B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 35. 2004 (Budapest, 2004)
Medzihradszky, Zsófia: Palynological investigation of a late Holocene sequence from Southwestern Hungary
Principal component analysis PCA analysis of the most abundant pollen types was carried out to reinforce the zonation of the sequence. The stratigraphie plot of the first principal component of the samples confirmed their classification and zone borders (Fig. 3). DISCUSSION The diagram represents a relatively short period of the Holocene, when our area was densely forested with sometimes absolute domination of Fagus. Fagus has a low pollen production, the catchment area - because of the small watershed basin of the creek - is moderate, consequently the pollen rain sedimented in the samples originated from the local vegetation. Similarly high Fagus value is unknown from SW Hungary. The peak of this taxon is only 21.5% in the profile from Pölöske dated to 2,820+70 l4 C yr BP (JUHÁSZ et al 2002), 17.3% from Főnyed locality dated to 5,955+75 l4 C yr BP and about 22.5% at 3000 BP in KeszthelyÚsztatómajor (MEDZIHRADSZKY 2001A, b). Next to Fagus, Tilia is a significant component of the forest. According to pollen morphological investigations they could be ranked mainly to Tilia cordata/ T. tomentosa pollen type (CHRISTENSEN and BLACKMORE 1988, MAMAKOWA 1989). Based on the high values of these two taxa we reconstructed a closed forest in the area which could be similar to the recent beech forests (dominated by Fagus sylvatica, and associated Tilia cordata and/or T. tomentosa) in southern SouthTransdanubia. Comparing the results of the pollen analysis, the investigation of charcoal content and the sedimentation we may conclude that Újkút creek or rather its ancestor had an important role in the lives of the prehistoric settlements. During high water level periods thick sediment was deposited and the human activity resumed. As a result of land cultivation, the erosion increased. The uppermost part of the diagram and the LPAZ III characterises these phenomena. By constant (and not extraordinary) flow of the creek the possibility of deposition and preservation of pollen content was assured. In these layers, LPAZ II and LPAZ IV, only a few pollen grains of cereals indicate human activity.
