Abstract
Interglacial deposits in Denmark have traditionally been referred to the Cromerian complex (Hareskovian), Holsteinian or Eemian stages. However, based on studies of sediment cores from the deep sea many more than three Quaternary interglacials have been documented, and in other parts of north-western Europe it is becoming increasingly clear that the on-shore Quaternary sequences are much more complex than previously believed. Interglacial deposits are characterised by plant and animal remains indicating longer periods with climatic conditions similar to or warmer than today, whereas interstadial deposits were formed during shorter time spans and usually contain remains of relatively cold-adapted, arctic or sub-arctic species. Interglacial and interstadial deposits can be dated more or less precisely, and thus provide information about the relative age of glacial deposits.
Highlights
Interglacial deposits in Denmark have traditionally been referred to the Cromerian complex (Hareskovian), Holsteinian or Eemian stages
A few shells of freshwater gastropods were noted, and since pre-Holocene shell-bearing deposits are rare on Sjælland, we decided to analyse the macrofossil content
We initially assumed that the sediments were deposited in a lake during a Weichselian interstadial, because an interstadial deposit was reported from Måløv by Frederiksen & Rosbirk (1999)
Summary
Five sediment samples were available for analysis of macrofossils, each weighing around 1 kg. The samples were soaked in a NaOH solution at room temperature for two weeks and wet sieved on 0.4, 0.2 and 0.1 mm sieves. The residue left on the sieves was analysed using a dissecting microscope. The plant and animal remains studied are much larger than for example pollen grains or diatom frustules, and we call them macrofossils, even though for example ostracods are traditionally considered microfossils by palaeontologists. One of the samples did not contain any macrofossils, one contained only a few moss remains, one contained
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