Zur Altersstellung der Torfe und Gyttjen von Herxheim, Jockgrim und Rheinzabern in der Vorderpfalz

Abstract

In order to clarify the Pleistocene successions present in the clay-pits at Herxheim, Jockgrim and Rheinzabern in Vorderpfalz, a pollen analysis has been made of peat and silt deposits. The following results have been obtained: 1) The Herxheim peat-layers can be assigned to a subarctic phase, which may belong either at the beginning or end of any Interglacial or Interstadial. The pollen diagrams do not permit a definite dating. 2) The clay-pits of Jockgrim and Rheinzabern are located not far apart and the peat- and silt-layers are of the same age. They contain pollen of the Tertiary forms: Tsuga, Castanea, Pterocarya and Carya and also some Fagus. These indicate a lower Pleistocene age for the deposits. Up to now, no complete pollen diagrams are available for the southern German area. Therefore it is not possible at present to date definitely the deposits of Jockgrim and Rheinzabern.