Talk:Germanic Iron Age

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[edit] Timeline nags

Wonderful timeline. I love the concept. I have a few small nags about the accuracy.

In the terminology, Ancylus and Litorina originally referred and still do refer to Baltic sea basin bodies of water: Ancylus lake, Litorina sea. As far as I know, the use of "age" there is someone's neologism. The bodies of water do not correspond to anything else, such as climate periods, pollen zones or archaeological periods. Are we sure we want to use them in that sense?

If we do use them in that sense, then they are incomplete. Before Ancylus lake was Yoldia sea, and before that was Baltic ice lake. Now Baltic ice lake followed the last glaciation. So, Ancylus age cannot do so. Baltic ice lake started around 12600 BC more or less. The earlier times are off.

Usually in such time lines and charts you see rather the pollen zones or Blytt-Sernander periods. In the Holocene those would be Pre-boreal, Boreal, Atlantic, Sub-Boreal, etc. I suggest those replace "Ancylus age", etc. They are just as native to the Swedes as the lake/sea phases; in fact, the Swedes invented the names.

One last carp (sorry). The Palaeolithic goes on way too late. The Mesolithic starts in the Boreal in north Europe, about the time of Yoldia sea, although some say earlier. It depends on where you mean. There was already a full-blown neolithic in the Mediterranean lands.

Here are some articles in this encyclopedia that should shed some light: Baltic sea, Ice age, Baltic ice lake, Yoldia sea, pollen zone, Blytt-Sernander, Boreal (period), Atlantic (period). I've been doing some work on some of these articles with a view of eventually getting around to such topics as the one in this article as well as the known identities that emerged from it, but I have "miles to go before I sleep." When I do get here I hope I will not have to do anything.Dave 15:36, 5 March 2006 (UTC)