Short contribution: Mapping quaternary deposits as a method for explaining the distribution of mesolithic sites in reclaimed landscapes: An example from Vålse Vig, southeast Denmark

Abstract

AbstractArchaeological sites dating to the Ertebolle period of the Mesolithic have been recorded below a thin layer of marine sands in a reclaimed bay on northern Falster Island in Denmark. The finds seemed randomly distributed throughout the bay; there was no obvious pattern related to the modern landscape. However, by coring through the veneer of marine sands and mapping the pattern of the underlying Late Quaternary deposits, the authors were able to reconstruct the Mesolithic landscape and thereby explain the distribution of archaeological sites. This approach allows archaeologists to focus subsurface exploration in geomorphic settings, such as former fjords and coastlines that have a high potential for yielding prehistoric sites. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.