Mindel

The term for the interglacial erosion interval, envisaged by Penck and Bruckner as separating the Gunz and Min-del glacials. The Alpine sequence is now known to be much more complex than was originally thought, but Gunz/Mindel has unfortunately gained wide currency as a general term meaning the antepenultimate interglacial throughout Europe. This usage is still common in archaeological literature, but is better avoided.

A group of Quaternary deposits in the Alps and the valleys of south German rivers. The Mindel consists of moraine and related river terraces of proglacial deposits. It formed part of the classical scheme of four glacials with intervening interglacials published in 1909 by Penck and Bruckner. In this scheme, it was held that the Mindel deposits represented the antepenultimate glaciation of the Alps. More recently, it has become clear that the Alpine sequence is much more complicated than had been thought. During the period of time occupied by the Günz, Mindel, Riss and Würm deposits, no less than ten world-wide glacials are shown by the analysis of deep sea cores. The position of the Mindel within the climatic sequence of the Quaternary is as yet unclear. For this reason, the term should only be used to describe a particular group of Alpine deposits. Unfortunately, ‘Mindel’ has gained wide currency as a more general term, meaning the antepenultimate cold stage throughout Europe. This is still common in archaeological literature, but should be avoided.