The archaeological sites in the open-cast mine of Schöningen, Germany, represent outstanding archives for understanding Middle Pleistocene interglacial–glacial transitions and human adaption. Aquatic microfossil and pollen assemblages from the ‘Reinsdorf sequence’, likely correlated to Marine Isotope Stage 9, document environmental changes from a thermal maximum to succeeding glacial conditions recorded in two sequences of excavation sites 12 II and 13 II. Multi-proxy analyses enable detailed reconstruction of lake-shore and landscape developments despite variable microfossil preservation in changing carbonate- and organic-rich deposits. Rich aquatic vegetation with abundant charophytes suggests repeated phases with water depths of 0.5–2 m at site 13 II, while even greater temporary depths are deduced for 12 II DB. Mesorheophilic and mesotitanophilic ostracod species indicate stream inflows with medium–low calcium contents of >18 mg Ca L^–1 originating from nearby springs. Diatoms point to meso-eutrophic conditions and an alkaline pH of the lake water. Interglacial conditions with thermophile forests but no aquatic microfossils preserved, suggesting a dry or only temporarily flooded site, mark the beginning of the sequence. Continuous presence of aquatic organisms and overall dominance of small tychoplanktonic diatoms during a subsequent cool steppe phase provide evidence for increased water depths and unstable habitats characterized by erosion and probably prolonged periods of lake ice cover. During the succeeding boreal forest-steppe phase, surface runoff into the productive, shallow lake decreased due to a more extensive vegetation cover. Concurrently, intensified groundwater input in contact with the nearby salt wall caused elevated salinities. Following a lake level drop, stream inflows and lake levels increased again towards the end of the Reinsdorf sequence and promoted development of a diverse fauna and flora at the lake shore; thereby maintaining an attractive living and hunting environment for early humans during a phase of generally cooler temperatures and landscape instability at the transition into a glacial period.

中文翻译：

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德国舍宁根两个旧石器时代下遗址中更新世古湖泊和湖岸发育的水生和陆地替代证据

德国舍宁根露天矿的考古遗址代表了了解中更新世间冰期-冰期过渡和人类适应的杰出档案。来自“Reinsdorf 序列”的水生微化石和花粉组合，可能与海洋同位素第 9 阶段相关，记录了在两个挖掘地点序列 12 II 和 13 II 中记录的从热最大值到后续冰川条件的环境变化。尽管在不断变化的富含碳酸盐和有机质沉积物的微化石保存情况各不相同，但多代理分析能够对湖岸和景观发展进行详细的重建。丰富的水生植被和丰富的轮藻表明 13 II 位点水深为 0.5-2 m 的重复阶段，而 12 II DB 推断出更大的临时深度。^–1源自附近的泉水。硅藻指向中型富营养化条件和湖水的碱性 pH 值。具有嗜热森林但没有保存水生微化石的间冰期条件，表明干燥或只是暂时被淹没的地点，标志着序列的开始。在随后的凉爽草原阶段，水生生物的持续存在和小型浮游硅藻的总体优势为水深增加和不稳定的栖息地提供了证据，其特征是侵蚀和可能长时间的湖冰覆盖。在随后的北方森林草原阶段，由于更广泛的植被覆盖，进入生产性浅湖的地表径流减少。同时，与附近盐墙接触的地下水输入加剧导致盐度升高。湖水位下降后，河流流入量和湖泊水位在 Reinsdorf 序列结束时再次增加，促进了湖岸多样化动植物群的发展；从而在过渡到冰川期的温度普遍较低和景观不稳定的阶段为早期人类保持有吸引力的生活和狩猎环境。