Abstract
The lack of natural lakes is typical for the Czech Republic. Several limnic sediments originated in the Late Glacial were discovered beneath the surface.
The only larger lake which persisted until the 19th centrury was the Komořany Lake (the Most Basin, Northern Bohemia). However, its sediments were totally removed due to the coal mining.
Presented multi-proxy study comprises the last several archived sediment profiles. Development of aquatic environment was tracked using diatoms, plant macrofossils, coccal green algae, sedimentology, geochemistry, stable isotopes and chironomids.
The surrounding vegetation cover was reconstructed by the means of pollen analysis. Potential human impact was reflected by the settlement density data.
Radiocarbon dating placed the formation of the lake into the Bolling period. Further expansions of the water body deduced from the developing of littoral profiles occurred in the Preboreal period.
Then, the character of the aquatic environment was very steady without major disturbance up to the abrupt eutrophication in ~2200 yrs BC. Its connection with the decrease of water level suggests rather natural causality, although synchronicity with the start of the Bronze Age prevents exclusion of the human impact.
The most recent and probably the largest expansion of water body was indicated by the formation of the littoral profile in the interval of ~ 800 yrs BC - 500 yrs AD. Following lacustrine development is not clear since the upper sediment layers were removed during exploratory works foregoing the mining.