Formation and management of hummocks in Saxony-Anhalt
04/2017-04/2020
- Project sponsor: DFG - German Research Foundation
- Project leader: Dr. Katja Wiedner
- Staff: Theresa Langewitz
- Co-responsible: Prof. Dr. Bruno Glaser
Cooperation partners:
- Dr. Mechthild Klamm, State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments and Archaeology Saxony-Anhalt (LDA)
- Wolfgang Kainz, State Office for Geology and Mining Saxony-Anhalt (LAGB)
Wölbäcker are evidence of historical agriculture, which can also be found in large parts of Saxony-Anhalt. The approximately 12-15 m wide and approximately 1 m high, parallel Wölbäcker are widespread as evidence of historical agriculture in Central Europe. The location and arrangement of these field relics, which have been preserved in the north of Saxony-Anhalt, for example, in forests that were mostly reforested in the 18th and 19th centuries, can be easily recorded using the airborne laser scanning method. Despite various studies, the origin, cultivation and use of the wide and elongated Wölbäcker are still unclear.
Initial investigations of hummocks near Rathsleben (Altmark) indicate, contrary to popular belief, that some hummocks were not created by ploughing. Enrichments of phosphate and δ15N provide evidence of massive inputs of organic fertiliser into the hummocks of the Altmark, which are often located on nutrient-poor sandy soils. Bio- and molecular markers such as sterols, stanols, stanones, bile acids and black carbon, as well as stable isotopes (d13C, d15N), will be used to gain in-depth insights into the fertilisation practices of the Wölbäcker. In addition, historical written sources will be systematically evaluated in order to gain further insights into the Wölbäcker culture (e.g. ownership structures). The interdisciplinary and multi-analytical approach aims to gain a better understanding of the Wölbäcker culture and ultimately to integrate the findings into the context of today's land use.