Medieval Overexploitation of Peat Triggered Large-Scale Drowning and Permanent Land Loss in Coastal North Frisia (Wadden Sea Region, Germany)

Intensive medieval peat exploitation in coastal North Frisia, Germany, triggered large-scale land loss and the establishment of tidal flats now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Wadden Sea. Geoarchaeological investigations revealed a 2000-year hiatus between fossil marsh deposits (pre-800 BC) and 12th–14th century settlement remains, indicating extensive peat removal for agriculture. This process lowered the ground surface below mean high water levels, increasing vulnerability to storm floods in 1362 AD and 1634 AD that permanently transformed embanked land into tidal flats. The study combines coring, radiocarbon dating, geophysical prospection, and sedimentary analyses to demonstrate how human–environment interactions reshaped this unique cultural landscape.

Hadler, H., Reiß, A., Willershäuser, T., Wilken, D., Blankenfeldt, R., Majchczack, B., Klooß, S., Ickerodt, U., & Vött, A. (2024). Medieval Overexploitation of Peat Triggered Large-Scale Drowning and Permanent Land Loss in Coastal North Frisia (Wadden Sea Region, Germany). Geosciences, 15(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15010001