New pollen data from paleosols in the Moskva River floodplain (Nikolina Gora): Natural and anthropogenic environmental changes during the Holocene (original) (raw)
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Palaeoecology of the Moskva-river floodplain: soil, pollen and archaeological records
Alexandrovskiy A., Ershova E., Krenke N. Palaeoecology of the moskva-river floodplain: soil, pollen and archaeological records // Вестник Российского университета дружбы народов. Серия "Экология и безопасность жизнедеятельности". 2014. no. 3. P. 62–76. , 2014
Floodplain deposits in the valley of the Moskva-river contain a series of buried soils of the Holocene age, which can be an important source of palaeoecological information. These soils are aged: Soil 1 - last 4 centuries, Soil 2 - cal 1200 AD-500 BC, Soil 3 - 900-2700 BC, Soil 4 - 3500-5000 BC. Archaeological monuments attributed to these soils are dated: Neolithic (Soil 4), Early Bronze Age (Soil 3), the Iron Age and the Middle Ages (Soil 2). Buried soils have well developed profiles and diagnostic features. Buried soils of the Sub-Atlantic period (Soil 2) are usually referred to Luvisols and Albeluvisols. Dark-colored soils of the Atlantic period (Soil 4) in most cases refer to Phaeozems; pollen analysis shows that these soils were formed under forest-steppe communities. Buried soils of Subboreal period (Soil 3) are traced in rare cases and have no clear diagnostic features; pollen analysis shows that this soil could be developed under mixed forests dominated by spruce. Radiocarbon dating suggests that the landscapes of the lower levels of the valley have changed dramatically between 5000 and 4500 cal BP. The forest-steppe communities, typical for the Atlantic period, were replaced by dense spruce forests due to early Subboreal climate change. Some traces of human impact on the floodplain vegetation from the Neolithic and Bronze Age were revealed. The maximum anthropological transformation was noted in the beginning of Middle Ages.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany, 2003
The vegetation history of the Kargaly region has been reconstructed on the basis of pollen analysis of archaeological sediments and one peat bog, the only one found during some years of surveying this area. This latter, Novienky peat bog, located in the steppe transition zone, offers an interesting cultural and natural sequence. Palynological analysis reveals several palaeoecological phases from 4300 b.p. (Bronze Age) to the 18th–19th centuries a.d. (Russian period). Metallurgical activities in Kargaly caused deforestation from the Bronze Age onwards that mainly affected the distribution of birch forests in the region. The palaeoclimatic interpretation of the Novienki pollen diagram is based on the observed changes in the pollen curves of Picea (spruce), Pinus (pine), Abies (silver fir) and Betula (birch). These arboreal taxa are regarded as main climate indicators. The chronology is established on a 14C-dated pollen profile from the lowest peat layer as well as on the regional pollen sequences and archaeological stratigraphies.
Vegetation History and Archaeobotany
Today the East-European forest-steppe is an agricultural landscape with very few remains of the former natural vegetation. The history of the transformation from natural vegetation to a human-made landscape in the area of Sudzha (Kursk region, Russia) is studied here. Therefore, we compare the off-site pollen record Sudzha with three on-site pollen records obtained from the archaeological site Kurilovka-2. The sediment core Sudzha covering the last 2500 years was taken from an oxbow lake in an area with archaeological sites of the early Slavonic period (3 rd-8 th cent. CE). The Sudzha pollen record indicates dominance of broadleaf forests and meadow steppes in the area from 2500 to 200 cal yr BP with two major settlement phases one between ~2000 and 1600 cal yr BP (~50 BCE to 350 CE) and the other between 1100 and 600 cal yr BP (850 to 1350 CE) followed by a total deforestation and transformation to an agricultural landscape over the last 200-300 years. Noteworthy, however, the record Sudzha does not provide an intensive signal of human impact during the main settlement period of Kurilovka-2 (3 rd-8 th cent. CE). This points to a quite restricted spatial influence of the Early Slavonic settlements on the vegetation, leading to a relative low contribution of palynological anthropogenic indicators to the regional pollen rain signal.
Quaternary International, 2019
The paper presents new pollen and plant macrofossil records of environmental changes at the southern boundary of the mixed coniferous-broadleaf forest zone in the northwestern part of the Mid-Russian Upland (central European Russia) during the middle and late Holocene. The obtained results show that, between 7000 and 5000 cal yr BP, the study area was situated in a wooded steppe vegetation zone and the boundary between forest and steppe biomes was disposed of 50e70 km further northwest in comparison to its present position. After 5000 cal yr BP the more humid climate conditions resulted in the expansion of broadleaf forests, which persisted in the study area until 2000 cal yr BP. Therefore, the pre-agrarian landscape of these regions was mixed broadleaf forests of Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus and Corylus. Since around 2000 cal yr BP, human activity has been increasingly dominant with enhanced burning, soil erosion, felling of trees and the rise of agriculture. During the last three centuries, human activity resulted in a strong landscape transformation. Nowadays the remnants of the primary forest vegetation are persisted in small locations only.
Paleosols, paleovegetation and Neolithic occupation of the Moskva River floodplain
Ershova E.G., Alexandrovskiy A.L., Krenke N.A., 2014. Palaeosols, palaeovegetation and Neolithic occupation of the Moskva River floodplain // Quaternary International, 324, p. 134-145, 2014
This article describes the results of a comprehensive study of the 1st Zvenigorod Neolithic site, the cultural layer of which lies in the buried soil of the Moscow River floodplain. The soil dates to the late 5th - beginning of 4th millennium BC. Pedological methods placed this soil in the Chernozem soil group, which is markedly different from modern Fluvisols and Albeluvisols. Similar Chernozem soil, dated 5000-3500 cal BC, has been found previously in other sites of the Moscow River valley. Pollen analysis of the buried soil showed that in the second half of the Atlantic period the vegetation of the floodplain consisted of meadow-steppe and broad-leaved forest elements. This vegetation is notably different from the vegetation of the late Holocene, which consisted mostly of spruce-deciduous forests. Archaeological and radiocarbon data indicate that this Neolithic site was a long-term settlement. Some traces of human impact on the vegetation of the Neolithic were revealed. The potential nature of the economy of Neolithic settlements in the Moscow area is discussed.
First pollen record from the Late Holocene forest environment in the Lesser Caucasus
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 2022
Pollen-based vegetation change has been inferred from sediments in Kalavan Red Lake. This small lake is placed in the beech-oak-hornbeam forest, about three kilometres away from archaeological remains. It has the potential to document the Holocene forest history and climate and human impacts on the Lesser Caucasus. However, this lake happens to be formed by a large landslide. Pollen and XRF analysis are provided over the last 3800 years. The basal age of the Kalavan sediment approximates the landslide age. This created a not vegetated slope including the lake catchment. Erosion and sedimentation processes brought coarse and heavy minerogenic elements, declining with the catchment revegetation by tall-grassland. This shift in the sedimentation continues, suggesting less erosion in the catchment when an admixture of Quercus and grasslands settled. Starting from 2000 cal. BP, arboreal pollen increases successively thanks to the step afforestation of Quercus, Carpinus orientalis and Fagus. The comparison with available pollen reconstruction illustrates the uniqueness of the vegetation dynamic recorded at Kalavan. However, the duration of this succession is also questionable. An intermediate hypothesis is proposed: the Kalavan's dynamic is first initiated J o u r n a l P r e-p r o o f Journal Pre-proof by the landslide with the tall-grass development, then paced by the regional vegetation dynamic. Linking vegetation history and erosion with regional climate and archaeological data helps to evidence short-term climate change and human impact. Antique arid phase (2000-1600 cal. BP), the Medieval Warm Period and Little Ice Age affect the vegetation, while demography variations during the Medieval period and Modern Age are shown by pastoral activity.
Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports, 2020
Gully deposits were studied in the vicinity of Early Medieval archaeological sites in the Volga River Bend region, Russia. Anthropogenic and natural causes of erosion were distinguished by a novel combination of sedimentological, palynological, and pedoanthracological methods. Within the 10 ka-old colluvial fan sequence deposited in the forest-steppe zone, sedimentation rates are reconstructed as negligible in the first half of the Holocene, increasing drastically in the first centuries AD. Seven episodes of erosion and stabilization were distinguished, each beginning with the deposition of coarser sediments enriched in charcoal and gravel. Erosional events were followed by local deforestation; tree taxa found in charcoal assemblages of each cycle generally mirrored the taxa of the previous cycle in the pollen spectra. The cycles chronologically matched known archaeological occupations in the area. First portions of colluvia in the sequence (1st to 3rd cent. AD) contained seeds of zoochores indicative of livestock husbandry; from the 3rd century AD to 16th cent. AD, colluvia contained micro-artifacts (1-20 mm), pollen of cultivated plants and their weeds, and pollen of taxa typical for trails and drove ways. We reconstruct a change in the type of cultivation techniques from pollen spectra in the gully deposits. Cerealia and Onagraceae pollen indicative of swidden agriculture is present in the 3rd-6th cent. AD, while Cerealia, Fagopyrum, Centaurea cyanus pollen and Riccia spores in the 8th-14th cent. AD are evidence of permanent fields within the catchment.
In 1999 in Krasne a core from peat sediments was collected to a depth of 6.45 m, using an Eijkelkamp peat sampler. The peat bog in Krasne is situated in Rzeszów foothills (south-eastern Poland), 3 km east of Rzeszów. For palynological analysis 44 samples were selected, additionally, 3 samples were dated by the radiocarbon method. The pollen diagram based on the results obtained has been subdivided into 7 local pollen assemblage zones (L PAZ). Results of the palynological analysis were used for the vegetation history reconstruction from the Younger Dryas through the Holocene, up to the Subatlantic. A clear overrepresentation of Pinus, present throughout the whole pollen succession, was a complicating factor during interpretation of the results. The fi rst detectable human infl uence was observed in the early Atlantic and its intensity varied through the upper part of the pollen diagram. It is diffi cult to distinguish particular phases of settlement as the upper part of the core was strongly compressed.
Paleontological Journal, 2019
An environmental reconstruction of vegetation and climate is inferred from pollen records of Lake Rubskoe (Ivanovo region, Central Russia). The reconstruction suggests a general prevalence of pollen of broadleaved trees. The results suggest a relatively cold period during the earlier part of the record (500-400 cm) followed by a warmer period (400-160 cm). Climate conditions similar to modern ones are reconstructed for the youngest sediments (160-50 cm).
Quaternary International, 2008
The Late Pleistocene-Holocene paleoclimate and paleoenvironmental changes of the Lower Amur Basin are presented based on pollen records from radiocarbon dated peat sections. The Gur section represents the most complete terrestrial record of the Russian Far East, and probably for all of Northeast Asia. Landscape changes are reconstructed for warm events, corresponding to the Bølling and Allerød, and cold episodes as Middle Dryas and Younger Dryas in Europe. There were three warm periods in the Lower Amur basin: 8900-8300, 5000-5700 and 3200-4200 BP. A major expansion of diverse species in the forest formations in the entire Lower Amur River basin occurred at 5000-5700 BP. Changes and developments of paleoclimate events and paleoenvironmental changes of Late Pleistocene and Holocene in Lower Amur basin were correlative with European climate events.