Vohtenkellarinsuo, a bog in Paimio, SW Finland with a cultural origin

Abstract

The present investigation describes the development of the bog Vohtenkellarinsuo and the history of the local settlement of the Paimio river valley. Both the stratigraphy and the pollen data of the peat profile reflect continuous human interference from the period of Kiukainen Culture (4000-3300 B.P.) onwards. The destruction of the local deciduous forest by fire during the Roman Iron Age was followed by phases of cultivation and grazing that caused changes in the water balance of the soil in the area. This led to the development of Sphagnum peat and thus to the birth of the bog.

Keywords

• Pollen
• stratigraphy
• human interference
• settlement history
• Paimio