B. Eitel - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by B. Eitel

Remote sensing (RS) and GIS-based studies are increasingly being applied for archaeological purpo... more Remote sensing (RS) and GIS-based studies are increasingly being applied for archaeological purposes, while reconstructions of ancient landscapes or detection of anthropogenic remains are of prime interest. However, in most cases only few environmental variables are ...

Germania, 2009

EnglishThe Eneolithic-Early Bronze Age settlement of Fidvar (Foldvar) near Vrable on the northwes... more EnglishThe Eneolithic-Early Bronze Age settlement of Fidvar (Foldvar) near Vrable on the northwest border of the Pannonian Basin in southwest Slovakia has been investigated since 2007 by the Archaeological Institute of the Slovakian Academy of Science, The Roman-Germanic Commission, the Geographical Institute of Heidelberg University and the Professorship for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Archaeology of Bamberg University. Field walking, geophysical survey, topographical photography and auguring, together with rich find-material and clearly emerging house structures, already make possible precise observations concerning the strusture of the almost 10 ha settlement area. On the basis of this evidence, the fortified settlement of Fidvar can be counted among the largest Early Bronze Age complexes in the Pannonian Basin. francaisDepuis 2007, le site de Fidvar (Foldvar), situe pres de Vrable a la limite nord-ouest du bassin pannonien dans le sud-ouest de la Slovaquie et detant de l'Eneolithique/Bronze ancien, fait l'objet d'investigations menees conjointement par L'Institut archeologique de l'Academie des sciences slovaque, la Romisch-Germanische Komission, le Geographisches Institut de l'Universite de Heidelberg et la chaire de Ur- und Fruhgeschichtliche Archaologie de l'Universite de Bamberg. Les prospections en surface et prospections geophysiques, les releves topographiques ainsi que les forages, doubles d'un materiel archeologique abondant et de strusctures d'habitations bien marquess, permettent actuellement de cerner avec precision la structure de l'habitat s'etendant sur pres de 10 ha. L'habitat fortifie de Fidvar compte ainsi parmi les plus grands etablissements du bassin pannonien au Bronze ancient. DeutschDie aneolithisch-Fruhbronzezeitliche Siedlung Fidvar (Foldvar) bei Vrable am Nordewestarand des Pannonischen Beckens in der Sudwes-Slowakei wir seit 2007 von Archaologischen Institut der Slowakischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, der Romisch-Germanischen Kommission, dem Geographischen Institut der Universitat Bamberg untersucht. Oberflachenbegenhunden, geophysikalische Prospektionen, topografische Aufnahme und Broruntersuchungen ermoglichen mit reichem Fundmaterial und deutlich hervortretenden Hausstrukuren bereits jetzt prazise Aussangen zur Struktur des nazeu 10 ha groben Siedlungsareals. Damit zahlt die Befestigte Siedlung von Fidvar zu den grobten fruhbronzezeitlichen. Analagen im Pannonischen Becken.

Quaternary International, 2001

In northwestern Namibia, silty deposits are widespread. The silts consist of two major components... more In northwestern Namibia, silty deposits are widespread. The silts consist of two major components: locally produced weathering detritus and allochthonous dust blown in from the western Kalahari to the eastern margin of the Namib Desert. Sedimentological analysis and luminescence age estimations allow identi"cation of distinct sedimentological and geomorphological processes associated with two di!erent climatic periods. Between about 30 and 8 ka loessic alluvial deposits several metres in thickness accumulated in valleys and basins. The deposition was generated by weak slope wash and/or endoreic drainage of the ephemeral rivers. The dust input and the accumulation of silt in the valleys indicate semi-arid climatic conditions with weak summer rains and long dry seasons. Since about 9}8 ka, silt terraces caused by #uvial incision and erosion have been formed. These indicate more humid conditions than had occurred before. The change from a dry to a moister semi-arid climate at about 9}8 ka is con"rmed by proxy data from drill cores o! the Namibian coast and by dune studies in the south western Kalahari.

Quaternary Research, 2010

The southern Peruvian coastal desert around Palpa, southern Peru (14.5°S) is currently characteri... more The southern Peruvian coastal desert around Palpa, southern Peru (14.5°S) is currently characterized by hyper-arid conditions. However, the presence of two species of molluscs (Scutalus, Pupoides) and desert-loess deposits indicates the past development of semi-desert and grassland ecosystems caused by a displacement of the eastern desert margin due to hydrological changes. Radiocarbon dating shows that the transition to a semi-arid climate in the southern Peruvian coastal desert took place during the Greenland interstadial 1, ∼ 13.5 cal ka BP. At the beginning of the Holocene, the mollusc fauna vanished due to increasing humidity and the development of grasslands. Dust particles were fixed by the grasses, as indicated by abundant Poaceae phytoliths, and desert loess was formed. The humid period we observe here is out of phase with the palaeoenvironmental records from the Titicaca region, which indicates dry conditions at that time. This paper offers a new idea for this contradictio...

Quaternary International, 2007

The Atacama Desert is known to be one of the driest places on earth. However, in the study area b... more The Atacama Desert is known to be one of the driest places on earth. However, in the study area between Ica and Nasca, South Peru (75-761W, 14-151S), palaeoclimate proxies show several semi-arid phases during the Holocene. A more humid period during the early Holocene favoured an open grass land, which allowed the accumulation of desert loess [

Archaeological Prospection, 2012

Buried or refilled archaeological ditches offer great opportunities in terms of reconstructing pa... more Buried or refilled archaeological ditches offer great opportunities in terms of reconstructing past human activities and human-nature interactions. The Early Bronze Age settlement of Fidvár in southwestern Slovakia offers excellent opportunities for this kind of geoarchaeological study. Based on previous magnetic prospection further geophysical, sedimentological and geochemical investigations were carried out focusing on the three existing semi-elliptical early Bronze Age ditches. Afterwards an appropriate assortment of methods was chosen and successfully applied to two of the ditches in order to reconstruct their lateral and vertical geometries. Alongside interesting archaeological outcomes for the Fidvár site our results highlight the advantageous combination of geophysical and geochemical data. Only this multimethodological approach allowed both a universal and precise reconstruction of the archaeological features.

Geomorphology, 2005

Detailed geomorphological and chronological investigations of the NW-Namibian Amspoort Silt forma... more Detailed geomorphological and chronological investigations of the NW-Namibian Amspoort Silt formation show that the sediments are typical river-end deposits. This type of endoreic sediment, occuring only in desert margin areas, provides valuable information about the palaeo-environment. In the Hoanib valley, the fine-grained deposits have buried riverine trees. Radiocarbon dating of the wood and luminescence dating of the sediments allow a detailed reconstruction of the aggradation processes. Accumulation started~10 km downstream of Amspoort around the beginning of the 15th century and ended in the 19th century, some kilometres upstream of Amspoort. This upstream shift of sedimentation during the Little Ice Age was caused by gradually decreasing runoff resulting from aridification of the upper part of the Hoanib river catchment lying east of the Namib desert margin z1.200 m a.s.l. The Amspoort Silt terrace is evidence of palaeo-hydrological fluctuations in NW-Namibia. At present, the Hoanib river erodes deeply into the silty deposits, indicating that NW-Namibia receives more monsoonal rainfall today than during the Little Ice Age. However, this contradicts the hypothesis of a (continual) natural aridification of NW-Namibia (Damaraland, Kaokoveld) since the mid-19th century in the course of global climatic change. Rather, deposition and erosion of the Amspoort Silts indicate that landscape degradation in NW-Namibia is primarily anthropogenically induced and most probably not accelerated by a decrease in precipitation.

Geomorphology, 2009

Remote sensing data have become more and more popular for geomorphological investigations because... more Remote sensing data have become more and more popular for geomorphological investigations because their steadily increasing level of detail and accessibility opens up new potentials. In this context, this paper examines the application and quality of digital elevation models (SRTM and ASTER DEMs), high resolution satellite imagery (Quickbird) and GIS techniques for the detection and mapping of karst landforms (mainly enclosed depressions) at different scales in the Ida Mountains of Central Crete. Besides discussing methodological issues and evaluating suitability potentials, we conducted an exemplary case study based on spatial analysis of the regional karst morphology. Different input datasets and processing methods are applied (GIS-based analysis, land cover classification, raster calculations, etc.) in order to carry out an areawide surveying and mapping of karst depressions. The findings are supported and validated by auxiliary field studies. Due to the level of detail and occasional data errors, an exclusive use of satellite imagery or digital elevation models for automatic karst landform detection performs insufficiently. Our results demonstrate that mapping karst features through remote sensing is significantly dependent on scale of interest, existing environmental conditions and data quality. A semi-automatic data integration approach on the basis of digital datasets generated by combined satellite image processing and DEM analysis yields the best results, especially when indirect karst-indicating variables like iron oxide-rich sediments are included as detection criteria. The multi-component application presented in this paper provides a time-saving and effective tool for mesoto macro-scale object detection and extensive study areas. However, the potential of fully automated karst feature mapping still needs to be explored in future work. Concerning the spatial dimension of karstification in Central Crete, the GIS-based results allow differentiating further geomorphological characteristics, e.g. by indicating a significant altitudinal change of karst forms within the study area. Size and shape of depressions (dolines, uvalas, and poljes) vary considerably due to the geological setting, climatic impacts, neotectonics and elevation.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2014

Several archaeological studies in the Central Andes have pointed at the temporal coincidence of c... more Several archaeological studies in the Central Andes have pointed at the temporal coincidence of climatic fluctuations (both long- and short-term) and episodes of cultural transition and changes of socioeconomic structures throughout the pre-Columbian period. Although most scholars explain the connection between environmental and cultural changes by the impact of climatic alterations on the capacities of the ecosystems inhabited by pre-Columbian cultures, direct evidence for assumed demographic consequences is missing so far. In this study, we address directly the impact of climatic changes on the spatial population dynamics of the Central Andes. We use a large dataset of pre-Columbian mitochondrial DNA sequences from the northern Rio Grande de Nasca drainage (RGND) in southern Peru, dating from ∼840 BC to 1450 AD. Alternative demographic scenarios are tested using Bayesian serial coalescent simulations in an approximate Bayesian computational framework. Our results indicate migratio...

TATuP - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis

Urumqi gehört zu den Städten mit der dynamischsten Bevölkerungsentwicklung in den vergangenen 50 ... more Urumqi gehört zu den Städten mit der dynamischsten Bevölkerungsentwicklung in den vergangenen 50 Jahren. Sie wandelte sich von einer traditionellen zentralasiatischen Stadt mit unter 100.000 Einwohnern im Jahr 1950 zum wichtigsten wirtschaftlichen Wachstumspol Nordwest-Chinas mit etwa 4,5 Mio. Einwohnern im heutigen Großraum Urumqi. Aufgrund ihrer Lage in einem schmalen semiariden Grüngürtel zwischen den Gletschern des Tianshan-Gebirges und der ausgedehnten Wüstenebene des Junggar-Beckens ist Wasser aus dem bergigen Hinterland unentbehrlich für menschliche Aktivitäten in diesem Gebiet. Da der Wasserbedarf in den vergangenen 50 Jahren stark angestiegen ist, werden bereits 80 Prozent des Oberflächenabflusses für verschiedene Zwecke in der Urumqi-Region genutzt und über 50 Prozent des Wasserbedarfs wird aus Grundwasserquellen gedeckt. Der Artikel erläutert die hydrologischen Bedingungen von Urumqi-City aufgrund ihrer natürlichen Umgebung und beschreibt die großen Herausforderungen, die sich hier in den kommenden Jahren im Wasserbereich stellen.

Archaeological Prospection, 2015

The application of remote sensing (RS) and GIS techniques based on high resolution satellite imag... more The application of remote sensing (RS) and GIS techniques based on high resolution satellite imagery in combination with digital elevation models (DEMs) can provide detailed information for geomorphologic purposes such as karst feature mapping. Moreover, area wide surveying is significantly improved and supported, as computer applications allow a very cost and time effective proceeding. The exemplary focus of the project

Einführung in die Archäometrie, 2007

... Diese Sensitivität kann aber auch für die Gegenwart genutzt werden, um Risiken durch den reze... more ... Diese Sensitivität kann aber auch für die Gegenwart genutzt werden, um Risiken durch den rezenten Umweltwandel frühzeitig zu erkennen, Anpassungsstrategi-en und ... G, Hart WK, Renne PR, Gilbert H, Defleur A, Suwa G, Ka toh S, Ludwig KR, Boisserie JR, Asfaw B, White TD ...

Natural Science in Archaeology, 2009

... A synchronous expansion is reported for the Chiribaya culture farther to the south (summarise... more ... A synchronous expansion is reported for the Chiribaya culture farther to the south (summarised in Satterlee et al. ... A feeder to drain surface runoff during short rainfall events to the Khadin pondSandy storage sediments to hold the concentrated runoff A bund to stop surface runoff ...

Zeitschrift für Geomorphologie, Supplementary Issues, 2008

ABSTRACT Soil formation under and conditions is usually weak and it is very difficult to identify... more ABSTRACT Soil formation under and conditions is usually weak and it is very difficult to identify palaeo-sols. Our studies suggest, that cadmium depletion indicates initial pedogenesis and, therefore, even short humid phases in desert margin areas. The geochemical composition of loose sediments and soils in the northern Atacama Desert around Palpa/southern Peru (14.5 degrees S) offers appropriate natural field-lab conditions to studying differences in total and mobile cadmium contents. Our preliminary results indicate a causal relationship between loss in total cadmium content - along with an increase in mobile cadmium content - and soil formation, triggered by a temporary vegetation cover. Cadmium dynamics archive pedogenetic impact as a result of former, more humid conditions at the desert margin. This may be used for palaeoenvironmental studies in drylands.

Climate of the Past Discussions, 2014

Within palaeoenvironmental studies, high-altitude peatlands of the Andes still remain relatively ... more Within palaeoenvironmental studies, high-altitude peatlands of the Andes still remain relatively unexploited, although they offer an excellent opportunity for high-resolution chronologies, on account of their high accumulation rates and abundant carbon for dating. Especially in the central Andes, additional high-quality proxy records are still needed due to the lack of continuous and well-dated records, which show a significant variability on sub-centennial to decadal precision scales. <br><br> To widen the current knowledge on climatic and environmental changes in the western Andes of southern Peru, we present a new, high-resolution 8600 year-long record from Cerro Llamoca peatland, a high-altitude Juncaceous cushion peatland in the headwaters of Río Viscas, a tributary to Río Grande de Nasca. A 10.5 m core of peat with intercalated sediment layers was examined for all kinds of microfossils, including fossil charred particles. We chose homogeneous peat sections for poll...

ABSTRACT Environmental changes and cultural transitions during several periods of Peruvian histor... more ABSTRACT Environmental changes and cultural transitions during several periods of Peruvian history show a strong coincidence between humid and dry climatic oscillations and the rise and decline of cultures. It is noteworthy, that alternating periods of geo-ecological fragility and stability occurred in time and space between the coastal Nasca region (14.5° S) and the high Andean northern Titicaca basin, just a few hundred kilometers to the east. Based on a multi-proxy palynological and sedimentological approach to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental changes, we found that the Nasca region received a maximum of precipitation during the archaeological boom times of the Early Horizon and the Early Intermediate Period (800 BC - 650 AD, Paracas and Nasca cultures) as well as during the late intermediate period (1150-1450 AD), whereas, in contrast, the Titicaca region further to the south-east experienced drought and cultural depression during that times. During the Middle Horizon (650 - 1150 AD), the Tiwanaku agronomy and culture boomed in the Titicaca region and expanded to the west, contemporaneous with a raised lake level and more humid conditions. In the Nasca region, runoff for irrigation purposes was reduced and less reliable due to drought. Considering a coincidence between environmental and cultural changes, we state that success and decline of civilizations were controlled by hydrological oscillations, triggering fertility as well as a critical loss of natural resources. In response to spatial changing resources, cultural foci were shifted. Therefore, the success of pre-Columbian civilizations was closely coupled to areas of geo-ecological favorability, which were directly controlled by distinct regional impacts of large-scale circulation mechanisms, including El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Changes in the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the Bolivian anticyclone determined meridional shifts in moisture transport across the Andes, which directly triggered human migration to the respective granaries.