Quaternary Loess Deposits and Human Activities

Dear Colleagues,

Since prehistoric times, human activity has been identified through Aeolian dust deposits. The Quaternary records of migration, traces of habitation, and functioning of human beings are commonly associated with wind-deposited loesses. There are close connections between human activities and the formation of these sediments with covers ranging in size from isolated small islands, through sequences of patches, to continuous covers with continental significance. Often these covers have facilitated migration as well as encouraging permanent or periodic settlement. The loesses are extremely valuable source rocks for very fertile soils that were extremely important not only for the first primitive farmers but also for subsequent more organised societies. Similarly, for the functioning of many societies, the gentle nature of loess plateau surfaces with their suitable water-climatic conditions has predisposed these areas to economic exploitation, while the slopes—prone to erosion—have made both migration and agricultural use or residence difficult. This is recorded in loess sediments, which are among the most valuable terrigenous sediments. Studies in this area commonly involve analyses of loess-palaeosol sequences and provide a very valuable source of information about the near or distant past, both in terms of the natural environment and transformation of the environment by man.

Therefore, we are calling for relevant papers authored by a wide range of specialists in both Earth sciences and archaeology as well as broad groups of historical and biological sciences. Interdisciplinary articles that consider the significance of loess during human migration and functioning are of interest. This issue is open papers covering all time periods and regions.

This Special Issue welcomes papers focusing on topics including (but not limited to) the following:

• Accumulation of loess and loess-like sediments;
• Record of human activity in loess-palaeosol sequences;
• Cultural layers and their genetic interpretation;
• Anthropogenic environmental changes recorded in loess;
• Soils developed on loess as a source of information about man;
• Loess relief as a factor modelling migration routes;
• Distribution of loess covers and migration routes;
• Loess cover as carriers of information on societal functioning.

Best regards,
Dr. Przemysław Mroczek
Guest Editor

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• loess
• palaeosoil
• migration routes
• human
• environmental changes
• settlement
• palaeogeography
• geoarchaeology