Lateglacial and Holocene fluvial dynamics in the Lower Scheldt basin (N-Belgium) and their impact on the presence, detection and preservation potential of the archaeological record

Meylemans, Erwin; Bogemans, Frieda; Storme, Annelies; Perdaen, Yves; Verdurmen, Inge; Deforce, Koen

doi:10.1016/j.quaint.2013.03.034

Cited by 31 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(44 reference statements)

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“…() and Meylemans et al . (), and described as ‘zones of fine clastic sediments, interrupting the peat growth’. In the Dijle valley (eastern Scheldt Basin, Belgium) deposits of fine to medium sand in coarse fluvial cross‐bedding are described, intercalated with peaty silt layers that increase upward in number and thickness (De Smedt ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Meylemans et al . ; Boulen et al . ) and its tributaries (Vandenberghe & de Smedt ; Notebaert et al .…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Meylemans et al . ), which reworked the aeolian sediments and evacuated part of it, lowering and flattening a part of the valley floor. The flattened part became the flood‐plain for the Lateglacial and Early Holocene Scheldt (Kiden ; Bogemans et al .…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Meylemans et al . ; D'Haese ). This peat was formed in an environment of first fens, succeeded by carr vegetation (Storme et al .…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…), increased human impact on the surrounding landscape caused the formation of the modern meandering river system with small dimensions, and associated mud accumulation on the flood‐plains (Meylemans et al . ; Broothaerts et al . ).…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Ecology and fluvial dynamics of an Early Holocene medium‐sized European lowland river valley (Upper Scheldt, northern Belgium)

Storme

Bastiaens

Crombé

et al. 2018

Boreas

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The fluvial environment of Early Holocene small‐ to middle‐sized lowland rivers in northwest Europe is mostly unstudied due to a lack of preserved and accessible deposits. A rescue excavation in the Scheldt valley in northern Belgium offered the opportunity to study a Boreal alluvial succession in detail. The results of palaeoecological and sedimentological analyses (diatoms, pollen, botanical macro‐remains, molluscs, grain size) characterize the biotic and physical environment in the middle reach of this medium‐sized river system. Although the Early Holocene in the Scheldt Basin has often been portrayed as a period of fluvial stability with marshy conditions and diffuse discharge, this study showed evidence of point bar formation by a small, low‐energy meandering river between ~9.5 and ~8.8 cal. ka BP. The point bar was at least temporarily vegetated and shows a shift from herbaceous riparian vegetation to an open willow‐dominated alluvial forest. This evidence points to a more open vegetation and a more energetic environment than traditionally described for rivers of this size and age. A link to the 9.3 ka BP cooling event is suggested and possible reasons for the scarcity of records of this type of deposits are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Meylemans et al . ; Boulen et al . ) and its tributaries (Vandenberghe & de Smedt ; Notebaert et al .…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…; Meylemans et al . ; D'Haese ). This peat was formed in an environment of first fens, succeeded by carr vegetation (Storme et al .…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Ecology and fluvial dynamics of an Early Holocene medium‐sized European lowland river valley (Upper Scheldt, northern Belgium)

Storme

Bastiaens

Crombé

et al. 2018

Boreas

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Reconstructing Early Neolithic Paleogeography: EMI‐Based Subsurface Modeling and Chronological Modeling of Holocene Peat below the Lower Scheldt Floodplain in NW Belgium

et al. 2016

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Well‐preserved prehistoric landscapes and sites have been found, buried deeply below the Holocene peat or floodplain deposits of “Waasland Scheldt polders.” During the mid‐to‐late Holocene, Late Weichselian (river) dunes within the floodplain and river flanks were favored locations for Final Early Neolithic occupation. Available living space was determined by the dune topography and elevation of the peat at that time. Therefore, an elevation model of the peat base was created using multireceiver electromagnetic induction (EMI) survey data. Electrical conductivity data of a dune were collected and 1D inverted within a three‐layered soil model with variable electrical conductivity of the top layer and variable depth to the base of the middle layer (i.e., the peat). The modeled peat base depth was calibrated and validated, and eventually replaced by depth data from coring and cone penetration measurements wherever depth modeling from inverting the EMI measurements proved inaccurate. Using the resulting peat base elevation model, a paleogeographic map at the time of the modeled end date of Mesolithic–Neolithic transitional Swifterbant Culture sites nearby was created by chronologically modeling the peat elevation at that time. The developed paleogeographic mapping methodology can be used for subsequent archaeological prospection by core sampling or to contextualize excavated sites.

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Non-uniform and diachronous Holocene floodplain evolution: a case study from the Dijle catchment, Belgium

et al. 2014

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Fluvial architecture changed under the influence of increasing human impact throughout the Holocene in many north-west European catchments. Typically, peat formation -in a marshy environment during the Early and Middle Holocene -is replaced by clastic overbank deposition. In this study we show the importance of a detailed chronology of floodplain changes, with an example from the Belgian Dijle catchment. In total, 45 radiocarbon ages from 15 alluvial sites were used. Cumulative probability functions were made of the radiocarbon ages from the base (16 samples) and top (29 samples) of the peat layer. Two alluvial sites were studied in detail. The results indicate that the end of peat growth and the transition towards clastic overbank deposition is diachronous at the catchment scale, ranging between 6500 and 500 cal a BP. This diachronous pattern can be attributed to differences in timing and intensity of agricultural activities at the catchment scale, or to differences in hillslope-floodplain connectivity. Moreover, in the broad floodplain of the main valley, the top of the peat layer is even diachronous at cross-section scale. These results indicate that inferences on changes in sedimentation rate and floodplain changes should be based on a multi-transect and multi-core dating approach.

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Lateglacial and Holocene fluvial dynamics in the Lower Scheldt basin (N-Belgium) and their impact on the presence, detection and preservation potential of the archaeological record

Cited by 31 publications

References 38 publications

Ecology and fluvial dynamics of an Early Holocene medium‐sized European lowland river valley (Upper Scheldt, northern Belgium)

Ecology and fluvial dynamics of an Early Holocene medium‐sized European lowland river valley (Upper Scheldt, northern Belgium)

Reconstructing Early Neolithic Paleogeography: EMI‐Based Subsurface Modeling and Chronological Modeling of Holocene Peat below the Lower Scheldt Floodplain in NW Belgium

Non-uniform and diachronous Holocene floodplain evolution: a case study from the Dijle catchment, Belgium

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