Quaternary International最新文献

{"title":"The early Acheulean site of Gombore I level B (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia): Archaeological assemblage integrity and spatial distribution patterns","authors":"Eduardo Méndez-Quintas ,&nbsp;Rita Teresa Melis ,&nbsp;Patricia Bello Alonso","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109709","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109709","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Gombore I, Level B (Gombore IB) site at Melka Kunture, Ethiopia, is a significant Early Acheulean site that provides valuable insights into hominin behaviour. This study examines the integrity and spatial patterns of the Gombore IB archaeological record to differentiate between anthropogenic activities and natural sedimentary processes. Taphonomic analyses of the stone tools reveal extensive surface disturbance, but no evidence of significant sedimentary size sorting. Orientation analyses of artefacts, bones, and unmodified clasts indicate anisotropic distributions consistent with fluvial reorganisation. However, the spatial arrangement of tools and bones, combined with the lack of size correlations with natural clasts, suggests the partial preservation of original spatial relationships. The findings propose that Gombore IB represents a palimpsest of early Homo erectus activity interspersed with natural processes. While the tools are primarily attributed to hominin activities, the bone accumulations appear to have mixed origins, both anthropogenic and natural, complicating interpretations of the site's function. This study highlights the importance of multidisciplinary analytical methods in reconstructing behavioural and taphonomic dynamics at open-air Early Stone Age sites in East Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"723 ","pages":"Article 109709"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143528934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vegetation and climate dynamics in Southwestern China during the Han and Jin Dynasties (202 BC-AD 420): Insights from the Spore-pollen and hydrological records from the Chengba site","authors":"Junna Zhang ,&nbsp;Liu Qi ,&nbsp;Yaping Li ,&nbsp;Weidong Chen ,&nbsp;Luhong Zheng ,&nbsp;Xueran Wang ,&nbsp;Songhan Li ,&nbsp;Bingyuan Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109722","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Han and Jin Dynasties (202 BC-AD 420) were marked by frequent social upheavals and climate fluctuations in Chinese history. Abundant evidence suggests that the central government effectively managed and controlled the southwestern region during this period. Nevertheless, in-depth exploration is necessary to delineate the dynamic interplay between environmental changes and social development. This study conducted chronological, grain-size, and spore-pollen analyses on sediment from the T8SW section at the Chengba site in southwestern China, aiming to investigate the hydrology, vegetation, and climate changes during the Han and Jin Dynasties (202 BC-AD 420). The WAPLS (Weighted Average Partial Least Squares Regression) method was also employed to reconstruct the paleoclimate quantitatively. The results showed that in the early and middle phases of the Western Han Dynasty (202-48 BC), this area was characterized by a subtropical-warm temperate mixed forest and grassland landscape. The Jinguan relic is nestled within a serene riverine bay and wetland expanse, boasting lush vegetation. During the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Jin Dynasty (AD 25–420), with the cooling of the climate and the drying of the sedimentary environment, this area transformed into a warm temperate forest and grassland landscape. The position of the Jinguan relic gradually emerged out of water, evolving into high floodplains and terraces with sparse vegetation. Upon entering the Eastern Han Dynasty, a substantial alteration occurred in pollen concentration and composition, which might have been associated with intricate variations in hydrological environments, climate change, and human activities. Quantitative reconstruction approaches have reconstituted the annual precipitation (Pann) and mean temperature of the coldest month (MTco). These data reveal that the climate in the area experienced a ‘warm and humid - cold and dry - warm and humid' cycle from the Han to the Jin Dynasty. Notably, a significant dry climate event occurred around the transition between the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, approximately AD 8–25. Archaeological and documentary data suggest that changes in human activities within the area were closely linked to variations in vegetation and climate. The shift in fluvial hydrological regimes under the cooling and aridification trend during the Eastern Han Dynasty likely served as the primary catalyst for both the architectural transition from stilt-based to ground-level construction methods, as well as the significant rise in both the quantity and depth of water wells. Simultaneously, the large-scale urban construction and the boom in the mining and smelting industry during the middle and later periods of the Eastern Han Dynasty likely led to selective logging. This activity could have resulted in a significant reduction in the tree population in the area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"723 ","pages":"Article 109722"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520110","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geochemistry and stable isotope (δ13C & δ18O) signatures of Calcrete in the Ganga Plains: Implications for paleoclimate and Paleovegetation patterns","authors":"Prasanna K ,&nbsp;Sarkar Amrita ,&nbsp;Amal M.S ,&nbsp;Sharma Anupam ,&nbsp;Rahi Ishwar Chandra ,&nbsp;Kumar Kamlesh ,&nbsp;Mathews Runcie Paul ,&nbsp;Govil Pawan","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109711","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109711","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Calcretes, also known as caliche or calcium carbonate-rich soils, are valuable paleoclimate archives. Their development is influenced by local hydrology and vegetation, making them sensitive indicators of past climate, especially in regions where other paleoclimate records are scarce. Calcretes from two sections in the Ganga-Yamuna Floodplains (Hamirpur and Lucknow) were analysed for major, trace, rare earth elements, and stable carbon and oxygen isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O). The aim was to reconstruct paleo-hydrology and paleo-vegetation conditions. The study measured soil carbonate nodules from an abandoned morrum quarry in Hamirpur and an open pit in Lucknow, located approximately 150 km apart at the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences (BSIP) campus.</div><div>The δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values in nodules from Hamirpur ranged from −5.26 to −3.18‰ and −6.42 to −5.56‰, respectively. In nodules from Lucknow, δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values ranged from −1.64 to −1.28‰ and −7.47 to −5.14‰, respectively. Mollusc specimens from the same horizon in Lucknow showed δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of −3.2‰ and −5.7‰, respectively. The co-variation of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values suggests a significant influence of paleo-climate and paleo-vegetation. FTIR and XRD analyses of soil carbonate nodules indicate that the majority composition is calcite, with minor occurrences of quartz. Geostatistical evaluations, including multiple correlation, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis (PCA) of major, trace and rare earth elements geochemistry, reveal interrelationships and affinities among the elements within the calcretes. The reconstructed water isotopes from Hamirpur and Lucknow align with isotopic signatures from Betwa River water and rainwater, respectively. Similarly, paleo-water isotopes from co-occurring molluscs at Lucknow support these findings. The carbon isotope data suggest that C3 (e.g. <em>Alstonia scholaris, Butea monosperma</em>) and C4 (e.g. <em>Amaranthaceae</em>, <em>Chenopodiaceae</em>) plants coexisted during calcrete deposition at Hamirpur, while C4 plants dominated in Lucknow during the same period. Overall, the proxies from major, trace and rare earth elements, along with stable isotope signatures in calcrete deposits, indicate arid to semi-arid climatic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"722 ","pages":"Article 109711"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Last 15 ka record of water column changes associated with Indian summer monsoon variability from the northeastern Bay of Bengal","authors":"N.M. Gayathri ,&nbsp;E. Sreevidya ,&nbsp;A.V. Sijinkumar ,&nbsp;B. Nagender Nath ,&nbsp;K. Sandeep ,&nbsp;P.J. Kurian ,&nbsp;K. Pankaj","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109713","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109713","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We studied planktonic foraminifera assemblages of ¹⁴C AMS dated sediment cores retrieved from the eastern Bay of Bengal (MGS 29 GC 02) and the northern Andaman Sea (SSD 18) to reconstruct water column changes associated with Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) precipitation during the deglacial and Holocene periods. The temporal record of salinity and productivity tracking species combined with data from other ISM records, suggests several abrupt events in the monsoonal precipitation in the last 15 cal ka BP. The salinity tracking species show higher abundance during the early Holocene, 6.5 and 2 cal ka BP, pointing towards enhanced river runoff and direct precipitation associated with strong ISM during these periods. Whereas productivity species were abundant during Younger Dryas (YD; 13.6–12.6 cal ka BP), 7.7–5.3 cal ka BP, and its abundance decreased during the early Holocene and late Holocene periods, indicating weak water column stratification associated with reduced ISM. Our data indicate a considerable amount of freshwater runoff during Bølling/Allerød (B/A), early and late Holocene and comparatively less river influx during late glacial periods and YD. This suggests that monsoon intensification occurred during the early Holocene, and a weakening trend was seen during deglacial periods. The increased productivity events may reflect periods of weak stratification, which is possibly driven by weak ISM. The present study indicates the ISM has a direct influence on the Eastern BoB water column structure, with periods of weak (strong) stratification leading to enhanced (weak) productivity. Spectral analysis of the planktonic foraminiferal abundance records reveals statistically significant periodicities at 3105, 1980, 775, 680, 657, 483, and 403 years. Most of these millennial-to-centennial cycles exist in various monsoon and solar proxy records. The characteristic sub-orbital periodicities correspond mainly to solar irradiance variability. Wavelet analysis on planktonic foraminiferal data confirms that these periodicities persist over time without significant variation, indicating a degree of stationarity in the data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"723 ","pages":"Article 109713"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Chronology and environmental changes from a sediment core spanning the last 485 ka from Lake Acıgöl (SW Anatolia)","authors":"Hüseyin Çaldırak ,&nbsp;Z. Bora Ön ,&nbsp;M. Serkan Akkiraz ,&nbsp;M. Namık Çağatay ,&nbsp;Bassam Ghaleb ,&nbsp;Sabine Wulf ,&nbsp;K. Kadir Eriş ,&nbsp;Dursun Acar ,&nbsp;Jérôme Kaiser ,&nbsp;Sena Akçer-Ön","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109710","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109710","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study details the construction of an age-depth model for the uppermost 128 m of the 600 m long Acıgöl2009-B03 sediment core, retrieved from the hypersaline Lake Acıgöl in southwestern Anatolia. The model aligns the arboreal pollen record from Acıgöl2009-B03 with the LR04 benthic δ¹⁸O stack marine oxygen isotope record. Initial correlation was achieved using the Dynamic Time Warping algorithm, which was subsequently refined through manual tuning and finalized with Bayesian age-depth modeling to enhance precision and report the associated uncertainty levels. The model's accuracy incorporates multiple chronological constraints, including three radiocarbon dates, three U/Th dates, and the Kos Plateau Tuff, dated at 161.3 ± 0.1 ka. According to this model, the upper 128 m of the Acıgöl2009-B03 sequence spans approximately the last 485,000 years, encompassing Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 1–12 and part of MIS 13. Our model serves as an update to the previously published, linearly constructed, age model as being used more anchor points and an efficient algorithm for similarity measurements which lies on a robust statistical foundation. In this period, arboreal pollen data suggest increasing (decreasing) arboreal vegetation input during interglacial (glacial) periods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"722 ","pages":"Article 109710"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143512214","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global dry-wet patterns under various driving factors and their applications in projecting the future","authors":"Junjie Duan,&nbsp;Yu Li,&nbsp;Simin Peng,&nbsp;Yuxin Zhang,&nbsp;Zhansen Zhang,&nbsp;Mingjun Gao,&nbsp;Yaxin Xue,&nbsp;Hao Shang,&nbsp;Shiyu Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>From the paleoclimate perspective, investigating driving factors and dynamics mechanisms in different cold and warm periods can provide a scientific analogy for projecting future dry-wet patterns under global warming. Here, we conduct a systematic assessment of typical cold and warm periods, including the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), Mid-Holocene (MH), Pre-industrial (PI), Younger Dryas (YD), Bølling-Allerød (B/A), Little Ice Age (LIA), and Medieval Warm Period (MWP), with the comprehensive analysis of modern observations, climate simulations, and paleoclimate records to investigate the combined effect of various driving factors will have on the future global dry-wet patterns. Across the globe, various driving factors represented by ice sheets, orbital forcing, greenhouse gases, Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and solar activity in different cold and warm periods have different impacts and sensitivities to regional dry-wet patterns. Based on the paleoclimate results of dry-wet patterns in typical cold and warm periods, future weakening AMOC will cause northeastern Europe, southeastern East Asia, and northern and southeastern South America to be drier, while if greenhouse gases continue to rise and the ice sheets continue to melt, this will lead to increased drought in the Mediterranean, southern North America and the southwest coast of South America.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"722 ","pages":"Article 109708"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143471385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reassessing the Middle Palaeolithic lithic technology of Grotta Romanelli (Lecce, southern Italy)","authors":"Brunella Muttillo ,&nbsp;Rosalia Gallotti ,&nbsp;Luca Forti ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Lembo ,&nbsp;Ilaria Mazzini ,&nbsp;Pierluigi Pieruccini ,&nbsp;Raffaele Sardella","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109686","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109686","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Located in the southernmost part of the Italian Peninsula, specifically the Salento area in the Apulia region, Grotta Romanelli (Lecce) is one of Italy's most significant Palaeolithic sites. It shows evidence of human occupation from the Middle to the late Upper Palaeolithic.</div><div>This study presents a re-analysis of historical lithic collections and also includes a new analysis of artefacts from recent excavations within Middle Palaeolithic Inside Stratigraphic Unit 3 (ISU3). This unit, formerly referred to as level G or “terre rosse”, is dated to at least the MIS 5 interglacial period.</div><div>Our findings offer a revised perspective on past interpretations of Grotta Romanelli's Middle Palaeolithic lithic industry. Interpretations of this industry have varied over time, especially regarding the presence of Levallois core technology — an important cultural and chronological marker.</div><div>The initial classification in the 1970s described the assemblage as Charentian Mousterian of Quina type, characterized by the absence of Levallois technology and the exclusive use of local materials. However, studies from the 2000s suggested a predominance of Levallois technology, along with a noteworthy, albeit limited, use of non-local materials.</div><div>Our lithic analysis suggests instead a focus on expedient flake production using exclusively locally available raw materials, with no evidence of the Levallois method.</div><div>These results contrast with previous hypotheses, indicating a distinctive role for Grotta Romanelli's lithic technology within the Middle Palaeolithic cultural framework of southern Italy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"721 ","pages":"Article 109686"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143454670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The large lithic assemblage of Gombore I, level B (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia) and the early Acheulean technology in East Africa","authors":"Eduardo Méndez-Quintas ,&nbsp;Andrea Serodio Domínguez ,&nbsp;Margherita Mussi","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109685","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109685","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The emergence of the Acheulean is a central topic in human evolution research. Current data suggest that this process began around 2.0 million years ago in the upper Awash River basin, specifically on the Ethiopian plateau, in the region of Melka Kunture. There are so far few known sites of the early stages of development of this technocomplex, most of which are restricted to East Africa. Although some of the major milestones in Acheulean stone tool innovations are reasonably well understood, detailed information on the technological characteristics of these early assemblages remains sparse. Most of the evidence is surface materials collected in small numbers. The site of Gombore I Level B (Melka Kunture, Ethiopia) is one of the few Early Acheulean sites that has been extensively excavated and retains a substantial collection of stone tools. Analysis of the record reveals that they retain many features typical of the Oldowan technology, such as the extensive use of core-and-flake methods. However, they also exhibit decisive innovations that extend beyond the production of large flakes or the shaping of handaxes. Among these are the spatial segmentation of operational sequences, the increased complexity in the selection of raw materials and the retouching of tools, as well as the emergence of complex flake production systems, such as the Kombewa and Prepared Core Technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"722 ","pages":"Article 109685"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Isotopic insights into mammalian diets and local vegetation cover during the Oldowan-Acheulean transition at Garba IV and Gombore I (Melka Kunture, Upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia)","authors":"Giuseppe Briatico","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109707","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109707","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The archaeological assemblage of Melka Kunture (MK) demonstrates that the Ethiopian Highlands in eastern Africa, along with its high-elevation paleoenvironment, is pivotal for understanding early hominins’ behavior and technological advances. Two localities within the MK site-complex, namely Garba IV and Gombore I, yielded Oldowan lithic tools at ∼2 million years ago (Ma) and the earliest known Acheulian artifacts at 1.95 Ma, associated with <em>Homo erectus</em> remains, as well as evidence of paleofauna and paleoflora. Previous palynological studies suggest that, when <em>H</em>. <em>erectus</em> first produced Oldowan and later Acheulean artifacts, the vegetation consisted of the Dry evergreen Afromontane Forest and Grassland Complex (DAF) type, with changes in the proportions of open and wooded environments over time. However, previous isotopic analysis indicated that the changes in vegetation composition did not influence animal feeding behavior, with C₄-dominated and mixed C₃-C₄ diets and their habitat partitioning. In order to further refine the ecological reconstruction of the Oldowan and Acheulean contexts in the Ethiopian Highlands, this paper presents an intra-site isotopic analysis of the archaeological levels at Garba IV and Gombore I. Isotopic data indicate no statistically significant differences between the Oldowan and Acheulean contexts; overall, the combination of pollen, faunal and isotopic evidence suggests local ecological stability associated with a mosaic montane vegetation containing both C₃ and C₄ grasses. This study demonstrates that the information collected so far does not support any purported link between technological and major ecological changes, at least in the case of MK in the Ethiopian Highlands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"722 ","pages":"Article 109707"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143437756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Wood utilization and paleo-vegetation revealed by wooden remains excavated from ancient Dahe City site (AD 618–907) in Barkol, Xinjiang, northwest China","authors":"Ruohan Wang ,&nbsp;Guilin Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongqiang Wang ,&nbsp;Biao Pan ,&nbsp;Guolei Dun ,&nbsp;Youcheng Xu ,&nbsp;Hongen Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109684","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2025.109684","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Dahe City, dating back to Tang Dynasty (AD 618–907), is a vital urban center and military site located in the northern foothill of the East Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, China. In present study, by scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation of microscopic features, desiccated wood and charred wood samples recovered from diverse archaeological contexts (crossbars, house sites, doorways and ash piles) of the site were determined as <em>Picea</em> sp. (52.82%), <em>Salix</em> sp. (27.63%), <em>Larix</em> sp. (13.91%), <em>Sorbus</em> sp. (5.45%), and <em>Abies</em> sp. (0.19%). All these tree species were used as fuelwood, while only the wood of <em>Picea</em> was preferably used as construction timber because of its superior property. According to growth habits and distributional characteristics of each genus, wood of <em>Salix</em> should be collected from the local Barkol Basin, and wood of <em>Picea</em>, <em>Larix</em>, <em>Abies</em>, and <em>Sorbus</em> were collected from the distant Barkol and Moqinwula Mountains, which implied that the scope of wood material selection was largely expanded due to usage requirement. In addition, the discovery of <em>Sorbus</em> proved that fruits were collected/planted as an important food supplement in daily life. Compared with modern vegetation, there was no significant change of primary forest composition in high-altitude mountains. This study would provide an important reference for exploring survival strategy and subsistence environment of ancestors living in the core area of the Silk Road during Tang Dynasty.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"721 ","pages":"Article 109684"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143338293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}