Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland
Samples from the excavation of a palaeo-Eskimo site, settled ca. 3900~3100 14C yrs BP on a raised beach, were analyzed for pollen and botanical and entomological macro-remains. In the dwelling area the original vegetation of grasses and Saxifraga spp. was covered by thick culture layers; under the m...
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The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland /Danish Polar Center
1993
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ftsbaarhusojs:oai:ojs.tidsskrift.dk:article/140331 2024-01-28T10:04:00+01:00 Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland Böcher, Jens Fredskild, Bent 1993-04-30 application/pdf https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/140331 eng eng The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland /Danish Polar Center https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/140331/184300 https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/140331 Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Vol. 30 (1993): Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; 35 pp. Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Årg. 30 (1993): Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience; 35 pp. 1600-4590 0106-1046 info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 1993 ftsbaarhusojs 2024-01-03T23:59:20Z Samples from the excavation of a palaeo-Eskimo site, settled ca. 3900~3100 14C yrs BP on a raised beach, were analyzed for pollen and botanical and entomological macro-remains. In the dwelling area the original vegetation of grasses and Saxifraga spp. was covered by thick culture layers; under the midden Elymus mollis formed the original vegetation. During short uninhabited periods different grasses dominated. Following the termination of the habitation a mossy heath spread over the area. The sediments contained abundant well-preserved fragments of insects and other arthropods. Besides oribatid mites, spiders and fly puparia, remains of beetles arcpredominant. Micralymma brevilingue plays a prominent role, but also Simplocaria metallica, Byrrhus fasciatus and the heteropteron Nysius groenlandicus are fairlynumerous. A former warm period is indicated by the finds of species at or well north of their present northern limit. The succession of arthropod assemblages agrees with the palaeobotanical andarchaeological evidences. The fauna indicates the transition from typical arctic conditions: few species and low density, to stages with much higher diversity and density following fertilization, but also to stages of inferior conditions for plants and insects as a result of intensive human activity. A lake pollen diagram shows that after a short pioneer zone first Salix glauca, then ca. 6400 14C yrs BP. Betula nana immigrates. Shortly before 3000 BP more cool/humid conditions are indicated in accordance with the general trend in the Holocene climatic development of West Greenland, which is briefly discussed and summarized. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Betula nana eskimo* Greenland Qeqertasussuk Aarhus University: OJS at The State and University Library Arctic Greenland Raised Beach ENVELOPE(163.783,163.783,-74.983,-74.983) Qeqertasussuk ENVELOPE(-51.517,-51.517,68.550,68.550) |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Aarhus University: OJS at The State and University Library |
op_collection_id |
ftsbaarhusojs |
language |
English |
description |
Samples from the excavation of a palaeo-Eskimo site, settled ca. 3900~3100 14C yrs BP on a raised beach, were analyzed for pollen and botanical and entomological macro-remains. In the dwelling area the original vegetation of grasses and Saxifraga spp. was covered by thick culture layers; under the midden Elymus mollis formed the original vegetation. During short uninhabited periods different grasses dominated. Following the termination of the habitation a mossy heath spread over the area. The sediments contained abundant well-preserved fragments of insects and other arthropods. Besides oribatid mites, spiders and fly puparia, remains of beetles arcpredominant. Micralymma brevilingue plays a prominent role, but also Simplocaria metallica, Byrrhus fasciatus and the heteropteron Nysius groenlandicus are fairlynumerous. A former warm period is indicated by the finds of species at or well north of their present northern limit. The succession of arthropod assemblages agrees with the palaeobotanical andarchaeological evidences. The fauna indicates the transition from typical arctic conditions: few species and low density, to stages with much higher diversity and density following fertilization, but also to stages of inferior conditions for plants and insects as a result of intensive human activity. A lake pollen diagram shows that after a short pioneer zone first Salix glauca, then ca. 6400 14C yrs BP. Betula nana immigrates. Shortly before 3000 BP more cool/humid conditions are indicated in accordance with the general trend in the Holocene climatic development of West Greenland, which is briefly discussed and summarized. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Böcher, Jens Fredskild, Bent |
spellingShingle |
Böcher, Jens Fredskild, Bent Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland |
author_facet |
Böcher, Jens Fredskild, Bent |
author_sort |
Böcher, Jens |
title |
Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland |
title_short |
Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland |
title_full |
Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland |
title_fullStr |
Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-Eskimo site on Qeqertasussuk, West Greenland |
title_sort |
plant and arthropod remains from the palaeo-eskimo site on qeqertasussuk, west greenland |
publisher |
The Commission for Scientific Research in Greenland /Danish Polar Center |
publishDate |
1993 |
url |
https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/140331 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(163.783,163.783,-74.983,-74.983) ENVELOPE(-51.517,-51.517,68.550,68.550) |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland Raised Beach Qeqertasussuk |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland Raised Beach Qeqertasussuk |
genre |
Arctic Betula nana eskimo* Greenland Qeqertasussuk |
genre_facet |
Arctic Betula nana eskimo* Greenland Qeqertasussuk |
op_source |
Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Vol. 30 (1993): Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; 35 pp. Meddelelser om Grønland. Geoscience; Årg. 30 (1993): Meddelelser om Grønland, Geoscience; 35 pp. 1600-4590 0106-1046 |
op_relation |
https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/140331/184300 https://tidsskrift.dk/meddrgroenland_geosci/article/view/140331 |
_version_ |
1789329587509919744 |