Early Holocene vegetation development at Mesolithic fen dwelling sites in Dagsmosse, south-central Sweden, and its implications for understanding environment–human dynamics at various scales

Abstract

Recent discoveries of several Mesolithic sites within the Dagsmosse Basin, south-central Sweden, offer an opportunity to study the lifestyle and skillsets of Mesolithic hunter-gatherer-fishers operating in wetland environments. In this paper, we present a combined archaeological and palaeoecological analysis of a Mesolithic fenland environment using Repetitive-Proxy Pollen Analysis (RPPA) of early Holocene sequences. Based on comparison of stratigraphic profiles from two cores within the basin, we infer that the variance in pollen composition and anthropogenic signals reflect variability in human/vegetation interactions in the fenland, at different distances to the main human dwelling at Jussberg (9.0–8.2 ka cal BP). Our study describes the socio-environmental relations within the wetland and adjacent terrestrial areas, providing a basis for tracking changes in forager interactions with their surroundings during the Mesolithic. Pollen analysis is consistent with the previously established sequence of settlement phases and extent as well as providing new data concerning the anthropogenic impacts on plant communities within the wetland including the use, reuse, and management of vegetation taxa. Correlations between palaeoecological and archaeological data demonstrate that forager communities (i) prevailed in the open fenland landscape between 9.3 and 8.2 ka cal BP, (ii) actively altered taxa composition through small-scale clearings of pine (Pinus), birch (Betula) and sedges (Cyperaceae) and (iii) reduced canopy cover, possibly to intentionally encourage the growth of taxa such as hazel (Corylus), but that also promoted the establishment of pioneer plants such as mugwort (Artemisia) and bracken (Pteridium).