Modern pollen studies in the territory of Sagalassos (Southwest Turkey) and their use in the interpretation of a Late Holocene pollen diagram

Abstract

Modern pollen precipitation studies were carried out on a regional scale in the territory of the classical city of Sagalassos (Southwest Turkey). 57 moss cushions and 7 soil samples from different vegetation types were analysed palynologically. The resulting pollen spectra were grouped into 14 vegetation groups, which were examined using discriminant analysis and principal components analysis. These numerical procedures are applied to display the structure in the data set in a comprehensive way. Some of the modern spectra groups seem to be well-defined, whereas others are difficult to distinguish from each other. After the relationships between the modern pollen spectra had been analysed, the fossil data from a core from the marsh of Gravgaz were added to the data set so that any similarities between fossil and modern spectra could be seen. A joint principal components analysis of the modern and fossil pollen spectra revealed that the pollen spectra from the earliest (ca. 2600–2500 BP; Cal. 830–590 BC till 790–520 BC) and the latest (starting at ca. 1300 BP; Cal. 660–780 AD) pollen assemblage zones have modern counterparts. On the other hand, the pollen spectra from the pollen assemblage zone dominated by Artemisia (ca. 2500–2300 BP; Cal. 790–520 BC till 410–210 BC) and from the pollen assemblage zone that indicated the practice of arboriculture (ca. 2300–1300 BP; Cal. 410–210 BC till 660–780 AD) have no close modern analogues, although individual tabulated pollen percentages revealed some similarities with some modern spectra groups.