Chronology of plaggic deposits; palynology, radiocarbon and optically stimulated luminescence dating of the Posteles (NE-Netherlands)

Plaggic agriculture was the dominant land use system on Pleistocene sandy soils in Northwest Europe before the introduction of chemical fertilizers. In the today's landscape plaggic deposits are still recognizable as characteristic soils and landforms, related to this historical land use system. They are also important constituents of the soil archives in Northwest Europe. In preliminary studies of plaggic anthrosols, the reconstruction of the development of the plaggic deposits was based on palynological and historical data and radiocarbon dates. Disagreement appeared between palaeopedological and historical explanation of the evolution of plaggic anthrosols. Application of OSL dating improves the knowledge of chronology of plaggic deposits. The soil organic matrix, including pollen grains, consists of a complex mix of compounds of different ages and sources. Pollen diagrams of plaggic anthrosols show a palynological registration of the Late Holocene landscape evolution, but the palynological signal is not consequently correlated with the age of the plaggic sediments. An older soil organic matrix is suspended in the voids of a younger mineral soil skeleton.

Research Highlights
► The geochronology of paleopedological phenomena as, plaggic and driftsand deposits in cultural landscapes can be improved by the application of OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) dating.
► This study shows that (in contrast to traditional reconstructions of the genesis of plaggic anthrososls, based on palynology and radiocarbon dating), the OSL based age and sedimentation rate of plaggic deposits are accurate and reliable.