Multiproxy palaeontological investigations of Holocene sediments in the harbour area of the Hanseatic town Stralsund, North-Eastern Germany, southern Baltic Sea coast

摘要

Two archaeological excavation sites, Fundplatz 225 "Mischwasserspeicher" and Fundplatz 290 "Ozeaneum", located close to the medieval town centre of Stralsund at the Strelasund were investigated. Using methods of sedimentology and (micro) palaeontology, the aim of this study was the reconstruction of environmental changes from Mesolithic to Modern Times.Foraminifers, ostracods, molluscs, plant remains, vertebrates and archaeological finds of all kind were used to establish a reliable model of coastal site development at the shore of the Strelasund from about 5300 BC to the 1860s AD, comprising naturally induced environmental changes and human impact and providing new insights into the coastal evolution and harbour transformations in Stralsund of the past seven millennia.The clam species Mya arenaria, introduced by human activities into the Baltic Sea, proved to appear not earlier than in the 17th century in this region.