Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
5.3
2.9
Journals
Soil Systems
Special Issues
Soils in Archaeological Research
share announcement

Soils in Archaeological Research

A special issue of Soil Systems (ISSN 2571-8789).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 12635

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jago Birk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55099 Mainz, Germany
Interests: soil science; geoarchaeology; archaeometry; biomarkers; stable isotopes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Anthropogenic changes in the environment in the past can be preserved in soils. Investigations of soils can provide important information about daily life in settlements, agricultural activities in their surrounding areas and other human influences on their environment in the past. Thus, basic data from soil analyses can help to understand the interactions between people and their environment in the past and the history of today's ecosystems.

Although soil analysis has been carried out in archeology for a long time, an increasing number of studies have only been carried out in recent years. However, new analytical methods are still rarely applied in this context, and the interaction of human soil changes with pedogenetic processes is often given little attention.

Authors are invited to contribute to this Special Issue with studies and reviews on soil analyses in an archaeological context. We especially encourage the submission of papers dealing with new methods and approaches.

Dr. Jago Birk
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Soil Systems is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

12 pages, 5336 KiB  
Article
Tracing Soil Contamination from Pre-Roman Slags at the Monte Romero Archaeological Site, Southwest Spain
by Juan Carlos Fernández-Caliani and Juan Aurelio Pérez-Macías
Soil Syst. 2024, 8(3), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems8030078 - 8 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1026
Abstract
Soil serves as a repository of human history, preserving artifacts within its horizons. However, the presence of chemically reactive remnants, such as ancient slags, can significantly impact the surrounding soil environment. This paper addresses this scarcely explored issue by focusing on soil contamination [...] Read more.
Soil serves as a repository of human history, preserving artifacts within its horizons. However, the presence of chemically reactive remnants, such as ancient slags, can significantly impact the surrounding soil environment. This paper addresses this scarcely explored issue by focusing on soil contamination arising from pre-Roman slag deposits at the Monte Romero archaeological site in southwest Spain, dating back to the Tartessian period (c. 7th century BC). Through the high-resolution microscopy examination of slag wastes and the trace element analysis of soil samples by ICP-OES, this study evaluated current contamination status using a multi-index approach. The results revealed markedly high levels of Pb (>5000 mg kg−1), Cu (up to 2730 mg kg−1), and As (up to 445 mg kg−1) in the soil compared to a control sample. The identification of secondary complex compounds like Cu arsenates and Pb arsenates/antimonates within slag cavities suggests post-depositional weathering processes, leading to the dispersion of potentially toxic elements into the surrounding soil. Assessments through indices of contamination and potential ecological risk highlighted severe contamination, particularly concerning Ag, Pb, Sb, Cu, and As. This study underscores the importance of addressing potential environmental hazards associated with archaeological sites hosting remnants of metal production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soils in Archaeological Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2044 KiB  
Article
Distribution of Soil Nutrients and Ancient Agriculture on Young Volcanic Soils of Ta‘ū, American Samoa
by Dolly Autufuga, Seth Quintus, Kyungsoo Yoo, Stephanie Day, Jennifer Huebert, Jonathan Deenik and Noa Kekuewa Lincoln
Soil Syst. 2023, 7(2), 52; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7020052 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2411
Abstract
Soils and agriculture are inextricably linked, in the past as well as today. The Pacific islands, which often represent organized gradients of the essential soil-forming factors of substrate age and rainfall, represent excellent study systems to understand interactions between people and soils. The [...] Read more.
Soils and agriculture are inextricably linked, in the past as well as today. The Pacific islands, which often represent organized gradients of the essential soil-forming factors of substrate age and rainfall, represent excellent study systems to understand interactions between people and soils. The relationship between soil characteristics and indigenous agricultural practices are well documented for some locations, but there is a paucity of data for much of the region. Given the extent of ecological adaptation that has been documented, specifically for Hawai‘i, new Pacific datasets are expected to provide important insights into indigenous agricultural practices. To contribute to this discussion, we analyzed patterns in soil chemistry and vegetation in the Manu‘a islands of American Samoa. Soils were sampled along transects that crossed through precontact settlement zones in the upland of Fiti‘uta on Ta‘ū island, a location characterized by young (<100 ky) volcanic substrates and very high (>3800 mm y−1) annual rainfall. Soils were analyzed for several soil fertility properties that have been proposed as predictors of intensive rainfed tuber production in Hawai‘i and Rapa Nui. Surveys of remnant economic plants were conducted to assess patterns of past land use. Soils demonstrated moderate values of soil fertility as measured by pH, base saturation, exchangeable calcium, and total and exchangeable phosphorus, despite the high rainfall. Previously identified soil fertility indicators had some application to the distribution of traditional agriculture, but they also differed in important ways. In particular, low exchangeable calcium in the soils may have limited the agricultural form, especially the cultivation of tubers. Significant shifts in both soil parameters and remnant economic crops were documented, and alignment suggests cropping system adaptation to soil biochemistry. Archaeological samples combined with surveys of relict vegetation suggest that agroforestry and arboriculture were key components of past agricultural practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soils in Archaeological Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

45 pages, 25048 KiB  
Article
The Sedimentary Context of Open-Air Archaeology: A Case Study in the Western Cape’s Doring River Valley, South Africa
by Natasha Phillips, Ian Moffat, Alex Mackay and Brian G. Jones
Soil Syst. 2023, 7(1), 25; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems7010025 - 10 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 5156
Abstract
Despite the wealth of Late Pleistocene archaeology that exists across southern Africa’s open landscape, it is routinely neglected in favour of rock shelter (re)excavation, biasing interpretation of human–environment interaction. This is compounded by the scarcity of open-air studies that use geoarchaeological methods to [...] Read more.
Despite the wealth of Late Pleistocene archaeology that exists across southern Africa’s open landscape, it is routinely neglected in favour of rock shelter (re)excavation, biasing interpretation of human–environment interaction. This is compounded by the scarcity of open-air studies that use geoarchaeological methods to investigate the history and processes involved in their formation. The open-air archaeology of the Doring River Valley is an example of this, despite nearly a decade of dedicated study and publication. Consequently, there remains a limited and untested understanding of the valley’s formation history. This paper rectifies this by providing a sedimentary context for the surface archaeology exposed across one of the Doring River Valley’s artefact-baring localities, Uitspankraal 7 (UPK7). Characterisation, particle size, mineralogical, morphometric, and geophysical analysis of UPK7′s sand mantle resulted in the identification of four artefact-bearing sedimentary units, the aeolian and pedogenic processes involved in their formation, and their proposed order of deposition. This provides a stratigraphic, taphonomic, and environmental context against which chronometric dating and an analysis of the taphonomic, spatio-temporal, and technological composition of UPK7′s surface archaeology can be compared. This work is the first vital step towards understanding the depositional and behavioural history of a landscape, irrespective of context type. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soils in Archaeological Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1673 KiB  
Article
Organic Carbon Speciation in Urban Anthrosols—The Legacy of Historical Waste Management
by Benneth O. I. Esiana, Anne E. Berns, W. Paul Adderley and Roland Bol
Soil Syst. 2022, 6(2), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/soilsystems6020053 - 12 Jun 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2713
Abstract
The impacts of waste management on various soils of agricultural and urban lands may last centuries or even millennia; however, generally, most studies tend to focus only on decadal or shorter timescales. This study investigates the characteristic properties of anthrosols in and around [...] Read more.
The impacts of waste management on various soils of agricultural and urban lands may last centuries or even millennia; however, generally, most studies tend to focus only on decadal or shorter timescales. This study investigates the characteristic properties of anthrosols in and around the urban settlement of St Andrews (Scotland), in the context of soil management and organic carbon content and speciation. Formed by the repeated application of fresh organic and pyrogenic wastes since the medieval period, these soils provide a 1000-year urban research context based on historical accounts of town waste management. We employed complementary methods of high-field solid-state 13C-CPMAS NMR, in situ magnetic susceptibility measurement, elemental micro-analysis and portable optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). A significant proportion of the soil organic carbon was present as refractory aromatic C structures, including aryl-C moieties. Portable OSL assessment revealed differences in the intensity and rate of sediment accumulation. The medieval urban areas had higher soil phosphorus concentrations, organic carbon content and magnetic susceptibility relative to the extra-urban site located outside of the medieval burgh. The study confirms that specific signatures, including carbon group functionalities, do reveal evidence of such induced long-lasting past anthropogenic soil modifications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soils in Archaeological Research)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop