Holocene development of the vertebrate fauna and the related environmental change in the south-western Baltic area with special emphasis on the Mecklenburg Bay

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Dirk Heinrich
• Subject Area: Prehistory and World Archaeology
• Term: from 2006 to 2010
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 28525995

It is the aim of the investigations to obtain knowledge about the Holocene vertebrate fauna and its development in the coastal area of the present Mecklenburg Bay. A special focus will be the time before, during and after the Littorina transgression 6700-4000 calBC, when this area changed from a terrestrial or freshwater environment to a marine one. However, the time onwards to the early Middle Ages will also be taken into account. This development can be studied by comparisons of the large number of faunal remains found at different human settlement sites and in some cores. Not only the different proved species with their specific ecological demands, but also their frequencies indicate climatic alterations and changes of vegetation and landscape. In the case of marine vertebrates, especially fishes, the special influence of differences in the salinity, which are caused either by sea level changes or ¿ on a small scale ¿ by geomorphological alterations of the coastal zone will be estimated. However, as far as species composition and species frequencies are concerned, the human influence, such as game hunting and ¿ in younger times ¿ trade with animal products must be taken into account. The understanding of the different cultural changes in this area is a further goal. In this regard, the first occurrence of domesticated animals in northern central Europe is of special interest.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants