Understanding the formation of buried urban Anthrosols and Technosols: An integrated soil micromorphological and phytolith study of the Dark Earth on the Mundaneum site (Mons, Belgium)

Abstract

Among the buried urban Anthrosols and Technosols, urban Dark Earth composes a major challenge to urban archaeologists and soil scientists. These homogeneous units are often the result of a complex formation history, involving human actions and natural processes. In order to understand the significance of the late medieval to pre-industrial urban Dark Earth observed on the site of Mundaneum in the historical centre of Mons (Belgium) an integrated soil micromorphological and phytolith study has been performed.The aim of this study is to understand how the urban Dark Earth formed and to identify the major natural and human processes that are involved in its formation. The results show that major natural processes are bioturbation, sedimentation, humification, alkalinisation and clay translocation. These processes are mainly human induced. Main human activities include cereal cultivation, horticulture, dumping of waste and trampling. Phytoliths proved to be an important witness of the presence of plant material, in a context where organic remains tend to decompose rapidly. The integrated approach allowed to come to a better understanding of the taphonomical history of the phytoliths, hence permitting to distinguish plant remains related to manure, cereal processing and in situ cultivated plants. The study further permitted the authors to gain insight in part of the biography of the site and its surroundings, hence showing changes in spatial organisation and the progressive urbanisation of the area. As such, this analysis provides an important stepstone to the further geoarchaeological study of town development in Medieval and Modern periods.