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3B2v7:51c JQI : 898 Prod:Type:com ED:Ramesh GML4:3:1 pp:1216ðcol:fig::NILÞ PAGN: mamatha SCAN: Raj ARTICLE IN PRESS 1 57 3 59 Quaternary International ] (]]]]) ]]]–]]] 5 61 7 63 Man andenvironment in the marsh area of Schleswig–Holstein from 9 Roman until late Medieval times 65 11 67 Dirk Meier* 13 Research and Technology Center, Coastal Archaeology, Nordstrander Str 3, Wesselburen D-25 761 Busum,. Germany 69 15 71 Abstract 17 73 Reconstruction of coastal development, environment and settlement history is one of the main objectives of coastal archaeology 19 in Schleswig–Holstein. The fieldwork program concentrated until 1975 on the excavation of dwelling mounds, and after that on the 75 reconstruction of the landscape and settlement history of large areas. Cultural elements of the coastal area were mapped in several surveys integrating archaeological, geological andpalaeobotanical aspects on the islandof Sylt (Archsum project), in the North 21 77 Frisian tidal flats (Norderhever project), on the Eiderstedt penisula, and in Dithmarschen. According to this kind of research, environmental changes dominated the settlement history and settlement pattern in the 1st 23 millennium AD. Archaeological finds and excavations indicate that the earliest coastal settlements were founded in the salt marshes 79 of Schleswig–Holstein in the early Roman period. In Dithmarschen as well as in the southern part of Eiderstedt the river marshes 25 and salt marshes were densely populated during this period. In the 1st and 2nd century AD the inhabitation of the area took place in 81 a phase of lowering of the sea level. The settlements were erectedon the natural surface of the coastal marshland,preferably on 27 elevated areas. Thereafter, a rising sea level and intensified flooding led to the abandonment of some settlements. At other localities 83 the inhabitants protected themselves against the storm surges by the construction of dwelling mounds, so-called Wurten. The first 29 phase of inhabitation of the coastal marshlandendedatabout AD 450. A secondphase of inhabitation of the coastal marshes began 85 in the middle or late 7th century AD. It started with new settlements on the natural land surface of the marshland and was followed 31 by as secondphase of Wurt construction. 87 The present-day North Frisian tidal flat area was covered with extended peat bogs and could not be inhabited before high Medieval times. Starting with this period the natural landscape changed to a cultural landscape. Cooperatives of peasants and the 33 parishes played an important role in this process. Dikes were built and deep seated areas were drained and cultivated. In the late 89 Middle Ages catastrophic storm floods had terrible effects: the sea destroyed large parts of the North Frisian Utlande. Remnants of 35 this periodlike Warften, dikes, field pattern, and churches, are still visible in the present-day tidal flats. The unfavourable 91 combination of human activities (peat cutting for salt production) and natural geological processes was responsible for the 37 catastrophic floods of late Medieval times. 93 Cultural monuments of this evolution are still preservedin the coastal landscape.The protection of the Cultural Heritage is of 39 high value for the future. 95 r 2003 Elsevier LtdandINQUA. All rights reserved. 41 97 43 99 Contents 45 1. Previous work andnew research . ............... 000 101 2. Landscape development . ........................................ 000 47 3. Man andenvironment . ........................................ 000 103 4. The first step into the salt marshes: settlements in the Roman period(AD 0–400) . 000 49 5. FromUNCORRECTED anonymity to history: settlements of the early Medieval period PROOF (AD 700–1000) . 000 105 51 107 53 109 55 *Tel.: +49-4833-3867. 111 E-mail addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (D. Meier). 1040-6182/03/$ - see front matter r 2003 Elsevier LtdandINQUA. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/S1040-6182(03)00065-X JQI : 898 ARTICLE IN PRESS 2 D. Meier / Quaternary International ] (]]]]) ]]]–]]] 1 1. Previous work and new research 57 3 In contrast to other landscapes, the development of 59 environment andthe history of settlement andeconomy DENMARK 5 in the salt marshes were dominated for a long time by pleistocene deposits 61 nature, more particular by the changing impact of the sand Archsum 7 sea. The wetland landscape was significantly modified salt marshes 63 during the late Holocene as a result of the rising sea level Bredstedt tidal flats 9 (Ehlers, 1988). The transformation of the coastal land- 65 scape, economy andsettlement from the first inhabita- town, village NORTH FRISIA 11 tion of the marshes 2000 years ago until these days is a Fig. 11 67 fascinating topic. The many questions dealing with this 13 theme, such as coastal changes, man andenvironment, 69 economics, mobility andstability of settlements can only Husum 15 be pointedout by interdisciplinary research. Archae- 71 ological investigations in the coastal area of the North North Sea 17 Sea in north-western Germany have been focusedon the Fig. 10 73 historical evolution of the environment andhuman Fig. 9 19 settlements in the wetlands. Mainly on the basis of Fig. 6 75 mapping and archaeological surveys of dwelling mounds Heide 21 (Wurten, Warften), dikes, and archaeological finds, Büsum 77 Fig. 3 consistent studies on settlement archaeology, paleobo- 23 tanic remains, historical geology andhistorical geogra- DITHMARSCHEN 79 phy of different marsh areas were carried out (Kossack 25 et al., 1984). Excavations on the Wurten andof dikes Fig. 2 81 illustrate the interdependence of prehistoric settlements N 27 on the landscape development, which in turn was 02km 83 affected by the sea. These studies elucidate to which LOWER SAXONY 29 extent man has modified the landscape since the high 85 Medieval period by diking, draining and colonization of Fig. 1. North Sea coast of Schleswig–Holstein, Germany, with 31 swamp areas andpeat lands. position of the detailed maps. Design: D. Meier. 87 The landscape at the North Sea coast of Schleswig– 33 Holstein, which comprises Dithmarschen, Eiderstedt 89 andNorth Frisia ( Fig. 1), consists predominantly of settlements which stem from the Roman periodhave 35 Quaternary glacial andpostglacial deposits. The land- been carriedout in Dithmarschen, such as Tiebensee 91 scape development and settlement history of the salt (Meier, 2001a), Haferwisch (Meier, 2001a), andS- 37 marshes in Schleswig–Holstein has been well established uderbusenwurth. (Meier, 2001c) as well as from early 93 in the last 50 years (Tables 1 and2 ). Initially, Medieval times such as Wellinghusen (Meier, 2001a) 39 Bantelmann (1955, 1957/1958, 1975) excavated Wurten andHassenb uttel. (Meier, 2001a). Additionally, Warften 95 of the Roman periodandearly Medievaltimes, anddikes from high andlate Medievaltimes have been 41 including Toting and Elisenhof in Eiderstedt, and excavated in Eiderstedt (Fig. 1) between 1989 and2002 97 Ostermoor in Dithmarschen (Fig. 1). Between 1975 (Meier, 2001a). 43 and1979, high andlate Medieval Warften have been 99 excavated during the ‘‘Norderhever-Project’’ on the 45 North Frisian Islands of Fohr. andPellworm andthe so- 2. Landscape development 101 called Hallig-islands, relics of former coastal marshland 47 which occur in the present-day tidal flats around the The North Sea coast of Schleswig–Holstein extends 103 tidal channel of the Norderhever (Muller-Wille. et al., from the estuary of the river Elbe in the south as far as 49 1988). BasedonUNCORRECTED the results of these excavations andon the Danish PROOF border in the north and includes the counties 105 geological investigations (Hoffmann, 1988) as well as of Dithmarschen andNorth Frisia. The eastern border 51 mapping of the cultural heritage the history of the of the coastal region is formedby a hilly landscape, the 107 landscape was described (Muller-Wille. et al., 1988; so called‘‘ Geest’’, which consists of Pleistocene deposits 53 Vollmer et al., 2001). of the Saalian glacial period( Fig. 1). During the rise of 109 The settlement research andmapping of cultural the sea level the North Sea reachedthe Pleistocene 55 heritage was continued in Eiderstedt and Dithmarschen deposits at about 6500 years ago, formed erosional cliffs 111 (Meier, 2001a, b). Basedon these results, excavations of andcauseda longshore transport of the reworked JQI : 898 ARTICLE IN PRESS D. Meier / Quaternary International ] (]]]]) ]]]–]]] 3 1 Table 1 57 Larger archaeological excavations in the salt marshes of Schleswig–Holstein 3 Settlement Location Time interval Publication 59 Hodorf Stor. marsh Roman periodHaarnagel (1935) 5 Ostermoor Dithmarschen Roman period Bantelmann (1957/1958) 61 Suderbusenwurth. Dithmarschen Roman period Meier (2001c) 7 Tiebensee Dithmarschen Roman period Meier (2001a) 63 Haferwisch Dithmarschen Roman period Bantelmann (1955) and Meier 9 (2001a) 65 Tofting Eiderstedt Roman period 11 Wellinghusen Dithmarschen Early Medieval times Meier (2001a) 67 Hassenbuttel. Dithmarschen Early Medieval times Meier (2001a) 13 Elisenhof Eiderstedt Bantelmann (1975) 69 Welt Eiderstedt Early Medieval times Meier (1997) 15 Lutjenb. uttel. Dithmarschen High andlate Medievaltimes Unpubl. report (Meier) 71 Norderbusenwurth Dithmarschen High and late Medieval times Unpubl. report (Meier) 17 Hundorf Eiderstedt High and late Medieval times Meier (2001a) 73 Norderhever-Project North Frisia High and late Medieval and early Muller-Wille. et al. (1988) 19 Modern times 75 Dike andLocation Time Publication 21 St.