Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Some Critical and Methodological Aspects of Shoreline Determination: Examples from the Baltic Sea Region

  • Published:
Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Coastal shorelines worldwide are generally unstable and changing. The study of the precise relation between any archaeological site and the shoreline at the time when the site was used is therefore complicated, but still often not met with appropriate methodological approaches. In this article, we test models based on phosphate analysis and discuss how they can be used to detect ancient shorelines. We propose that a model of increased and oscillating phosphate values at the former water level is considered reliable and useful in areas with advancing shoreline.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Within the limited coastal areas, the shoreline displacement is also calculated by counting of annual varves in ancient river deltas and lakes or by diatom, pollen and C-14 analysis (see for example in Königsson and Paabo 1981).

  2. Phosphate determination of the first, 70-m-long line of samples was done by Elna Haiba in the laboratory of the Institute of History, Tallinn University, by the citric acid method determining milligrams of P2O5 per 1,000 g dry soil (financed by the Estonian Science Foundation Grant No. 6998).

  3. Phosphate determination of lines 2–4 was done by Kjell Persson in the laboratory of Stockholm University by the citric acid method determining milligrams of P2O5 per 100 g dry soil (Persson 2008).

References

  • Ambrosiani, B. (1981). Changing water-levels and settlement in the Mälar District since AD 700. In: Köngsson, L.-K., & Paabo, K. (Eds.), Florilegium Florinis Dedicatum. Striae 14, Uppsala, pp. 140–143.

  • Andrews, J. T., McGhee, R., & McKenzie-Pollock, L. (1971). Comparison of elevations of archaeological sites and calculated sea levels in arctic Canada. Arctic, 24, 210–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arrhenius, O. (1931). Markanalysen i arkeologiens tjänst. Geologiska Föreningens i Stockholm Förhandlingar, Bd. 53, H. 3: 47–59.

  • Arrhenius, O. (1935). Markundersökning och arkeologi. Fornvännen, Årg, 30, 65–76.

    Google Scholar 

  • Arrhenius, G. (1945). Gånggriftstidens boplatsnivåer i Södertörn. Geologiska Föreningens Förhandlingar, Bd. 67, H. 4: 498–510.

  • Arrhenius, B. (1974). Arkeologi i laboratoriet. Kuml: 287–290.

  • Berglund, M. (2005). The Holocene shore displacement of Gästrikland, eastern Sweden: a contribution to the knowledge of Scandinavian glacio-isostatic uplift. Journal of Quaternary Science, 20(6), 519–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bethell, P., & Máté, I. (1989). The Use of Soil Phosphate Analysis in Archaeology: A Critique. In: Henderson, J. (ed.), Scientific Analysis in Archaeology and its interpretation. Oxford University Committee for Archaeology, Monograph No. 19, pp. 1–29.

  • Bird, E. (2008). Coastal geomorphology: an introduction. 2nd edition. Wiley, New York.

  • Björck, N. (2003). Neolithic Society in Eastern Sweden. Segmentary, virilocal and animistic? In: Rönnby, J. (ed.), By the Water. Archaeological Perspectives on Human Strategies around the Baltic Sea. Södertörn Academic Studies 17, Huddinge, pp. 11–37.

  • Blake, W. (1961). Russian settlement and land rise in Nordaustlandet, Spitsbergen. Arctic, Journal of the Arctic Institute of North America, 14(2), 101–111.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blidmo, R. (1995). Liten fosfathandbok för arkeologer. Stockholm: Arkeologikonsult AB.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broadbent, N. (1979). Coastal Resources and Settlement Stability. A Critical Study of a Mesolithic Site Complex in Northern Sweden. Aun 3, Uppsala.

  • Cannon, A. (2000). Settlement and sea-levels on the central coast of British Columbia: evidence from Shell Midden Cores. American Antiquity, 65(1), 67–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlsson, D. (1991). Harbours and trading places on Gotland AD 600–1000. In: Crumlin-Pedersen, O. (ed.), Aspects of Maritime Scandinavia AD 200–1200. Proceedings of the Nordic Seminar on Maritime Aspects of Archaeology, Roskilde, 13th–15th March, 1989, Roskilde, pp. 145–158.

  • Christiansson, H. (1961). The Russian settlement at Russekeila and land rise in Vestspitsbergen. Arctic, Journal of the Arctic Institute of North America, 14(2), 112–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clague, J. J. (1983). Glacio-isostatic effects of the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, British Columbia, Canada. In D. Smith & A. Dawson (Eds.), Shorelines and Isostasy (pp. 321–343). London: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, P. U., & Fitzhugh, W. W. (1992). Postglacial relative sea level history of the Labrador coast and interpretation of the archaeological record. In L. L. Johnson & M. Stright (Eds.), Paleoshorelines and Prehistory: An Exploration of Method (pp. 189–213). Boca Raton: CRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crosby, A. W. (2004). Ecological Imperialism. The Biological Expansion of Europe, 900–1900. Cambridge University Press.

  • Darmark, K., & Sundström, L. (2005). Postboda 3—en senmesolitisk lägerplats i Uppland. SAU Skrifter 9. Uppsala.

  • Diamond, J. (2005). Collapse. How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive. Penguin, London.

  • Dobat, A. S. (2002). Die Schlei in der Wikingerzeit. Eine Maritime Kulturlandschaft im Spiegel der archäologischen und onomastischen Quellen. Schriftliche Hausarbeit zur Erlangung des Grades eines Diplom-Prähistorikers (Dipl.-Prähist.) der Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftlichen Fakultät der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel. Kiel.

  • Ekman, M. (1993). Postglacial rebound and sea level phenomena, with special reference to Fennoscandia and Baltic Sea. In: Kakkuri, J. (Ed.), Geodesy and Geophysics. Lecture Notes for NKG-Autumn School 1992 organized by Nordiska Kommissionen för Geodesi, Korpilampi—Finland 7–13 September 1992, Helsinki, pp. 7–70.

  • Ekman, M. (2001). Computation of historical shore levels in Fennoscandia due to Postglacial Rebound. Small Publications in Historical Geophysics, No. 8. Summer Institute for Historical Geophysics, Åland Islands.

  • Eronen, M. (1974). The history of the Litorina Sea and associated Holocene events. Societas Scientiarum Fennica. Commentationes physico-mathematicae, 44: 4, Helsinki.

  • Eronen, M. (1983). Late Weichselian and Holocene shore displacement in Finland. In: Smith, D. E., & Dawson, A. G. (Eds.), Shorelines and Isostasy. Academic, New York, pp. 183–207.

  • Eronen, M. (1987). Global sea-level changes, crustal movements and quaternary shorelines in Fennoscandia. Geological Survey of Finland, 2 (special paper): 31–36.

  • Florin, S. (1948). Kustförskjutningen och bebyggelseutvecklingen i östra Mellansverige under senkvartär tid. Stockholm.

  • Giddings, J. L., & Anderson, D. D. (1986). Beach ridge archaeology of Cape Krusenstern: Eskimo and pre-Eskimo settlements around Kotzebue Sound. Publications in Archaeology 20. Washington: National Park Service.

    Google Scholar 

  • Halén, O. (1994). Sedentariness during the Stone Age of Northern Sweden in the light of the Alträsket site, c. 5000 B.C., and the comb ware site Lillberget, c. 3900 B.C. Source Critical Problems of Representativity in Archaeology. Acta Archaeologica Lundensia, Series in 4º, No. 20, Stockholm.

  • Harff, J., Lampe, R., Lemke, W., Lüdke, H., Lüth, F., Meyer, M., et al. (2005). The Baltic Sea: a model ocean to study interrelations of geosphere, ecosphere, and anthroposphere in the coastal zone. Journal of Coastal Research, 21(3), 441–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodder, I. (1982). The Present Past. An Introduction to Anthropology for Archaeologists. Cambridge University Press, London.

  • Hoppe, G., & Markus, F. (2001). Kring frågan om estlandssvenskarnas äldsta historia. Kustbon, 3–4.

  • Hoppe, G., Nõulik, I., & Punning, J.-M. (2002). Shoreline development and Swedish colonisation of north-west Estonia during the Middle Ages. GeoJournal, 56(3), 185–190.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ilves, K. (2006a). Archaeological investigations on the coast of Sutu bay on Saaremaa. Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia 2005, Tallinn, 83–89.

  • Ilves, K. (2006b). Place-names about life by the sea—an archaeological perspective on the Estonian Swedish landscape. Folklore, 34, 89–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones, R. (1975). Why did the Tasmanians stop eating fish? In R. A. Gould (Ed.), Explorations in Ethnoarchaeology. A School of American Research Book (pp. 11–47). Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jussila, T., & Kriiska, A. (2004). Shore displacement chronology of the Estonian Stone Age. Estonian Journal of Archaeology, 8(1), 3–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Königsson, L.-K., & Paabo, K. (eds.) (1981). Florilegium Florinis Dedicatum. Striae 14. Uppsala.

  • Lang, V., & Kriiska, A. (2001). Eesti esiaja periodiseering ja kronoloogia. Eesti Arheoloogia Ajakiri, 5(2), 83–109.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lejoneke, P., & Rönnby, J. (2005). Svalbard. Marinarkeologisk rekognoscering 1998 och 2000. Arkeologi, Södertörns Högskola. Huddinge.

  • Lindén, M., Möller, P., Björk, S., & Sandgren, P. (2006). Holocene shore displacement and deglaciation chronology in Norrbotten, Sweden. Boreas, 35, 1–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Löfstrand, L. (1974). Yngre stenålderns kustboplatser. Undersökningarna vid Äs och studier I den gropkeramiska kulturens kronologi och ekologi. Aun 1. Uppsala.

  • Markus, F. (2004). Living on Another Shore. Early Scandinavian Settlement on the North-Western Estonian Coast. Uppsala.

  • McGhee, R. (1979). Paleo-Eskimo Occupation at Port Refuge. Archaeology Survey of Canada Paper 92. Ottawa: National Museum of Canada.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, M., & Harff, J. (2005). Modelling palaeo coastline changes of the Baltic Sea. Journal of Coastal Research, 21(3), 598–609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Middleton, W. D. (2004). Identifying chemical activity residues on prehistoric house floors: a methodology and rationale for multi-elemental characterization of a mild acid extract of anthropogenic sediments. Archeometry, 46(1), 47–65.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mägi, M. (2004). "…Ships are their main strength." Harbour sites, arable lands and chieftains on Saaremaa. Estonian Journal of Archaeology, 8(2), 128–162.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mägi, M. (2006). Excavations on the coasts of Prehistoric and Medieval Saaremaa. Archaeological Fieldwork in Estonia, 2005, 65–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mobley, C. M. (1988). Holocene sea levels in southeast Alaska: preliminary results. Arctic, 41(4), 261–266.

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, J. J. (1987). Shoreline relation and prehistoric settlement in northern Norway. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift, 41, 45–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Møller, J. J. (1989). Geometric simulation and mapping of Holocene relative sea-level changes in Northern Norway. Journal of Coastal Research, 5(3), 403–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Møller, J. J. (2003). Late Quaternary sea level and coastal settlement in the European North. Journal of Coastal Research, 19(3), 731–737.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nõulik, I. (2001). Noarootsi poolsaare looduse ja inimasustuse kujunemislugu viimase tuhande aasta jooksul. Magistritöö. Käsikiri Tallinna Ülikooli Akadeemilises raamatukogus.

  • Nunez, M. (1977). Archaeology through soil chemical analysis: an evaluation. University of Helsinki, Department of Archaeology. Unpublished document, stencil 14. Helsinki.

  • Nunez, M. (1978). The Vantaa phosphate survey; a practical illustration of the method. Annales Academiae Scientiarum Fennicae, Series A III, Geologica-geographica, 124.

  • Orviku, K. (1992). Characterisation and evolution of Estonian seashores. Doctoral thesis at the University of Tartu. Käsikiri Tartu Ülikooli Raamatukogus.

  • Persson, K. (2008). Fosfatanalys, Österby Estland. Uppdragsrapport nr 95. Institutionen för arkeologi och antikens kultur. Arkeologiska forskningslaboratoriet. Stockholms universitet.

  • Petersson, M. (2006). Strandförskjutningen i Södermanland. In: Lilja, S. (ed.), Människan anpassaren—människan överskridaren. Natur, bebyggelse och resursutnyttjande från sen järnålder till 1700-tal med särskild hänsyn till östra Mellansverige och Södermanlands kust. Södertörns Högskola, Research reports 2006: 4, Huddinge, pp. 33–46.

  • Rainbird, P. (2007). The Archaeology of Islands. Topics in Contemporary Archaeology. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

  • Rausing, G. (1963). Fra arkæologiens laboratorium. Skalk, 1, 20–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Risberg, J., Alm, G., Björk, N., & Guinard, M. (2007). Synkrona paleokustlinjer 7000–4000 kal. BP i mellersta och norra Uppland. In: Stenbäck, N. (Ed.), Stenåldern i Uppland: uppdragsarkeologi och eftertanke. Arkeologi E4 Uppland—studier, Volym 1, Uppsala, pp. 99–135.

  • Ristaniemi, O., Eronen, M., Glückert, G., & Rantala, P. (1997). Holocene and recent shoreline changes on the rapidly uplifting Coast of Western Finland. Journal of Coastal Research, 13(2), 397–406.

    Google Scholar 

  • Saarse, L., Vassiljev, J., & Miidel, A. (2005). Simulation of the Baltic Sea shorelines in Estonia and neighbouring areas. Journal of Coastal Research, 19(2), 261–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schnell, I. (1932). Strandlinjebestämningar och markanalys. Fornvännen, Årg, 27, 40–47.

    Google Scholar 

  • Siiriäinen, A. (1982). Shore displacement and archaeology in Finland. In: Aartolahti, T., and Eronen, M. (eds.), Studies on the Baltic Shorelines and Sediments Indicating Relative Sea-Level Changes. Proceedings of the Symposium of Inqua Subcommission on Shorelines of Northwestern Europe held at the Lammi biological station 13th September 1981. Annales Academia Scientiarum Fennicae, Series A. III Geologica-Geographica, Helsinki, pp. 173–184.

  • Simonsen, P., & Lysnes, H. (1968). Fosfatanalyser fra Varangerbopladserne. In: Simonsen, P. (ed.), Varanger-Funnene VI. Analyseresultater og mindre rapporter. Tromsø Museums Skrifter, Vol. VII, Hefte VI, Tromsø/Oslo, pp. 24–36.

  • Stahl, A. (1964). Sjöfart och fiske hos Estlands svenskar. In E. Lagman (Ed.), En bok om Estlands svenskar 2 (pp. 191–230). Stockholm: Svenska Odlingens Vänner.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundström, L., & Darmark, K. (eds.) (2005). Bålmyren—en familjebaserad tidigneolitisk kustboplats i Uppland. SAU Skrifter 7. Uppsala.

  • Sundström, L., Darmark, K., & Stenbäck, N. (eds.) (2006). Postboda 2 och 1. Säsongsboplatser med gropkeramik från övergången tidigneolitikum-mellanneolitikum i norra Uppland. SAU Skrifter 10. Uppsala.

  • Ulriksen, J. (1992). Lokalisering af anløbspladser. In: Sjællands jernalder. Beretning fra et symposium 24.IV.1990 i København. Arkæologiske skrifter 6, Arkæologisk institut, Københavns universitet, København, pp. 91–112.

  • Ulriksen, J. (1998). Anløbspladser. Besejling og bebyggelse i Danmark mellem 200 og 1100 e.Kr. En studie af søfartens pladser på baggrund af undersøgelser i Roskilde Fjord. Roskilde.

  • Österholm, I. (1991). Phosphate surveying of coastal settlements. In: Crumlin-Pedersen, O. (ed.), Aspects of Maritime Scandinavia AD 200–1200. Proceedings of the Nordic Seminar on Maritime Aspects of Archaeology, Roskilde, 13th–15th March, 1989, Roskilde, pp. 269–274.

Further Reading

  • The Estonian State Archives 982.1.15 page 13

  • www.maaamet.ee (map of soils) [15.02.2007]

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Baltic and East European Studies, Södertörn University, 14189, Huddinge, Sweden

    Kristin Ilves

  2. Department of Archaeology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Kristin Ilves & Kim Darmark

Authors
  1. Kristin Ilves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kim Darmark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kristin Ilves.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ilves, K., Darmark, K. Some Critical and Methodological Aspects of Shoreline Determination: Examples from the Baltic Sea Region. J Archaeol Method Theory 18, 147–165 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-010-9084-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-010-9084-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation