The Paleosoils Properties of Vorovskaya Yama Copper Mine and the Late Bronze Age Climate on the Trans-Urals Plateau

Abstract

AbstractThe paleosoil layers from under the dumps of the Late Bronze Age copper mine “Vorovskaya Yama” in the Southern Urals are studied. Based on the morphological and chemical properties of the buried soil and modern surface soil, the climatic conditions that existed during the Late Bronze Age in the Trans-Ural peneplain have been reconstructed. It has been found that the soils of this time contained more organic carbon than at present day. This allows us to conclude that the precipitation in the period of the mine use (2nd millennium BC) was somehow higher compared to the present day. We also highlight the consequences of the ancient anthropogenic pressure visible in the buried soil in the form of highly soluble salts and carbonates drawn up to the surface. It was shown that in the area of distribution of the ancient copper mines, soils under dumps of mines are a unique source of information about the climatic conditions that existed during the period of the mine existence. Taking into account that in ancient times a large number of mines simultaneously operated on different elements of the relief within the same ore-bearing province, the soils buried under the dumps of the mine allow us to reconstruct the soil cover as a whole on different elements of the relief.KeywordsPaleosoilsPaleoclimateMineUralsSteppeBuried soilsBronze Age