Genesis and dating of Late Pleistocene-Holocene soil sediment sequences from the Lüneburg Heath, Northern Germany

Abstract

The stratigraphy and settlement history of the loess-areas in Central Europe is well known for the glacial periods and the Holocene. In contrast there are no recent investigations in the sandy loess areas of the so called "Altmoränengebiet"in northern Germany on the age of the sediments, timing of soil formation and settlement history. In this study two soil profiles in the Lüneburg Heath are investigated. The soils have been studied by means of sedimentology, pedology and palynology. Dating was done by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon. The results give the first evidence from the Altmoränengebiet for human impact on soil development as early as the late Neolithic. In the soil profiles, periods of erosion and accumulation with enrichment in organic rich material are indicated. Copyright: