HOLOCENE DEGLACIATION OF THE BUNGER HILLS REVEALED BY C-14 MEASUREMENTS ON STOMACH OIL DEPOSITS IN SNOW PETREL COLONIES

Solidified stomach oil deposits in snow petrel colonies in the Antarct ic proved to be suitable for C-14 dating and provide important palaeob iogeographical and palaeoenvironmental information. Following earlier studies in the Untersee oasis (Central Dronning Maud Land) we present here C-14 measurements on comparable deposits from the Bunger Hills (6 6-degrees 10-S,101-degrees-E). The conventional C-14 age of the basal layer reflects the occupation age of any particular nesting site and t herefore a minimum age for the time when this area became ice-free. Ac cording to the C-14 results the occupation of the southern part of the Bunger Hills by petrels started about 10 000 yr ago. The breeding col onies expanded continuously following local ice retreat. The most inte nsive phases of colonization seem to have been from 8-6 kyr BP and dur ing the past 2 kyr.