A paleoenvironmental Reconstruction of Magleholm, Vedbæk, based on Molluscs and botanical Macroremains

Magleholm was excavated in 1978, 1983 and 1984 under direction of E.B. Petersen as part of the Vedbæk project. This paper aims to provide a paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the site, based on analysis of molluscs and botanical macroremains from 16 samples, covering 80 cm of a profile from a trench excavated in 1984. The samples primarily reflect the environment at the time of the Mesolithic Ertebølle culture while few samples in the upper part of the profile reflect the environment during the Early Neolithic Funnel Beaker Culture. The bottom of the profile consists of practically sterile sand. The major part of the profile, consisting of gyttja poor in plant and mollusc taxa, reflects the environment of a brackish lagoon. The uppermost three samples, at least partially corresponding with the Neolithic, show a reduction of the salinity, resulting in a more diverse combination of brackish water and freshwater taxa. Most taxa in the upper samples represent taxa of shallow open water, salt marshes and border zones along freshwater bodies while some plant taxa represent vegetation of dryland terrain. None of the seeds and fruits in the profile were carbonised.