Deglaciation Dates from Northern Swedish Lappland

ABSTRACT

A minimum date of 8480 ± 155 ¹⁴C yr B.P. on the deglaciation is reported. The date was obtained on a sample of wood fragments and is therefore not affected by old carbonate. The date is regarded as a reliable minimum date of the deglaciation. Another slightly older minimum date (8900 ± 140 ¹⁴C yr B.P.) obtained on peat from the same locality is probably also reliable. Dates on early postglacial organic sediments from ten other localities are discussed. It is concluded that a large section of northern Lappland was deglaciated before 9000–8500 ¹⁴C yr B.P. The number of high-quality ¹⁴C dates is at present insufficient to determine the pattern of deglaciation in Lappland.

Problems involved in the ¹⁴C dating technique are discussed. It cannot be excluded that short-term fluctuations in the atmospheric content of ¹⁴C occurred around 9000 B P., and this may have influenced dates from this period.