Development of Sediments, Soils, Erosional Events, Molluscan and Vertebrate Assemblages in Connection with Human Impact in Central Europe During the Time Span 3,000 – 5,000 BP

Abstract

In central Europe there are numerous sites situated in karstlands and other calcareous areas that have provided evidence of depositional, pedogenic and erosional processes with which are associated molluscan and vertebrate faunas as well as human settlements. The evidence presented here demonstrates that the beginning of the “climatic optimum” (Latest Boreal-Early Atlantic) represents the most humid phase of the Holocene, immediately prior to the Neolithic occupation. Its decline was very abrupt as is documented by the sharp boundary between the Early Atlantic travertines and clastic sediments with early Neolithic pottery in many mid-European caves. The foam sinter horizons in caves and rock-shelters correspond to soil horizons with decalcified fine earth as well as to CaCO3 precipitates of calcareous springs, i.e. to a standstill phase in slope sedimentation (colluvia). In contrast, the decline of the Bronze Age (ca 1250–700 BC) is characterized by fossil soil horizons and scree intercalations in travertine sequences as well as by coarse debris and boulder scree accumulations in caves and talus deposits which indicate a dry but unbalanced (seasonally cold) climate. The timespan in the focus of the conference (3000–2000 BC) shows moist and dry oscillations represented by soils and clastic intercalations in travertine sequences and by humic screes in caves. Archaeologically this phase corresponds to the “Eneolithic,” a period characterized by numerous migrations and cultural changes. In Bohemia, the Late Eneolithic settlements are rather closely confined to the chernozem area and thus quite restricted in comparison with the areas cultivated during the Neolithic. Such phenomena as well as the decline of several animal species highly sensitive to environmental changes herald the start of significant climatic changes. which culminated later during the final Bronze Age.