Articles | Volume 68, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-95-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-95-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
15 Jul 2019
Research article |
| 15 Jul 2019
| 15 Jul 2019
Holocene floodplain evolution in a central European loess landscape – geoarchaeological investigations of the lower Pleiße valley in NW Saxony
Christian Tinapp
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
University of Leipzig, Institute of Geography, Johannisallee 19a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office, Zur Wetterwarte 7, 01109 Dresden, Germany
Susann Heinrich
Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6,
04103 Leipzig, Germany
Christoph Herbig
Am Dorf 12, 63517 Rodenbach, Germany
Birgit Schneider
University of Leipzig, Institute of Geography, Johannisallee 19a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Harald Stäuble
Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office, Zur Wetterwarte 7, 01109 Dresden, Germany
Jan Miera
University of Leipzig, Historical Seminar, Ritterstraße 14, 04109
Leipzig, Germany
Hans von Suchodoletz
University of Technology Dresden, Institute of Geography,
Helmholtzstraße 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany
University of Leipzig, Institute of Geography, Johannisallee 19a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Christian Tinapp, Johannes Selzer, Norman Döhlert-Albani, Birgit Fischer, Susann Heinrich, Christoph Herbig, Frauke Kreienbrink, Tobias Lauer, Birgit Schneider, and Harald Stäuble
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 95–111, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-95-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-95-2023, 2023
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Excavations by the Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office were conducted in the Elbe valley between Meißen and Dresden, preceding the construction of two natural gas pipelines. Two important multicultural, prehistoric sites were discovered and examined. Through a multimethod approach, the structure of sediments and soils in combination with the archaeological finds could be deciphered, providing a glimpse into the late Weichselian and Holocene valley development of the upper Elbe.
Julia Meister, Hans von Suchodoletz, and Christian Zeeden
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 185–187, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-185-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-185-2023, 2023
Christian Tinapp, Johannes Selzer, Norman Döhlert-Albani, Birgit Fischer, Susann Heinrich, Christoph Herbig, Frauke Kreienbrink, Tobias Lauer, Birgit Schneider, and Harald Stäuble
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 95–111, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-95-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-95-2023, 2023
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Excavations by the Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office were conducted in the Elbe valley between Meißen and Dresden, preceding the construction of two natural gas pipelines. Two important multicultural, prehistoric sites were discovered and examined. Through a multimethod approach, the structure of sediments and soils in combination with the archaeological finds could be deciphered, providing a glimpse into the late Weichselian and Holocene valley development of the upper Elbe.
Azra Khosravichenar, Morteza Fattahi, Alireza Karimi, Hassan Fazeli Nashli, and Hans von Suchodoletz
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 145–150, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-145-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-145-2021, 2021
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This article discusses the first basic framework of Quaternary landscape evolution in a main large river valley of the drylands of northeastern Iran and the first geomorphic frame for human migrations in the important migration corridor of central Asia.
Hans von Suchodoletz, Christiane Richter, Frank Walther, Marcel Bliedtner, Mariam Eloshvili, Levan Losaberidze, and Bernhard Hausdorf
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 69, 247–260, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-247-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-247-2020, 2020
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We studied snails from Holocene river sediments of the upper Alazani River in the southeastern Caucasus. Since no natural floodplain forests existed in the river valley until ca. 4500 years ago, our snail data confirm a formerly suggested regional settlement center from the ca. 8000 years unknown thus far. Furthermore, increasing proportions of water-related snails for ca. 4000 years indicate a shift of the river course possibly linked with the formation of the Greater Caucasus.
Marcel Bliedtner, Hans von Suchodoletz, Imke Schäfer, Caroline Welte, Gary Salazar, Sönke Szidat, Mischa Haas, Nathalie Dubois, and Roland Zech
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2105–2120, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2105-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2105-2020, 2020
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This study investigates the age and origin of leaf wax n-alkanes from a fluvial sediment–paleosol sequence (FSPS) by compound-class 14C dating. Our results show varying age offsets between the formation and sedimentation of leaf wax n-alkanes from well-developed (paleo)soils and fluvial sediments that are mostly due to their complex origin in such sequences. Thus, dating the leaf wax n-alkanes is an important step for more robust leaf-wax-based paleoenvironmental reconstructions in FSPSs.
Christopher Lüthgens, Daniela Sauer, Michael Zech, Becky Briant, Eleanor Brown, Elisabeth Dietze, Markus Fuchs, Nicole Klasen, Sven Lukas, Jan-Hendrik May, Julia Meister, Tony Reimann, Gilles Rixhon, Zsófia Ruszkiczay-Rüdiger, Bernhard Salcher, Tobias Sprafke, Ingmar Unkel, Hans von Suchodoletz, and Christian Zeeden
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 243–244, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-243-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-243-2020, 2020
Hans von Suchodoletz, Stefanie Berg, Eileen Eckmeier, Lukas Werther, and Christoph Zielhofer
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 237–240, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-237-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-237-2020, 2020
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In this editorial, we give a short state of the art of geoarchaeology, including recent advancements and challenges, and shortly present the seven contributions to our special issue.
Jan Johannes Miera, Jessica Henkner, Karsten Schmidt, Markus Fuchs, Thomas Scholten, Peter Kühn, and Thomas Knopf
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 75–93, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-75-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-75-2019, 2019
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This study investigates Neolithic settlement dynamics by combining archaeological source criticism and archaeopedological data from colluvial deposits. It is shown that the distribution of Neolithic sites in the Baar region is distorted by superimposition due to erosion. Furthermore, the preservation conditions for pottery are limited by weathering effects. By complementing archaeological data with phases of colluviation we are able to point out settlement dynamics throughout the Neolithic.
Johann Friedrich Tolksdorf, Matthias Schubert, Frank Schröder, Libor Petr, Christoph Herbig, Petr Kočár, Mathias Bertuch, and Christiane Hemker
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 67, 73–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-67-73-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-67-73-2019, 2019
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This case study provides a reconstruction of settlement and land-use history since the 13th century CE in a small valley in the Ore Mountains (Saxony). Archaeological evidence shows settlement activities with a strong building and mining activities that also triggered local soil erosion. After the abandonment of the site in the middle of the 15th century CE and a reafforestation, later land use in the area occurred in the form of charcoal production.
Marcel Bliedtner, Imke K. Schäfer, Roland Zech, and Hans von Suchodoletz
Biogeosciences, 15, 3927–3936, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3927-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3927-2018, 2018
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In this study, we systematically analyze leaf wax derived n-alkane patterns in eastern Georgia to test their potential for paleoenvironmental reconstructions in the semi-humid to semi-arid central southern Caucasus region. We investigated the influence of vegetation types on the leaf wax signal in modern plants and topsoil material. Our results show distinct and systematic differences in the n-alkane patterns between vegetation types and prove their potential for vegetation reconstructions.
Related subject area
Geoarchaeology
The loess landscapes of the Lower Rhine Embayment as (geo-)archeological archives – insights and challenges from a geomorphological and sedimentological perspective
Late Weichselian–Holocene valley development of the Elbe valley near Dresden – linking sedimentation, soil formation and archaeology
A pedo-geomorphological view on land use and its potential in the surroundings of the ancient Hispano-Roman city Munigua (Seville, SW Spain)
Preface: Special issue “Geoarchaeology of the Nile Delta”
Revisiting the subalpine Mesolithic site Ullafelsen in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria – new insights into pedogenesis and landscape evolution from leaf-wax-derived n-alkanes, black carbon and radiocarbon dating
Reconstruction of former channel systems in the northwestern Nile Delta (Egypt) based on corings and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT)
Sandhills, sandbanks, waterways, canals and sacred lakes at Sais in the Nile Delta
The late Holocene record of Lake Mareotis, Nile Delta, Egypt
Significant depositional changes offshore the Nile Delta in late third millennium BCE: relevance for Egyptology
Implications of geoarchaeological investigations for the contextualization of sacred landscapes in the Nile Delta
Western Mareotis lake(s) during the Late Holocene (4th century BCE–8th century CE): diachronic evolution in the western margin of the Nile Delta and evidence for the digging of a canal complex during the early Roman period
A new look at the Butic Canal, Egypt
Towards timing and stratigraphy of the Bronze Age burial mound royal tomb (Königsgrab) of Seddin (Brandenburg, northeastern Germany)
Mapping buried paleogeographical features of the Nile Delta (Egypt) using the Landsat archive
New findings of Middle Stone Age lithic artifacts from the Matmata loess region in southern Tunisia
Sediment-filled karst depressions and riyad – key archaeological environments of south Qatar
Preface: Special Issue “Geoarchaeology and past human–environment interactions”
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
Neolithic settlement dynamics derived from archaeological data and colluvial deposits between the Baar region and the adjacent low mountain ranges, southwest Germany
Archaeology and agriculture: conflicts and solutions
Fortification, mining, and charcoal production: landscape history at the abandoned medieval settlement of Hohenwalde at the Faule Pfütze (Saxony, Eastern Ore Mountains)
New data from the Middle Palaeolithic Cotencher cave (Swiss Jura): site formation, environment, and chronology
Frank Lehmkuhl, Philipp Schulte, Wolfgang Römer, and Stephan Pötter
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 203–218, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-203-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-203-2023, 2023
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Research in loess landscapes provides evidence for the paleoenvironmental settings for past human societies and for the paleoclimate evolution of the past. Archeological and geoscientific investigations must consider different relief settings due to erosion, slope wash, accumulation of sediments and relocation of artifacts. The Lower Rhine Embayment can serve as a blueprint for such research as a typical loess landscape of Central Europe.
Christian Tinapp, Johannes Selzer, Norman Döhlert-Albani, Birgit Fischer, Susann Heinrich, Christoph Herbig, Frauke Kreienbrink, Tobias Lauer, Birgit Schneider, and Harald Stäuble
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 72, 95–111, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-95-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-72-95-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Excavations by the Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office were conducted in the Elbe valley between Meißen and Dresden, preceding the construction of two natural gas pipelines. Two important multicultural, prehistoric sites were discovered and examined. Through a multimethod approach, the structure of sediments and soils in combination with the archaeological finds could be deciphered, providing a glimpse into the late Weichselian and Holocene valley development of the upper Elbe.
André Kirchner, Nico Herrmann, Paul Matras, Iris Müller, Julia Meister, and Thomas G. Schattner
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 71, 123–143, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-123-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-71-123-2022, 2022
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Our results indicate that the soils around Munigua currently have the potential for at least limited agricultural use in larger areas and would certainly allow the production of basic agricultural goods, not only today but most likely also in Roman times. Multi-layered colluvial deposits. as well as an excavated Roman hortic Anthrosol, indicate a long-term agrarian utilization of the area. Based on these results we can conclude that the city's economy was by no means focused solely on mining.
Julia Meister, Eva Lange-Athinodorou, and Tobias Ullmann
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 187–190, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-187-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-187-2021, 2021
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This is the preface to the special issue "Geoarchaeology of the Nile Delta: Current Research and Future Prospects", which brings together geoarchaeological case studies from different regions of the Nile Delta.
Michael Zech, Marcel Lerch, Marcel Bliedtner, Tobias Bromm, Fabian Seemann, Sönke Szidat, Gary Salazar, Roland Zech, Bruno Glaser, Jean Nicolas Haas, Dieter Schäfer, and Clemens Geitner
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 171–186, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-171-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-171-2021, 2021
Marina Altmeyer, Martin Seeliger, Andreas Ginau, Robert Schiestl, and Jürgen Wunderlich
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 151–164, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-151-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-151-2021, 2021
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Kom el-Gir, an ancient settlement hill in the northwestern Nile Delta, is only one of many so-called tells with a former connection to a watercourse. To establish a detailed reconstruction of this former channel system, this paper presents small-scale investigations of Kom el-Gir’s surroundings using a multi-proxy approach.
Penelope Wilson and Hosni Ghazala
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 129–143, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-129-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-129-2021, 2021
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Geophysical and archaeological work at Sais (Sa el-Hagar, Egypt) is analysed to discuss the relationships between the palaeolandscape, the evolving river and floodplain and human cultural activity at the site, where humans have lived since Neolithic times (4000 Before Common Era) until the present. The results show a close correlation with and reliance on the underlying sandhills for settlement and the way in which human activity has subsequently affected the floodplain landscape at the site.
Clément Flaux, Matthieu Giaime, Valérie Pichot, Nick Marriner, Mena el-Assal, Abel Guihou, Pierre Deschamps, Christelle Claude, and Christophe Morhange
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 93–104, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-93-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-93-2021, 2021
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Lake Mareotis (NW Nile delta, Egypt) was a gateway between the Nile valley and the Mediterranean during Greco-Roman times. The hydrological evolution of Lake Mareotis was reconstructed using lake sediments and archaeological archives. The data show both a rise in Nile inputs to the basin during the first millennia BC and AD and a lake-level rise of ca. 1.5 m during the Roman period. A high-energy deposit such as a tsunami also possibly affected Alexandria's lacustrine hinterland.
Jean-Daniel Stanley and Sarah E. Wedl
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 83–92, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-83-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-83-2021, 2021
Eva Lange-Athinodorou
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 73–82, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-73-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-73-2021, 2021
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At Buto, Sais and Bubastis in the Nile delta, temples were built on gentle rising mounds surrounded by canals and lakes, representing a perfect fusion of natural and sacred landscapes. The waters served cultic purposes and played an important role in local mythological traditions. The paper aims to reconstruct those sacred waterways, canals and marshes according to recent geoarchaeological and philological research and to assess their impact on the evolution of key mythological narratives.
Maël Crépy and Marie-Françoise Boussac
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 39–52, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-39-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-39-2021, 2021
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Based on a new method, this paper proves the presence of several lakes during Greco-Roman antiquity in the Mariut basin and the digging of a canal network (up to 12 km long) in the Roman period to link them to Lake Mareotis. This challenges a 2-century-long scientific tradition according to which Lake Mareotis naturally linked Taposiris Magna to Alexandria during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. It is thus a starting point for new analyses of regional archaeology and geoarchaeology.
Robert Schiestl
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 29–38, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-29-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-29-2021, 2021
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The Butic Canal, a Roman-period artificial waterway transversing the Egyptian Nile Delta, is investigated by means of newly available remote sensing data (the TanDEM-X digital elevation model and Corona satellite imagery). New features of the construction can thus be detected. Adding historical sources, the canal's function(s) and chronology are discussed.
Moritz Nykamp, Jacob Hardt, Philipp Hoelzmann, Jens May, and Tony Reimann
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 70, 1–17, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-1-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-70-1-2021, 2021
Tobias Ullmann, Leon Nill, Robert Schiestl, Julian Trappe, Eva Lange-Athinodorou, Roland Baumhauer, and Julia Meister
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 69, 225–245, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-225-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-225-2020, 2020
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The contribution highlights the use of Landsat archive data (1985–2019) for the detection of surface anomalies potentially related to buried near-surface paleogeomorphological deposits in the Nile Delta (Egypt). The analyses of selected spectral-temporal metrics showed several anomalies in the immediate surroundings of Pleistocene sand hills (geziras) and settlement mounds (tells) of the eastern Delta, which allowed mapping of the potential near-surface continuation.
Dominik Faust, Sebastian Kreutzer, Yesmine Trigui, Maximilian Pachtmann, Georg Mettig, Moncef Bouaziz, Jose Manuel Recio Espejo, Fernando Diaz del Olmo, Christoph Schmidt, Tobias Lauer, Zeljko Rezek, Alexander Fülling, and Sascha Meszner
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 69, 55–58, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-55-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-69-55-2020, 2020
Max Engel, Stefanie Rückmann, Philipp Drechsler, Dominik Brill, Stephan Opitz, Jörg W. Fassbinder, Anna Pint, Kim Peis, Dennis Wolf, Christoph Gerber, Kristina Pfeiffer, Ricardo Eichmann, and Helmut Brückner
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 215–236, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-215-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-215-2020, 2020
Hans von Suchodoletz, Stefanie Berg, Eileen Eckmeier, Lukas Werther, and Christoph Zielhofer
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 237–240, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-237-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-237-2020, 2020
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In this editorial, we give a short state of the art of geoarchaeology, including recent advancements and challenges, and shortly present the seven contributions to our special issue.
Elena A. Hensel, Oliver Bödeker, Olaf Bubenzer, and Ralf Vogelsang
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 201–213, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019, 2019
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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.
Jan Johannes Miera, Jessica Henkner, Karsten Schmidt, Markus Fuchs, Thomas Scholten, Peter Kühn, and Thomas Knopf
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 75–93, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-75-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-75-2019, 2019
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This study investigates Neolithic settlement dynamics by combining archaeological source criticism and archaeopedological data from colluvial deposits. It is shown that the distribution of Neolithic sites in the Baar region is distorted by superimposition due to erosion. Furthermore, the preservation conditions for pottery are limited by weathering effects. By complementing archaeological data with phases of colluviation we are able to point out settlement dynamics throughout the Neolithic.
Richard Vogt and Inga Kretschmer
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 68, 47–51, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-47-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-47-2019, 2019
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Soils are an important source of geoarchaeological information. The archaeological soil archive is extremely endangered by intensive agriculture. Different approaches for problem-solving strategies that derive from daily practice in cultural heritage management are described.
Johann Friedrich Tolksdorf, Matthias Schubert, Frank Schröder, Libor Petr, Christoph Herbig, Petr Kočár, Mathias Bertuch, and Christiane Hemker
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 67, 73–84, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-67-73-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-67-73-2019, 2019
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This case study provides a reconstruction of settlement and land-use history since the 13th century CE in a small valley in the Ore Mountains (Saxony). Archaeological evidence shows settlement activities with a strong building and mining activities that also triggered local soil erosion. After the abandonment of the site in the middle of the 15th century CE and a reafforestation, later land use in the area occurred in the form of charcoal production.
Judit Deák, Frank Preusser, Marie-Isabelle Cattin, Jean-Christophe Castel, and François-Xavier Chauvière
E&G Quaternary Sci. J., 67, 41–72, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-67-41-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-67-41-2019, 2019
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Provided here are novel data concerning site formation processes and Middle Palaeolithic human presence at Cotencher cave (Switzerland). A local glaciation around 70 ka was followed by ice-free conditions, when artefacts and faunal remains were displaced by solifluction processes. Evidence of local glacier development around 36 ka is also presented. This interdisciplinary study contributes new elements for the understanding of climatic changes and human passage in the central Jura Mountains.
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Short summary
It was possible to define the turning point from extremely clayey and organic- rich sedimentation in the Early and Middle Holocene towards the deposition of coarser-grained and less organic overbank fines in the lower Pleiße valley near Leipzig, NW Saxony. This change occurred between 4000 and 3300 BCE more than 1000 years after the beginning of Early Neolithic settlement and was obviously linked with land clearance by the first farmers.
It was possible to define the turning point from extremely clayey and organic- rich...
