The dating of the Holocene relative sea-level changes in Finnmark, North Norway

Abstract

The Holocene land/sea-level changes in Finnmark, North Norway, were determined with the help of radiocarbon dates of shells from raised beaches. The regression of the sea level below 25 m could be dated in the Varangerfjord area for the time interval 5500–3600 B.P:, and below 15 m for the outer coast of the Varanger peninsula after about 4500 B.P. In addition, dates from two lakes and a former dated peat at Tomaselv were used to determine the lowering of the sea level after 9000 B.P. It was shown that radiocarbon dates of charcoal samples from archaeological sites cannot directly be compared with the other dates and also that lichenometry cannot be used in the study of the Iand/sea-level changes of the area. The influence of corrected radiocarbon ages is also discussed.