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Interpretation of anthropogenic landscape transformation in the Viking town Hedeby based on micromorphological analysis
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Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel Institut für Ökosystemforschung
Svetlana V. Khamnueva, Jann Wendt, Hans-Rudolf Bork
Sc
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Baltic Sea North Sea
Hedeby
Tre e
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Rheider Au
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Introduction: a large buried valley was discovered in the Viking Age town Hedeby. Results of geochemical analyses and radiocarbon dating point at man-made origin of the structure in the Viking Age. Micromorphological analysis in combination with geochemical methods was aimed to shed light on the use of the valley by humans during the settlement period . Study area (54°29'27.77''N, 9°33'54.42''E): fortified Viking Age town Hedeby, located at the intersection of main transport and trade routes between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. The settlement was founded in the th th end of the 8 c., and by mid-10 c. it has become one of
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10 km
the first urban settlements and a major international trading centre in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. However, in 1066 AD the town was destroyed and abandoned.
Despite long-term archaeological investigations in Hedeby, landscape transformation in the central part of the settlement at the brook remained unknown. Therefore, s o i l a n d s e d i m e nt sampling was done in transects along and across the brook by drilling techniques (manual auger and Vibracore system). 0
115
Drilling sites
m 230
Maximum catchment area 29.7 ha
Modern course of Hedeby-brook
0 ha
Former course of Hedeby-brook
Results of geochemical and micromorphological analysis
Inclusions 0
20
40
60
80
Inclusions [weight %]
LOI [%]
MS [10 m3kg-1] -8
100
Modern brick fragement
Mcult-hom
Hewood+Ycult Bone fragments (mostly domestic animals)
Sand Leather piece
Ycult,org+ Hawood Gravel Csand
Legend grain size distribution: Legend inclusions:
630-2000 µm (coarse sand) Charcoal/wood
200-630 µm (medium sand) Bones
63-200 µm (fine sand)
2-63 µm (silt)
