A C T A U N I V E R S I T A T I S L O D Z I E N S I S
FOLIA A R C H A E O L O G IC A 16, 1992
Björn E. Berglund, Grażyna Miotk-Szpiganowicz
H U MA N IM PA CT ON TH E V E G ETA TIO N O F BORY T U C H O LSK IE ON TH E BASIS O F PA LY N O LO G IC A L INVESTIGA TIO NS
IN T R O D U C T IO N
The investigations presented in this paper began in 1982 as part of the interdisciplinary program me R-III-15 „Ecological processes within selected landscape units and their energy balance” supervised by Prof. Ryszard Bohr from the Institute of Biology Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. Since 1986 the investigations have been continued as central program me 04.10.01 entitled „N atural foundations o f the protection and form ation o f the natural environm ent” .
The palaeoecologica! investigations were concentrated to the Lake Wielkie G acno area and performed by D r M. H j e l m r o o s - E r i c s s o n ( 1 9 8 1 , 1982) of Lund University. The aim of our expanded palaeoecological investigations was to deepen the knowledge about the history o f vegetation in this area. Special attention was paid to the role o f m an and his interference with the prim ary vegetation. A more complete presentation o f the research results have been published in a doctoral thesis b y G. M i o t k - S z p i g a n o w i c z (1988). This paper is a brief summary of results related to the human impact and the settlement economy of this area.
IN V E ST IG A T IO N A R E A
We decided to choose for our investigations two lakes situated in ancient drainage valleys (Lake Suszek and Lake Kęsowo) and one small kettle hole (Lake Mały Suszek). Lake Suszek and Lake Mały Suszek are situated in the central, forested part of Bory Tucholskie and Lake Kęsowo - southwest of the present forest border. Besides these palaeoecological sites the Lake Wielkie Gacno (H j e 1 m r o o s - E r i c s s o n 1981, 1982) was used as a fourth site (Fig. 1).
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Fig. 1. M aps o f the Bory Tucholskie region. The site map (above) with reference lakes indicated (1 - Maty Suszek, 2 - Suszek, 3 - K ęsow o, 4 - W ielkie G acno), the forest m ap (below) with forest and open land indicated
TUCHOl K A M /Ĺ N B jö rn E . B e rg lu n d, G ra ży n a M io tk -S z p ig n a to w ic z
Fig. 2. Correlation o f human activity periods in Bory Tucholskie (a - clearings, b - grazing, с - cultivation, d - weak impact, e - very weak impact)
M ETH O D S
Changes in the frequencies o f trees and herbs connected with m an’s economic activity helped to define periods of his increased activity in the neighbourhood o f the lakes under study.
A graphic representation of an increased economic activity in the vicinity of investigated lakes and a generalization for the area o f Bory Tucholskie is shown in Fig. 2.
T H E C U L T U R A L L A N D SC A PE D Y N A M IC S A N D TH E SE T T L E M E N T HISTOR Y
I
The hum an impact on the natural environm ent till the Bronze Age was insignificant. Possibly, two periods with grazing may be identified from the Kęsowo area from the time corresponding to the Neolithic. This supports the assum ption that M esolithic economy lasted for a long time in this area and explains a relatively great num ber o f archaeological sites with elements of the Komornice culture and the Chojnice-Pieńki culture. Elements of Neolithic cultures, mainly that o f Funnel Beakers, are encountered sporadically ( B a g - n i e w s k i 1987; W a l e n t a , in print). It seems therefore that the term Mesolithic, like the Neolithic, should not be used as a chronological concept (cf. W e l i n d e r 1985).
The first distinct period of stock-raising was recorded at the turn of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age - it is named period 4. This should most probably be related to the activity of the Iwno culture in which cattle breeding was especially im portant ( G o d l o w s k i , K o z ł o w s k i 1985). During that period there was a certain differentiation in the intensity of hum an impact on the environment. In the diagram s from the central part of Bory Tucholskie (Mały Suszek, Suszek) there is only weak evidence o f grazing. It is much clearer in the diagrams from Wielkie G acno and Kęsowo. Single grains of cereals may indicate the existence of small arable fields with cultivation of wheat and barley, but they could also have been transported from the nearby m araine uplands where land was perhaps cultivated to a larger extent ( G r z e l a k o w s k a 1989). After this period the forest was regenerated with a slightly changed species composition.
The 5th period o f intensified economic activity is connected with the development of the Lusatian culture which, in the course of time, was transform ed into the Pom eranian culture ( G o d ł o w s k i , K o z ł o w s k i 1985). Results of the pollen analyses indicate th at the economic activity of
hum an groups consisted mainly in husbandry. Farm ing connected with the cultivation o f barley and wheat also developed, especially during the Pom era-nian culture, although to a small extent. The results of the pollen analysis show great convergence with archaeological results ( K l i c h o w s k a 1962, 1968; Ł u k a 1966; K m i e c i ń s k i 1968). The distinct increase of hum an activity causing an opening o f the lanscape in late Bronze Age is a characteristic pattern for large areas of central Europe and southern Scandinavia (cf. D ą b r o w s k i 1981; R a l s k a - J a s i e w i c z o w a in P a w l i k o w s k i et al. 1981; B e r g l u n d 1988).
On the basis o f diagrams from Lake Mały Suszek we can conclude that locally the Pom eranian culture could last until the W ielbark culture. This settlement span was also found in archaeological investigations conducted in Leśno (W a 1 e n t a, in print). After the period o f intensive forest clearances the landscape partially regenerated, which can be noticed on all pollen diagrams.
The 6th period o f increased economic activity o f m an occurred during the Rom an period and is connected with the development o f the W ielbark culture. The changes on the pollen diagram s indicate intensive deforestation and an intensive development o f settlement connected mainly with husbandry and thereby with a considerable development o f meadows and dry pastures. In addition to husbandry cultivation o f different crops became more im portant. Rye was cultivated from now onwards.
Following this period of intensified economic activity o f m an the forests are regenerated. This regression o f economy, described for m any areas (cf. B e r g l u n d 1969, 1988) is connected with the M igration Period.
The last, 7th period of m an’s economic activity began in early Middle Ages and has continued until the present times. Settlement, developing very intensively, contributed to an almost complete deforestation of the area. The intensification o f forest clearance was justified by the necessity to obtain new areas to be turned into arable lands and pastures. In the early Middle Ages husbandry was still the basic form o f economy in Bory Tucholskie. In the cultivation rye played the dom inant role, which is confirmed also by archaeological investigations ( G r z e l a k o w s k a 1989; K o w a l c z y k 1986). Apart from rye also wheat was grown. In the 12th and 13th centuries an inrease in the intensity of the economy is observed in all diagrams.
Summing up, we must state that all the periods of intensified economic activity o f m an in Bory Tucholskie, distinguished on the basis of the pollen analyses, are com parable with archaeological data on the settlement history.
We are grateful for the possibilities to take part in the stimulating collaboration between ecologists, geographers, geologists and archaeologists within the framework of the projects initiated and conducted by the late professor Ryszard Bohr. We express our gratitude to many colleagues at the
universities of Toruń, G dańsk, Poznań and Łódź, and particularly to the archaeologists under the leadership o f professor Jerzy Kmieciński at Łódź University, who have been generous hosts at the field station Biale Biota in Bory Tucholskie.
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Björn E. Berglund, G rażyna M iotk-Szpigan ow icz
W PŁYW O SA D N IC T W A L U D Z K IE G O N A R O ŚL IN N O ŚĆ BORÓW TU C H O LSK IC H N A POD STA W IE B A D A Ń P A L IN O L O G IC Z N Y C H
Prace nad tą tematyką prow adzono w ramach programu R 111-15 „Procesy ekologiczne wewnątrz wybranych jednostek krajobrazowych i ich bilans energetyczny” , kierow anego przez prof. Ryszarda Bohra z Instytutu Biologii U M K w Toruniu, a od 1986 r. kontynuow ano w centralnym programie 04.10.01.
W powyższych badaniach uczestniczą szwedzcy i polscy specjaliści. Analizami objęto kilka jezior na terenie Borów Tucholskich: Suszek, Mały Suszek, K ęsow o. Wyniki korelow ano z wszechstronnym opracowaniem osadów jeziora W ielkie G acn o, opublikowanym w 1981 r. przez M . Hjelmroos-Ericsson. W obecnie analizow anych osadach nieco słabiej niż w Wielkim G acnie wyróżniają się pierwsze trzy fazy ożyw ionego osadnictw a. Przypuszczalnie fazę drugą i trzecią m ożna łączyć z działalnością społeczności neolitycznych, praw dopodobnie kultury pucharów lejkowatych. Intensywniejsze zmiany szaty roślinnej przypisano działalności grup ludzkich wczesnych faz epoki brązu i łączono z wyróżnianymi archeologicznym i pozostałościam i charak-terystycznymi dla kultury iwieńskiej (ewentualnie też - mniej licznymi kultury przedłużyckiej). Po zaobserwowanej przerwie w intensywnym wykorzystywaniu środow iska kolejną fazę osadniczą można łączyć z gospodarką ludności z cyklu łużycko-pom orskiego. W odpowiadających jej poziom ach pyłkowych, prócz roślin św iadczących o stosow aniu hodow li zwierząt, występują pyłki zbóż potwierdzające uprawę roli. W ym ienione typy gospodarki: hodow la zwierząt i uprawa rołi od tego okresu stale potwierdzane są przez wskaźniki roślinne, choć zmienia się ich natężenie. Faza szósta wzm ożonej intensywności osadniczej łączona jest z działalnością ludności kultury wieibars-kiej, natom iast siódm a odpow iada czasow o trwaniu osadnictw a wczesnośredniowiecznego i okre-sów następnych. Poczynając od w czesnego średniowiecza w spektrach pyłkowych rośliny wskaźnikow e nieprzerwanie odzwierciedlają gospodarczą działalność grup ludzkich na terenie Borów Tucholskich.
