The impact of environmental changes on the human occupation of the Scheldt basin during the Younger Dryas.

This paper explores possible explanations for two important patterns within the Younger Dryas occupation\nof the Scheldt basin in northwestern Belgium: 1° the abrupt decrease in sites at the transition from the\nAllerød (Federmesser Culture) to the Younger Dryas and the related shift from lake edges to river banks ; 2°\nthe contrast in Younger Dryas site density with the adjacent Meuse basin. Starting with a taphonomic analysis,\nit is concluded that Younger Dryas sites can still be expected sealed underneath aeolian sediments, in particular\nin and along the Scheldt floodplain and its tributaries. The latter became much more important from the Younger\nDryas onwards due to an important lowering of the ground water level, which started at the end of the Allerød.\nThis resulted in a nearly total disappearance of numerous shallow lakes and ponds in the interior of the Lower\nScheldt basin, making rivers the only sources of freshwater for both animals and humans. Apparently, the Meuse\nbasin was less confronted with these drastic environmental changes, possibly explaining the longer survival of\nhunter-gatherers into the Younger Dryas.