Abstract
The vegetational development of two neighbouring farm sites at the Arctic cereal limit was investigated by pollen analysis and 14C-dates. One farm was small and one larger and both had a long habitation history according to archaeological data. Temporary cereal growing at the minor farm may have been introduced about 3100 cal b.p. and was discontinued before 2550 cal b.p. From 1700–1600 cal b.p. Hordeum was cultivated at both farms. At the larger farm there was continuous settlement from c. 2250 cal b.p., but no evidence of cereal growing during the first c. 600 years after the establishment of the farm. It is suggested that changes in the natural conditions, especially paludification, caused a low-activity/abandonment phase at the smaller farm from c. 2550 to c. 1700 cal b.p. A regional abandonment period about 1250 cal b.p. (in the 7th century a.d.) affected the smaller farm in particular.
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Acknowledgements
I want to express my gratitude to E. Elverland and C. Jensen, for preparing pollen samples and making diagrams, to the late G. Granaas for photographing pollen and T. Midtun for improving the figures–all at the University of Tromsø. I would also like to thank the Tromsø Flyklubb (Tromsø Airplane Association) and the National laboratory for 14C-dating, Trondheim, Norway, and finally J. Daniell, Cheltenham for valuable comments and suggestions.
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Vorren, KD. Farm development at the Arctic cereal limit in northern Norway—continuity and discontinuities. Veget Hist Archaeobot 14, 161–170 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0016-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-005-0016-8