The new pollen core Lake Durankulak-3: a contribution to the vegetation history and human impact in Northeastern Bulgaria

Abstract

Pollen analysis was conducted on a 340 cm core from Lake Durankulak (NE Bulgaria) supported with 5 AMS dates. The sediments were retreived from the area between the western lake shore and the Great island – both places of human occupaion since the Late Neolithic (5400-5300 cal BC). According to the AMS dates the accumulation of sediments rich in pollen started at the transitional period between the Chalcolithic and the early Bronze Age (3800-3350 cal. BC). By that time open xerothermic vegetation with patches of steppe elements had dominated the landscape around the lake. The subsequent increase in arboreal pollen corresponds to the Early Bronze Age (2919-2392 cal BC) together with the first maximum of the anthropogenic pollen indicators. The next period of pronounced human influence documented in the pollen record is related to the Late Bronze Age and the Antiquity (2000 – 600 cal BC). The modern period is indicated by the appearance of Zea mays pollen in the uppermost samples. The new palynological information is compared with previous studies from this area.