Netherlands Journal of Geosciences — Geologie en Mijnbouw |96 – 1 | 35–62 | 2017 doi:10.1017/njg.2016.24 Holocene landscape evolution of an estuarine wetland in relation to its human occupation and exploitation: Waasland Scheldt polders, northern Belgium T. Missiaen1,∗, I. Jongepier2,K.Heirman1,5,T.Soens2, V. Gelorini3, J. Verniers3, J. Verhegge4 & Ph. Crombe´ 4 1 Renard Centre of Marine Geology, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B9000 Ghent, Belgium 2 Department of History, University of Antwerp, Stadscampus, S.R-A.112, Rodestraat 14, B2000 Antwerp, Belgium 3 Palaeontology Research Unit, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281 S8, B9000 Ghent, Belgium 4 Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwsstraat 35, B9000 Ghent, Belgium 5 Currently at Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland, Ø. Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen, Denmark ∗ Corresponding author. Email:
[email protected] Manuscript received: 7 October 2015, accepted: 13 June 2016 Abstract This paper describes the landscape evolution of the Waasland Scheldt polders in the north of Belgium from the Late Glacial – early Holocene to the present time, and the effects of this changing landscape on the human settlement. The regional landscape evolution has been visualised in a series of palaeogeographical maps for successive time frames. Two different map series were produced: a series of Holocene palaeogeographical reconstructions (11,000–950 cal BP) based on geotechnical, geological and archaeological data, and a series of post-Medieval landscape reconstructions (16th- to 19th-century) based on historical maps, land registers and soil data. Additional palaeoenvironmental information from fossil pollen and plant remains allowed reconstruction of the vegetation and wetland changes, particularly for the middle to late Holocene.