Past Human Activities Research Articles

The variability of Amazonian palm phytoliths

The Arecaceae (palm) family is one of the most common and economically important plant groups in Amazonia, and play large roles in ecosystem functioning and carbon dynamics. The modern dominance of palms may be a result of environmental gradients, past climate variability and legacies of past human activities. To understand the roles people and environment have played in shaping the abundance and widespread occurrence of Amazonian palm species, past vegetation reconstructions using palaeoecological proxies that can identify palm species or genera are needed. Phytoliths are siliceous microfossils abundantly produced in palms and are used to reconstruct past vegetation composition. The aim of this paper was to assess the variability of Amazonian palm phytolith morphotypes and to determine which morphological characteristics can be used to increase the taxonomic resolution of palm identifications. Phytolith size, sphericity, spinule traits and number of (surficial) projections were measured for 24 Amazonian palm species. Differences were compared using PCA and ANOVA or Tukey tests, followed by Kruskal-Wallis or Dunn tests. Results show potential for phytoliths of Aiphanes aculeata, Attalea maripa, Bactris simplicifrons, Dictyocaryum fuscum, Euterpe precatoria, Iriartea deltoidea, Oenocarpus bacaba, Socratea exorrhiza and the genera Geonoma, Bactris, Euterpe and Oenocarpus to be identified based on their size, shape or number of projections. This will allow future phytolith analyses to reconstruct past palm abundances with an increased taxonomic resolution. We have formulated our findings into a ‘quick guide’ to identify palm phytoliths and test hypotheses regarding the drivers of modern palm distributions and abundances.

Unveil the unseen: Using LiDAR to capture time‐lag dynamics in the herbaceous layer of European temperate forests

Abstract To understand time‐lag dynamics in the response of biodiversity to contemporary environmental changes (e.g. macroclimate warming and atmospheric pollution), we need to consider former anthropogenic forcing factors such as past land uses and management practices that can have both compounding and confounding effects. This is especially true in European temperate forests, where legacies from past human activities have left strong imprints on today’s understorey plant species composition, generating long‐term lagging effects which can be mistakenly attributed to more recent macro‐environmental changes. By combining the expertise of plant, soil and historical ecologists together with remote sensing scientists, we review the potential of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to unveil ghosts from the past in terms of former land uses and management practices. We show that imprints from past land uses and management practices can still be captured today through well‐chosen LiDAR‐derived variables describing, at sub‐decimetre scale, the vertical and horizontal micro‐variations of vegetation and terrain structure hidden below treetops. Synthesis. We encourage plant and soil ecologists to use LiDAR data and to work with historians, archaeologists and remote sensing scientists in order to select meaningful LiDAR‐derived variables to account for time‐lagged biotic responses to long‐term macro‐environmental changes.

Фиторемедиация как метод рекультивации земель, загрязненных хлорорганическими соединениями

Land contamination by organochlorine pollutants is widespread on the territory of the Russian Federation. In many cases, such pollution is of a historical nature, resulting from past human activities. This is the pollution of agricultural land with organochlorine pesticides, as well as the pollution of industrial lands and settlements with polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins as well as organochlorine solvents. For reclamation of those lands, appropriate methods and technologies are required. This article is devoted to a review of phytoremediation methods for lands contaminated with organochlorine pollutants.
 The article describes the main mechanisms of phytoremediation and gives examples of using these methods for the reclamation of those lands.

North American diadromous fishes: Drivers of decline and potential for recovery in the Anthropocene.

Diadromous fishes migrate between freshwater and marine habitats to complete their life cycle, a complexity that makes them vulnerable to the adverse effects of current and past human activities on land and in the oceans. Many North American species are critically endangered, and entire populations have been lost. Major factors driving declines include overfishing, pollution, water withdrawals, aquaculture, non-native species, habitat degradation, over-zealous application of hatcheries designed to mitigate effects of other factors, and effects of climate change. Perhaps, the most broadly tractable and effective factors affecting diadromous fishes are removals of the dams that prevent or hinder their migrations, alter their environment, and often favor non-native biotic communities. Future survival of many diadromous fish populations may depend on this.

A novel multiproxy approach to detect the impact of charcoal production on the natural environment in NW Poland – project concept and preliminary results

Agriculture has been the major driver of deforestation in Europe in the last 1000 years. In the past, forests were also exploited for charcoal production; however, the spatial scale/extent of this activity and its impact are unknown. LIDAR data can be used as a noninvasive tool to investigate the small-scale diversity of the land relief, including forested areas. These data can reveal the extent anthropogenic modifications of topography present-day as well as in the past. One of the activities that can be analyzed based on LIDAR data is spatial distribution of charcoal production. A preliminary LIDAR data analysis indicated the intensity of this practice and its potential impact on the natural environment. This prompted us to analyze the environmental impact of charcoal hearths in northern Poland. As it turned out, this topic exceeded the scope of earth sciences and became a transdisciplinary one. In this work, we will use the research methods typical of biogeography, dendroecology, paleoecology, soil science, biology, botany, history, onomastics, as well as art history, in order to thoroughly understand not only the natural consequences but also the social and economic consequences of charcoal production. This paper presents the assumptions of our project, the research methodology, and the preliminary results. We have identified using LIDAR data more than 73 thousand relief forms which can be remnants of charcoal hearths. Our preliminary results confirmed large scale impact of past human activity related to charcoal production and suitability of the methods used for detecting and reconstructing charcoal hearths as well as determining the distribution and magnitude of past forest use for charcoal production in NW Poland.

‘Garbology’ as a Determinant of Social Class Stratification, Living Standards and Domestic Waste Foot Print in Selected Urban and Peri-Urban Centers in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya

Garbological audits of a given society can reveal both past and present lifestyles, living standards, professions and health status. That what people have owned and thrown away can speak more eloquently, informatively, and truthfully about the lives they lead than they themselves ever may. Garbology depends on the primary premise that one can conclude a considerable amount of information about an individual or group through the composition of their trash receptacles. The material leftovers of past human activity can exemplify on the lives of individuals that disposed of the items that include; paper, clothing, magazines, books, diaries, minutes of meetings, anniversary brochures, food remnants, fast-food packaging, disposable diapers, and grocery bags. This work examined the role of Garbology as a possible domestic waste foot print, social class and living standards indicator in a classical African urban centre by examining House-hold waste from various neighborhoods. The present study considered Garbology as a means of evaluating the socio-economic profile of residents in selected urban and peri-urban centers in Uasin Gishu County in Kenya. In this study 40 subject respondents were purposefully identified and interviewed using a stratified questionnaire to establish their responses in Garbology as a tool to project socio-economic stratification of a given society based on the nature and quantities of waste they dispose. The respondents were classified socio-economically as: -[(Upper class, 45%; middle class, 32.5%; Lower class, 22.5%)]. Data were mainly collected through in-depth interviews. The Garbological audit from the respondents show the following information about the people who disposed the waste:-[(Travel preferences, 26%; Health status, 32%; Household demographics, 86%; Religious convictions, 60%; Profession/career, 25%; Consumer habits/income levels, 92%)].The findings indicate that Garbological audits are effective in determining and projecting socio-economic indicators of a society past and present.

Legacies of past human activities on one of the largest old-growth forests in the south-east European mountains

The Dinaric Mountains are a region considered as a hotspot for late-successional montane mixed Abies alba-Fagus sylvatica-Picea abies old-growth forests. This is likely due to historical deforestation levels being presumably lower than in other European regions. This paper provides new insights into the long-term vegetation dynamics and possible legacies of past human activities in old-growth forests in the montane zone of the Dinaric Mountains. Our extensive ground survey and the detailed land-cover types map show that the mixed A. alba-F. sylvatica old-growth forest with sparse P. abies is surrounded by almost pure F. sylvatica stands at Biogradska Gora. The well-dated stand-scale palaeoecological records (pollen, spores, stomata, macrofossils, macroscopic charcoal, and magnetic susceptibility) show that land use (cereal crop cultivation, cattle herding, and fire) during the Middle Ages caused a reduction of the A. alba and P. abies-dominated forest. After a major land abandonment around the Black Death pandemic (mid-14th century) and weaker land-use phases, F. sylvatica-dominated stands developed in the more accessible areas surrounding the old-growth forest. The legacy of past land uses is still visible as the almost pure F. sylvatica stands show less old-growth characteristics than other European beech-dominated old-growth forests. Markedly in contrast to decreasing tree cover elsewhere in the region, tree cover increased several centuries before the formal protection of the forest (1878 ce). These results support the view that historical land-use pressures played an important role for the small extent and the continuity of disturbance-sensitive A. alba and P. abies-dominated old-growth forest stands.

Potential of a large-scale functional analysis to reconstructing past human activities at the Final Palaeolithic site of Lommel-Maatheide

A recommendation of: Sonja Tomasso, Dries Cnuts, Justin Coppe, Marijn Van Gils, Ferdi Geerts, Marc De Bie, Veerle Rots A closer look at an eroded dune landscape: first functional insights into the Federmessergruppen site of Lommel-Maatheide https://doi.org/10.31219/osf.io/pf3sm

High-Resolution Direct Push Sensing in Wetland Geoarchaeology—First Traces of Off-Site Construction Activities at the Fossa Carolina

Wetland environments, with their excellent conservation conditions, provide geoarchaeological archives of past human activities. However, the subsurface soil is difficult to access due to high groundwater tables, unstable sediments, and the high cost of excavation. In this study, we present a ground-based non- and minimal-invasive prospection concept adapted to the conditions of wetlands. We investigated the Fossa Carolina in South Germany, a canal that was intended in 792/793 AD by Charlemagne to bridge the Central European Watershed. Although the resulting Carolingian banks and the fairway with wooden revetments are very imposing, archaeological traces of off-site construction activities have not been identified hitherto. Based on a geophysically surveyed intensive linear magnetic anomaly parallel to the Carolingian canal, we aimed to prove potential off-site traces of Carolingian construction activities. In this context, we built up a high-resolution cross-section using highly depth-accurate direct push sensing and ground-truthing. Our results showed the exact geometry of the canal and the former banks. Thus, the magnetic mass anomaly could be clearly located between the buried organic-rich topsoil and the Carolingian banks. The thermoluminescence dating showed that the position of the magnetic mass anomaly reflected Carolingian activities during the construction phases, specifically due to heat exposure. Moreover, we found hints of the groundwater supply to the 5-metre wide navigable fairway.

Origin and dispersion pathways of guava in the Galapagos Islands inferred through genetics and historical records.

Guava (Psidium guajava) is an aggressive invasive plant in the Galapagos Islands. Determining its provenance and genetic diversity could explain its adaptability and spread, and how this relates to past human activities. With this purpose, we analyzed 11 SSR markers in guava individuals from Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, and Floreana islands in the Galapagos, as well as from mainland Ecuador. The mainland guava population appeared genetically differentiated from the Galapagos populations, with higher genetic diversity levels found in the former. We consistently found that the Central Highlands region of mainland Ecuador is one of the most likely origins of the Galapagos populations. Moreover, the guavas from Isabela and Floreana show a potential genetic input from southern mainland Ecuador, while the population from San Cristobal would be linked to the coastal mainland regions. Interestingly, the proposed origins for the Galapagos guava coincide with the first human settlings of the archipelago. Through approximate Bayesian computation, we propose a model where San Cristobal was the first island to be colonized by guava from the mainland, and then, it would have spread to Floreana and finally to Santa Cruz; Isabela would have been seeded from Floreana. An independent trajectory could also have contributed to the invasion of Floreana and Isabela. The pathway shown in our model agrees with the human colonization history of the different islands in the Galapagos. Our model, in conjunction with the clustering patterns of the individuals (based on genetic distances), suggests that guava introduction history in the Galapagos archipelago was driven by either a single event or a series of introduction events in rapid succession. We thus show that genetic analyses supported by historical sources can be used to track the arrival and spread of invasive species in novel habitats and the potential role of human activities in such processes.

Changes in Paleovegetation and Climate Seasonality in Central China Over Last Two Glacial Cycles: A Stable Isotope Perspective From Land Snails

AbstractModern investigations have shown that oxygen and carbon isotopes of land snail shells are useful indicators of climate and vegetation in monsoonal regions. However, stable isotope studies on snail fossil shells have seldom been done, and the reliability of those indicators needs further verification. Moreover, intrashell stable isotope analysis of individual snails is rather scarce, and seasonal variation in the glacial‐interglacial monsoonal climate remains unclear. Therefore, we performed δ18O and δ13C analyses on fossil shells of cold‐aridiphilous Cathaica pulveratrix and subhumidiphilous Metodontia yantaiensis from the loess section over the last two glacial cycles at the Beiyao site on the southern Chinese Loess Plateau. The δ18O values of fossil shells reflected monsoonal rainfall amounts and more rainfall during MIS3 and MIS7 than during MIS4 and MIS6. Meanwhile, the δ13C values of fossil shells indicated the relative abundance of C3/C4 plants and more C4 biomass during MIS3 and MIS7 than during MIS4 and MIS6. The δ18O and δ13C values of the two species from the same horizon are significantly different, reflecting differences in their growing season and/or physiological habits. Intrashell variations in stable isotopes showed that climatic seasonality was much stronger during the glacial periods than during the interglacials. Our findings provide an environmental background for explaining past human activities at the Beiyao site. The investigation of stone artifacts showed that ancient human activities were relatively strong during MIS3 and MIS7. During these stages, the warm and humid climate with smaller seasonal contrast was favorable for the regional expansion of human activities.

The use of LiDAR in reconstructing the pre‐World War II landscapes of abandoned mountain villages in southern Poland

AbstractThe cessation of most human activities resulting from post‐World War II expulsions and forced displacements in Central Europe triggered massive land cover transformation in mountainous areas. However, many pre‐War traces of past landscapes have survived—imprinted in microtopography—in permanently abandoned villages. Currently, they constitute unique cultural heritage of communities no longer in existence. Our main goal was therefore to reconstruct a lost cultural landscape of mountain villages abandoned after World War II (WWII). The case study area comprised three such villages located in southern Poland, two in the Carpathians and one in the Sudetes. We used the national airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) dataset combined with archival cadastral maps and field survey to detect man‐made microtopographic features related to past boundaries, road network, agriculture and buildings and to interpret them in the landscape context. We demonstrated that the pre‐War human footprint left in relief was shaped largely by past landownership divisions, land use and environmental constraints (related to lithology, soils and topography). Our secondary goal was to assess the value and application opportunities of LiDAR in reconstructing past landscapes. We showed that 38–70% of non‐natural parcel boundaries and 65–79% of roads marked on mid‐19th‐century cadastral maps are still detectable using LiDAR. Therefore, we argue that the past landscape pattern, originating in late Middle Ages and subsequently transformed prior to WWII, remains well preserved in the relief and that LiDAR is an effective tool to reconstruct a past landscape of mountain villages abandoned after WWII. We also confirmed that customized LiDAR visualizations are more informative than ready‐to‐use shaded digital elevation models (DEMs), in particular when integrated with cadastral and field‐based data. We conclude that the greatest advantage of LiDAR is the capacity to provide a landscape context for isolated traces of past human activity, allowing for the reconstruction of entire spatial patterns and interrelationships developed by past societies.

Tropical forests as key sites of the “Anthropocene”: Past and present perspectives

Tropical forests are on the front line of climate change and human sustainability challenges, being key environments in discussions of the “Anthropocene” and some of the most threatened land-based habitats on the face of the Earth. However, while it has been acknowledged that 21st-century anthropogenic alterations to tropical forests have the potential to set off major earth systems feedbacks on regional to global scales, there has been less discussion on how past human activities may have had similar impacts. Indeed, difficult working conditions, poor preservation, and environmental determinism have traditionally led to these habitats being framed as “blanks” on the map of human history. In this Special Feature, we draw on multidisciplinary contributions from archaeology, history, paleoecology, climate science, and Indigenous traditional knowledge to explore our species’ interaction with tropical forests across space and through time. The contributions highlight that human societies have not only occupied and utilized these habitats over the long-term, but that they, in many cases, have also actively impacted them. This has often had persistent ramifications for local flora and fauna composition and biology, levels of biodiversity, landscape structure, and regional climate both before and after the industrial era. These deep-time perspectives provide insights for the development of more effective and just management practices in the present and future: ones that take into account the long and shifting cultural histories of these critical environments. In the last 5 y, tropical forests have experienced wildfires sweeping across the Amazon Basin, Australia, and Southeast Asia (1, 2), outbreaks of Ebola and COVID-19 causing severe global public health challenges (3), and unprecedented loss of habitat through clearance (4). Unsurprisingly, these environments are increasingly seen, in media and academic circles alike, as being at the core of the Anthropocene (5), the epoch during which human activities have come to … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: roberts{at}shh.mpg.de. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1

Remote Sensing Reveals Lasting Legacies of Land-Use by Small-Scale Foraging Communities in the Southwestern Indian Ocean

Archaeologists interested in the evolution of anthropogenic landscapes have productively adopted Niche Construction Theory (NCT), in order to assess long-term legacies of human-environment interactions. Applications of NCT have especially been used to elucidate co-evolutionary dynamics in agricultural and pastoral systems. Meanwhile, foraging and/or highly mobile small-scale communities, often thought of as less intensive in terms of land-use than agropastoral economies, have received less theoretical and analytical attention from a landscape perspective. Here we address this lacuna by contributing a novel remote sensing approach for investigating legacies of human-environment interaction on landscapes that have a long history of co-evolution with highly mobile foraging communities. Our study is centered on coastal southwest Madagascar, a region inhabited by foraging and fishing communities for close to two millennia. Despite significant environmental changes in southwest Madagascar’s environment following human settlement, including a wave of faunal extinctions, little is known about the scale, pace and nature of anthropogenic landscape modification. Archaeological deposits in this area generally bear ephemeral traces of past human activity and do not exhibit readily visible signatures of intensive land-use and landscape modification (e.g., agricultural modifications, monumental architecture, etc.). In this paper we use high-resolution satellite imagery and vegetative indices to reveal a legacy of human-landscape co-evolution by comparing the characteristics – vegetative productivity and geochemical properties – of archaeological sites to those of locations with no documented archaeological materials. Then, we use a random forest (RF) algorithm and spatial statistics to quantify the extent of archaeological activity and use this analysis to contextualize modern-day human-environment dynamics. Our results demonstrate that coastal foraging communities in southwest Madagascar over the past 1,000 years have extensively altered the landscape. Our study thus expands the temporal and spatial scales at which we can evaluate human-environment dynamics on Madagascar, providing new opportunities to study early periods of the island’s human history when mobile foraging communities were the dominant drivers of landscape change.

Raman spectroscopy study of ca 12.000 yrs cal BP lithic artifacts adhesions from archaeological sites in the Pampas region, Argentina

This paper presents the results of the first studies of non-destructive chemical and physical spectroscopic methods (Raman) applied to lithic artifacts recovered from five archaeological sites in the Pleistocene/Holocene transition of the Pampas region (Argentina). The aim of this paper is to identify the adhesions/alterations recognized in lithic stone tools and to discuss the different agents and taphonomic processes (natural and cultural) that created them. The results show that different chemical compounds (e.g., manganese, carbonate, phosphate, mineral pigments, organic compound [resin], etc.), were adhered to the surface of lithic artifacts as a result of natural processes and past human behavior. Furthermore, results obtained allow an understanding of the taphonomic agents that acted in the formation processes of archaeological sites and to generate a frame of reference to act as a control for assessing the impact that the mineral chemical dissolution and the occasional past human activity in the regional archaeological record of the eastern Tandilia range system.

Testing 1D and 2D single-sided NMR on Roman age waterlogged woods

Waterlogged archaeological wood can provide information on past human activities and technology but its structure may be modified due to microbial deterioration. Knowing its conservation state is fundamental for its restoration. Aim of this work was to test the use of non-destructive portable NMR for the microstructural characterization and preservation state of three archaeological wood samples (Roman age, 5th century AD). 1D T1 and T2 relaxation time distributions, as well as 2D T1-T2 and D-T2 distributions were measured by single-sided NMR and interpreted with the help of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and optical microscopy. Due to the complexity of the ancient wood samples, in this first study a multi-analytical approach was required. It allowed the characterization of both waterlogged softwood (spruce) and hardwood (chestnut and maple) by quantifying relaxation times and diffusion water components affected by the presence of degradation products such as fungi, paramagnetic agents, and microstructural changes. Optical microscopy was needed to investigate the sub-microscopic wood elements not resolved by MRI and validate indirect single-sided NMR investigations. Observations and results of this study will allow the improvement of single-sided NMR protocols for the analyses of archaeological wood in situ with portable NMR.

Humans and climate as possible drivers of the morphology and function of the mandible of Suncus etruscus in Corsica

Human-induced environmental changes have increased rapidly during the Holocene and have reached alarming levels today. Consequently, it is crucial to better understand the impact of humans and climate on the faunas and floras through time. Understanding the direct and underlying effect of past human activity not only contributes to improving our knowledge of human history but also provides insights for the future. We here investigate the effect of the human-induced environmental changes that took place during the modern era (14–19th century AD) on the mandible of a small mammal, Suncus etruscus, in Corsica. We detected rapid morphological changes in mandible shape over the relatively short period of time included in our study, suggesting a strong human impact on the island. The morphological changes observed had functional consequences as they are related to changes in the mechanical potential of the principal masticatory muscle, the temporalis that, in turn, reflects shifts in the animal's diet over time. These results highlight the effect that the 600-year human agricultural activity shifts had on the island and its fauna. The integration of the body and the ramus of the mandible appears to be related to the mechanical potential of the temporalis muscle but does not constitute an indicator of human-induced environmental change. Whether these morphological changes are the result of natural selection (genetic processes) or of phenotypic plasticity (epigenetic processes) remains to be elucidated.

Shrub facilitation promotes advancing of the Fagus sylvatica treeline across the Apennines (Italy)

AbstractQuestionsElevational treelines are expected to shift upwards in response to warming climate. However, worldwide upward shifts of treelines are inconsistent because local scale factors can affect the response to temperature. In this study, we explore the hypothesis that in the Apennines, where the current altitudinal treeline position is largely depressed because of past human activity, shrubs act as nurse plants promoting the upward migration of Fagus sylvatica.LocationA 500–km‐long latitudinal gradient in the Apennines, Italy.MethodsWe selected, along this gradient, nine treeline sites with different elevations, rock substrates, and physiognomic types including Juniperus communis, Pinus mugo, Vaccinium myrtillus shrublands, and grasslands. Here, in 68 transects we collected and analysed spatially fine‐scale distribution data of F. sylvatica individuals in relation to both their age and their position, associated or not with shrubs.ResultsFagus sylvatica regeneration is rare in open secondary grasslands at 1,600–2,100 m a.s.l., highlighting a bottleneck in the regeneration phase of this species. On the contrary, we systematically observed a strong association between shrubs and F. sylvatica individuals. Compared with the adjacent grassland, F. sylvatica regeneration was 58.3 times higher under Pinus mugo, 131.5 timeshigher under Juniperus communis and 102.4 times higher under Vaccinium myrtillus. The age structure of F. sylvatica population indicates that, in the last 50 years, recruitment under shrubs is continuous, while in grassland it is episodic.ConclusionsAbove the current treeline of the Apennines, F. sylvatica individuals develop only in the presence of shrubs, which act as nurse species. Shrubs are a necessary condition for F. sylvatica re‐colonization of the high‐altitude open areas affected, in the last centuries, by intense human land use.

The power of archaeology to address interpretation biases in modern geomorphology

It is common practice to apply and adapt characteristics from the present to the interpretation of the ecological setting of archaeological landscapes, but this approach can generate misleading conclusions and introduce erroneous assumptions. Landscape reconstruction is central for environmental archaeologists and for the study of past human dynamics. In the same manner, the study of geomorphological features and physical hazards in the present requires understanding of past human activity given the intensity of anthropogenic impact over landforms. It has been argued that archaeological perspectives have the potential to contribute to the study coastal hazards and risks in the present. In this article we examine and test this hypothesis. The study focuses the site of Punta Candelero (Puerto Rico, ca. 480 to 1100 calAD) as case study. The analysis revealed that the surface geomorphological interpretation of the study location is not supported by the stratigraphic and sedimentological data. The history of site formation linked to alluvial rather than marine processes at least during the Late Holocene and possibly since the end of the Pleistocene explains the erosion hazards the site is facing in the present. Decreased sediment input into the basin together with rising sea level, and increased magnitude and frequency of tropical storms as overwhelming drivers of geomorphological change are expected to continue transforming the coastal landscape. These factors, together with human activity, in the present can be expected to further threaten the coastal foreland and the archaeological site within it. The reinterpretation allows also for a more nuanced understanding of the role of the site within its contemporary social context, stimulating new interpretations and further research questions. The article demonstrates that archaeological research can help geomorphological understanding by identifying ancient landforms and providing the deep-time perspective of human use of spaces. This knowledge has the potential to contribute to the study of landforms and the understanding of possible physical hazards in the present.

Pedogenic or anthropogenic? An approach to evaluate fragipan and redox features in paleosols of NE China

Archaeological studies are usually based on human-made artifacts or other remains of human activities. Where no such materials are preserved, soil properties can be used to detect past human activities. Archaeologists found some conspicuous features formed in a loess-paleosol succession comprising a sequence of Luvisol Bt horizons at the Shenyang Agriculture University Paleolithic Archaeological Site. The purpose of this study was to analyze the soil properties inside these features and in the surrounding soil material, to judge whether the soil features were related to human activities or not. Particle size distribution, major element composition and rare earth element contents inside the soil features and in the surrounding material were used to test the uniformity of the material inside and around the features. Soil organic carbon content, magnetic susceptibility and available phosphorus at the soil depth where the features occurred were used as indicators of potential human influence. Results showed that the conspicuous features had the same type of loess-like parent material as the surrounding soil, and also their chemical properties did not point to any human activities. We found two genetically different types of features. One type represents an initial stage of fragipan formation, whereas the other resulted from redox processes caused by perched water. In conclusion, this study proved that the soil features were not formed by human activities but by pedogenesis. Our approach is generally applicable to similar cases and research questions.