Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 March 2014
A number of 45 presumed pingo remnants have been analysed on lithological criteria while measured parameters of pingo remnants can be compared on a spatial scale. Methods used were hand augering and radiocarbon dating. Out of 45 cored sites thirty sites proved to represent pingo remnants after having tested the results according to the set of descriptive criteria. Does a difference in filling types in a spatial analysis influence the choice of early settlers in this region? Results show that two groups of pingo remnants can be distinguished by the nature of the pingo filling. Type 1 pingo remnants with predominantly peat filling are found in the lower valleys between the higher glacial till ridges. Type 2 pingo remnants with equal loam and peat filling are predominantly found on the higher glacial till ridges. Type 2 pingo remnants generally have a greater depth, are more ellipsoid in shape, and have a steeper slope angle than type 1 pingo remnants on the lower terrain. Results indicate that the substrate character influenced the development of infilling of pingo remnants. Marshy environments may have existed for a prolonged period throughout the Holocene in pingo remnants on the glacial ridges, while pingo remnants on the lower terrain are filled in by peat bogs. Landscape evolution based on the results of a distinct dataset of pingo remnants can help to solve archaeological problems of settlement issues when combined with new palaeobotanic data and high resolution dates.