Late-Holocene palaeoclimatic change at the Dongnimdong archaeological site, Gwangju, SW Korea

Abstract

A late-Holocene swamp sediment record is presented from the Dongnimdong archaeological site in SW Korea. Pollen analysis, geochemical analyses and radiocarbon dating have been used to reconstruct the vegetation and climatic changes. According to the pollen records, temperate deciduous broadleaved trees combined with herbs predominated in the study area ecology. Reduction of deciduous broadleaved trees with the spread of herbaceous taxa found in the middle part ( c. 3300—2600 yr BP) indicates climatic change toward cooler and drier conditions. Significant increase in sand content and concomitant decrease in TOC content may suggest the occurrence of a period of drought. Vegetation changes recorded in the pollen sequence indicate the destruction of lowland deciduous forests and an accompanied expansion of grasses resulting from the climate changes. However, the increase of cultivation-accompanied herbs and excavated wooden tools for agriculture suggest the significant anthropogenic influence on the vegetation changes.

Modern pollen–climate relationships and their application for pollen-based quantitative climate reconstruction of the mid-Holocene on the southern Korean Peninsula

“…Q. subgen. Cyclobalanopsis and Alnus were strongly correlated with T ann and weakly correlated with P ann ; these genera are associated with a warm climate in the southern KP (Chung, 2007; Chung et al, 2014; Park et al, 2019; Soo Lim et al, 2007).…”