Geochronology, stratigraphy, and evolution of Middle Uralian peatlands during the Holocene (exemplified by the Shigir and Gorbunovo peat bogs)

Abstract

Integrated studies on several peat-gyttja sections, including Mesolithic and Neolithic cultural layers, were conducted for the Shigir and Gorbunovo peatlands of the Middle Urals. The results of plant macrofossil and pollen analyses were used to reconstruct the history of peat formation, vegetation, and climate changes during the Holocene. The radiocarbon dating of archaeological artifacts and enclosing sedimentary layers were used to reconstruct the stratigraphy and dynamics of peat formation and establish the chronology of inhabitation of this region in the changing paleoenvironmental conditions.