Horizon V: 8,000-4,000 Years Ago The Swamp Becomes Drier Between 8,000 and 4,000 years ago, evidence from the core suggests a curious interruption in Cedar Swamp’s development.  The water level in the basin dropped and the swamp became drier, probably as the result of numerous lengthy dry spells that occurred throughout the region.  Drier conditions caused the vegetation to decay more completely, creating woody peat  in the core sample that is black and firm.  Charcoal further accounts for the peat’s color.  The dense swamp had been transformed into a patchwork of dry, burned areas and deciduous forest.  This change had a dramatic impact on plant and animal life, which in turn affected how people used the swamp. 1. Drier, More Open Swamp A long regional dry spell caused the inlet stream to dry up and the water level in the Cedar Swamp basin to fall.  The swamp became much drier, especially during the summers. 2. Fire The amount of charcoal in the core increases dramatically in this horizon, suggesting that fires burned repeatedly across the dry surface of Cedar Swamp. 3. Grasses The first colonizers of this dry, burned landscape were probably grasses, as well as scattered white pine trees, which flourish after a fire. 4. Absence of People From 6,000 to 4,000 years ago, there is less evidence of human activity at Cedar Swamp than during earlier and later time periods.  People apparently found that conditions at this time were not good for hunting or settlement, perhaps because the swamp was too dry.