Open AccessS tone A ge settlement and H olocene shore displacement in the N arva‐ L uga K lint B ay area, eastern G ulf of F inland
Author(s) -
Rosentau Alar,
Muru Merle,
Kriiska Aivar,
Subetto Dmitry A.,
Vassiljev Jüri,
Hang Tiit,
Gerasimov Dmitry,
Nordqvist Kerkko,
Ludikova Anna,
Lõugas Lembi,
Raig Hanna,
Kihno Kersti,
Aunap Raivo,
Letyka Nikolay
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
boreas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1502-3885
pISSN - 0300-9483
DOI - 10.1111/bor.12004
Subject(s) - marine transgression , altitude (triangle) , shore , geology , sea level , structural basin , oceanography , paleontology , geometry , mathematics
Based on geological and archaeological proxies from NW R ussia and NE E stonia and on GIS ‐based modelling, shore displacement during the S tone A ge in the N arva‐ L uga K lint B ay area in the eastern G ulf of F inland was reconstructed. The reconstructed shore displacement curve displays three regressive phases in the B altic S ea history, interrupted by the rapid A ncylus L ake and L itorina S ea transgressions c . 10.9–10.2 cal. ka BP and c . 8.5–7.3 cal. ka BP , respectively. During the A ncylus transgression the lake level rose 9 m at an average rate of about 13 mm per year, while during the Litorina transgression the sea level rose 8 m at an average rate of about 7 mm per year. The results show that the highest shoreline of A ncylus L ake at an altitude of 8–17 m a.s.l. was formed c . 10.2 cal. ka BP and that of the L itorina S ea at an altitude of 6–14 m a.s.l., c . 7.3 cal. ka BP . The oldest traces of human activity dated to 8.5–7.9 cal. ka BP are associated with the palaeo‐ N arva R iver in the period of low water level in the B altic basin at the beginning of the L itorina S ea transgression. The coastal settlement associated with the L itorina S ea lagoon, presently represented by 33 S tone A ge sites, developed in the area c . 7.1 cal. ka BP and existed there for more than 2000 years. Transformation from the coastal settlement back to the river settlement indicates a change from a fishing‐and‐hunting economy to farming and animal husbandry c . 4.4 cal. ka BP , coinciding with the time of the overgrowing of the lagoon in the N arva‐ L uga K lint B ay area.