Ancient Landscape Research Articles

Integrated geochronological and chemostratigraphic study of middle Miocene strata (Ogallala Group) at the eastern margin of the North American Great Plains

Global and regional shifts in climate and environmental conditions during the Miocene gradually gave rise to the grassland biomes that now dominate the modern North American Great Plains. Strata comprising the Ogallala Group provide critical information for understanding these transitions. Geologic mapping and scientific drilling at the eastern edge of the Ogallala Group in northeastern Nebraska, reveal a basal, pedogenically modified siltstone-dominated interval that was hitherto barely known and never firmly placed in a regional stratigraphic context. Herein, we distinguish this basal siltstone unit of the Ogallala Group in the eastern Niobrara River Valley from the overlying sand-dominated strata of the Valentine Formation on the basis of lithologic characteristics, trends in organic-carbon δ13C chemostratigraphic profiles, and U-Pb dating of detrital zircons. This siltstone unit bears some similarities to the middle Miocene Fort Randall Formation in its type area, which lies ∼75 km to the northwest in the Bijou Hills of South Dakota. Organic δ13C chemostratigraphic profiles generated from outcrops and cores of the basal siltstone in Nebraska indicate that the study area consistently had C3-dominated paleofloras while it was deposited, presumably in the middle Miocene. The youngest detrital zircons from the siltstone-dominated unit were probably deposited directly onto ancient landscapes by supervolcanic airfall events originating some 1,500 km to the west near the intersection of the boundaries of present Oregon, Nevada, and Idaho. These youngest zircons yield a maximum depositional age of ∼15 Ma. This age is in general agreement with the Barstovian (Ba2) mammal biostratigraphic age of the Fort Randall Formation in South Dakota. It is also significantly older than the ∼13 Ma youngest single grain zircon we recovered from sands of the overlying Valentine Formation. Thus, we propose that our integrated geochronologic and chemostratigraphic approach can date Late Cenozoic strata with constraints on the order of 1 m.y., portending broad applicability of our methods in reducing the uncertainties in dating terrigenous sediments in continental basins.

Spores constraining age of the Middle Devonian paleosol from Voronezh, Russia and their paleopedological and evolutionary significances

As a tangible record that formed on ancient landscape, paleosols provide unique evidence for the evolutionary, paleoecological, and paleoenvironmental understandings to land organisms. However, not all paleosols have a good potential for fossil preservation. Plant preservation of paleosols is highly dependent on Eh-Ph conditions of the past and usually favor reducing paleosols. In this study, we carry on palynological analysis for an acid sulfate paleosol from Voronezh, Russia. Abundant and well-preserved spores are recognized from the middle part of this paleosol and its overlying shale. The Ancyrospora tichonovitschi–Retispora archaeolepidophyta–Rhabdosporites langii (TAL) assemblage from the paleosol, including spores of 45 genera and 101 species, indicates a late Eifelian?–early Givetian age. This new age constraint on the paleosol is entrenched by another spore assemblage from the lowermost part of the overlying shale, namely Cristatisporites conannulatus–Geminospora decora–Membrabaculisporis comans (CDC) assemblage. This assemblage includes spores of 38 genera and 89 species, and can be well correlated with the early Givetian Cymbosporites magnificus–Hymenozonotriletes tichonovitschi (MT) Subzone in eastern Europe. Both the assemblages are characteristic for the humid subtropical flora. Assessments of sporopollenin degradation within the paleosol lead to the suggestion that low pH value probably plays a significant role in spore preservation and can explain the surprising diversity and abundance of spores. New palynological results indicate a flourishing land flora in the Kačák interval of Voronezh High, where terrestrial vegetation might have suffered from a collapse coincident with the Taghanic event.

Observations on palynology of the Tukau Formation in northwest Sarawak, Malaysia

This palynological study analysed 15 samples of the Tukau Formation, comprising intensely bioturbated sandy mudstone and organic-rich mudstones. Diverse vegetation types, including hinterland, mangroves, back mangroves, and montane regions, characterise the landscape of the region during the Tukau sediment deposition. Certain palynomorph types, such as Rhizophora type, Laevigatosporites sp., Elaeocarpus type, Euphorbiaceae, and Verrucatosporites usmensis (Stenochlaena), dominated the pollen assemblage, which represents the ancient landscape at that time. The influx of non-mangrove palynomorphs from the hinterland, likely transported by water, underscores the role of fluvial processes in controlling pollen distribution. Notably, the presence of age-specific marker pollen, such as Florschuetzia levipoli, Florschuetzia meridionalis, and Florschuetzia trilobata, confirms the age of the formation as Middle Miocene or younger. The presence of Acrostichum aureum pollen suggests a warm and humid tropical climate. Recognition of mangrove pollen from both front and back mangrove vegetation suggests deposition in the seaward region of the coast with significant tidal influences.

Landscape Histories and the Search for Early Settlements along Louisiana's Bayous

Abstract Historical changes from shifting land use, the natural meandering of waterways, and the aftereffects of erosion complicate modern environments and obfuscate precontact landscapes. Although archaeologists can create stratified sampling models or employ systematic surveys, traditional field methodologies are often not suitable for site discovery, thereby limiting knowledge of ancient cultural landscapes. Many water systems in southern Louisiana, and in many parts of the world, have been covered or concealed in backswamps by natural geomorphological processes, development, or environmental degradation. Investigation standards that do not account for these changes will not be effective at identifying archaeological sites in such transformed landscapes. Discoveries made during ongoing archaeological research in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, provide examples of what can be missed and offer solutions through changes in archaeological field methods. This article advocates for a mixed-methodology approach, drawing from historical research and shallow geophysics to look at landforms and landscape changes. Strictly following state survey guidelines can muddle the archaeological record, particularly in places subject to significant landscape change from historical land-use alteration. By applying these approaches, we offer a way to reconstruct ancient landscapes and landforms that are culturally significant but often missed given the nature of modern environmental conditions.

Effects of climate change and extreme weather events on natural and archaeological landscapes in southwestern Puerto Rico

Recent archaeological fieldwork in the intertidal zone of southwestern Puerto Rico has revealed a unique landscape of ancient shell mounds (accumulations of marine shells deposited by prehistoric peoples). These mounds are, at present, protected from tidal inundation, storm surge, and storm-driven winds by a buffering arc of mangroves known as the Pitahaya Mangrove Forest (PMF). Concerns about the long-term health of these mangroves, and their continuing ability to shelter the shell mounds, motivated the current diachronic remote sensing study examining the effects of both long-term climatic factors (sea level rise, global climate change) and extreme weather events (droughts, hurricanes) on the recent and future health of the PMF. Ultimately, the analysis of NDVI change derived from multispectral satellite imagery, coupled with local climate and weather data and drone-based ground-truthing, revealed troubling trends in the health of the PMF that portend a rather grim future for both the mangroves and the unique ancient landscape they protect.

Running out of empty space: environmental lidar and the crowded ancient landscape of Campeche, Mexico

As airborne lidar surveys reveal a growing sample of urbanised tropical landscapes, questions linger about the sampling bias of such research leading to inflated estimates of urban extent and population magnitude. ‘Found’ datasets from remote sensing conducted for non-archaeological purposes and thus not subject to archaeological site bias, provide an opportunity to address these concerns through pseudorandom sampling. Here, the authors present their analysis of an environmental lidar dataset from Campeche, Mexico, which reveals previously unrecorded urbanism and dense regional-scale settlement. Both characteristics, the authors argue, are therefore demonstrably ubiquitous across the central Maya Lowlands.

Chapter 7. Mapping land use with integrated environmental archaeological datasets

AbstractArchaeologists have developed tools to reconstruct the locations of farming and animal herding using ecological and digital modeling of ancient landscapes. The determination of where on a landscape farming and herding took place, however, can remain elusive in environments with evidence for substantial geomorphological and/or ecological change since the period of occupation. Archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological evidence from the site of Gordion, in central Anatolia, indicates substantial landscape change over the last 4000 years, including deforestation, overgrazing, erosion, and alluviation. These have been inferred to be the result of past agricultural practices, but no firm evidence has pointed to specific locations (geographic and temporal) where ancient farming and herding may have caused these changes. Integrating extant archaeobotanical, zooarchaeological, and geoarchaeological evidence with new isotopic data provides a more detailed reconstruction of the sequence of agricultural practices that shaped the present landscape and ecology of the region, offering a model for future archaeological research within substantially transformed landscapes.

Modelling pre-Hispanic settlement patterns in Alto de Toche, Colombia

Highlights: The research contributes to a better understanding of the forms of settlement in the ancient landscape of Alto de Toche, influenced by Cerro Machin Volcano disaster risk. A terrain modelling reconstructed a geoarchaeological mountain landscape, composed of massive systems of terraces at Alto de Toche Wax Palm cloud forest. From digital photogrammetry in fieldwork, three sites were detailed. A DEM of the settlement pattern projected 37 possible new terraces. The resulting map is accessible in an ArcGIS-online web application. Abstract: The enhancement of the archaeological terraces on the Alto de Toche and the Wax Palm forest is unprecedented. The Toche region in Colombia contains an outstanding anthropised ecosystems presence (8000 BP), characterised by complex inherited cultural patterns, according to the evidences on the eastern margin of the Andes Central Cordillera. The research focused on i) the cultural landscape of the Premontane and Montane Cloud Forests of the Alto de Toche, built by the Toches; ii) its high-altitude settlements, interpreted as a strategy of ecological knowledge, deeply linked to their symbolic understanding of the landscape. Fieldwork in three sets of tambos (terraces for habitational settlements) in La Carbonera, Gallego, and Las Cruces sites was analysed using remote sensing, drone digital photogrammetry, and on-site data. Their interpretation projected a settlement pattern; a typological-topological tambos classification inferred its possible functions such as sighting, funerary, and dwelling, from 2600 MASL to biggest sites at 3000 MASL, related to the sun-moon proximity presumed for gatherings. The authors conclude that the patterns respond to a territorial understanding of its resources and the vertical exploitation of the agricultural thermal floors and micro-watersheds, associated with the east-west solar illumination over both sides of the Tochecito River basin; linked with the transit between ridges and steep slopes, through the network of pathways that originated the Quindío Trail. Data were projected crossing field-data photogrammetry with GIS spatial analysis; this resulted in a terrain model that reconstructs a geoarchaeological landscape composed of massive systems of tambos. Thirty-seven new sites were classified, twenty of them above 2800 MASL. The resulting terrain model facilitates a non-invasive previous prospection for fieldwork planning and a more feasible knowledge of accessibility, due to on-site transit difficulties (steep slopes and very unstable soil due to cattle ranching). Finally, the terrain model was uploaded in an easy-to-access ArcGIS-online web application for sharing with community stakeholders and visiting scientists.

The Via Severiana and the Tabula Peutingeriana: valuation of landmarks precision and town expansions

This work deals with the examination of the route of the Via Severiana, traced in the imperial period, from a historical and technical point of view. Then, results were compared with the Tabula, which we can consider one of the first synthetic representations of general viability. We have explored the development of the various sectors of the via Severiana, considering the various utility and presence on the territory, using the Tabula Peutingeriana as a benchmark. Subsequently, we have examined the precision of the positioning of the various landmarks along the via Severiana and the movement of the inhabited centers as a function of density. Modern technologies, including Geographic Information Systems and mathematical models, allow us to help the archaeologists to overlay ancient maps like the Tabula Peutingeriana onto contemporary maps, aiding in the identification of locations and understanding ancient landscapes.

Cultivating Value: Teaching a Job and Mitigating Climate Change Effects While Restoring a Landscape Heritage

Abstract In the degraded peri-urban areas, there are several traces of the agrarian landscape heritage: they are not relicts of the past but a resource for managing water, providing fauna and flora biodiversity, and mitigate climate change in the urban environment. A pilot experience of recovering the Milan medieval water meadows has been done in the last two years: the aim was to provide a new job to fragile people, while restoring an ancient landscape. The tangible permanencies have been recovered by unemployed people at the same time as the traditional art of managing water has been taught by ancient watermen. A course has been organized to transfer the knowledge. Several schools have been involved in the practical recovery of artifacts: students enjoyed to care an “ordinary” heritage in their neighbourhood, as a resource for a sustainable way of living, and a good quality landscape. The high social and cultural value provided increased Municipality’s attention to consider a joint management with the social cooperative of this productive landscape and to include didactical visit to water meadow in each student curricula.

Alpine topography of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains, Antarctica, mapped from ice sheet surface morphology

Abstract. Landscapes buried beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet preserve information about the geologic and geomorphic evolution of the continent both before and during the wide-scale glaciation that began roughly 34×106 years ago. Since the inception of this ice sheet, some areas have remained cold-based and non-erosive, preserving ancient landscapes remarkably intact. The Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains in central East Antarctica are one such landscape, maintaining evidence of tectonic, fluvial and glacial controls on their distinctly alpine morphology. The central Gamburtsev Mountains have previously been surveyed using airborne ice-penetrating radar; however, many questions remain as to their evolution and their influence on the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, including where in the region to drill for a 1.5×106 year-long “oldest-ice” core. Here, we derive new maps of the planform geometry of the Gamburtsev Subglacial Mountains from satellite remote sensing datasets of the ice sheet surface, based on the relationship between bed roughness and ice surface morphology. Automated and manual approaches to mapping were tested and validated against existing radar data and elevation models. Manual mapping was more effective than automated approaches at reproducing bed features observed in radar data, but a hybrid approach is suggested for future work. The maps produced here show the detail of mountain ridges and valleys on wavelengths significantly smaller than the spacing of existing radar flightlines, and mapping has extended well beyond the confines of existing radar surveys. Morphometric analysis of the mapped landscape reveals that it constitutes a preserved (>34 Ma) dendritic valley network, with some evidence for modification by topographically confined glaciation prior to ice sheet inception. The planform geometry of the landscape is a significant control on locations of basal melting, subglacial hydrological flows and the stability of the ice sheet over time, so the maps presented here may help to guide decisions about where to search for oldest ice.

Apomixis goes a long way: Genetic evidence of persistence and long‐distance seed dispersal in an ancient landscape

AbstractAimApomixis is a widespread trait in extreme environments worldwide, yet phylogeographical studies for species exhibiting these complex reproductive systems are still limited to temperate zones in the Northern Hemisphere. Through analyses of a combination of adult plants and seedlings, and nuclear and chloroplast DNA, we assessed the contemporary genetic outcomes of apomixis and phylogeographical patterns in an arid unglaciated landscape to understand the evolutionary trajectory of apomictic species.LocationPilbara bioregion, north‐western Australia.TaxonSenna glutinosa subsp. glutinosa.Materials and MethodsSpatial patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation in three chloroplast regions and 17 nuclear microsatellite markers were evaluated in 480 plants from 20 populations of S. glutinosa subsp. glutinosa across the Pilbara bioregion. We also germinated and genotyped seed for a progeny analysis to quantify polyembryony and the relative frequency of asexual versus sexual reproduction.ResultsWe found frequent polyembryony and a high proportion of asexual offspring (84.56%), resulting in low within‐population genotypic diversity. The nuclear dataset identified 72 multilocus lineages (MLLs) with moderate pairwise population genetic fixation and low differentiation among populations with no geographically structured genetic clustering. Chloroplast DNA showed high haplotype diversity and a widespread distribution of haplotypes. Only one peripheral population presented a single unique haplotype and MLL.Main ConclusionsAnalysis of this woody perennial in an arid landscape shows the influence of apomixis on genetic patterns and species persistence. Haplotype diversity was indicative of long‐term persistence within the ancient Pilbara region. Widespread distribution of haplotypes and sharing of several nuclear MLLs among distant populations indicated extensive seed dispersal throughout the study area. The combination of polyploidy, facultative apomixis and extensive seed dispersal maintains genetic variability within local populations and promotes the spread of advantageous genotypes across wide geographical distances. Therefore, apomixis, rather than an evolutionary ‘dead‐end’, can be regarded as a mechanism facilitating evolutionary success of apomictic species in extreme and complex environments.

Watershed-scale provenance heterogeneity within Eocene nonmarine basin fill: Southern Greater Green River Basin, western USA

Weathering, erosion, and sediment transport in modern landscapes may be investigated via direct observation of attributes such as elevation, relief, bedrock lithology, climate, drainage organization, watershed extent, and others. Studies of ancient landscape evolution lack this synoptic perspective, however, and instead must rely more heavily on downstream records of fluvial deposits. Provenance analysis based on detrital grain ages has greatly enhanced the utility of such records but has often focused broadly on regional to continental scales. This approach may overlook important details of localized watersheds, which could lead to significant misinterpretation of past sediment dispersal patterns. The present study, therefore, explores the impact of geographic and stratigraphic sampling density on detrital zircon provenance, based on a high-density investigation of U-Pb ages (N = 23, n = 4905) obtained from a narrow chronostratigraphic range (∼2 m.y.) within a relatively small (∼25,000 km2) area of an Eocene nonmarine sedimentary basin. Based on multi-dimensional scaling and DZmix modeling, these strata comprise seven distinct, approximately isochronous detrital zircon (DZ) chronofacies, defined as “. . . a group of sedimentary rocks that contains a specified suite of detrital zircon age populations” (Lawton et al., 2010). Four of these DZ chronofacies reflect long-distance transport from extrabasinal source areas. DZ chronofacies CO-1 and CO-2 are interpreted to derive from a primary sediment source in central Colorado (USA), corroborating previously proposed long-distance sediment transport via the Aspen paleoriver. DZ chronofacies ID-1 and ID-2 are interpreted to have been delivered to the basin from central Idaho by the Idaho paleoriver. In contrast, DZ chronofacies UT-1 and UT-2 are interpreted to reflect local drainage from the Uinta Uplift south of the basin, and DZ chronofacies WY-1 is interpreted to have been sourced from the Rawlins, Granite, and Sierra Madre uplifts to the north and east via the Toya Puki paleoriver. Lateral transitions between different DZ chronofacies in some cases occur over distances as little as 5 km, implying that depositional systems carrying sand from disparate watersheds directly competed to fill available basin accommodation. The results of this study reveal a high degree of complexity of Eocene rivers that converged on the Greater Green River Basin, indicating that their deposits contain a rich record of fine-scale landscape evolution across much of the Laramide foreland and Cordilleran orogen. These results illustrate the need for adequate sample density when assessing basin-scale provenance and offer a cautionary consideration for researchers using sandstone (and incorporated authigenic cement) in other nonmarine basins as the basis for paleoaltimetry or detrital thermochronology studies.

Integrated use of GIS and remote sensing techniques for landscape-scale archaeological analysis: the case study of Metaponto, Basilicata, Italy

The study focuses on the integrated use of multiscale and multisensor remote sensing techniques and big data analysis for the identification of buried archaeological remains or areas of potential archaeological interest. Satellite multispectral data (at very high and high resolution), drone based visible, multispectral, and thermal imagery, and geophysical prospecting (gradiometer) were used. The ancient city of Metaponto was chosen as case study, as it was a very important city in the formative panorama of Italian Magna Graecia and it also is one of the most important and best preserved archaeological sites in southern Italy. The analysis of remote sensing data from different sensors, with different resolutions, and referable to different physical parameters, allowed to deepen archaeological knowledge on a landscape scale, as well as on a site scale, going from the analysis of traces of the ancient landscape (e.g. palaeo-channels, canalisation system, main roads), to the discovery of small features (e.g. secondary roads, houses, facilities).

Curriculum learning-based strategy for low-density archaeological mound detection from historical maps in India and Pakistan

This paper presents two algorithms for the large-scale automatic detection and instance segmentation of potential archaeological mounds on historical maps. Historical maps present a unique source of information for the reconstruction of ancient landscapes. The last 100 years have seen unprecedented landscape modifications with the introduction and large-scale implementation of mechanised agriculture, channel-based irrigation schemes, and urban expansion to name but a few. Historical maps offer a window onto disappearing landscapes where many historical and archaeological elements that no longer exist today are depicted. The algorithms focus on the detection and shape extraction of mound features with high probability of being archaeological settlements, mounds being one of the most commonly documented archaeological features to be found in the Survey of India historical map series, although not necessarily recognised as such at the time of surveying. Mound features with high archaeological potential are most commonly depicted through hachures or contour-equivalent form-lines, therefore, an algorithm has been designed to detect each of those features. Our proposed approach addresses two of the most common issues in archaeological automated survey, the low-density of archaeological features to be detected, and the small amount of training data available. It has been applied to all types of maps available of the historic 1″ to 1-mile series, thus increasing the complexity of the detection. Moreover, the inclusion of synthetic data, along with a Curriculum Learning strategy, has allowed the algorithm to better understand what the mound features look like. Likewise, a series of filters based on topographic setting, form, and size have been applied to improve the accuracy of the models. The resulting algorithms have a recall value of 52.61% and a precision of 82.31% for the hachure mounds, and a recall value of 70.80% and a precision of 70.29% for the form-line mounds, which allowed the detection of nearly 6000 mound features over an area of 470,500 km2, the largest such approach to have ever been applied. If we restrict our focus to the maps most similar to those used in the algorithm training, we reach recall values greater than 60% and precision values greater than 90%. This approach has shown the potential to implement an adaptive algorithm that allows, after a small amount of retraining with data detected from a new map, a better general mound feature detection in the same map.

A machine learning approach using legacy geophysical datasets to model Quaternary marine paleotopography

High-resolution subsurface marine mapping tools, including chirp and 3D seismic, enable the reconstruction of ancient landscapes that have been buried and subsequently submerged by marine transgression. However, the established methods for paleotopographic reconstruction require time consuming field and data interpretation efforts. Here we present a novel methodology using machine learning to estimate Marine Isotope Stage 2 (MIS2) paleotopography over a large (22 000 km2) area of the Northern Gulf of Mexico with meter-scale accuracy (2.7 m mean prediction error, 4.3 m 1-σ mean uncertainty). A relatively small area (3300 km2) of high-resolution (30 × 30 m) interpreted paleotopography is used as training and validation data, while modern bathymetry and MIS2 paleovalley location (binary deep/shallow paleotopography) are used as predictors. This approach merges the high-resolution of modern mapping techniques and the broad coverage of low-resolution legacy geophysical data. Machine learning-modeled paleotopography is not a substitute for precise high-resolution paleotopography reconstruction techniques, but it can be used to reasonably approximate paleotopography over large areas with greatly reduced expense and expertise.

Accumulation of radiocarbon in ancient landscapes: A small but significant input of unknown origin

The persistence of organic carbon (C) in soil is most often considered at timescales ranging from tens to thousands of years, but the study of organic C in paleosols (i.e., ancient, buried soils) suggests that paleosols may have the capacity to preserve organic compounds for tens of millions of years. However, a quantitative assessment of C sources and sinks from these ancient terrestrial landscapes is complicated by additions of geologically modern (~ 10 Ka) C, primarily due to the infiltration of dissolved organic carbon. In this study, we quantified total organic C and radiocarbon activity in samples collected from 28- to 33-million-year-old paleosols that are naturally exposed as unvegetated badlands near eastern Oregon’s “Painted Hills”. We also used thermal and evolved gas analysis to examine the thermodynamic stability of different pools of C in bulk samples. The study site is part of a ~ 400-m-thick sequence of Eocene–Oligocene (45–28 Ma) paleosols, and thus we expected to find radiocarbon-free samples preserved in deep layers of the lithified, brick-like exposed outcrops. Total organic C, measured in three individual profiles spanning depth transects from the outcrop surface to a 1-m depth, ranged from 0.01 to 0.2 wt% with no clear C-concentration or age-depth profile. Ten radiocarbon dates from the same profiles reveal radiocarbon ages of ~ 11,000–30,000 years BP that unexpectedly indicate additions of potentially modern organic C. A two-endmember mixing model for radiocarbon activity suggests that modern C may compose ~ 0.5–2.4% of the total organic C pool. Thermal and evolved gas analysis showed the presence of two distinct pools of organic C, but there was no direct evidence that C compounds were associated with clay minerals. These results challenge the assumption that ancient badland landscapes are inert and “frozen in time” and instead suggest they readily interact with the modern C cycle.

Free and Low-Cost Aerial Remote Sensing in Archaeology

ABSTRACTRecent years have seen the rapid expansion of airborne and spaceborne remote-sensing products adopted by archaeologists for interpreting ancient landscapes and managing heritage resources. A growing and increasingly specialized literature attests to the promise and availability of commercial and publicly funded satellite imagery, as well as UAV-mounted sensors across a range of resolutions and price points. In the South Caucasus (including the countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia), a growing commitment to landscape approaches in archaeology is stimulating the adoption of satellite remote sensing as an important new tool for identifying and managing archaeological resources while tracing the impact of historic land-use alterations in survey areas. Nevertheless, budgetary challenges and a lack of training opportunities among international partners and heritage organizations outside of the funding streams of large academic institutions can lead to widening technological gulfs in the discipline that reinforce colonial relationships. Building on recent technical articles covering specific imagery datasets, this article aims to address this by providing a general review of free or low-cost remotely sensed datasets available to archaeologists, with the aim of broadening awareness of these important tools and their vocabularies, and illustrating them with recent published examples from the South Caucasus.

Interpretations of Plot about Alceste: from Euripide’s Social and Domestic Drama to Franz Fühmann’s “Play with Music in Ancient Landscapes”

The significance of the study is due to the need to update the memory of the personality and work of the East German writer Franz Fuhmann, undeservedly forgotten in the era of united Germany. The novelty of the proposed study is due to the fact that the materials that testify to the long and painstaking preparatory work to create a play about Alces and this work itself have not only not been translated, but have not been studied in Russian German studies either. It is noted that the problem of “inclusion” of artistic consciousness in new media makes it necessary to approach the reception of the classical heritage from a new point of view. It is indicated that Franz Fuman is one of the brightest experimenters in this field. It is shown that psychological rethinking of traditional mythological situations and the creation of their new versions prevail in his dramatic experiments, which allows us to see the timeless grain of the myth. It is argued that in the named work the writer does not deviate from the formulation of the burning topics of our time, but elevates their understanding to a higher level of the eternal questions of mankind. It is emphasized that in this context it is not surprising that the writer turned to the traditions of antiquity, primarily mythology. The author of the article believes that the study of the dramatic experiments of Franz Fumann helps to supplement the picture of the genre and style diversity of his work with new facts.

Segments of the ancient cultural landscape in the “Hungarian Corner” of Moravia: A valuable pre-industrial heritage

After a brief historical overview, the paper discusses two basic types of natural and cultural heritage in the territory of the “Hungarian corner” of Moravia. For 300 years, this area called a Campus Lucsco in the southeast of today’s republic was disputed territory between the Czech and Hungarian states. Settlement therefore proceeded slowly in waves depending on the political situation. The present international border was established around the year 1333. Numerous documents of the ancient landscape, probably of medieval origin, have been preserved in the current landscape. They are the ground plans of the cores of municipalities, whether they were founded by Czech or Hungarian landlords on one hand, and the remains of ancient land distribution in the form of narrow strips of agricultural land on the other hand. Other areas succumbed to land consolidation during land reforms in the 20th century. While the ground plans of the village cores are only subject to minor changes, the small-scale use of land is still threatened by further merging. The ground plans of the municipalities and land division at the present time (in colour orthophoto maps) were visually compared with the situation documented by the stable cadastre maps from the 1820s–1830s (see Figure 3). Only identical areas in both sources represent urban and rural segments of the pre-industrial landscape, whose roots go back to the dated Medieval Ages. They are documented on selected representative examples well-preserved ground plans of village cores, probably of integrated Hungarian and Czech origin. Similarly, well-preserved examples of the ancient division of agricultural land in flat and dissected terrain both with poly-functional and mono-functional land use are demonstrated. The best-preserved remnants of the ancient pre-industrial landscape are equal in value to protected areas of nature and cultural monuments. Their number and quality these remnants are threatened by economic pressure.