Spatial interpretation of high-resolution environmental proxy data of the Middle Pleistocene Palaeolithic faunal kill site Schöningen 13 II-4, Germany 13 II-4, Germany
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Date
2023-06-07Author
Urban, Brigitte
Kahn, Kim
Kasper, Thomas
Garcia Moreno, Alejandro
Hutson, Jarod M.
Turner, Elaine
Gaudzinski Windheuser, Sabine
Farghaly, Dalia
Tucci, Mario
Schwalb, Antje
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Boreas 52(3) : 440-458 (2023)
Abstract
To spatially characterize the palaeolakeshore environment at the archaeological kill site Sch€oningen 13 II-4 of the
Middle Pleistocene Reinsdorf sequence, in-depth palynological, geochemical, aquatic microfossil and archaeological
analyses were undertaken on sediment sections with an average thickness of about 15 cm, concordantly overlain by
faunal remains, dominated by horse, from the unique ‘Spear Horizon’ layers of the 1995 excavation campaign. The
data reveal a distinctive lake level drop, documented by the change froma carbonate-rich lake marl to a carbonate-free
organic mud with increased carbon content and decreasing C/N, Si/Al, Si/K and Fe/Al ratios, indicating a higher
pedogenic supply oforganic matter and drier conditions at the site.Comparedwith older, similar transitional phases of
lake level changes occurring within the Reinsdorf sequence, it is important that these youngest sediments are
undisturbed, indicating continuous development. Ostracod and diatom analyses indicate a lowering water level with
higher salinities and rich aquatic vegetation. Mesorheophilic ostracod species along with tychoplanktic diatom taxa
point to flowing waters and turbulence at the lakeshore, presumably related to spring-fed streams originating from
nearby highlands. Palynological results reveal a very diverse zonal vegetation pattern around the palaeolakeshore
considering an area of investigation of approximately 50 9 75 m and a tessellated type of regional vegetation during
the formation of the archaeological horizons.On topographically lower elevated areas, birch groves and taxa favouring
wet, marshy conditions such as Cyperaceae, indicative of terrestrialization, were predominating, while other stands of
this transitional phase reveal a very dry, grass-dominated steppe woodland favouring a rich wildlife with a striking
number ofmegaherbivores.Our results suggest that the lithological differences of the ‘SpearHorizon’ layers containing
the archaeological findswere due to their respective topographical situation and that the layerswere deposited almost
simultaneously during the beginning of the lake level drop. Human activities seem to have concentrated in sparsely
vegetated areas along the palaeolakeshore, rather than in areas of adjacent denser birch swamp forest stands.