Non-pollen Palynomorph Analyses Research Articles

Application of Phytolith (Microbiomorphic) and Non-Pollen Palynomorph Analyses to the Geoarchaeological Study of the Graft Farmyard, the Netherlands

The aim of the present paper is to discuss the application of phytolith (microbiomorphic) and non-pollen palynomorph (NPP) analyses to the geoarchaeological study of a Medieval – Early Modern Time period farmyard in Graft, a settlement located in the polder region of North Holland, the Netherlands. The authors have assessed the potential of the methods chosen for studying this type of archaeological site during rescue excavations, when archaeologists often have a limited number of samples or methods for geoarchaeological analysis. The studies conducted have proved the informative value and effectiveness of microbiomorphic and NPP analyses in rescue excavations, especially when applied in combination, thus providing controlling and complementary information for each analysis. The data obtained have provided an important insight into the archaeological interpretation of the cultural layer within the farmyard. In addition, more information was gained on the local palaeoenvironmental dynamics and the phases of economic activity at the farmyard during the 13th–17th centuries CE.

Multi-profile fine-resolution palynology of Late Mesolithic to Bronze Age peat at Cat Stones, Rishworth Moor, Central Pennines, UK

Palynological data from three radiocarbon dated peat profiles at Rishworth Moor in the Pennine hills of northern England provide a record of vegetation change and human impacts in the Late Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age periods. All three cultures have archaeological sites present in the vicinity, with Late Mesolithic sites by far the most abundant, comprising mainly very late assemblages dominated by ‘rod’-shaped microliths. Pollen evidence of vegetation disturbance occurs during all three archaeological periods, and is attributed to the results of human activity. Microscopic charcoal and non-pollen palynomorph analyses support the pollen evidence. Sites at Cat Stones 2 and Cat Stones 3 record evidence of Neolithic and Bronze Age date only. Cat Stones 1 extends into the Late Mesolithic period, and fine-resolution pollen analyses have been applied in this profile to the Mesolithic–Neolithic transition leading up to the mid-Holocene Elm ( Ulmus) Decline, which starts here at c. 494014C BP (5670 cal. BP), a typical date for it in the central Pennines. Bayesian age-depth modelling provides precise ages for the vegetation changes and their spatial correlation. The plateau was dominated by scrub and grassy Calluna heath from the Late Mesolithic onwards. Elevated microscopic charcoal levels and ruderal herb pollen record phases of fire disturbance below the Elm Decline, including a grain of Hordeum cereal-type. Whether this grain represents early cultivation requires further research. Bronze Age impacts are of greater intensity, but disturbances of all three cultural periods are low scale, agreeing with the results of previous research in the Pennines.

Neanderthal plant use and stone tool function investigated through non-pollen palynomorphs analyses and pollen washes in the Abri du Maras, South-East France

This pioneering research performed at the Abri du Maras (Ardèche, South-East France) explores the potential of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) to provide new insights into the relationships between Neanderthals and plant resources. Remains of endophytic fungi found during the analysis are key indicators of the local presence of plants, which could have potentially been used by Neanderthal groups. The recording of high concentrations of Chaetomium-type (HdV-7A) in archaeological contexts from localized areas within the shelter suggests the local presence of decayed plants near an in situ fireplace. This could point to the use of grasses or other types of plants from aquatic or marshy areas such as reed and rushes for a surface preparation (bedding?) near the fireplace. Our research has also applied for the first time a combined study of archaeological sediments and pollen washes of artefacts following a microspatial approach in the study of Middle Palaeolithic archaeological contexts. One artefact (1079), identified as a sidescrapper, provided positive results, with the recording of high concentrations of Diporotheca webbiae-type (HdV-143). We could identify the host plant of the fungal signature documented on the tool surface as alder roots by comparing archaeobotanical results with NPP analyses in modern surface samples. Following this, we have proposed the use of this Middle Palaeolithic sidescrapper for processing this plant by Neanderthal groups. Marsh and riparian ecosystems were thus attractive for Neanderthals occupying the Abri du Maras. This study clearly shows that NPP must be considered as key taphonomical, environmental and cultural indicators in archaeobotanical analyses. It also underlines the contribution of combined studies of archaeological sediments and pollen washes of artefacts following a microspatial approach to a better understanding of Middle Palaeolithic lithic tools and plant use relationships.

Unravelling the Holocene environmental history of south-western Iberia through a palynological study of Lake Medina sediments

Lake Medina is a small, shallow and endorheic salt lake sensitive to climate variation in south-western Spain, close to Cádiz in western Andalusia. It is located in an evaporitic and karstic environment, and a saline lake affected by highly seasonal precipitation and evaporation. Geochemical and mineralogical data of core CO1313 combined with a robust age model show variation that contributes to the understanding of palaeoenvironmental and palaeoclimatic change. This study shows a pollen record that has been conducted on core CO1313, together with charcoal and non-pollen palynomorph analyses. The environmental and climatological history reconstruction of Lake Medina starts in early Holocene times (at 9.5 cal. ka BP) and shows intensified pasture and land use during middle-Holocene times as well as the 8.2 and 4.2 cal. ka BP abrupt climate events. Oxidation of plant remnants and resulting non-preservation at certain times reinforces the hypothesis of intense climate effects on vegetation during the 4.2 cal. ka BP climate event. Yet, oxidation of plant residues during other episodes shows other periods that were also affected by reduced precipitation. From around 2 cal. ka BP onwards, a recent trend towards aridification and enforced seasonality was detected.

Akinetes and ancient DNA reveal toxic cyanobacterial recurrences and their potential for resurrection in a 6700-year-old core from a eutrophic lake

In order to evaluate the recurrence of toxic cyanobacterial blooms and to determine the survival capabilities of the resistance cells through time, a sedimentary core spanning 6700 years was drilled in the eutrophic Lake Aydat. A multiproxy approach (density, magnetic susceptibility, XRF, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses), was used initially to determine the sedimentation model and the land uses around the lake. Comparison with the akinete count revealed that Nostocales cyanobacteria have been present in Lake Aydat over a six thousand year period. This long-term cyanobacterial recurrence also highlights the past presence of both the anaC and mcyB genes, involved in anatoxin-a and microcystin biosynthesis, respectively, throughout the core. The first appearance of cyanobacteria seems to be linked to the natural damming of the river, while the large increase in akinete density around 1800 cal.yr BP can be correlated with the intensification of human activities (woodland clearance, crop planting, grazing, etc.) in the catchment area of the lake, and marks the beginning of a long period of eutrophication. This first investigation into the viability and germination potential of cyanobacteria over thousands of years reveals the ability of intact akinetes to undergo cell divisions even after 1800 years of sedimentation, which is 10 times longer than previously observed. This exceptional cellular resistance, coupled with the long-term eutrophic conditions of this lake, could partly explain the past and current recurrences of cyanobacterial proliferations.

Feeding the Crusades: Archaeobotany, Animal Husbandry and Livestock Alimentation on the Baltic Frontier

ABSTRACTThe integrated results of micromorphology, plant macrofossil, pollen, phytolith, and non-pollen palynomorph analyses represent an important study of two thirteenth-century Teutonic Order castles at Karksi (Livonia), and Elbląg (Prussia). The research examines deposits that formed during the period of active crusading. At Karksi, the investigation of a midden and of the organic-rich sediment beneath allows the diachronic use of this area to be understood. Freshwater aquatic indicators are consistent with the occurrence of shallow stagnant water, as also suggested by a waterlaid pond sediment identified in thin-section. Coprophilous spore taxa suggest the use of the pond as a watering hole. Plant macrofossils from the midden represent a range of habitats, mostly from wet/damp areas, as well as pastures and meadows, and also woodlands. Fragments of millet are embedded within herbivore dung in thin-section showing the use of this grain as fodder. At Elbląg, parasite ova may derive from animal feces as they also occur in the dung observed in thin-section, and a range of coprophilous fungal spore taxa were extracted. The results reveal information about the range of livestock that the Teutonic Knights kept, whereabouts within the castles the animals were stabled, and what fodder was used.

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses of Upper Holocene sediments from Dianshan, Yangtze coastal lowlands, China: Hydrology, vegetation history and human activity

The coastal deltaic plain of the Yangtze River between Taihu (Lake Tai) and Shanghai in eastern China has been the scene of human settlement and agriculture since the early Neolithic, becoming increasingly intensive in the Upper Holocene when delta accretion and the establishment of a stable hydrological regime of freshwater lakes and wetlands allowed the development of extensive agriculture and complex society in late prehistoric and dynastic times. During this period the area was significantly affected by changes in sea level, climate and vegetation, resulting in a dynamic and complex environmental history, however little research has concentrated on environmental change and human impacts during the last few millennia. This study focuses on this late period, presenting the results of integrated sedimentary, microfossil and radiocarbon analyses from a core near the eastern margin of Lake Dianshan, to the east of Taihu. After the withdrawal of intertidal conditions and the conversion to freshwater lake at the core site about 2600 cal. yr BP, pollen and algal spore data show that increased sedimentation gradually reduced freshwater depth until a surface peat formed ca. 1500 cal. yr BP. This also dates the start of a switch in woodlands from sub-tropical and warm temperate trees to a mainly cool temperate and coniferous tree flora, under climatic cooling and human impact. After this time water depths at the site increased greatly, partly due to climate change and flooding, but also because of the establishment of deepwater ‘paddy’ agriculture. Microcharcoal and pollen data show that a major episode of human impact using fire, with deforestation and rice cultivation, occurred between ca. 1500 and 1200 cal. yr BP. These dates suggest it is one of the latest examples of ‘flooded-field’ ‘paddy’ cultivation before more intensive agricultural techniques were adopted in the area after ca. 800 cal. yr BP.

Multiproxy studies on dung of endangered Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii) and Hog deer (Axis porcinus) from Manipur, India: Implications for paleoherbivory and paleoecology

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses of 16 summer and winter dung samples of two endangered deer species, Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii M'clelland) and Hog deer (Axis porcinus Zimmermann) from Keibul Lamjao National Park of Manipur, northeast India, was undertaken to examine the dietary preferences of these species in relation to the vegetation and ecology of the region. Grass is the primary food for both the deer species, which though obvious based on direct observation, is also supported by our dataset, as indicated by the abundance of grass pollen and phytoliths in the dung assemblage. Additionally, marshy and aquatic taxa are present and indicative of the importance of these plants in the diet of both species and indicate the utilization of the perennial water-logged habitat present in the region. The relative abundance and diversity of arboreal taxa in the summer dung samples is consistent with the extant vegetation. Fungal spores, especially coprophilous fungi, were consistently present in the assemblage, although in low values. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopic (EDS) analysis on the dung samples indicates that silica content was higher in the winter season compared to the summer dung samples. Multivariate principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to the quantified data obtained from pollen and phytolith frequency analyses of the dung samples and clearly revealed a significant variation in vegetation types based on pollen and phytoliths. These generated data will be helpful to document and understand seasonal difference in dietary preferences and ecology of the two deer species along with the other associated herbivores in the region. The palynodata is also useful in tracing the relationship between modern pollen and vegetation, which is challenging to accomplish systematically due to seasonal flooding of the region.

Palynology of Iron Age and Gallo-Roman archaeological sediments from Beaurieux Les Grèves, Aisne, France

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses conducted on archaeological sediments from ditches and pits are used to investigate land-use and vegetation history around the long-lived rural settlement of Beaurieux Les Greves in the Aisne valley, Picardy, northern France. Samples were examined from successive phases spanning the 8th century bc to the 3rd century ad. Each phase showed evidence of agriculture and human impact on the environment. The earliest occupation was during the early Iron Age, and the area around the site was shown to have been almost completely deforested and mainly pasture. The later Iron Age supported mixed agriculture, probably with pasture around the settlement site and cereal fields further away. In Gallo-Roman times there was mixed farming with considerable cereal cultivation, although the area near the site was mainly pasture or abandoned land. Late Gallo-Roman times saw a reduction in agricultural activity and some regeneration of heath and scrub vegetation. Coprophilous fungal spores are conspicuous and indicate the importance of animal husbandry on and around the site. The data from Beaurieux Les Greves augment earlier analyses from settlements and natural deposits in the Aisne valley in suggesting almost complete deforestation for agricultural land use within the valley bottom, although some woodland undoubtedly survived on the steeper valley sides and nearby plateaux. It agrees with the pollen evidence from the wider region of north-eastern France that shows clearance of Fagus-dominated woodland for mixed agriculture in late Iron Age and Gallo-Roman times, and increasingly for arable cultivation. This was responsible for effecting a transformation from a partly wooded to a mainly open landscape.

Vegetation and Climate History of the Harenna Forest (Bale Mountains, Ethiopia) in the Holocene

The results of spore-pollen analysis and analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs of the Katcha zoogenic deposit, located in the Harenna Forest (Bale Mountains National Park, Ethiopia) are presented. It is revealed that bamboo monodominant communities have inhabited areas at altitudes of 2700–2800 m above sea level for at least the past 6500 years. A trend towards a decrease in bamboo communities due to climate aridization in the last 5000 years has been revealed. It is established that active human impact on these ecosystems began 1000 years ago.

Contribution of non-pollen palynomorphs to reconstructions of land-use changes and lake eutrophication: case study from Lake Jaczno, northeastern Poland

Abstract Analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs supplemented by pollen analysis, microcharcoal analysis and geochemical data from laminated sediments from Lake Jaczno were used to establish different phases of land-use in the catchment between c.a. AD 1840 and AD 2013. The results show that during the first eighty years the vicinity of the lake was heavily deforested. During this period erosional inputs caused accumulation of abundant fungal spores, indicators of pastures and natural fertilizers (manure) as well as of corroded pollen grains and charcoal. Gradual regeneration of forest cover took place after World War II, when expansion of pioneer trees occurred (Betula, Salix, Carpinus, Populus). At the same time, a considerable increase in the lake trophy was observed, leading to the changes in phytoplankton and macrophyte communities: a decrease in the proportion of Botryococcus and an increase in the Nymphaea alba population. The non-pollen palynomorphs analyses indicate the substantial human impact that caused changing local environmental conditions, compatible with the results based on pollen analysis and geochemical data.

Human impact and ecological changes in lakeshore environments. The contribution of non-pollen palynomorphs in Lake Banyoles (NE Iberia)

The analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP) provides useful information about local environmental conditions. The study of a core from Lake Banyoles (Girona, NE Iberia) enabled the reconstruction of ecological changes and assessment of human impact in a lakeshore environment during the Mid-Holocene. This work aims to fill the gap in knowledge about the ecological significance of NPP in lowland areas in NE Iberia, and provides descriptions and illustrations of new types documented.Deforestation induced by Early Neolithic communities caused the proliferation of lignicolous fungi in decaying wood and an increase in soil erosion. The input of allochthonous mud led to higher turbidity in the lake water, causing a succession in aquatic organisms, from cyanobacteria to green algae. In that context, a group of erosion-associated fungal spore types were recorded. Indicators of soil disturbance and coprophilous fungi were recorded from 5000 to 4200cal BP, linked with local habitation during the Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic. The NPP analysis reflects the significant human impact that caused changing local environmental conditions, consistent with the signals based on pollen analysis.

Organic inclusions in Middle and Late Iron Age (5th–12th century) hand-built pottery in present-day Latvia

The fabric of Iron Age pottery from Latvia has generally been analysed as a body consisting of clay and mineral inclusions. Sometimes, organic inclusions are also found in pottery, either naturally occurring or artificially incorporated. This study discusses Iron Age pottery fabric, specifically focussing on organic inclusions, which have previously not been adequately investigated in Latvia. We experimentally tested firing temperatures to establish the temperature limit for preservation of organic matter in pottery and tested a variety of organic materials in different proportions for the purpose of comparison with archaeological pottery, in order to ascertain the possible content of the fabric used in the hand-built pottery of the Middle and Late Iron Age (5th–12th centuries) in present-day Latvia. Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analysis was applied with the aim of assessing the possible origin and composition of the organic matter in the archaeological pottery fabrics.The results of this study demonstrate that the dark colouration produced by organic matter in the core of the experimental ceramic fabric is preserved up to a temperature 700 °C. Pottery firing experiments show that chaff and flax shives left medium-to coarse-grained inclusions in the structure, resembling the archaeological pottery. On the other hand, experimental samples with seeds did not correspond exactly to any of the known ancient wares. The presence of spores of coprophilous fungi Sporormiella and Apiosordaria suggests that the fabric of a small number of Iron Age pottery samples analysed in the present study could possibly contain animal dung.

Climatic and palaeoecological changes during the mid- to Late Holocene transition in eastern China: high-resolution pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analysis at Pingwang, Yangtze coastal lowlands

The transition to the Late Holocene/Neoglacial occurred as a worldwide process of climatic deterioration from the optimum thermal conditions of the mid-Holocene, culminating in an abrupt decline around 4200 cal yr ago, in a period of severe climatic deterioration that lasted for two or three centuries. This sudden climatic event has been recorded in many proxy data archives from around the world, and its effects were manifest in different ways depending on the reaction of regional weather systems and conditions, but often as greatly increased aridity and/or cold temperatures. It has been regarded as causing or contributing to the sudden collapse of several well-established human societies at that time, including advanced agricultural Late Neolithic cultures in eastern China. We have used high-resolution pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analysis to examine the nature of this climatic transition through its impacts on the vegetation and hydrology at Pingwang, a site in the Yangtze coastal lowlands which has no evidence of complicating environmental influences such as sea-level rise or significant human land-use activity, factors previously suggested as alternative reasons for changes in forest composition. Our results show two phases of forest alteration, one gradual from about 5500 cal BP and one sudden at about 4200 cal BP., in which the frequencies of subtropical forest elements fall and are replaced by those of conifers and cold-tolerant trees. Total arboreal pollen frequencies do not decline and the proportion of temperate forest trees, tolerant of a wide range of temperatures, remains unchanged throughout, both ruling out human land clearance as a cause of the change in forest composition. As these dates accord very well with the known timings of climate deterioration established from other proxy archives in the region, we conclude that climate was the main driver of vegetation change in eastern China at the mid- to Late Holocene transition. Our hydrological results support the view that a combination of rising local water level and climatic cooling during the 4200 cal BP event was the probable cause of societal collapse in the lower Yangtze valley.

6700 yr sedimentary record of climatic and anthropogenic signals in Lake Aydat (French Massif Central)

A 19 m long sedimentary record retrieved in Lake Aydat (French Massif Central) covers the last 6700 yr at a high resolution. A multiproxy approach (density, magnetic susceptibility, XRF, Rock-Eval, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses and a historical archives study) was used to characterise and propose a model of sedimentation. The high deposition rate results from the combined effects of the high suspension load of the river, autochthonous production and the narrow shape of the incised fluvial valley dammed by a lava flow c. 8550 years ago. Two contrasted periods (6700±200 to 3180±90 cal. BP, and 1770±60 cal. BP to present) were characterized. The lower unit (mid Holocene) displays a fine and regular lamination and holds a single, major, flood deposit. This unit is capped by an erosive mass-wasting deposit triggered c. 1770±60 cal. BP. The upper unit (late Holocene) is made of organic-rich and fine-grained faintly laminated sediment, with numerous interbedded flood deposits and diatom blooms. The sedimentation was principally controlled by climatic forcings until c. 1100 cal. BP, accompanied by detrital events linked to human activities around the lake. Then, a more detrital input attested by numerous and recurrent flood deposits can be linked to the intensification of a persistent anthropogenic impact on the catchment. Two phases of lake eutrophication are highlighted: 1200–1130 cal. BP, as a result of increased anthropogenic pressure, and the current phase that could have started c. 150 cal. BP.

Expanding NPP analysis to eutrophic and forested sites: Significance of NPPs in a Holocene wood peat section (NE Germany)

Alnus glutinosa-dominated peatlands are widespread in central Europe, but the generally bad preservation of micro- and macrofossils has hampered palaeoecological research of their peats. Because of its large carbon sequestration rate, however, peat accumulation in forested peatlands is of special interest for climate change research. This study identifies indicator groups for various types of alder (A. glutinosa) carr and sedge (Carex) fen vegetation, elaborated by analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) from peat and surface samples. The indicator value of fungal spores and decomposition products of wood was tested by correlation with pollen (especially alnus) and macrofossils. Only few indicators of alder carr also occurred with low and constant values during distinct open sedge fen phases, which indicates that small and plane shaped NPPs can be dispersed extra-locally. The diversity and abundance of NPPs appeared to depend on vegetation type and resulting nutrient supply and to water regime and resulting decomposition intensity during peat development.

Non-pollen palynomorphs: From unknown curiosities to informative fossils. Celebrating the scientific career of Bas van Geel

This paper is dedicated to the scientific career of Bas van Geel at the moment of his retirement from the University of Amsterdam. The development of the research line of non-pollen palynomorph analysis is compared with other developments in palaeoecology.

Late Mesolithic environmental change at Black Heath, south Pennines, UK: a test of Mesolithic woodland management models using pollen, charcoal and non-pollen palynomorph data

The recognition of Mesolithic impacts in mid Holocene pollen diagrams of the British Isles has led to the development of models describing sophisticated woodland management, particularly through the use of fire, by Mesolithic populations. However, the significance of human agency in creating mid Holocene woodland disturbances is unclear, with natural and human-induced clearings arguably indistinguishable in the pollen record. Analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) should aid the identification of events and processes occurring within these woodland disturbances and provide more precise palaeoecological data. In this paper we present pollen, charcoal and NPP analyses from a potentially critical location in the Mesolithic impacts debate. NPP types aid significantly in the reconstructions, suggesting periods of dead wood, grazing, local burning and wetter ground conditions. The results indicate that between 7700 and 6800 cal b.p., a predominantly wooded environment periodically gave way to phases of more open woodland, with inconsistent evidence for animal grazing. From 6800 cal b.p., a phase of open woodland associated with high charcoal concentrations and indicators of grazing was observed. This probably represents the deliberate firing of vegetation to improve grazing and browse resources, although it remains unclear whether fire was responsible for initially creating the woodland opening, or if it was part of an opportunistic use of naturally occurring woodland clearings.

Indicative value of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) and palynofacies for palaeoreconstructions: Holocene Peat, Brazil

Abstract The results of the palynological study of the samples from the core, performed in the Aguas Claras peatland, RS, Brazil (50°45′00″W, 30°00′15″S), focus on detailed taxonomic analysis of non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) and palynofacies from the Holocene peat and underline the Late Pleistocene mud and sandy mud that were represented. NPPs from the samples revealed taxonomic variety of fungal palynomorphs, presented by Brachysporium , Clastesporium , Dicellaesporites , Dicellaeporisporites , Gelasinospora , Glomus , Sordaria , Helicoon , and others. The habitats of above mentioned taxa are varied: aquatic, mycorrhizal, parasitic, organic matter decaying, and dung-coprophilous. Freshwater algal palynomorphs were composed of Botryococcus , Closterium , Debarya , Mougeotia , Pseudoschizaea , Spirogyra , and Zygnema . The percentage ratio between algal and fungal palynomorphs was changed from the different samples of the core, reflecting climatic oscillations (more humid-dryer). Prevalence of fungal palynomorphs was connected with dryer climate, and on the contrary, freshwater algal palynomorph predominance was related with increasing humidity. The six palynomorph zones that corresponded to the six principal phases of environmental and climatic changes were determined. The zone from the uppermost part of peat was characterized by relatively frequent dung-coprophilous and parasitic fungi, as a result of agricultural and domestic activities. Palynofacies analysis combined to NPPs was used for palaeoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions. Palynofacies from the samples were characterized by evident changes in relationship (%) between the different types of organic matter, their quality, and quantity and fluorescence index. The obtained data contribute to the understanding of the peat deposition. The combined use of NPPs and palynofacies analyses provided a valuable approach for the paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstructions.

Pollen and non-pollen palynomorph evidence of medieval farming activities in southwestern Greenland

Radiocarbon dating, pollen and non-pollen palynomorph analyses from a lake core were used to establish the timing and effects of farming activities around Lake Igaliku, Eastern Settlement, Greenland. The absence of agro-pastoral impact before the medieval colonization by Europeans provides an opportunity to understand the development of farming activity in a pristine landscape. The results show that the first phase of clearance and grazing pressure, without the expansion of the Norse apophyte (native plant, in habitats created by humans) Rumex acetosa type, could have occurred in the 9–10th century a.d. The presence of Norse settlers and livestock is clearly recorded from the 11–12th century a.d. with increasing frequencies of the Norse apophytes Rumex acetosa type and Ranunculus acris type, and coprophilous fungi. This colonization phase is followed by a period of decreasing human impact at the beginning of the 14th century, with a decrease in weeds, apophytes and coprophilous fungi suggesting a reduced grazing pressure. The regrowth of Salix and Betula and the disappearance of anthropogenic indicators except Rumex acetosa type between the 15th and 18th century demonstrate the abandonment of the settlement, until the development of contemporary agriculture in the 20th century.