Comparison of palaeoecological and archaeological evidence of human activity from the Late Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age in Central Pomerania (northern Poland)

This article presents a synthesis of palaeoenvironmental and archaeological data from the Bronze/Iron Age transition (1200-500 BC) in Central Pomerania. Based on pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs), charcoal, and geochemical analysis of the sediments from Wierzchowo Lake, five stages of local environmental transformation have been distinguished. Anthropogenic influence on vegetation was relatively limited from the Middle Bronze Age to the Period V of the Bronze Age, according to Montelius (hereinafter referred to as PBA V). A substantial increase in settlement populations and significant environmental changes (deforestation, spread of ruderal habitats, and increased lake eutrophication) correspond to the transition between the PBA V and Hallstatt C phases. During the Hallstatt C/Władysławowo II A2 phase, a brief period of diminished settlement activity preceded the subsequent increase in human impact observed during the spread of societies linked to the Pomeranian culture. The final phase spans approximately 200 years of weakened settlements preceding the expansion. of groups associated with the younger pre-Roman Period.