Landscape, climate, sea-level variations and human living conditions in a coastal area of western Blekinge on the Baltic sea between 11600 cal BP and AD 1000: E22- Sölvesborg-Stensnäs-project members 2014

The aim of the project has been to reveal the living conditionsfor humans in a coastal area of the Baltic sea during thirteen thousand years and to study the implications of variations in climate, sea-level and landscape changes. The archaeological ex- cavations, well integrated with paleoecological studies, along a twenty kilometer new road-built between Sölvesborg and Stensnäs has resulted in unique findings which shed new light on to the human history in southern Scandinavia and adjust- ment of the sea-level curve in western Blekinge. Time periods from early mesolithic, neolithic, bronze age until late iron age are well represented at the sites along the former bay and lake Vesan. Macrofossil analysis of the plant material at the archae- ological sites has revealed the food resources, burial gifts and given a glimpse of the local environment. Sediment cores from the center and near shore of former lake Vesan has given the opportunity to reconstruct the aquatic conditions and vegeta- tion in the surrounding landscape based on analysis of diatoms, pollen, macrofossils and carbon content. The vast number of radiocarbon dates of the archaeological material from various altitudes at the sites has enabled adjustment of the sea-level curve especially during Ancylus-, Littorina transgressions and aregression around 8.2 ka.