Human activity and the environment during the Late Iron Age and Middle Ages at the Impiltis archaeological site, NW Lithuania

Stančikaitė, Miglė; Šinkūnas, Petras; Risberg, Jan; Šeirienė, Vaida; Blažauskas, Nerijus; Jarockis, Romas; Karlsson, P. S.; Miller, Urve

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2008.04.018

Cited by 20 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…In northeast Lithuania, a reduction in woodland and an increase in agricultural activity of Late Iron Age date is apparent in pollen sequences from Lake Biržulis (Li-2; Stančikaitė et al 2006), the Baltija Uplands (Li-4; Stančikaitė et al 2004) and from Impiltis Iron Age hill-fort on the Curonian coast (Li-1; Stančikaitė et al 2009), followed by a regression in human activity during the medieval period. This is most obvious from Impiltis, where there is significant woodland regeneration and a reduction in agricultural activity from ca.…”

Section: I V O N I a ( F I G 6 ) S O U T H E R N L I V O N I A ( mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is most obvious from Impiltis, where there is significant woodland regeneration and a reduction in agricultural activity from ca. AD 1250, which is argued to reflect the changing social and political situation in Curonia at this time (Stančikaitė et al 2009); the area remained an active frontier zone between Livonia and Lithuania into the 16th century. Written sources nonetheless show that Lithuanian timber was being exported to Königsberg and Danzig from the early 15th century, increasing after the defeat of the Teutonic Order at Grünwald in 1410, but that Lithuanian woodlands were most extensively exploited from the mid-16th century (Pukienė, Ožalas 2007).…”

Section: I V O N I a ( F I G 6 ) S O U T H E R N L I V O N I A ( mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Medieval Landscape Transformation in the Southeast and Eastern Baltic: Palaeoenvironmental Perspectives on the Colanisation of Frontier Landscapes

Brown

Pluskowski

2013

Archaeologia Baltica

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The history of the medieval Baltic is dominated by the crusading movement of the 13th to 15th centuries. The crusades resulted in significant changes to the organisation, ownership and administration of the landscape, with a significant shift in patterns of land use. However, our understanding of the environmental impact of the crusades has been almost exclusively informed by written sources. This paper synthesises existing palynological evidence for medieval landscape transformation in the southeast and eastern Baltic, focusing on the ecological impact of the crusading movement, and considers some key questions, challenges and priorities for future research.

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Section: I V O N I a ( F I G 6 ) S O U T H E R N L I V O N I A ( mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: I V O N I a ( F I G 6 ) S O U T H E R N L I V O N I A ( mentioning

confidence: 99%

Medieval Landscape Transformation in the Southeast and Eastern Baltic: Palaeoenvironmental Perspectives on the Colanisation of Frontier Landscapes

Brown

Pluskowski

2013

Archaeologia Baltica

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“…Clearance was common in both established and marginal agricultural areas in Northwest Europe. Archaeological and historical data indicate that remote parts in the eastern Baltic region were in a period of general demographic and economic expansion around 800-1300 AD (Taavitsainen et al, 1998;Stanèikaite et al, 2009). There is evidence of intensive human impact starting around AD 900 in northwestern Lithuania, eastern Baltic region (Stanèikaite et al, 2009).…”

Section: Land Use Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Archaeological and historical data indicate that remote parts in the eastern Baltic region were in a period of general demographic and economic expansion around 800-1300 AD (Taavitsainen et al, 1998;Stanèikaite et al, 2009). There is evidence of intensive human impact starting around AD 900 in northwestern Lithuania, eastern Baltic region (Stanèikaite et al, 2009). The most prominent early agricultural activity has been dated to c. 1050-1250 AD, when forested areas were converted into cultivated fields and settled agriculture developed (Stanèikaite et al, 2009).…”

Section: Land Use Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is evidence of intensive human impact starting around AD 900 in northwestern Lithuania, eastern Baltic region (Stanèikaite et al, 2009). The most prominent early agricultural activity has been dated to c. 1050-1250 AD, when forested areas were converted into cultivated fields and settled agriculture developed (Stanèikaite et al, 2009). Furthermore, palaeoecological studies from the remote eastern interior of Finland reveal an exponential rise in cereal pollen concentrations at the turn of the last millennia, indicating significant increase of arable land during the early Medieval expansion (Taavitsainen et al, 1998).…”

Section: Land Use Changesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Hypoxia and cyanobacteria blooms - are they really natural features of the late Holocene history of the Baltic Sea?

Zillén

Conley

2010

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. During the last century (1900s) industrialized forms of agriculture and human activities have caused eutrophication of Baltic Sea waters. As a consequence, the hypoxic zone in the Baltic Sea has increased, especially during the last 50 years, and has caused severe ecosystem disturbance. Climate forcing has been proposed to be responsible for the reported trends in hypoxia (<2 mg/l O 2 ) both during the last c. 100 years (since c. 1900 AD) and the Medieval Period. By contrast, investigations of the degree of anthropogenic forcing on the ecosystem on long time-scales (millennial and greater) have not been thoroughly addressed. This paper examines evidence for anthropogenic disturbance of the marine environment beyond the last century through the analysis of the human population growth, technological development and land-use changes in the drainage area. Natural environmental changes, i.e. changes in the morphology and depths of the Baltic basin and the sills, were probably the main driver for large-scale hypoxia during the early Holocene (8000-4000 cal yr BP). We show that hypoxia during the last two millennia has followed the general expansion and contraction trends in Europe and that human perturbation has been an important driver for hypoxia during that time. Hypoxia occurring during the Medieval Period coincides with a doubling of the population (from c. 4.6 to 9.5 million) in the Baltic Sea watershed, a massive reclamation of land in both established and marginal cultivated areas and significant increases in soil nutrient release. The role of climate forcing on hypoxia in the Baltic Sea has yet to be demonstrated convincingly, although it could have helped to sustain hypoxia through enhanced salt water inflows or through changes in hydrological inputs. In addition, cyanobacteria blooms are not natural features of the Baltic Sea as previously deduced, but are a consequence of enhanced phosphorus release from the seabed that occurs during hypoxia.

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Palynological investigations at the Late Bronze–Early Iron Age lakeshore settlement of Luokesa 1 (Moletai District, Lithuania): a contribution to the Middle-Late Holocene vegetation history of the south-eastern Baltic regions

Heitz-Weniger

2014

Veget Hist Archaeobot

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Today, the settlement site of Luokesa 1 (L1) lies under water at the northern edge of Lake Luokesa in the Baltic Uplands, southeastern Lithuania. Its 60 cmthick Late Bronze-Early Iron Age cultural layer lies on top of lake marl. During excavations in 2008 and 2009, core samples at L1 were taken for the purpose of multidisciplinary investigations. From this material, five on-site pollen diagrams were created in parallel with geoarchaeological investigations and the examination of the botanical macro-remains. Two of these cores mainly comprised the cultural layer, another two consisted largely of the underlying lake marl and the fifth contained primarily the transition from the lake marl to the cultural layer. The chronological sequence was established through 11 AMS dates. The woodland history, starting from the Late Atlantic period, was recorded. The Quercetum mixtum values are quite low in the Subboreal, with the coniferous forest consisting mainly of Pinus and, though significantly less, Picea. At the transition to the cultural layer (Subatlantic) the pollen curves are highly variable, showing peaks in the curves for Betula and Alnus. Pollen from aquatic plants is also present. Changes in riparian vegetation and turbulent sedimentation conditions are to be expected and can be explained by a drop in the water level. As L1 was located on damp ground at that time, water influxes alternating with dry episodes were observed. In the area around L1 the sedge belt was less pronounced, and riparian woodland extended all the way to the shores of the lake. Pollen analyses of four sheep/goat dung samples provide information on the grazing season and pasture location of these domestic animals. The paper also discusses layer formation processes such as water level fluctuations and hiatuses. Keywords Pollen Á On-site investigation Á Lake level fluctuation Á Cultural layer Á Riparian woodland Á Human impact Communicated by F. Bittmann.

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Human activity and the environment during the Late Iron Age and Middle Ages at the Impiltis archaeological site, NW Lithuania

Cited by 20 publications

References 18 publications

Medieval Landscape Transformation in the Southeast and Eastern Baltic: Palaeoenvironmental Perspectives on the Colanisation of Frontier Landscapes

Medieval Landscape Transformation in the Southeast and Eastern Baltic: Palaeoenvironmental Perspectives on the Colanisation of Frontier Landscapes

Hypoxia and cyanobacteria blooms - are they really natural features of the late Holocene history of the Baltic Sea?

Palynological investigations at the Late Bronze–Early Iron Age lakeshore settlement of Luokesa 1 (Moletai District, Lithuania): a contribution to the Middle-Late Holocene vegetation history of the south-eastern Baltic regions

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