A 12,000-year pollen record from lake Maliq, Albania

Michelle Denèfle (1) , Anne-Marie Lézine (2) , Éric Fouache (3) , Jean-Jacques Dufaure (3)

1 LGP - Laboratoire de géographie physique : Environnements Quaternaires et Actuels
2 URA 1761 / ESA 7073 / FRE 2400 - Paléontologie et stratigraphie
3 SU UFR GA - Sorbonne Université - Faculté des Lettres - UFR Géographie et Aménagement

Pollen data from Lake Maliq, the first from Albania, contribute new information to the discussion of the vegetational, hydrological, and climatological history of the Balkans since 12,000 yr B.P. During late-glacial time, a perennial lake expanded at Maliq. It was surrounded by a complex vegetation association composed of steppe and mixed forest elements. The highly diverse forest flora suggest that late-glacial forest refugia were more developed here at middle altitude, rather than at higher altitude as previously suggested. The forest developed after 9800 yr B.P., while the water level remained high in the Korçë basin until 5000 yr B.P. Different environmental conditions, characterized by lower available moisture and warmer winters, progressively took place after this date. Human activity in the Korçë basin ca. 4500 yr B.P. was coeval with conditions characterized by an increase in winter temperatures and a decrease in summer moisture.

Domaines: Sciences de l'Homme et Société; Archéologie et Préhistoire

Michelle Denèfle, Anne-Marie Lézine, Éric Fouache, Jean-Jacques Dufaure. A 12,000-year pollen record from lake Maliq, Albania. Quaternary Research, 2000, 54 (3), pp.423-432. ⟨10.1006/qres.2000.2179Get⟩. ⟨halshs-03220814⟩