ARCHEOLOGISCH EN PALYNOLOGISCH ONDERZOEK VAN EEN PINGO TE WILDERVANK (GR.)

Samenvatting

Archaeological surveys and excavations in the 'Veenkolonien' in eastern Groningen have revealed the presence of remnants of frost mounds and pingo scars which date back to the Late Glacial. The organic con­tents of a pingo scar near Wildervank were investigated palynologically. The period of 12,500-10,000 BP, dated by 14C, turned out to differ in some botanical aspects from the traditional sequence as is known for the Drenthe plateau. It was concluded from the pollen diagram that a birch taiga was found in the area from c. 12,500 to 11,400 BP. Subsequently pine moved in and a rela­tively dense birch/pine pioneer forest ex­isted during the second part o f the Allerød. At around 10,725 BP, the beginning of the Younger Dryas, birches seem to decrease in number whereas pines remain constant. Crowberry appears during this period but its pollen values are lower than contem­poraneous ones from the Drenthe plateau. Permanent water in the depressions is in­dicated by green algae. A sand layer of early Halocene age covers the Late Glacial.