Combining geomorphological–hydrological analyses and the location of settlement and raw material sites – a case study on understanding prehistoric human settlement activity in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands

Hensel, Elena A.; Bödeker, Oliver; Bubenzer, Olaf; Vogelsang, Ralf

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019

Articles | Volume 68, issue 2

E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 201–213, 2019

https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue: Geoarchaeology and past human–environment interactions

E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 201–213, 2019

https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019

© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 68, issue 2

Research article 17 Oct 2019

Research article | 17 Oct 2019

Combining geomorphological–hydrological analyses and the location of settlement and raw material sites – a case study on understanding prehistoric human settlement activity in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands

Elena A. Hensel et al.

Data sets

Combining geomorphological–hydrological analyses and the location of settlement and raw material sites – a case study on understanding prehistoric human settlement activity in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands E. A. Hensel, O. Bödeker, O. Bubenzer, and R. Vogelsang https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-1-2019

Short summary

This study combines geomorphological–hydrological analyses with the distribution of archaeological sites and obsidian raw material outcrops within the catchment of the Bisare River, Mt Damota, and Mt Sodicho (southwestern Ethiopian Highlands). The current highly dynamic hydrological system, strong recent sediment erosion, and increased human impact lead to land degradation, resulting in exposure of lithic raw material outcrops and destruction of archaeological material.