Martin Seeliger, Andreas Ginau, Marina Altmeyer, Pascal Neis, Robert Schiestl, Jürgen Wunderlich
Geomorphology generally aims to describe and investigate the processes that lead to the formation of landscapes, while geochronology is needed to detect their timing and duration. Due to restrictions on exporting geological samples from Egypt, modern geoscientific studies in the Nile Delta lack the possibility of dating the investigated sediments and geological features by standard techniques such as OSL or AMS 14C; therefore, this study aims to validate a new approach using machine-learning algorithms on portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) data. Archaeologically dated sediments from the archaeological excavations of Buto (Tell el-Fara'in; on-site) that pXRF analyses have geochemically characterized serve as training data for running and comparing Neural Nets, Random Forests, and single-decision trees. The established pXRF fingerprints are transferred via machine-learning algorithms to set up a chronology for undated sediments from sediment cores (i.e., the test data) of the nearby surroundings (off-site). Neural Nets and Random Forests work fine in dating sediments and deliver the best classification results compared with single-decision trees, which struggle with outliers and tend to overfit the training data. Furthermore, Random Forests can be modeled faster and are easier to understand than the complex, less transparent Neural Nets. Therefore, Random Forests provide the best algorithm for studies like this. Furthermore, river features east of Kom el-Gir are dated to pre-Ptolemaic times (before 332 B.C.) when Kom el-Gir had possibly not yet been settled. The research in this paper shows the success of close interactions from various scientific disciplines (Geoinformatics, Physical Geography, Archaeology, Ancient History) to decipher landscape evolution in the long-term-settled Nile Delta's environs using machine learning. With the approach's design and the possibility of integrating many other geographical/sedimentological methods, this study demonstrates the potential of the methodological approach to be applied in other geoscientific fields.
{"title":"Comparing different machine-learning techniques to date Nile Delta sediments based on portable X-ray fluorescence data","authors":"Martin Seeliger, Andreas Ginau, Marina Altmeyer, Pascal Neis, Robert Schiestl, Jürgen Wunderlich","doi":"10.1002/gea.21939","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21939","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Geomorphology generally aims to describe and investigate the processes that lead to the formation of landscapes, while geochronology is needed to detect their timing and duration. Due to restrictions on exporting geological samples from Egypt, modern geoscientific studies in the Nile Delta lack the possibility of dating the investigated sediments and geological features by standard techniques such as OSL or AMS <sup>14</sup>C; therefore, this study aims to validate a new approach using machine-learning algorithms on portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) data. Archaeologically dated sediments from the archaeological excavations of Buto (Tell el-Fara'in; on-site) that pXRF analyses have geochemically characterized serve as training data for running and comparing Neural Nets, Random Forests, and single-decision trees. The established pXRF fingerprints are transferred via machine-learning algorithms to set up a chronology for undated sediments from sediment cores (i.e., the test data) of the nearby surroundings (off-site). Neural Nets and Random Forests work fine in dating sediments and deliver the best classification results compared with single-decision trees, which struggle with outliers and tend to overfit the training data. Furthermore, Random Forests can be modeled faster and are easier to understand than the complex, less transparent Neural Nets. Therefore, Random Forests provide the best algorithm for studies like this. Furthermore, river features east of Kom el-Gir are dated to pre-Ptolemaic times (before 332 B.C.) when Kom el-Gir had possibly not yet been settled. The research in this paper shows the success of close interactions from various scientific disciplines (Geoinformatics, Physical Geography, Archaeology, Ancient History) to decipher landscape evolution in the long-term-settled Nile Delta's environs using machine learning. With the approach's design and the possibility of integrating many other geographical/sedimentological methods, this study demonstrates the potential of the methodological approach to be applied in other geoscientific fields.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.21939","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46281745","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}
Daniel V. de Sousa, Maria J. Rodet, Déborah Duarte-Talim, Wenceslau G. Teixeira, André Prous, Bruno N. Vasconcelos, Edithe Pereira
This study provides the first survey of Brazilian magnetic susceptibility (MS) data from varying archaeological and geological contexts, including open-air sites, quartzite, and limestone rockshelters, and Amazonian dark earths. Our MS analyses associated with archaeological findings allow us to propose MS values as proxies of intense anthropogenic burning activities for archaeological sites with (i) systematic use of large hearth lit in the same places; (ii) systematic burns and highly diverse uses; (iii) higher diversity use with few fire activities and knapping playing an essential role; and (iv) incipient human activities and the initial use of the archaeological site. Our data are limited to understanding anthropogenic burning activities and cannot be extended to reveal other archaeological aspects. The results have implications for understanding human occupation in a large area with numerous archaeological sites. This study was the first step in distinguishing archaeological fires from natural fires and provided a new perspective for further research that attempts to identify distinct types of human fires.
{"title":"Linking anthropogenic burning activities to magnetic susceptibility: Studies at Brazilian archaeological sites","authors":"Daniel V. de Sousa, Maria J. Rodet, Déborah Duarte-Talim, Wenceslau G. Teixeira, André Prous, Bruno N. Vasconcelos, Edithe Pereira","doi":"10.1002/gea.21941","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21941","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study provides the first survey of Brazilian magnetic susceptibility (MS) data from varying archaeological and geological contexts, including open-air sites, quartzite, and limestone rockshelters, and Amazonian dark earths. Our MS analyses associated with archaeological findings allow us to propose MS values as proxies of intense anthropogenic burning activities for archaeological sites with (i) systematic use of large hearth lit in the same places; (ii) systematic burns and highly diverse uses; (iii) higher diversity use with few fire activities and knapping playing an essential role; and (iv) incipient human activities and the initial use of the archaeological site. Our data are limited to understanding anthropogenic burning activities and cannot be extended to reveal other archaeological aspects. The results have implications for understanding human occupation in a large area with numerous archaeological sites. This study was the first step in distinguishing archaeological fires from natural fires and provided a new perspective for further research that attempts to identify distinct types of human fires.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47646882","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}
Simon P. Sherman III, Ryan M. Parish, Diana M. Greenlee, D. Shane Miller
Lithic raw material variation is valuable for assessing the scale of human mobility, differential access to and from raw material sources, and prehistoric exchange patterns. Recent advancements in non-destructive reflectance spectroscopy have proven to be more accurate in provenance investigations compared with the macroscopic (visual) identification technique for lithic artifacts. Here, we use visible/near-infrared reflectance and Fourier transform reflectance spectroscopy on a collection of 845 lithic bifaces at Poverty Point (16WC5) site in northeastern Louisiana, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is well-known for the presence of nonlocal materials, including stone tools. This study describes the first systematic approach to analyzing and interpreting hyperspectral reflectance data for cryptocrystalline silicate (e.g., chert and flint) artifacts at Poverty Point site. The chert materials identified in this study reaffirm the idea that tool stones arriving at the Poverty Point site came from diverse geologic sources, covering an expansive geographic area.
{"title":"Assessing raw material diversity at Poverty Point (16WC5) using non-destructive reflectance spectroscopy","authors":"Simon P. Sherman III, Ryan M. Parish, Diana M. Greenlee, D. Shane Miller","doi":"10.1002/gea.21940","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21940","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Lithic raw material variation is valuable for assessing the scale of human mobility, differential access to and from raw material sources, and prehistoric exchange patterns. Recent advancements in non-destructive reflectance spectroscopy have proven to be more accurate in provenance investigations compared with the macroscopic (visual) identification technique for lithic artifacts. Here, we use visible/near-infrared reflectance and Fourier transform reflectance spectroscopy on a collection of 845 lithic bifaces at Poverty Point (16WC5) site in northeastern Louisiana, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is well-known for the presence of nonlocal materials, including stone tools. This study describes the first systematic approach to analyzing and interpreting hyperspectral reflectance data for cryptocrystalline silicate (e.g., chert and flint) artifacts at Poverty Point site. The chert materials identified in this study reaffirm the idea that tool stones arriving at the Poverty Point site came from diverse geologic sources, covering an expansive geographic area.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46539821","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":"Issue Information","authors":"","doi":"10.1002/gea.21874","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21874","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44094838","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}
Zhen Qin, Michael J. Storozum, Haiwang Liu, Tristram R. Kidder
The heartlands of many of the world's civilizations are situated within alluvial plains, where thick alluvial sediments obscure much of the archaeological record. However, the use of alluvial geoarchaeology remains patchy, particularly in the world's largest alluvial basins. We present results from our geoarchaeological survey at Neihuang County, Henan Province, China, as an example for alluvial geoarchaeological research in the North China Plain and to develop a generalized framework for landscape evolution in the area during the Holocene. We reconstruct the alluvial history of the area around Neihuang County by synthesizing stratigraphic data from seven outcrops into distinct depositional units. Our findings suggest that much of the archaeological record in the North China Plain is buried by meters of sediment or eroded away by the ancient channels of the Yellow River and other tributary streams. Therefore, the presence of buried archaeological sites and river scour in recorded outcrops suggests that the nonsystematic archaeological surveys that are commonly used to interpret cultural changes are not accurate reflections of archaeological site distributions. From the results of this case study, we recommend that archaeologists and paleoclimatologists should exercise more caution when using settlement distribution data gathered through nonsystematic pedestrian surveys to make inferences about ancient processes of cultural change or social dynamics in the North China Plain.
{"title":"Holocene landscape evolution in northern Henan Province and its implications for archaeological surveys","authors":"Zhen Qin, Michael J. Storozum, Haiwang Liu, Tristram R. Kidder","doi":"10.1002/gea.21938","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21938","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The heartlands of many of the world's civilizations are situated within alluvial plains, where thick alluvial sediments obscure much of the archaeological record. However, the use of alluvial geoarchaeology remains patchy, particularly in the world's largest alluvial basins. We present results from our geoarchaeological survey at Neihuang County, Henan Province, China, as an example for alluvial geoarchaeological research in the North China Plain and to develop a generalized framework for landscape evolution in the area during the Holocene. We reconstruct the alluvial history of the area around Neihuang County by synthesizing stratigraphic data from seven outcrops into distinct depositional units. Our findings suggest that much of the archaeological record in the North China Plain is buried by meters of sediment or eroded away by the ancient channels of the Yellow River and other tributary streams. Therefore, the presence of buried archaeological sites and river scour in recorded outcrops suggests that the nonsystematic archaeological surveys that are commonly used to interpret cultural changes are not accurate reflections of archaeological site distributions. From the results of this case study, we recommend that archaeologists and paleoclimatologists should exercise more caution when using settlement distribution data gathered through nonsystematic pedestrian surveys to make inferences about ancient processes of cultural change or social dynamics in the North China Plain.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.21938","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44917844","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}
D. Rachal, J. Mead, Robert D. Dello‐Russo, Mathew T. Cuba
Ruppia cirrhosa (Ruppia) seed layers have been used to constrain the age of footprints along the eastern shoreline of Paleolake Otero in southern New Mexico to around 21,000–23,000 calibrated years before the present. However, there remain two unresolved questions that can affect the reliability of the age(s) of the footprints. First, what is the nature of the geological context of the seed layers? Second, did the hard‐water effect impact the accuracy of the radiocarbon dates? It has been argued that the dated Ruppia plants grew in situ in a very shallow, freshwater‐infused system that minimized the hard‐water effect. Many of these Ruppia seed layers contain ball‐like aggregations made of Ruppia plant materials. We provide new evidence that these balls and seed layers were introduced to the discovery site by high wind seiche events during Late Pleistocene thunderstorms. In our proposed site formation model, the Ruppia plants and seeds originated in deeper water settings outside the site, thus it is very likely that the hard‐water effect has impacted the accuracy of the radiocarbon dates. As such, the radiocarbon assays of Ruppia seeds previously used to date the prehistoric footprints along Paleolake Otero could be thousands of years too old.
{"title":"Deep‐water delivery model of Ruppia seeds to a nearshore/terrestrial setting and its chronological implications for Late Pleistocene footprints, Tularosa Basin, New Mexico","authors":"D. Rachal, J. Mead, Robert D. Dello‐Russo, Mathew T. Cuba","doi":"10.1002/gea.21937","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21937","url":null,"abstract":"Ruppia cirrhosa (Ruppia) seed layers have been used to constrain the age of footprints along the eastern shoreline of Paleolake Otero in southern New Mexico to around 21,000–23,000 calibrated years before the present. However, there remain two unresolved questions that can affect the reliability of the age(s) of the footprints. First, what is the nature of the geological context of the seed layers? Second, did the hard‐water effect impact the accuracy of the radiocarbon dates? It has been argued that the dated Ruppia plants grew in situ in a very shallow, freshwater‐infused system that minimized the hard‐water effect. Many of these Ruppia seed layers contain ball‐like aggregations made of Ruppia plant materials. We provide new evidence that these balls and seed layers were introduced to the discovery site by high wind seiche events during Late Pleistocene thunderstorms. In our proposed site formation model, the Ruppia plants and seeds originated in deeper water settings outside the site, thus it is very likely that the hard‐water effect has impacted the accuracy of the radiocarbon dates. As such, the radiocarbon assays of Ruppia seeds previously used to date the prehistoric footprints along Paleolake Otero could be thousands of years too old.","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47187235","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}
Patrick V. Kirch, Jennifer G. Kahn, Oliver A. Chadwick
The availability of nutrient-rich soils capable of supporting intensive cultivation was a key factor in the relative vulnerability and resilience of traditional Polynesian societies, whose economies were based on agricultural production. We tested the hypothesis that geological age was a key controlling factor in determining the nutrient status of island soils, extensively sampling soils on two islands and a small archipelago in southeastern Polynesia: Mo‘orea (1.5–1.72 Ma), Maupiti (3.9–4.5 Ma), and the Gambier Islands (5.6–6.3 Ma). Rather than supporting a hypothesis of island age primarily determining soil fertility, our results indicate that topographic relief, the presence of active slope processes such as landslides and mass wasting, and rainfall are more important controlling factors. Rejuvenation of soil nutrients due to mass wasting, in particular, appears to be the most important factor contributing to soil fertility. Our field surveys also provide archaeological evidence showing that precontact Polynesians were finely attuned to local soil properties, targeting high soil fertility areas for agriculture and reserving lower fertility areas for other land use practices.
{"title":"Soils, agriculture, and land use in island socio-ecosystems: Three case studies from Southeastern Polynesia","authors":"Patrick V. Kirch, Jennifer G. Kahn, Oliver A. Chadwick","doi":"10.1002/gea.21934","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21934","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The availability of nutrient-rich soils capable of supporting intensive cultivation was a key factor in the relative vulnerability and resilience of traditional Polynesian societies, whose economies were based on agricultural production. We tested the hypothesis that geological age was a key controlling factor in determining the nutrient status of island soils, extensively sampling soils on two islands and a small archipelago in southeastern Polynesia: Mo‘orea (1.5–1.72 Ma), Maupiti (3.9–4.5 Ma), and the Gambier Islands (5.6–6.3 Ma). Rather than supporting a hypothesis of island age primarily determining soil fertility, our results indicate that topographic relief, the presence of active slope processes such as landslides and mass wasting, and rainfall are more important controlling factors. Rejuvenation of soil nutrients due to mass wasting, in particular, appears to be the most important factor contributing to soil fertility. Our field surveys also provide archaeological evidence showing that precontact Polynesians were finely attuned to local soil properties, targeting high soil fertility areas for agriculture and reserving lower fertility areas for other land use practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45875398","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}
Jeremie Berthonneau, Jean-Marc Vallet, Philippe Bromblet, François Martin, Olivier Grauby
The conservation of archaeological heritage such as open-air petroglyphs is a major challenge due to the vulnerability of surfaces exposed to local environmental conditions. A precise knowledge of their nature therefore constitutes the cornerstone of their preservation. The surfaces of the valleys of the Mount Bego are characterized by a chromatic contrast between the thin red layer covering the outcrops and the underlying greenish substrate, revealed by thousands of prehistoric petroglyphs. To establish the mineralogical nature of the red layer, a spectroscopic, crystallographic, and petrographic study was carried out. Collectively, the results of this study evidence that, unlike rock coatings, this layer formed through the mobilization of structural iron, in the form of Fe (hydr)oxides, from the clay minerals that constitute the rocks. We thus discuss how the succession of events along the geological history of the site has created the environmental conditions for its formation. This study eventually provides useful data on the actual state of the petroglyphs toward their preservation. In a more global context, the conclusions of this study bring insights into the physicochemical mechanism leading to the reddening of recently exposed glacial valleys.
{"title":"Mineralogical origin of the chromatic contrast enhancing the Mount Bego petroglyphs (Alpes-Maritimes, France)","authors":"Jeremie Berthonneau, Jean-Marc Vallet, Philippe Bromblet, François Martin, Olivier Grauby","doi":"10.1002/gea.21932","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21932","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The conservation of archaeological heritage such as open-air petroglyphs is a major challenge due to the vulnerability of surfaces exposed to local environmental conditions. A precise knowledge of their nature therefore constitutes the cornerstone of their preservation. The surfaces of the valleys of the Mount Bego are characterized by a chromatic contrast between the thin red layer covering the outcrops and the underlying greenish substrate, revealed by thousands of prehistoric petroglyphs. To establish the mineralogical nature of the red layer, a spectroscopic, crystallographic, and petrographic study was carried out. Collectively, the results of this study evidence that, unlike rock coatings, this layer formed through the mobilization of structural iron, in the form of Fe (hydr)oxides, from the clay minerals that constitute the rocks. We thus discuss how the succession of events along the geological history of the site has created the environmental conditions for its formation. This study eventually provides useful data on the actual state of the petroglyphs toward their preservation. In a more global context, the conclusions of this study bring insights into the physicochemical mechanism leading to the reddening of recently exposed glacial valleys.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45273947","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}
Reconstructing the evolution of fluvial landscapes is vital to our understanding of how and why early settlements used or abandoned locations in dynamic alluvial settings, especially places such as China's Central Plains where alluvial landforms have dominated since at least the late Pleistocene era. The Wangchenggang (WCG) site on the upper reaches of the Ying River is considered to be the legendary capital of the Great Yu who, according to historical documents, heroically tamed the big floods and founded the first dynasty of Xia. However, evolution of the alluvial landscape of the Holocene Ying River and its influence on the long-term settlement change at the WCG site remains unclear. We present a detailed reconstruction of long-term landscape evolution and settlement change at the site, based on the results of our geoarchaeological investigation, and published paleoclimate and archaeobotanical data. The results show that the region experienced an episode of extensive alluvial accretion in the late Pleistocene. From the end of the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, the Ying River began to incise the alluvial plain, leading to the formation of the oldest terrace (T3). The middle and late Holocene in the Ying River valleys saw two episodes of alluvial aggradation between 7.7–5.4 ka B.P. (before present) and 4.5–3.8 ka B.P., respectively. Each of these events was followed by an alluvial incision, resulting in the formation of new alluvial terraces. During the historical periods, the youngest terrace T1 was formed. These cyclic changes in the regional fluvial landscape profoundly impacted the location and expansion of prehistoric settlements. During the Peiligang period (9.0–7.0 ka B.P.), the early stages of alluvial aggregation resulted in wide and shallow channels along the rivers. Early humans who relied on gathering and hunting for food chose to establish small settlements along such riverine environments. As alluvial aggradation continued in the Yangshao period (7.0–5.0 ka B.P.), they moved to a higher place, away from the rivers in the southwest, and flourished on high alluvial grounds. When a secondary terrace formed after the Longshan period (5.0–4.0 ka B.P.), people moved eastward again to build an early city on the T2 terraces and T3 terraces of the Ying River. When the water levels rose toward the terrace surfaces, they began to build moats and practiced mixed millet–rice farming. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–4256 B.C.), when the river started to down cut on a large scale, humans responded by building settlements on the lower and flat plains in the east.
重建河流景观的演变对于我们理解早期定居点如何以及为什么在动态冲积环境中使用或废弃位置至关重要,尤其是像中国中原这样的地方,那里的冲积地貌至少从更新世晚期就占主导地位。位于盈江上游的王城港遗址被认为是传说中的大禹之都,据史料记载,大禹英勇地驯服了洪水,建立了夏朝。然而,营河全新世冲积地貌的演变及其对WCG现场长期沉降变化的影响尚不清楚。根据我们的地质考古调查结果以及已发表的古气候和古植物学数据,我们对该遗址的长期景观演变和定居变化进行了详细的重建。结果表明,该地区在更新世晚期经历了一次广泛的冲积作用。从更新世晚期到全新世早期,应河开始切割冲积平原,形成了最古老的阶地(T3)。应河流域全新世中晚期在7.7–5.4之间经历了两次冲积 ka B.P.(在此之前)和4.5–3.8 ka B.P。每一次事件之后都有一个冲积切口,形成了新的冲积阶地。在历史时期,形成了最年轻的阶地T1。这些区域河流景观的周期性变化深刻地影响了史前定居点的位置和扩张。裴立刚时期(9.0–7.0 ka B.P.),冲积物聚集的早期阶段导致了河流沿岸宽阔而浅的河道。早期依靠采集和狩猎获取食物的人类选择在这样的河流环境中建立小型定居点。在仰韶时期(7.0–5.0 ka B.P.),他们搬到了一个更高的地方,远离西南部的河流,并在高冲积平原上蓬勃发展。龙山时期(5.0–4.0 ka B.P.),人们再次向东迁移,在盈江的T2阶地和T3阶地上建造了一座早期的城市。当水位上升到阶地表面时,他们开始修建护城河,并实行小米-水稻混合种植。在东周(公元前770年至公元前4256年),当河流开始大规模断流时,人类的反应是在东部较低平坦的平原上建造定居点。
{"title":"Evolution of fluvial landscapes since the late Pleistocene at the Wangchenggang site of the Ying River Basin, Central China: Implications for the development and change of prehistoric settlements","authors":"Yinan Liao, Peng Lu, Duowen Mo, Ye Li, Junjie Xu, Yanpeng Cao, Long Ma, Yingjun Xin, Panpan Chen, Xia Wang, Chengshuangping Zhao, Peng Zhan","doi":"10.1002/gea.21933","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.21933","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reconstructing the evolution of fluvial landscapes is vital to our understanding of how and why early settlements used or abandoned locations in dynamic alluvial settings, especially places such as China's Central Plains where alluvial landforms have dominated since at least the late Pleistocene era. The Wangchenggang (WCG) site on the upper reaches of the Ying River is considered to be the legendary capital of the Great Yu who, according to historical documents, heroically tamed the big floods and founded the first dynasty of Xia. However, evolution of the alluvial landscape of the Holocene Ying River and its influence on the long-term settlement change at the WCG site remains unclear. We present a detailed reconstruction of long-term landscape evolution and settlement change at the site, based on the results of our geoarchaeological investigation, and published paleoclimate and archaeobotanical data. The results show that the region experienced an episode of extensive alluvial accretion in the late Pleistocene. From the end of the late Pleistocene to the early Holocene, the Ying River began to incise the alluvial plain, leading to the formation of the oldest terrace (T3). The middle and late Holocene in the Ying River valleys saw two episodes of alluvial aggradation between 7.7–5.4 ka B.P. (before present) and 4.5–3.8 ka B.P., respectively. Each of these events was followed by an alluvial incision, resulting in the formation of new alluvial terraces. During the historical periods, the youngest terrace T1 was formed. These cyclic changes in the regional fluvial landscape profoundly impacted the location and expansion of prehistoric settlements. During the Peiligang period (9.0–7.0 ka B.P.), the early stages of alluvial aggregation resulted in wide and shallow channels along the rivers. Early humans who relied on gathering and hunting for food chose to establish small settlements along such riverine environments. As alluvial aggradation continued in the Yangshao period (7.0–5.0 ka B.P.), they moved to a higher place, away from the rivers in the southwest, and flourished on high alluvial grounds. When a secondary terrace formed after the Longshan period (5.0–4.0 ka B.P.), people moved eastward again to build an early city on the T2 terraces and T3 terraces of the Ying River. When the water levels rose toward the terrace surfaces, they began to build moats and practiced mixed millet–rice farming. During the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770–4256 B.C.), when the river started to down cut on a large scale, humans responded by building settlements on the lower and flat plains in the east.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41777582","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}
J. Benjamin, Michael O’Leary, J. Mcdonald, Sean Ulm, Peter Jeffries, G. Bailey
Ward et al. (2022) assert in their desktop study that we are “mistaken” in our interpretation of the artifacts at the Cape Bruguières Channel (CBC), Flying Foam Passage (FF), and Dolphin Island (DI) sites as evidence of cultural activity on a pre‐inundation land surface (Benjamin et al., 2020 [CBC and FF]; Dortch et al., 2019 [DI]) and that we have failed to take account of local hydrodynamic processes that could have displaced artifacts and moved them over much greater distances than we thought possible. They argue two key points in support: (1) that “these sites are in the intertidal zone” (p. 783) and (2) that “many or all artefacts are likely to have been reworked” (p. 783).
{"title":"A wet strawman: A response to Ward et al.","authors":"J. Benjamin, Michael O’Leary, J. Mcdonald, Sean Ulm, Peter Jeffries, G. Bailey","doi":"10.1002/gea.21936","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21936","url":null,"abstract":"Ward et al. (2022) assert in their desktop study that we are “mistaken” in our interpretation of the artifacts at the Cape Bruguières Channel (CBC), Flying Foam Passage (FF), and Dolphin Island (DI) sites as evidence of cultural activity on a pre‐inundation land surface (Benjamin et al., 2020 [CBC and FF]; Dortch et al., 2019 [DI]) and that we have failed to take account of local hydrodynamic processes that could have displaced artifacts and moved them over much greater distances than we thought possible. They argue two key points in support: (1) that “these sites are in the intertidal zone” (p. 783) and (2) that “many or all artefacts are likely to have been reworked” (p. 783).","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45445797","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}