Holocene Landscape History in the forest area „Schweinert“ – a geoarchaeological study in Germany’s largest Bronze Age barrow cemetery

位于南勃兰登堡的森林地区“Schweinert”拥有德国最大的青铜时代墓葬。大约有650个保存完好的土丘，可以追溯到洛桑文化，分布在大约30公顷的总面积上。墓地位于施瓦兹·埃尔斯特河的冲积洪泛平原上，由河流河道系统分割。在该项目的范围内，进行地质考古调查，以澄清有关自然遗址条件的重要问题，并重建全新世景观发展。项目的主要问题是：(1)Schweinert古墓墓地的全新世地貌-土壤-沉积物背景是什么？(2)新的考古发现能增加我们对墓地的认识吗？(3)在更广泛的环境中，施韦纳特组与全新世组之间是否存在地层联系？为了回答这些问题，我们采用了以地形序列为核心元素的地貌学-土壤学-沉积学方法。沿着拓扑序列，土壤和母质被描述，取样和遗传分类，通过土壤坑和土壤钻孔。与链平行，将进行ERT和GPR的地球物理勘探。此外，还将对选定的子地块进行地磁测量。在物探结果的基础上，选择遗址进行考古发掘。在对这些发现的概述中，我们打算获得关于中欧最重要的青铜器时代古墓墓地景观历史的新见解。

The forest area "Schweinert", located in South Brandenburg, hosts Germany’s largest Bronze Age barrow cemetery. About 650 well preserved burial mounds, dated to the Lausatian culture, are spread over a total area of approximately 30 ha. The burial ground is situated in the alluvial floodplain of the river Schwarze Elster and is dissected by a system of fluvial channels. Within the scope of this project geoarchaeological investigations are carried out in order to clarify important questions regarding natural site conditions and to reconstruct the Holocene landscape development. The main questions of the project are: (1) What is the Holocene landform-soil-sediment context of the barrow cemetery in the Schweinert? (2) Can we increase our knowledge of the necropolis by new archeological findings? (3) Are there stratigraphic connections between the Schweinert and the Holocene formations in the wider environment? In order to answer these questions, we use a geomorphological-pedological-sedimentological approach with toposequences as core element. Along the toposequences, soils and parent materials are described, sampled and genetically classified by means of soil pits and soil drillings. Running parallel to the catenas, geophysical prospection by ERT and GPR will be performed. Furthermore, geomagnetic measurements of selected subplots will be carried out. On basis of geophysical prospection results sites will be selected for archaeological excavations. In a synopsis of the findings, we intend to obtain new insights concerning the landscape history of the most important Bronze Age barrow cemetery of Central Europe.