Test Trench Research Articles

Peer Surahayo: A Pre Indus Kotdijian Period Archaeological site Discover in Khairpur Sindh

Peer Surahayo is a newly discovered site of Pre Indus Kotdijian to the Indus valley civilization site in southeast corner 2 kms west of famous shrine of Adham Sultan and just close to the edge of Rohri hills. The site is feeling like a heap of debris but micro examining over surface feeling cultural mound with little bits of broken pottery chipped stones objects are rarely scattered on top surface. The main objective is to see the total depth of the site and its cultural affiliation than use the methodology later decided which spot selected for test trench to acquire the Archaeological data from the deposition. To lay the test trench some southern wall of the shrine measuring 1X1 meter with 30 cms in depth data collected for analysis. The benefits of this research is fixes the accurate chronology of the site from Pre Indus Kotdijian dated 2800 BC to 2500 BC to 2450 BC to 1750 BC and to see the relationship to the surrounded settlements as Kotdiji, Taloor ji Bhit and Bhando Qubo Kotdijian period sites and also highlight the awareness to youth of locals for further research on archaeological sites of the region.

ANALISIS PEMBENTUKAN TANAH DARI BATUAN PENUTUP OVERBURDEN PADA AREA REKLAMASI PT BORNEO INDOBARA GUNA MENDUKUNG KEBERHASILAN REKLAMASI SECARA BERKELANJUTAN

This study aims to analyze the process of soil formation on overburden material in the reclamation area in 2013 (9 years), 2015 (7 years), and 2018 (4 years) to support the success of sustainable reclamation, and analyze the relationship between planting age, morphology and climate conditions in the study area that can affect the process of soil formation in the overburden. The research was conducted at a coal mining company located in Tanah Bumbu Regency, South Kalimantan Province. The research method used was descriptive quantitative. Data collection was done by making a test trench and taking soil profile data which includes topsoil thickness, intermediate layer, and overburden. Soil texture, soil color, and data on roots that penetrated the soil were also recorded and analyzed. The results of the test trench analysis showed that the process of soil formation in the overburden began to occur in the reclamation area in the 9th year (2013). The indicator found lateral roots in the soil layer at a depth of 40-60 cm which is an overburden layer with gray soil color. The correlation test showed a strong relationship between soil acidity (pH) and the year of planting (r2 = 0,74). The relationship between organic C elements and the year of planting (r2 = 0,68). The element N in the soil has a very strong relationship with the year of planting (r2 = 0,92). The next element was P2O5 in the soil having a moderate relationship (r2 = 0,46) and K2O elements had a strong relationship (r2 = 0,75). The results of soil chemical analysis and also soil texture showed that the soil fertility status at the study site was in low condition. This study concluded that the process of soil formation in overburden was found in the planting year area of 2013 or year 9, with indicators such as the appearance of roots in the overburden area at a depth of 20 - 40 cm, whereas in 2015 and 2018 no roots were found in the overburden. Climatic and morphological conditions accelerated the process of soil formation in the overburden because this very wet condition accelerated the process of leaching nutrients to the surface layer of the reclamation area. The process of weathering in the soil, especially in overburden, will cause plant roots to enter the overburden layer by bringing nutrients produced by trees, undergrowth, and litter to the research area.

Advantages and limitations of an interdisciplinary approach in woodland archaeology: An example of 18th-19th century tar production in European temperate forest

Tar production was an important part of forest management until the beginning of the 20th century. Tar – used for many purposes – from glue, through boatbuilding, to a pharmacy – was widely produced throughout Europe. As early as in the 18th century, in some parts of Europe, tar production became massive. In the eastern part of Europe, however, that process was still carried out with simple methods known from the Middle Ages. With Airborne Laser Scanning, we have detected 53 traces of tar processing in the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest. In 2019, one of the features was archaeologically excavated to identify its preserved structure/architecture and collect samples for laboratory tests. The outcomes of the archaeological test trench did not provide answers to many research questions. Therefore, it was decided to apply an interdisciplinary approach to determine the utilised raw material, timing and the process of tar production. In result of the dendrochronological and anthracological analyses, it was found that diverse parts of Scots pine trees were used for tar production. Our tree ring analyses provided also the first information about the absolute chronology of the tar kiln activity. To obtain information on the tar production process, i.e. the burning temperature and the characteristics of the obtained tar, we performed chemical analyses of the tar samples (microscopic and Fourier Transform Infrared, FTIR). This multidisciplinary case study of one of the many sites from the Białowieża Forest provided basic information about the methods of tar production in modern times and their probable impact on the immediate vicinity of the forest. However, such an interdisciplinary approach is limited by both the quantity and quality of the preserved artefacts, found during archaeological excavations.

Chronological Modelling of the Chalcolithic Settlement Layers at Tell Yunatsite, Southern Bulgaria

This article publishes a new series of radiocarbon dates from Tell Yunatsite, Southern Bulgaria. Context-based excavations undertaken over a large surface area, as well as a small test trench, provided a long stratigraphic sequence (11 ‘building levels’) covering a large part of the Chalcolithic period in Thrace (5th millennium BCE). Bayesian statistics and Gaussian Monte Carlo Wiggle Matching were employed to achieve a fine chronology for the multilayered tell. Implications and problems on the application of the calibration curve for the Late and Final Chalcolithic in Bulgaria are also discussed.

Middle and early upper Pleistocene human occupations in Southern Italy. A reassessment of the assemblages from Cala d’Arconte, Capo Grosso and Cala Bianca

In southern Italy, the number of Acheulean sites in a secure stratigraphic context is small and sites with control over the age of the deposit and of the artefacts are even less. The open-air sites of Cala d’Arconte, Capo Grosso and Cala Bianca, located along the Italian south-west coastline, represent, in this context, an important source of information for the Lower Paleolithic.These sites were discovered and preliminarily studied in 1967–70 by A. Palma di Cesnola and P. Gambassini of the University of Siena, who ascribed them to the Acheulean due to the recovery of several handaxes associated with flaking reduction systems part of which attributed to the Levallois technology. A small number of the handaxes was recovered in its stratigraphic position while Levallois artefacts were collected exclusively on surface, leaving the question about the relations between these two groups unsolved.Here, the sites of Cala d’Arconte, Capo Grosso and Cala Bianca and their lithic collections are reinvestigated by re-evaluating the stratigraphy at each locality and by analyzing the techno-typology of the available artefacts. During a test trench carried out at Cala Bianca, several Levallois artefacts were discovered in situ in the uppermost part of the sequence in a layer located above a tephra recently attributed to the X-6 marker of the Monticchio series dated to 108.33 ± 1.08 ka. We suggest that these in situ Levallois artefacts belong to a Mousterian layer that must be considered as the most plausible origin for the Levallois assemblage previously collected out of context at this site. In turn, we also suggest that the Levallois and biface components collected from the surface at Cala Bianca and Capo Grosso derive from distinct occupations in time.

Changes in Cave Sedimentation Mechanisms During the Late Quaternary: An Example From the Lower Cerovačka Cave, Croatia

During archeological excavations in the Lower Cerovačka Cave (Mt. Velebit, Croatia), the test trench penetrated to a depth of 1.8 m. An undisturbed sequence of sediments was exposed. Considering that caves represent highly efficient sediment traps it was possible to recognize changes in the depositional mechanisms during the Pleistocene–Holocene period. Using the multiproxy approach, the mineralogical, petrographic, and biostratigraphic characterization of the cave sediments was performed. Facies analysis revealed several stages in the development of the clastic filling of cave channels. Allochthonous origin of the sediment was assumed. Sedimentation took place under various conditions from pronounced cold and dry climate during Pleistocene stages in the base of the profile, to humid periods with anthropogenic influence during the Holocene at the very top of the profile. Although traditionally these sediments were believed to be of a Pleistocene age, here for the first time a stratigraphic calibration of the profile has been performed based on luminescence dating of detrital cave sediments and radiometric dating of speleothems.

The New Swedish Cyprus Expedition 2019: Excavations at Hala Sultan Tekke (The Söderberg Expedition). Preliminary results, with contributions by L. Recht, B. Placiente Robedizo, C. Eriksson, L. Andersson, M. Svensson, L. Avial Chicharro, S. Hermon, M. Polig, & D. Kofel

The tenth season of excavations at the Late Bronze Age city of Hala Sultan Tekke was carried out in four areas: City Quarter 1 (CQ1), CQ4, City Wall 1 (CW1), and Area A (Tomb RR). The excavations in CQ1 provided additional information on the pre-LC IIIA occupation of the city. Stratum 3 which can be dated to the LC IIC (13th century BC) was further exposed. For the first time in the city even older phases, Strata 4 and 5, were found. These are tentatively dated to the LC I–II (15th to 14th century BC). In CQ4 numerous storage areas were exposed, which belong to a large compound. There is also evidence of production of textiles and purple dye. All remains can be associated to the most recent Stratum 1 and can be securely dated in the LC IIIA, i.e. the 12th century BC. A test trench (CW1) was opened up 150 m to the south-east of CQ4, in an area where the magnetometer survey indicated a possible city wall with moat. A c. 2.5 m-wide man-made construction consisting of small stones intermingled with larger blocks of stones was found running north–south. Built against the interior of this structure is a copper-producing workshop as indicated by much slag, ash, and remains of a furnace, which is preliminarily dated to the 13th century BC. Tomb RR, which was partly excavated in 2018 and secured, was reopened and additional burials came to light. The total number of skeletons now stands at 37; these are associated with 74 complete/intact finds of mainly pottery vessels of which some contained food remains. The pottery comprises Cypriot-produced wares and Mycenaean imports, which indicate a LC IIB–C date of the burials. Other finds include a unique Minoan female figurine and a bronze knife with ivory handle.

Archaeobotanical investigations at the earliest horse herder site of Botai in Kazakhstan

This paper presents new radiocarbon dates and the results of the first archaeobotanical investigations at Eneolithic Botai site, for the first time aiming to explore the plant food component in the diet of Botai population and if the inhabitants of the Botai were a part of an early crop food exchange network. Our excavation of a hut circle and associated radiocarbon dating placed its occupation within a date range commencing around 3550 and 3030 cal BC and ending between 3080 and 2670 cal BC. A separate feature (likely a stove or kiln), excavated in test trench E, would seem to be younger, around 2000 cal BC. The dating of the site thus also indicates a previously unknown later occupation at Botai, opening further discussions on human subsistence and interaction as well as horse management in northern Eurasia from the Eneolithic to the Bronze Age. The archaeobotanical results, derived from systematic sampling and analysis of macrobotanical remains, plant phytoliths, and molecular biomarker analysis show that the Botai populations were not part of any wider crop network. The relatively small seed count would indicate that plant foods did not constitute a substantial component of economic life. On the other hand, the presence of miliacin could suggest possible millet cultivation or consumption in this region at some point in the past, possibly after the main occupation period of Botai.

Wood chip soil amendments in restored wetlands affect plant growth by reducing compaction and increasing dissolved phenolics

Adding chipped wood to soil ameliorates compaction, allowing faster plant growth that is critical to successful wetland restorations. Following the filling and planting of an erosion gully in Halstead Meadow, Sequoia National Park, the tallest leaf height and maximum clone width of transplanted Scirpus microcarpus seedlings were negatively correlated with soil compaction. Plant height decreased by 9.8 cm and width decreased by 11.9 cm per MPa of soil compaction (range of 0.74–4.50 MPa). We experimentally amended mineral soil in a test trench and found that every 0.10 cm3/cm3 addition of wood chips (range of 0.00–0.75 cm3/cm3) reduced compaction by 0.174 MPa. Had the Halstead Meadow gully fill contained an equivalent volume of wood chips to the reference area soil organic matter content (0.64 cm3/cm3), we predict compaction would have been reduced by 1.11 MPa, increasing individual transplant width spread by 36%, approximately doubling the vegetated area after two growing seasons. In a greenhouse phytometer experiment, conifer bark leachate (phenolics 211 mg/L) significantly reduced plant growth and, in the presence of added nutrients, increased the production of the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO). However, phenolics concentration in bark‐free conifer wood leachate (12 mg/L), similar to field‐sampled concentrations, did not affect plant growth or PPO production. Pure conifer bark is not recommended as a soil amendment, but the addition of low‐bark‐content wood chips to gully fill may be a feasible and effective means of reducing soil compaction, accelerating plant establishment, and lowering wetland restoration project costs.

Investigação de Camadas de Pavimento Rígido com GPR na Rodovia BR-101

In the construction project of a highway, some rules related to the materials and thicknesses of the layers must be followed to guarantee that the project is carried out properly. From denunciations accusing irregularities on the project of the highway BR-101, on Northeastern Brazil, we applied the Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) method to investigate the depths of the base and subbase layers. It was used a 900 MHz shielded antenna, acquiring 45 km of data. The medium velocity was obtained indirectly through a hyperbolic fit and calibrated comparing it with the depth of a test trench. The results pointed out depth variations for both of the layers along the analyzed track, however the average depth only deviates from the original project for the base layer.

The Great Temple of Berenike: new findings of the Berenike Temple Project

A reinvestigation of the so-called Serapis temple of Berenike produced proof for the existence of undisturbed archaeology around and even inside the building. Until recently it was assumed that this temple was completely excavated during the several, poorly documented, excavations of the 19th century. A small test trench against the back wall of the temple uncovered the remains of a secondary stone wall and parts of a small statue. The excavation of the northwest room resulted in the find of architectural details never published by the early excavators.

A multi-level and multi-sensor documentation approach of the Treblinka extermination and labor camps

Abstract At Treblinka extermination camp, almost one million of people were killed during the Holocaust. A further 10,000 people are estimated to have been murdered at the nearby labor camp. Since 2007, the Centre of Archaeology of Staffordshire University (UK) has been involved in the study and research of the evidence of these atrocities in order to demonstrate how an archaeological approach to Treblinka has, and will continue to, enhance contemporary discussions about the camps and provide a richer, more accurate record of events. This study focuses on the use of digital 3D technologies and web visualization tools for the analysis of the sites, providing a digital interactive platform, which can be used both by professional users and a public audience. It proposes a pyramidal multi-level and multi-sensor approach – providing a 3D resolution spanning from a few centimetres in the landscape Digital Terrain Model to few millimetres in the layer-by-layer archaeological test trench.

Preliminary report on Polish excavations at Marina el-Alamein in the 2012–2015 seasons

The Marina el-Alamein Archaeological Project concentrated on excavating the area in the northern part of the harbor town, where a street (S1) existed, running north–south toward the harbor, lined by buildings on both sides. A test trench was dug across it to study the stratigraphy. It helped to identify several street levels and at least two major building phases in this area. One of the structures (H39) contained a hypocaust furnace that led to the building interpreted as a bathhouse. A pebble mosaic was uncovered immediately west of the furnace. Opposite Building H39 and across street S1, there was a large and richly furnished residential house (H42). It encompassed two paved courtyards, which were in use in the first half of the 2nd century AD. Three seasons of excavations (2012, 2013 and 2014) were followed by a season devoted in its entirety to documentation of the pottery and other small finds from the excavations and checking of the documentation from earlier seasons.

The Bronze Age Fortifications in Munar “Wolfsberg”, Arad County. The 2014 and 2017 Archaeological Researches

In spite that the Bronze Age site Munar “Wolfsberg” has been depicted on the Josephine topographic survey (late 18th century), the first scientific data focusing on this site occurs at the beginning of the 20th century. As “Wolfsberg” did not have the dimensions of the nearby prehistoric fortifications at Sântana and Corneşti, the site was not targeted by archaeological investigations and it has only been occasionally mentioned in the secondary literature so far. During the year 2014 a team of researchers have started the investigations with the site’s topographic survey, followed by a systematic ground survey, geophysical measurements, as well as aerial photographs. Three years later, a small test trench was excavated in order to attempt dating the Middle Bronze Age tell in terms of the absolute chronology.

Combining ER and GPR surveys for evidence of prehistoric landscape construction: case study at Mound City, Ohio, USA

Mound City, located at the Hopewell Culture National Historical Park in south-central Ohio, USA, is a prehistoric earthwork (200 BC–500 AD) that consists of 24 mounds enclosed in a square embankment wall and is surrounded by eight pits. Recent excavation of two of these pits resulted in the discovery of a clay loam liner that appears to have been placed on the floor of the pits by a prehistoric society known as the Hopewell. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial pattern of this liner in one of the pits using non-invasive geophysical techniques, specifically electrical resistivity and ground-penetrating radar. Minimally invasive soil augers and a test trench yielded information that was used to corroborate interpretations of the geophysical data. The geophysical methods proved to be useful in locating and defining the remnants of the prehistoric clay loam liner, and the results of our investigation indicate that almost 50% of the liner still remains in the pit today. This discovery supports a new interpretation that the Hopewell excavated and preserved the pits at the Mound City site because they served as cultural landscape features.

Tell el-Farkha. Excavations, 2012–2013

Excavations at Tell el-Farkha in 2012 and 2013 were conducted on all three koms making up the site. The upper layers excavated on the Western Kom during the first campaign were connected with the beginning of phase 4 at Tell el-Farkha and the lower layers with phase 3. A few poorly preserved rooms were unearthed, mainly in the southern part of the trench. Also part of a brewery dated to Naqada IIIA1 was explored. A rectangular building with thick walls discovered on the Central Kom was most probably the remains of a big Naqadian store. Results of geophysical research from 2000 were verified; excavations uncovered a round edifice, 7 m in diameter, surrounded by a wall almost 2 m thick. In a test trench on the Eastern Kom, a rectangular room (2.50 m by 6 m) with two regular entrances from north and south was unearthed. In the main trench, work concentrated on the area north and south of the monumental mastaba uncovered a few seasons earlier.

Iron Age Transformations at Mmadipudi Hill, Botswana: Identifying Spatial Organization Through Electromagnetic Induction Survey

Mmadipudi Hill (CE 550–1200) is an Iron Age site in east-central Botswana approximately 3 km west of Bosutswe, a major Iron Age trade center at the eastern edge of the Kalahari Desert. A 5,000-m2 electromagnetic induction (EMI) survey conducted in 2011 revealed a cattle post arranged in the Central Cattle Pattern, including a central animal kraal with at least three clusters of houses flanking the eastern edge. A test trench confirmed the presence of a Taukome daga structure, possibly a house, 100–150 cm in depth. The EMI survey is one of, if not the first, archaeogeophysical surveys conducted in Botswana. It has proven invaluable as a means to understand the settlement organization and to pinpoint excavations to gain a more detailed understanding of the material culture. The perspective it offered on thorn brush fencing would not have been possible through excavation alone. Although small in scope, the test excavation yielded Taukome and Toutswe artifacts related to the larger sets of issues the Bosutswe region faced as Indian Ocean trade transformed the local political economy. The nature of the relationships between Bosutswe and its surrounding communities likely evolved due to the rise of a prestige goods economy, growing inequality, and environmental degradation around CE 1200. The occupation at Mmadipudi Hill would have immediately preceded these changes. By determining the spatial organization of Mmadipudi Hill, this article begins a crucial first step towards exploring what the local settlement pattern looked like prior to CE 1200 and understanding what the relationships among sites may have been.

Grabungsvorberichte/Preliminary Excavation Reports: Datierung des Tiefschnitts r/5 aus Areal R/III – (cEzbet-Rushdi/Tell el-Dabca) – Analyse der keramischen Funde

The long term excavations carried out in Avaris, the ancient city of the Hyksos, presented a large variety of urban formations. Among them is the newly uncovered quarter in the area of Rushdi III (R/III). This paper will focus on the examination of the ceramic material from a test trench, which exposed the whole stratification in the southwestern sector of R/III, in order to get a better idea of the time frame of the settlement in this area. A comparison of the study results with the established pottery typology in Tell el-Dabca illustrates distinctive 15th Dynasty characteristics and indicates the domestic nature of the vessel compound. In conclusion this study suggests that the quarter R/III was settled during the complete 15th Dynasty and reused in the New Kingdom and the Late Period. However, the documentation and the evaluation, both of the material culture and of the architectural features in the area R/III are still in progress and further results are expected to come.

Estimation of the Variation of Matric Suction with Respect to Depth in a Vertical Unsaturated Soil Trench Associated with Rainfall Infiltration

Soil trenching is extensively used in geotechnical, mining, tunneling and geo-environmental infrastructures. Safe height and stand-up time are two key factors that are required for the rational design of soil trenches. Rainfall infiltration has a significant influence on the safe height and stand-up time of unsaturated soil trenches since it can significantly alter the shear strength of soils by influencing the matric suction. In other words, predicting the variation of matric suction of soils associated with rainfall infiltration is vital to the design of unsaturated soil trenches. In this paper, finite element analysis is carried out to reproduce the variation of matric suction profile in unsaturated soil trenches associated with rainfall infiltration using the published results of a full scale instrumented test trench at the site of BBRI at Limelette, Belgium. The analysis results showed that the variation of matric suction in unsaturated soil trenches can be reliably estimated using the information of environmental factors such as the rainfall measurements.

Priene, Türkei: Denkmalpflege und Konservierung in einer "Musterstadt"

In 2012 a completely new concept for the preservation and presentation of the ancient city was created. The focus of the DAI-financed works in Priene during the years 2012–2014 was the documentation and restoration of structural damages of buildings. Main areas of work were the restoration of the Roman bath building, the new surrounding of a test trench of the old excavation, the reconstruction of a high wall corner in the area of the food market, the removal of a broken wall just beside the main route for visitors, and the consolidation of the walls of residential buildings in the western part of the city.