A Historical Review of the Ancylus Lake and the Svea River

Abstract

The outlet of the Ancylus Lake in central Sweden has been investigated morphologically and chronologically by Munthe (1927), von Post (1928) and Maj-Britt and Sten Florin (1944). However, the results of these investigations did not complement each other. Munthe and von Post linked the Svea River with the earliest phase of the Ancylus Lake, while Sten Florin considered that the Svea River must have been formed earlier. Different shoreline connexions with Degerfors, where the Svea River entered the western ocean, have also contributed to the different interpretations of the Svea River's position in time.

This paper describes briefly the discovery of the freshwater Ancylus Lake and the various theories concerning its outlet to the western ocean. A short account is given of Munthe's and von Post's descriptions. Reference is also made to different shoreline connexions with the Svea River and to some theories of the origin of the Svea River unconnected with the Baltic Sea. Florin's interpretation and the discussions in connexion with these are briefly reported. The paper concludes with a survey of later works on changes of level which affect the Svea River, together with a discussion of different methods of dating and the radiocarbon determinations of the Ancylus stage.