engleski

Multiproxy study of environmental changes during the last 2000 years - example from Blatuša mire, central Croatia

There is little known from the point of view of environmental and climatic changes on the epoch of Late Antique and the successive Dark Ages. The amount of archaeological evidence in the continental biogeographical region of Croatia during this period is still scarce and needs to be improved. However, it was a dynamic period of human history which changed the map of Europe in the sense of borders, language, politics, economy and religion. In our research, we discuss the environmental changes and vegetation dynamic caused by natural forces or human impact. The study is focused on plant cover reconstruction of the colline area in central Croatia (Sisačko-Moslavačka County, commune Topusko and Gvozd), and the trophic/hidrologic regime of „Đon močvar“ mire near Blatuša village from where the sediment core was taken. The results of the pollen and non-pollen palynomorphs, together with the micro and macro charcoal, are presented on diagrams plotted by PolPal software and show the replacement of Alnus-Fagus forest with non-arboreal palynological taxa, and increase of Quercus trees during Migration period. At the same time, there is no evidence of primary anthropogenic indicators. Later, during the Little Ice Age, the share of non-arboreal taxa became even greater than in the earlier period, and Carpinus became the dominant tree in the woodland. Cerealia pollen is found only at the end of the Late Middle Age, though the continuous curve of Juglans, as evidence of arboricultural activity, appeared earlier in the late 13th century, and continuous weed curves as evidence of farming/pasture activity from the end of the 14th century. The shares of arboreal pollen, anthropogenic indicators, charcoal particles and palynological richness point to the different intensity of anthropogenic pressure, which is most pronounced in the period from the High Middle Ages to the present. Charcoal particles are evidence of regional and local fires as essential factors in succession processes, even though their origin (natural vs. anthropogenic) is still questionable.

anthropogenic indicators ; charcoal ; non-pollen palynomorphs ; pollen ; vegetation changes

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