Paleosols of Kurgans of the Early Iron Age in the Transural Steppe Zone (original) (raw)
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Studies on paleosols under an archaeological landmark of a rare type (a complex of kurgans with " whiskers ") dating from the Early Iron Age (the fourth century AD) have been performed in the steppe zone of the Transural Plateau. The size and shape of third-order soil polygons under stony ridges (" whiskers ") between the kurgans have been described in detail. The results have shown that the paleosol under the kurgans erected at the turn of the Late Sarmatian and Hun times (1600 years ago) is characterized by a higher humus content and deeper location of the carbonate horizon, compared to the recent soil. This indicates that an increase in atmospheric humidity took place in the fourth century AD..
Paleosols buried under kurgans of the Pit-grave culture in the steppe zone of the Cis-Ural region
Eurasian Soil Science, 2008
The analysis of soil chronosequences developed from loamy and loamy sandy substrates and buried under kurgans dating back to the Pit-grave archaeological culture in the steppe zone of the Cis-Ural region demonstrated that it is possible to trace the dynamics of the soil properties and to perform paleoclimatic reconstructions for different intervals within the studied period. The properties of sandy soils changed more rapidly than the properties of loamy soils. For sandy soils, notable changes in their properties were revealed in the soil chronosequences dating back to the particular stages of the Pit-grave culture; for loamy soils, such changes could only be traced for the soils buried under the kurgans dating back to different stages of the Pit-grave culture.
Quaternary International, 2021
During the second half of the Holocene, the Russian Plain experienced several climatic oscillations giving rise to changing vegetation patterns. The spatial variability of vegetation changes and its effects on soils is still a matter of debate. In the present study landscape response to Holocene climatic cycles was analysed on the base of detailed morphological, chemical and microbiomorphic analyses of a paleosol buried under the kurgan of the Abashevo culture (Middle Bronze Age) and a surface soil. Both soils located at the Tokhmeyevo kurgan cemetery (the Middle Volga region, Chuvash Republic, Russia) developed from the same parent material (mantle loam), at the same elevation and in close proximity to each other. Both soils, classified as Retisols, show a similar morphology and key analytical features indicating similar environment. The pollen and phytolith spectra confirm that both buried and surface soils formed under similar forest vegetation. The buried and surface soils at the Tokhmeyevo cemetery could be compared with the previously studied soils of the Sareevo settlement of the Early Iron Age and the Taushkasy kurgan cemetery of the Bronze Age. These studies confirm the stability of the forest environment at the southern boundary of the forest belt since the Bronze Age. At the same time, the buried soil at the Tokhmeyevo cemetery has a thick mollic horizon and black organic coatings overlaying brown clay cutans in the argic horizons, which sets it apart from the surface soil. The radiocarbon dates for the humus in the mollic horizon and black coatings in the argic horizon are surprisingly close to each other (about 5.5 cal ka BP and 5.2 cal ka BP, respectively). The data indicate that the black cutans are derived from degradation of the mollic horizon caused by a sudden increase in humidity during the episodes of extreme summer rainfall events. Our study also prove that the Abashevo people had complicated burial funeral rites. The earth mounds are made of the upper horizons of soils cut off from the surface in the vicinity. The central part of the mound consists of soil bricks with albic material used for the interior, while artificially rumpled material of the argic horizon was used for coverage. The use of albic and artificially rumpled material of argic horizon for earth mound construction implies the similarity between the buried and surface soils since the Bronze Age until today. Thus, the study of such construction techniques is important both for archaeology and paleogeography (paleopedology).
Eurasian Soil Science, 2017
⎯The construction of the Volga-Kama cascade of water reservoirs and hydroelectric power stations in the middle of the 20th century resulted in the inundation of vast areas and the development of abrasion along the shores that threatens many monuments of the archaeological and cultural heritage. The soils buried under northernmost kurgans of the Lugovskaya culture dating back to the 15th-14th centuries BC (kurgan Komintern I) were studied on the surface of the second terrace of the Kama River near its confluence with the Volga River. Burial sites of kurgan Komintern III were subjected to destruction in 1981, and archaeological excavations of kurgan Komintern II were performed in 2008. The danger of complete disappearance of these archaeological sites necessitated their thorough study with the use of multiple methods, including special paleosol studies. The soils buried under the kurgans ceased to be active components of the soil cover about 3500 years ago. They preserve information on the paleoenvironmental conditions before their burying. The analysis of morphological features and physical, physicochemical, and chemical properties of the buried soils attests to their chernozemic nature. Background surface soils that have passed through the entire cycle of the Holocene pedogenesis have evolved since that time into gray forest soils (Luvic Greyzemic Phaeozems) under forest vegetation. These soils are characterized by the increased acidity of the surface horizons (pH КСl 4.3) and the development of lessivage. Data on the coefficients of mineral weathering in the buried paleosols and background surface soils attest to the identical precipitation both for the surface and buried soils in the Middle and Late Holocene.
Paleosols buried under steppe kurgans of the Golden Horde period (13th–14th centuries AD) in the Lower Volga basin are characterized by an increased humus content, lower salinity and gypsum content, and higher magnetic susceptibility of the soil material in comparison with the paleosols buried in the preceding period and the background surface soils. A comparative analysis of the morphological, chemical, and magnetic properties of the buried and surface soils allows us to conclude that an increase in climatic humidity within this dry region took place in the period of the high Middle Ages, with a peak in the 13th–14th centuries AD. The climatic change was manifested in the soil evolution at the taxonomic levels of soil genera and soil subtypes (in the ecotone zones). On the basis of measured magnetic susceptibility values, the mean annual precipitation levels in the Golden Horde period have been reconstructed. According to our estimates, the mean annual precipitation in the Lower Volga basin in that time was 30–80 mm higher than at present. The favorable paleoenvironmental and paleosol conditions of the Golden Horde period were important factors that affected the ethnic and political situation in the Lower Volga region.
In this book summarized the materials of many-year (1976–2012) soil-archeological studies of about 200 kurgans of the Savromatian, Early, Middle, and Late Sarmatian time (VI c. BC – AD IV c.) within about 40 burial sets located in 23 landscape-geomorphologic regions of the Lower Volga and Southern Urals steppes. This allowed us for the first time to obtain detail information on the regularities of spatialtemporal variability of morphological, chemical, microbiological, magnetic properties and biological activity of paleosoils on the south Russia steppes, on the direction and rates of transformation of parameters of humus, carbonate, salt profiles, on the development of processes of humus and solonetz formation, accumulation and leaching of salts, on the variability of structure of soil cover and soil evolution, on the centennial dynamics of climate humidity during the historical time, on the role of natural environment in life of nomads of the Early Iron age.
CATENA, 2007
Buried soil chronosequences under a series of Early Alan kurgans (burial mounds) in the Vladikavkazkaya depression of the Northern Caucasus, Russia, were studied to derive a high-resolution paleoclimatic record from the variations of the selected paleosol properties. Haplic Chernozems occur under kurgans and on the actual land surface. Three kurgan cemeteries, Brut 1, Brut 2 and Beslan, dated from the end of the second to the beginning of the seventh centuries AD have been studied. The cemeteries are situated close to each other under similar lithological and geomorphological conditions but differed in the paleosols' preservation. The Brut 2 site has been recently altered due to annual ploughing and intensive irrigation for more than 30 years. The background soils and paleosols of the Brut 2 site have been compared with synchronous soils of non-irrigated Brut 1 and Beslan sites to detect pedogenic properties that are less changed by irrigation and thus comprise the "soil memory". Stronger black color of humus horizon, increase of humus content and decrease of humus δ 13 C values; clear signs of biological activity, absence of morphological and analytical signs of solonetz properties; diffused carbonate white soft spots in the Bca horizon and decreasing carbonate content are thought to be related to the comparatively humid climatic conditions in the region. On the contrary, relatively low humus content, tongue-like lower boundary of humus horizon, increase of humus δ 13 C values, morphological signs of solonetz properties together with high content of exchangeable Na, relatively large and clearly shaped carbonate white soft spots in the paleosols of the Brut 2 site, as well as increase of density, thickness of the carbonate pseudomicellium and high carbonate content in the upper part of profiles in the paleosols of the non-irrigated Brut 1 site are assumed to be xeromorphic features, indicating comparatively drier climatic conditions. The paleosols of the earliest chronointerval of burial (the end of the second to the beginning of the third centuries AD) demonstrate clear xeromorphic properties which indicate a relatively dry climate with a mean annual precipitation 50-100 mm less than today. The estimated duration of the period with such climatic conditions is thought to be not less than 100 years. In addition, those paleosols have some weak signs of humid conditions indicating that between the end of the first and the middle of the second centuries AD the climate was getting more moist, mean annual precipitation became equal or slightly higher than today. The paleosols buried in the first half of the fifth century AD again demonstrate the gradual enhancement of xeromorphic properties reflecting the next stage of droughts. Thus, the period with favourable humid climate when the Early Alan culture flourished in the Northern Caucasus was relatively short (about 400 years). Studying the detailed chronosequence in the non-irrigated Brut 1 site the records of intercentennial time scale soil properties variability produced by comparatively "fast" pedogenic processes typical for the steppe zone i.e., humus formation and accumulation, bioturbation, carbonate accumulation and transformation and solonetzization, have been provided.
Ancient Soil Disturbances in River Valleys within the Steppe Zone of the Southeastern Urals
2005
Abstract—Soil–archaeological investigations of ancient burial sites and settlements in river valleys of the steppe zone in the southeastern Ural region proved that the local paleolandscape were strongly affected by humans in the second millennium BC, during the Late Bronze epoch. In the modern soil cover of the region, about 1% of the territory is occupied by urban soils (paleourbanozems) formed under human impacts on natural paleosols in the areas of ancient settlements. The character of the buried paleosols suggests the presence of for- est vegetation in the studied region during the Late Bronze epoch. Taking into account this fact and the presence of thick ashy layers in the habitation deposits of ancient settlements, we can suppose that the anthropogenic impact on the environment was one of the reasons for the degradation of forests and propagation of steppe veg- etation in this area. The development of steppe vegetation was also favored by some aridization of the climate.
Late Holocene landscape evolution at the southern frontier of the forest belt of European Russia is studied based on detailed morphological, analytical and microbiomorphic research of a soil chronosequence that included a surface soil and a soil buried under the Bronze Age kurgan. Both soils (Folic Eutric Cambisols) are formed on similar geomorphic surfaces in the same parent material and in close proximity to each other. The soil morphology and the key analytical features are controlled by low-reactive parent material and imply close similarity of the present landscapes and those of the Bronze age. At the same time the morphological features show that the buried soil was influenced by the phase of weak aridization, which led to the formation of a dark mull humus horizon. Microbiomorphic assemblages (phytoliths, pollen) support the earlier conclusion that the soils of the study area had being developed mostly under forest vegetation.
Buried paleosols in balks of Kalmykiya as a record of late Holocene nature and society interaction
Quaternary International, 2003
Modern and buried soils under valley sediments have been compared on the Southern Russian Plain (Kalmykiya) in the arid zone. The buried soil contains more humus and less carbonates, and pH values are lower. The humus content in this soil is comparable with that of modern Haplic Kastanozems and Gleyic Phaeozems. The comparison of differences in properties of buried soil at specific times and historical data on cultures' functioning in these periods has allowed us to reveal the interrelation of nature and society processes development in South Kalmykia since the middle Holocene. Three stages of landscape development are recognized: