300-year-old lacustrine core comprising pollen analysis, NPPs analysis, physical measurements (magnetic susceptibility, density, and grain size), and geochemical analyses (X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analyses). Sediment archives were retrieved from a river-fed lake, Lake Qallimiut, located in the outer fjords of the Vatnahverfi area. The pollen analysis indicated a transition from juniper and willow cover to a dwarf birch forest. Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) suggested grazing pressure and the presence of wild herbivores between 2300 and 1800 cal. BC. From ca. 1000 cal. AD, the presence of Norse farmers was evidenced in this area by archaeological surveys, and pollen analyses confirm the presence of human activities from the 11th century to the end of the 13th century. However, human impact progressively vanished between the 12th and 13th centuries, much earlier than at the other Vatnahverfi sites. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:59:02Z |
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| id | doaj.art-7197db1b878440f0ada1d4097879182d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:59:02Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-7197db1b878440f0ada1d4097879182d2023-11-17T19:25:25ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632023-04-0113412310.3390/geosciences13040123Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake QallimiutEmilie Gauthier0Andrés Currás1Charly Massa2Typhaine Guillemot3Hervé Richard4Vincent Bichet5Laboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249/CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, FranceInstitute of Heritage Sciences (Incipit), Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Edificio Fontán Bloque 4, Monte Gaiás, 15705 Santiago de Compostela, SpainLaboratoire Artehis, UMR 6298/CNRS, Université de Bourgogne, 21000 Dijon, FranceLaboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249/CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, FranceLaboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249/CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, FranceLaboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR 6249/CNRS, Université de Franche-Comté, 25000 Besançon, FranceTo complement discussions about vegetation history and climate variations in south Greenland, especially during the Norse settlement, we developed a sedimentological multiproxy approach to study a 4300-year-old lacustrine core comprising pollen analysis, NPPs analysis, physical measurements (magnetic susceptibility, density, and grain size), and geochemical analyses (X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analyses). Sediment archives were retrieved from a river-fed lake, Lake Qallimiut, located in the outer fjords of the Vatnahverfi area. The pollen analysis indicated a transition from juniper and willow cover to a dwarf birch forest. Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) suggested grazing pressure and the presence of wild herbivores between 2300 and 1800 cal. BC. From ca. 1000 cal. AD, the presence of Norse farmers was evidenced in this area by archaeological surveys, and pollen analyses confirm the presence of human activities from the 11th century to the end of the 13th century. However, human impact progressively vanished between the 12th and 13th centuries, much earlier than at the other Vatnahverfi sites.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/4/123South Greenlandlate Holocenelacustrine sedimentspollen analysisNorse settlementWarm medieval period |
| spellingShingle | Emilie Gauthier Andrés Currás Charly Massa Typhaine Guillemot Hervé Richard Vincent Bichet Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut Geosciences South Greenland late Holocene lacustrine sediments pollen analysis Norse settlement Warm medieval period |
| title | Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut |
| title_full | Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut |
| title_fullStr | Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut |
| title_full_unstemmed | Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut |
| title_short | Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut |
| title_sort | late holocene environmental history and norse settlement in outer fjords from south greenland a case study at lake qallimiut |
| topic | South Greenland late Holocene lacustrine sediments pollen analysis Norse settlement Warm medieval period |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/13/4/123 |
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