A. Zalat, F. Welc, J. Nitychoruk, L. Marks, M. Chodyka, Łukasz Zbucki
A sediment core, 350 cm long recovered from Młynek Lake, northern of Poland (Warmia and Masuria Region) was analyzed with respect to their content of diatoms and chrysophyte cysts. The aim was to reconstruct the lake water level and climatic changes during the past 2500 years. The recognized diatom assemblages displayed marked floristic changes along the sediment core samples. The main change in diatom composition consists of a shift from an assemblage dominated by benthic Fragilaria sensu lato species through marked intervals to a planktonic one in distinct zones. A high proportion of benthic to plankton taxa has been reported as indicative for a lowering of the lake level with long ice cover in a cold dry climate and a shift from benthic to planktonic diatom taxa reflects arising water level with longest growing season and reduced ice cover on the lake during a warm wet climate. Multivariate statistical analysis included hierarchical ascending clustering distinguished four diatom ecological groups. The analyzed core section was divided into 11 diatom zones according to a distribution of ecological groups and variation in abundance of dominant species supported by 14C data. The results displayed a developmental history of the Młynek Lake that can be divided into 6 main phases of alternating warm wet and cold dry shifts. A distinct dominance of planktonic eutrophic indicator diatoms accompanied by a low abundance of chrysophyte cysts indicates increased lake trophicity and a general trend for the increasing anthropogenic impact.
对波兰北部(Warmia和Masuria地区)Młynek湖350厘米长的沉积物岩心进行了硅藻和绿藻囊的含量分析。目的是重建过去2500年的湖泊水位和气候变化。已识别的硅藻组合沿沉积物岩心样品显示出明显的区系变化。硅藻组成的主要变化是由底栖植物Fragilaria sensu lato物种主导的组合在特定的间隔内转变为浮游植物主导的组合。据报道,在寒冷干燥的气候条件下,底栖生物与浮游生物的比例较高,表明冰盖较长的湖泊水位下降;而在温暖潮湿的气候条件下,底栖生物向浮游硅藻分类群的转变反映了生长季节最长的湖泊水位上升和湖泊冰盖减少。多变量统计分析采用层次上升聚类方法区分出4个硅藻生态类群。根据14C数据支持的生态类群分布和优势种丰度变化,将所分析的岩心剖面划分为11个硅藻带。结果表明,Młynek湖的发育历史可划分为6个主要的暖湿冷干交替期。浮游富营养化指示硅藻的明显优势,伴随着低丰度的藻囊,表明湖泊营养性增加和人为影响增加的总体趋势。
{"title":"Last two millennia water level changes of the Młynek Lake (northern Poland) inferred from diatoms and chrysophyte cysts record","authors":"A. Zalat, F. Welc, J. Nitychoruk, L. Marks, M. Chodyka, Łukasz Zbucki","doi":"10.2478/SQUA-2018-0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/SQUA-2018-0006","url":null,"abstract":"A sediment core, 350 cm long recovered from Młynek Lake, northern of Poland (Warmia and Masuria Region) was analyzed with respect to their content of diatoms and chrysophyte cysts. The aim was to reconstruct the lake water level and climatic changes during the past 2500 years. The recognized diatom assemblages displayed marked floristic changes along the sediment core samples. The main change in diatom composition consists of a shift from an assemblage dominated by benthic Fragilaria sensu lato species through marked intervals to a planktonic one in distinct zones. A high proportion of benthic to plankton taxa has been reported as indicative for a lowering of the lake level with long ice cover in a cold dry climate and a shift from benthic to planktonic diatom taxa reflects arising water level with longest growing season and reduced ice cover on the lake during a warm wet climate. Multivariate statistical analysis included hierarchical ascending clustering distinguished four diatom ecological groups. The analyzed core section was divided into 11 diatom zones according to a distribution of ecological groups and variation in abundance of dominant species supported by 14C data. The results displayed a developmental history of the Młynek Lake that can be divided into 6 main phases of alternating warm wet and cold dry shifts. A distinct dominance of planktonic eutrophic indicator diatoms accompanied by a low abundance of chrysophyte cysts indicates increased lake trophicity and a general trend for the increasing anthropogenic impact.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"22 1","pages":"77-89"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"68920922","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Rodzik, Barbara Niezabitowska-Wiśniewska, J. Nitychoruk, J. Budziszewski, M. Jakubczak
Abstract The paper presents determinants of location of the multicultural complex of archaeological sites in the vicinity of Ulów, in the Central Roztocze upland region in south-eastern Poland. Archaeological research revealed that in the area assumed to be devoid of settlements, the settlements of prehistoric and historical communities functioned from the Palaeolithic to modern times. The region was also subjected to environmental examination. Location of sites was analysed, taking into account a convenience of communication in a regional scale and local environmental conditions. Analysis of hydrogeological, geomorphological and soil conditions was carried out, taking into account water supply, communication and the farming development. In-depth analysis included micromorphological DTM (Digital Terrain Model) and geological and soil probing. The area was found to be located on the crossing of prehistoric communication routes the course of which depended on the variability of the physiographic parameters of regions. The functioning of new cultures in the same place resulted from specific local conditions such as: easily arable soils, favourable microclimate, and particularly access to water. The presence of a source of water in a plateau area is determined tectonically (strike-slip fault), lithologically (impermeable marl horizon), and geomorphologically (dissection of the aquifer by an erosion-denudation valley).
{"title":"Geological and Geomorphologic Conditions and Traces of Prehistoric and Historic Human Settlements in the Vicinity of Ulów (Roztocze Region, Southeastern Poland)","authors":"J. Rodzik, Barbara Niezabitowska-Wiśniewska, J. Nitychoruk, J. Budziszewski, M. Jakubczak","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0007","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The paper presents determinants of location of the multicultural complex of archaeological sites in the vicinity of Ulów, in the Central Roztocze upland region in south-eastern Poland. Archaeological research revealed that in the area assumed to be devoid of settlements, the settlements of prehistoric and historical communities functioned from the Palaeolithic to modern times. The region was also subjected to environmental examination. Location of sites was analysed, taking into account a convenience of communication in a regional scale and local environmental conditions. Analysis of hydrogeological, geomorphological and soil conditions was carried out, taking into account water supply, communication and the farming development. In-depth analysis included micromorphological DTM (Digital Terrain Model) and geological and soil probing. The area was found to be located on the crossing of prehistoric communication routes the course of which depended on the variability of the physiographic parameters of regions. The functioning of new cultures in the same place resulted from specific local conditions such as: easily arable soils, favourable microclimate, and particularly access to water. The presence of a source of water in a plateau area is determined tectonically (strike-slip fault), lithologically (impermeable marl horizon), and geomorphologically (dissection of the aquifer by an erosion-denudation valley).","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"83 - 97"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49339176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
J. Trzciński, M. Zaremba, S. Rzepka, W. Bogusz, T. Godlewski, Tom Szczepanski
Abstract The Tell el-Retaba archaeological site is located at Wadi Tumilat, a shallow valley running from the Nile Delta to the Bitter Lakes. In ancient times, a route connecting Egypt with Syria-Palestine ran across the site. In the 13th century BC, during the rule of Ramesses II, a fortress surrounded by “Wall 1” was erected and in times of Ramesses III in the 12th century BC, a larger fortress surrounded by “Wall 2” and “Wall 3” was constructed. Using the finite element method (FEM) and ZSoil 2D&3D software, the wall heights were modelled and their soil-structure interaction was analysed. Strength of the wall depended on size and strength of bricks and mortar, brickwork, wall shape and foundation. Ancient builders using mud bricks must have known from practical experience the essentials of a wall construction, in which the height to width ratio was at 1.75 to 1.85. Moreover, they must have related the engineering properties of the material with the height of the construction and its purpose. The width to height ratio must have been used and related by ancient Egyptians to the ground resistance. Modelling has shown that, at wall width of 5 m, the foundation would have lost its stability at wall height of 13–14 m and bricks from the lower part of the wall would be destroyed. According to the undertaken assumptions, in order to retain stability, the wall height must have been limited to about 8–9 m.
摘要Tell el Retaba考古遗址位于Wadi Tumilat,这是一个从尼罗河三角洲到比特湖的浅河谷。在古代,一条连接埃及和叙利亚-巴勒斯坦的路线穿过该遗址。公元前13世纪,拉美西斯二世统治期间,修建了一座被“1号墙”包围的堡垒,公元前12世纪拉美西斯三世统治期间,建造了一座由“2号墙”和“3号墙”环绕的更大堡垒。采用有限元法(FEM)和ZSoil二维和三维软件对墙高进行了建模,并分析了墙高与土-结构的相互作用。墙的强度取决于砖和砂浆的尺寸和强度、砌砖、墙的形状和基础。使用泥砖的古代建筑商一定从实践经验中了解了墙壁建造的要点,其中高宽比为1.75比1.85。此外,他们必须将材料的工程特性与建筑高度及其用途联系起来。宽高比一定是古埃及人使用的,并且与地面阻力有关。建模表明,在墙宽为5米的情况下,基础在墙高为13-14米时会失去稳定性,墙下部的砖块会被破坏。根据假设,为了保持稳定性,墙壁高度必须限制在8-9米左右。
{"title":"Preliminary Back-Analysis of the Height of Mud Brick Fortifications Based on Geoarchaeological Data at Tell El-Retaba Site in Egypt","authors":"J. Trzciński, M. Zaremba, S. Rzepka, W. Bogusz, T. Godlewski, Tom Szczepanski","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0008","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Tell el-Retaba archaeological site is located at Wadi Tumilat, a shallow valley running from the Nile Delta to the Bitter Lakes. In ancient times, a route connecting Egypt with Syria-Palestine ran across the site. In the 13th century BC, during the rule of Ramesses II, a fortress surrounded by “Wall 1” was erected and in times of Ramesses III in the 12th century BC, a larger fortress surrounded by “Wall 2” and “Wall 3” was constructed. Using the finite element method (FEM) and ZSoil 2D&3D software, the wall heights were modelled and their soil-structure interaction was analysed. Strength of the wall depended on size and strength of bricks and mortar, brickwork, wall shape and foundation. Ancient builders using mud bricks must have known from practical experience the essentials of a wall construction, in which the height to width ratio was at 1.75 to 1.85. Moreover, they must have related the engineering properties of the material with the height of the construction and its purpose. The width to height ratio must have been used and related by ancient Egyptians to the ground resistance. Modelling has shown that, at wall width of 5 m, the foundation would have lost its stability at wall height of 13–14 m and bricks from the lower part of the wall would be destroyed. According to the undertaken assumptions, in order to retain stability, the wall height must have been limited to about 8–9 m.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"108 - 99"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46155653","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The Tell el-Retaba archaeological site is located in the middle part of Wadi Tumilat, which extends along the north-eastern margin of the Nile Delta. It contains fragments of fortified and domestic objects of the ancient fortress and other constructions built of mud bricks. The establishment and functioning of the fortress is dated at the times of the reign of two great pharaohs, Ramesses II and Ramesses III (13th and 12th centuries BC). The grain size composition of the sediments used for mud brick production had significant influence on their physical and mechanical properties, which was used by the ancient Egyptians for the improvement of bricks. The finest fractions, clay and silt, which generally comprise clay minerals and organic matter played a significant role. These components significantly influenced the mud brick properties and resulted in a structural cohesion of the material. The second important component of mud bricks were coarse fractions – sand and gravel. The source of material used for brick production were the natural sediments located in the vicinity of the fortress, i.e. the Holocene lake clay and the Pleistocene gravel and sand of the gezira formation, deposited by a braided river. Clay sediments have a variable lithology as can be deduced from grain size composition of mud bricks and their properties. This variability was caused by a variable regime of the Nile, which supplied material to the lake basin. Geological studies were used to recognize ancient environment and morphology of the area, and to find clay, sand and gravel open-pits that existed in the area. The fortress site was selected optimally in relation to the landscape morphology and close vicinity of the source of basic material and water used for mud brick production. The area around the fortress was substantially transformed by humans due to settlement.
{"title":"Holocene Lake Sediments as a Source of Building Material in Ancient Egypt; Archeometric Evidence from Wadi Tumilat (Nile Delta)","authors":"M. Zaremba, J. Trzciński, F. Welc","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0009","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The Tell el-Retaba archaeological site is located in the middle part of Wadi Tumilat, which extends along the north-eastern margin of the Nile Delta. It contains fragments of fortified and domestic objects of the ancient fortress and other constructions built of mud bricks. The establishment and functioning of the fortress is dated at the times of the reign of two great pharaohs, Ramesses II and Ramesses III (13th and 12th centuries BC). The grain size composition of the sediments used for mud brick production had significant influence on their physical and mechanical properties, which was used by the ancient Egyptians for the improvement of bricks. The finest fractions, clay and silt, which generally comprise clay minerals and organic matter played a significant role. These components significantly influenced the mud brick properties and resulted in a structural cohesion of the material. The second important component of mud bricks were coarse fractions – sand and gravel. The source of material used for brick production were the natural sediments located in the vicinity of the fortress, i.e. the Holocene lake clay and the Pleistocene gravel and sand of the gezira formation, deposited by a braided river. Clay sediments have a variable lithology as can be deduced from grain size composition of mud bricks and their properties. This variability was caused by a variable regime of the Nile, which supplied material to the lake basin. Geological studies were used to recognize ancient environment and morphology of the area, and to find clay, sand and gravel open-pits that existed in the area. The fortress site was selected optimally in relation to the landscape morphology and close vicinity of the source of basic material and water used for mud brick production. The area around the fortress was substantially transformed by humans due to settlement.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"109 - 118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43714644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The last one hundred years of land use history in the southern part of Valdai Hills (European Russia) were reconstructed on the base of high resolution pollen data from the peat monolith taken from the Central Forest State Reserve supplementing with historical records derived from maps of the General Land Survey of the 18th and 19th centuries and satellite images. According to the created age model provided by dating using radio-nuclides 210Pb and 137Cs, pollen data of the peat monolith allow us to reconstruct vegetation dynamics during the last one hundred years with high time resolution. The obtained data showed that, despite the location of the studied peatland in the center of the forest area and rather far away from possible croplands and hayfields, the pollen values of plants – anthropogenic indicators (Secale sereale, Centaurea cyanus, Plantago, Rumex, etc.) and micro-charcoal concentration are relatively high in the period since the beginning of the 20th century to the 1970s, especially in the peat horizon formed in the 1950s. In the late 1970s – the early 1980s when the pollen values of cereals gradually diminished in assemblages, the quantity of pollen of other anthropogenic indicators were also significantly reduced, which reflects the overall processes of the agriculture decline in the forest zone of the former USSR.
{"title":"The Last Hundred Years of Land Use History in the Southern Part of Valdai Hills (European Russia): Reconstruction by Pollen and Historical Data","authors":"E. Novenko, Pavel Shilov, D. Khitrov, D. Kozlov","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0006","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The last one hundred years of land use history in the southern part of Valdai Hills (European Russia) were reconstructed on the base of high resolution pollen data from the peat monolith taken from the Central Forest State Reserve supplementing with historical records derived from maps of the General Land Survey of the 18th and 19th centuries and satellite images. According to the created age model provided by dating using radio-nuclides 210Pb and 137Cs, pollen data of the peat monolith allow us to reconstruct vegetation dynamics during the last one hundred years with high time resolution. The obtained data showed that, despite the location of the studied peatland in the center of the forest area and rather far away from possible croplands and hayfields, the pollen values of plants – anthropogenic indicators (Secale sereale, Centaurea cyanus, Plantago, Rumex, etc.) and micro-charcoal concentration are relatively high in the period since the beginning of the 20th century to the 1970s, especially in the peat horizon formed in the 1950s. In the late 1970s – the early 1980s when the pollen values of cereals gradually diminished in assemblages, the quantity of pollen of other anthropogenic indicators were also significantly reduced, which reflects the overall processes of the agriculture decline in the forest zone of the former USSR.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"73 - 81"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46458301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract This paper presents the results of stratigraphic excavation and soil studies carried out at Mograt Island, the largest of the Nilotic islands in Sudan. Due to its restricted insular environments, Holocene alluvial deposits were observed to be interlocked with archaeological remains of different periods, allowing for a combined chronostratigraphic approach to study both cultural and climatic events. To better understand the environmental context through soil components and pedological features at a microscopic scale, soil block samples were accordingly collected and studied by the application of soil micromorphology. This approach provides insights into the history of Nile terrace aggradation through the suspension of Nile sediment loads under stillwater conditions as well as of the periodical establishment of shallow water pools at the islands′ plateaus by the surface run-off from local rains. Since these patterns vary significantly from the present situation, they offer a key to the scenario in which specific early agricultural and animal herding practices evolved.
{"title":"Holocene Lake and Shallow Water Sediments at Mograt Island, Sudan","authors":"Annett Dittrich, Sayantani Neogi","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0001","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This paper presents the results of stratigraphic excavation and soil studies carried out at Mograt Island, the largest of the Nilotic islands in Sudan. Due to its restricted insular environments, Holocene alluvial deposits were observed to be interlocked with archaeological remains of different periods, allowing for a combined chronostratigraphic approach to study both cultural and climatic events. To better understand the environmental context through soil components and pedological features at a microscopic scale, soil block samples were accordingly collected and studied by the application of soil micromorphology. This approach provides insights into the history of Nile terrace aggradation through the suspension of Nile sediment loads under stillwater conditions as well as of the periodical establishment of shallow water pools at the islands′ plateaus by the surface run-off from local rains. Since these patterns vary significantly from the present situation, they offer a key to the scenario in which specific early agricultural and animal herding practices evolved.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"21 - 9"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45670626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract The sedimentological and lithostratigraphic record from north-central Bir Tarfawi documents the presence of Pleistocene basin-fill deposits. Three topographic basins were created as a result of deflation during climate episodes associated with lowering of the local groundwater table. In each case, the three deflational basins or topographic depressions were subsequently filled with sediments; these basin aggradations coincided with changes from arid climate conditions to wetter conditions and a rise in the groundwater table. The oldest and highest sedimentary remnant is associated with Acheulian artifacts and may reflect spring-fed pond and marsh conditions during a Middle Pleistocene wet climate episode. Lithofacies for a lower stratigraphic sequence (the “White Lake”) documents deposition in a perennial lake that varied in extent and depth and is associated with Middle Paleolithic artifacts. A third episode of deflation created a topographic low that has been filled with Late Pleistocene sediments that are associated with Middle Paleolithic artifacts and fossil remains. Lateral and vertical variations in the lithofacies of this basin-fill sequence and the sediments of the “grey-green” lake phases provide a record of changing hydrologic conditions. These hydrologic conditions appear to reflect variations in water-table levels related to groundwater recharge and, at times, local rains.
Bir Tarfawi中北部的沉积学和岩石地层记录证明了更新世盆地充填矿床的存在。在与当地地下水位下降相关的气候事件期间,由于通货紧缩,形成了三个地形盆地。在每一种情况下,三个收缩盆地或地形洼地随后都充满了沉积物;这些盆地的退化与从干旱气候条件到湿润气候条件的变化以及地下水位的上升相吻合。最古老和最高的沉积遗迹与阿舍利人工制品有关,可能反映了中更新世潮湿气候时期的泉水池塘和沼泽条件。下层序(“白湖”)的岩相记录了一个多年生湖泊的沉积,该湖泊的范围和深度各不相同,并与旧石器时代中期的人工制品有关。第三次通货紧缩形成了一个地形低洼,充满了晚更新世的沉积物,这些沉积物与中旧石器时代的人工制品和化石遗骸有关。该盆地-充填层序岩相的横向和纵向变化以及“灰绿色”湖相沉积物提供了水文条件变化的记录。这些水文条件似乎反映了与地下水补给有关的地下水位的变化,有时还反映了当地降雨的变化。
{"title":"Pleistocene Deposits in the Southern Egyptian Sahara: Lithostratigraphic Relationships of Sediments and Landscape Dynamics at Bir Tarfawi","authors":"Christopher L. Hill, R. Schild","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0002","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The sedimentological and lithostratigraphic record from north-central Bir Tarfawi documents the presence of Pleistocene basin-fill deposits. Three topographic basins were created as a result of deflation during climate episodes associated with lowering of the local groundwater table. In each case, the three deflational basins or topographic depressions were subsequently filled with sediments; these basin aggradations coincided with changes from arid climate conditions to wetter conditions and a rise in the groundwater table. The oldest and highest sedimentary remnant is associated with Acheulian artifacts and may reflect spring-fed pond and marsh conditions during a Middle Pleistocene wet climate episode. Lithofacies for a lower stratigraphic sequence (the “White Lake”) documents deposition in a perennial lake that varied in extent and depth and is associated with Middle Paleolithic artifacts. A third episode of deflation created a topographic low that has been filled with Late Pleistocene sediments that are associated with Middle Paleolithic artifacts and fossil remains. Lateral and vertical variations in the lithofacies of this basin-fill sequence and the sediments of the “grey-green” lake phases provide a record of changing hydrologic conditions. These hydrologic conditions appear to reflect variations in water-table levels related to groundwater recharge and, at times, local rains.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"23 - 38"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1515/squa-2017-0002","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"67306773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Zalat, L. Marks, F. Welc, A. Salem, J. Nitychoruk, Zhongyuan Chen, Aleksandra Majecka, M. Szymanek, M. Chodyka, Anna Tołoczko-Pasek, Qianli Sun, Xiaoshuang Zhao, Jun Jiang
Abstract This study evaluates changes in the environmental and climatic conditions in the Faiyum Oasis during the Holocene based on diatom analyses of the sediment FA-1 core from the southern seashore of the Qarun Lake. The studied FA-1 core was 26 m long and covered the time span ca. 9.000 cal. yrs BP. Diatom taxa were abundant and moderately to well-preserved throughout the core sediments. Planktonic taxa were most abundant than the benthic and epiphytic forms, which were very rare and sparsely distributed. The most dominant planktonic genera were Aulacoseira and Stephanodiscus followed by frequently distribution of Cyclostephanos and Cyclotella species. The stratigraphic distribution patterns of the recorded diatoms through the Holocene sediments explained five ecological diatom groups. These groups represent distinctive environmental conditions, which were mainly related to climatic changes through the early and middle Holocene, in addition to anthropogenic activity during the late Holocene. Comparison of diatom assemblages in the studied sediment core suggests that considerable changes occurred in water level as well as salinity. There were several high stands of the freshwater lake level during humid, warmer-wet climatic phases marked by dominance of planktonic, oligohalobous and alkaliphilous diatoms alternated with lowering of the lake level and slight increases in salinity and alkalinity during warm arid conditions evident by prevalence of brackish water diatoms.
{"title":"Diatom Stratigraphy of FA-1 Core, Qarun Lake, Records of Holocene Environmental and Climatic Change in Faiyum Oasis, Egypt","authors":"A. Zalat, L. Marks, F. Welc, A. Salem, J. Nitychoruk, Zhongyuan Chen, Aleksandra Majecka, M. Szymanek, M. Chodyka, Anna Tołoczko-Pasek, Qianli Sun, Xiaoshuang Zhao, Jun Jiang","doi":"10.1515/squa-017-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-017-0005","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract This study evaluates changes in the environmental and climatic conditions in the Faiyum Oasis during the Holocene based on diatom analyses of the sediment FA-1 core from the southern seashore of the Qarun Lake. The studied FA-1 core was 26 m long and covered the time span ca. 9.000 cal. yrs BP. Diatom taxa were abundant and moderately to well-preserved throughout the core sediments. Planktonic taxa were most abundant than the benthic and epiphytic forms, which were very rare and sparsely distributed. The most dominant planktonic genera were Aulacoseira and Stephanodiscus followed by frequently distribution of Cyclostephanos and Cyclotella species. The stratigraphic distribution patterns of the recorded diatoms through the Holocene sediments explained five ecological diatom groups. These groups represent distinctive environmental conditions, which were mainly related to climatic changes through the early and middle Holocene, in addition to anthropogenic activity during the late Holocene. Comparison of diatom assemblages in the studied sediment core suggests that considerable changes occurred in water level as well as salinity. There were several high stands of the freshwater lake level during humid, warmer-wet climatic phases marked by dominance of planktonic, oligohalobous and alkaliphilous diatoms alternated with lowering of the lake level and slight increases in salinity and alkalinity during warm arid conditions evident by prevalence of brackish water diatoms.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"61 - 69"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45347386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Welc, R. Mieszkowski, Goranka Lipovac Vrkljan, Ana Konestra
Abstract In 2016 within the RED Project Roman Economy in Dalmatia: production, distribution and demand in the light of pottery workshops, 5 selected areas around the Podšilo Bay were geophysically surveyed. During the fieldworks in the Lopar protected area, located in the northeastern part of the Island of Rab a gradiometer, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) were used. The main aim of the project was to document presence of the Roman architecture in two areas of the bay’s hinterland as suggested earlier by finds of pottery and glass. Geophysical studies conducted in the Lopar area revealed presence of underground remains of ancient structures, probably from the late Roman period and connected with a ceramic production centre at the present seashore. The most interesting results were obtained for the area no. 4, the site where magnetic, georadar and ERT surveys revealed an ancient regular building at 0.4-0.6 m depth. The survey performed in the Lopar area clearly indicates that integration of different geophysical methods enables detailed and effective identification of buried archaeological structures.
{"title":"An Attempt to Integration of Different Geophysical Methods (Magnetic, GPR and ERT); A Case Study From the Late Roman Settlement On the Island of Rab in Croatia","authors":"F. Welc, R. Mieszkowski, Goranka Lipovac Vrkljan, Ana Konestra","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract In 2016 within the RED Project Roman Economy in Dalmatia: production, distribution and demand in the light of pottery workshops, 5 selected areas around the Podšilo Bay were geophysically surveyed. During the fieldworks in the Lopar protected area, located in the northeastern part of the Island of Rab a gradiometer, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) were used. The main aim of the project was to document presence of the Roman architecture in two areas of the bay’s hinterland as suggested earlier by finds of pottery and glass. Geophysical studies conducted in the Lopar area revealed presence of underground remains of ancient structures, probably from the late Roman period and connected with a ceramic production centre at the present seashore. The most interesting results were obtained for the area no. 4, the site where magnetic, georadar and ERT surveys revealed an ancient regular building at 0.4-0.6 m depth. The survey performed in the Lopar area clearly indicates that integration of different geophysical methods enables detailed and effective identification of buried archaeological structures.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"47 - 59"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1515/squa-2017-0004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49366414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Abstract A research was conducted on the Holocene lake sediments from the full-cored FA-1 drilling at the southern shore of the Qarun Lake in the Faiyum Oasis in northern Egypt. Altogether 10 taxa of molluscs and 8 taxa of ostracods were identified in the examined deposits, with total amounts of 768 and 2872 individuals, respectively. The fauna was investigated with palaeoecological purpose and allowed for preliminary reconstruction of sedimentary environment in the lake. The occurrence of Valvata nilotica Jickeli, 1874 and Gomphocythere sp. in the lower part of the core and a low proportion of carapaces (2.4-28%) indicated freshwater and higher-energy conditions, respectively. Rapid expansion of Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) at a depth of 18 m could point to very short saline episode in the lake. The increase in salinity and drop of water level were evidenced in the uppermost part of the core (4-3.5 m), when the lake was dominated by Hydrobia ventrosa (Montagu, 1803), Cerastoderma glaucum (Poiret, 1789) and C. torosa. The steady sedimentation in a shallow lake was also supported by considerable amount of complete ostracod carapaces (45%). The faunal assemblage and smooth valves of C. torosa suggested salinity of 14-25‰.
{"title":"Molluscs and Ostracods of the Qarun Lake: Preliminary Report From FA-1 Core in Faiyum Oasis, Northern Egypt","authors":"M. Szymanek","doi":"10.1515/squa-2017-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1515/squa-2017-0003","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A research was conducted on the Holocene lake sediments from the full-cored FA-1 drilling at the southern shore of the Qarun Lake in the Faiyum Oasis in northern Egypt. Altogether 10 taxa of molluscs and 8 taxa of ostracods were identified in the examined deposits, with total amounts of 768 and 2872 individuals, respectively. The fauna was investigated with palaeoecological purpose and allowed for preliminary reconstruction of sedimentary environment in the lake. The occurrence of Valvata nilotica Jickeli, 1874 and Gomphocythere sp. in the lower part of the core and a low proportion of carapaces (2.4-28%) indicated freshwater and higher-energy conditions, respectively. Rapid expansion of Cyprideis torosa (Jones, 1850) at a depth of 18 m could point to very short saline episode in the lake. The increase in salinity and drop of water level were evidenced in the uppermost part of the core (4-3.5 m), when the lake was dominated by Hydrobia ventrosa (Montagu, 1803), Cerastoderma glaucum (Poiret, 1789) and C. torosa. The steady sedimentation in a shallow lake was also supported by considerable amount of complete ostracod carapaces (45%). The faunal assemblage and smooth valves of C. torosa suggested salinity of 14-25‰.","PeriodicalId":42625,"journal":{"name":"Studia Quaternaria","volume":"34 1","pages":"39 - 45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2017-06-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41912320","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}