Beaver (Castor fiber) Activity in an Archaeological Context: A Mid-Holocene Beaver Burrow Feature and a Late-Holocene Ecofact at the Late Palaeolithic Grabow Site, Northern Germany*

Q1 Arts and Humanities

Journal of Wetland Archaeology Pub Date : 2017-01-01 DOI:10.1080/14732971.2017.1371432

J. Tolksdorf, Falko Turner, Stephan Veil, F. Bittmann, Klaus Breest

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引用次数: 2

Abstract

ABSTRACT Bioturbation and intrusive ecofacts are major concerns for the analysis of archaeological sites in wetland environments. Post-sedimentary influence of beavers (Castor fiber) is described for a well dated Late Palaeolithic archaeological record situated in a floodplain in Northern Germany. An extensive burrow system was documented and analysed according to its spatial dimensions and sedimentological properties; it was interpreted to be the result of beaver activity. Palynological analyses proved a Mid-Holocene origin of the infill material and helped in understanding the history of site formation. In addition, a pointed piece of wood was examined and identified as ecofact, which had been gnawed by a small rodent, possibly Arvicola amphibius (water vole). Our study thus illustrates the potential complexity of post-sedimentary site-alteration, describes the sub-surface morphology of a burrow system in a wetland context and documents risks for erroneous archaeological interpretation.

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河狸(蓖麻纤维)在考古背景下的活动:一个中全新世河狸洞穴特征和晚全新世在德国北部晚旧石器时代Grabow遗址的生态事实*

生物扰动和侵入性生态因子是湿地考古遗址分析的主要问题。海狸(蓖麻纤维)对沉积后的影响被描述为位于德国北部洪泛区的旧石器时代晚期的考古记录。根据其空间尺寸和沉积学特性，记录和分析了一个广泛的洞穴系统;这被解释为海狸活动的结果。孢粉学分析证实了该填充物的起源为中全新世，有助于了解遗址的形成历史。此外，对一块尖尖的木头进行了检查，并确定为ecofact，它被一种小型啮齿动物咬过，可能是水田鼠。因此，我们的研究说明了沉积后遗址变化的潜在复杂性，描述了湿地环境下洞穴系统的地下形态，并记录了错误考古解释的风险。

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来源期刊

Journal of Wetland Archaeology Arts and Humanities-Archeology (arts and humanities)

CiteScore

1.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： The Journal of Wetland Archaeology publishes a wide range of contributions in all fields of wetland archaeology. It includes scientific and methodological features, geoprospection, environmental reconstruction, wetland hydrology, cultural aspects of wetland archaeology, as well as conservation, site management, legislation, and site protection. All periods and all geographic regions are covered.