C. Caporizzo , A. Gionta , G. Mattei , M. Vacchi , G. Aiello , D. Barra , R. Parisi , G. Corrado , G. Pappone , P.P.C. Aucelli
{"title":"Investigating Holocene relative sea-level changes and coastal dynamics in the mid-Tyrrhenian coast, Italy: An interdisciplinary study","authors":"C. Caporizzo , A. Gionta , G. Mattei , M. Vacchi , G. Aiello , D. Barra , R. Parisi , G. Corrado , G. Pappone , P.P.C. Aucelli","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding millennial changes in relative sea level (RSL) and coastal responses in stable regions is crucial for deciphering the intricate relationship between natural dynamics and human adaptation. This interdisciplinary study explores the interplay between mid-to-Late Holocene sea-level fluctuations and tectonic along the mid-Tyrrhenian coast.</div><div>The study area, located between the Fondi and Garigliano coastal plains, held great significance in ancient times. In particular, the strategic role of Formia, a monitoring point for the Tyrrhenian Sea, made this city one of the most important commercial hub during Roman occupation, leading to a significant urbanization of the coastal stretch testified by well-preserved remains nowadays scattered along the submerged or semi-submerged coastal sectors.</div><div>This study reconstructs the mid-to-Late Holocene morpho-evolution and RSL changes in the study area by creating a geodatabase made of 52 sea-level markers (SLMs) derived from direct geoarchaeological measurements, stratigraphic and palaeoecological interpretations of new borehole data, and previously published stratigraphic data. Specifically, the radiocarbon dating of three peat samples provided new data ranging between 7.62 ± 47 and 1.00 ± 51 ka BP on the sea level history in the area. Based on our dataset, between 9.0 and 8.0 ka BP, the sea level rose from −19 m to −6.5 m at a rate of about 15.6 mm/y, slowing to 0.8 mm/y afterwards, stabilizing at its current position. Results suggest that during the 1st century BC, local sea level was no higher than −0.55 ± 0.29 m.</div><div>The collected RSL data support the hypothesis of tectonic stability of this sector during the last 2.0 ka, testified by the position of the SLMs in accordance with the glacio-hydro-isostatic adjustment (GIA) models and supported by the determination of average vertical ground movement rates of −0.017 ± 0.23 mm/y.</div><div>Finally, in terms of coastal changes the overlay between new data from geoarchaeological surveys, reinterpretation of previously-published stratigraphic data, and geomorphological analysis allowed us to deduce a general coastal progradation trend in the historical time for both low-lying and rocky sectors, due to natural and anthropogenic forcing factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"710 ","pages":"Pages 49-65"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142593336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yaima Domínguez-Samalea, Néstor Rey-Villiers, Alberto Sánchez
{"title":"Deoxygenation of the Eastern Tropical North Pacific over the last 1200 years","authors":"Yaima Domínguez-Samalea, Néstor Rey-Villiers, Alberto Sánchez","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Oxygen minimum zones (OMZ) are characterized by a dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration <0.5 ml L<sup>−1</sup>. <em>In situ</em> DO measurements suggest that the global OMZ upper limit is shallower than 60 years ago due to global warming. The benthic foraminifera assemblage, trace elements, and biological productivity and denitrification tracers have been used in paleoceanographic research, given that they indicate dysoxic and suboxic changing conditions of bottom water. Studies of benthic foraminifera assemblages in the southwestern margin of Baja California Sur are scarce. Thus, it is necessary to conduct a paleoecological analysis of the benthic foraminifera community on an approximately 1200-year timeline. The sediment core LONO09-MC02 (1200 years old) collected at 680 m depth was examined to analyze benthic foraminifera relative abundances and estimate the DO concentration in the OMZ of Baja California Sur's southwestern margin. The DO concentrations inferred from benthic foraminifera assemblages ranged between 0.09- and 0.17-ml l<sup>−1</sup> (4.4 and 8.0 μM). This suggests that the OMZ has maintained dysoxic conditions over the past 1200 years. Moreover, the cluster and principal component analysis defined dysoxic, suboxic, and oxic assemblages. The decoupling between geochemical tracers was associated with biogeochemical cycles of the North Pacific subtropical gyre and varied in response to intermediate water circulation in the Pacific Ocean. The low estimate of dissolved oxygen concentration corresponded with minimal solar activity, favoring La Niña-like oceanographic conditions with high primary productivity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"711 ","pages":"Pages 68-82"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142592725","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Characterization of biotic and abiotic signatures of modern lake sediments of western India, and its palaeo-environmental implications","authors":"Anjali Trivedi , Sheikh Nawaz Ali , M.C. Manoj , Shailesh Agrawal , Anupam Sharma , Binita Phartiyal , Kamlesh Kumar , Arvind Tiwari , P. Morthekai , Biswajeet Thakur , Anjum Farooqui , Mohd Ikram , Anupam Nag , Pooja Nitin Saraf , Pooja Tiwari","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>A multi-proxy study of biotic and abiotic components was conducted on surface sediment samples from six lakes/wetlands located along the western transitional boundary of the contemporary Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) in the Indian Subcontinent. The primary goal is to assess the suitability of various proxies as representatives of modern vegetation, environmental and climatic conditions. The collected data indicate significant variations in the composition and density of pollen in response to climate-induced and anthropogenic ecological changes throughout the northwest India transect. The palynological studies from eastern Rajasthan shows high forest elements in comparison to western Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the palynological data was juxtaposed with other biotic proxies such as diatom and isotopic studies, along with geochemical proxies and paleomagnetic data of the surface lake sediments. The presence of marker pollen taxa including Cerealia type Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and Brassicaceae, allows for distinct recognition of anthropogenic activities throughout the whole transect. The diversity and distribution of diatoms also support the palynological data in response to climate-induced and anthropogenic ecological changes. Furthermore, grain size, geochemistry (TOC/TN ratio with stable carbon isotope), and magnetic susceptibility data offer crucial insights about the sediment's depositional settings and general mineralogical composition. Stable carbon isotope data shows C<sub>3</sub> dominance in relatively humid areas and C<sub>4</sub> dominance in semi-arid areas, suggesting climate-driven control over sediment organic matter composition. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicates that biotic variables (pollen, diatom, stable isotopic composition) are significantly controlled by modern precipitation and temperature. Redundancy analysis reveals a significant influence of current average temperature and precipitation on major element oxide variations in surface lake sediments. Therefore, we propose using palynological, stable carbon isotope, diatom data, along with grain size, environmental magnetism, and geochemistry, to establish a multiproxy modern analogue for quantitative palaeoclimatic reconstructions. As a result, this study provides the first modern analogues from a climate-sensitive region that separates the area under ISM influence from an area with meager precipitation in western India.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"708 ","pages":"Pages 36-57"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142173065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zhikai Xue , Weiwei Sun , Beibei Shen , Rong Wang , Chunhai Li , Enlou Zhang
{"title":"Late Holocene rapid paleoenvironmental changes and anthropogenic impacts in central Yunnan, southwest China","authors":"Zhikai Xue , Weiwei Sun , Beibei Shen , Rong Wang , Chunhai Li , Enlou Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Understanding long-term anthropogenic impact on the Earth's surface system is crucial for establishing reference conditions and potentially allowing future trajectories to be more rigorous and tightly constrained. In this study, the evolution of catchment erosion, chemical weathering and bottom-water hypoxia during the late Holocene are investigated using multi-proxy records from an accurately-dated sediment core from Lake Qilu in central Yunnan, southwest China. Through the comparison of our results with other paleoenvironmental records from the study region, we are able to see that the increase in anthropogenic impact on the catchment of Lake Qilu began in 780 CE, which is associated with the large scale expansion of agriculture in China. In the early stages of vegetation disturbance and agricultural land use, soil erosion and chemical weathering within in the catchment was significantly intensified, while the lake gradually changed to a state of anoxia until the period of accelerating eutrophication in 1945 CE. However, the extremely high rate of soil erosion and weak chemical weathering suggest the beginning of a new phase in terms of anthropogenic impact on the landscape. Furthermore, the late Holocene intensification of chemical weathering in monsoonal China can also be linked to increased anthropogenic activities rather than spatial differences in hydroclimate changes. This study highlights the fact that humans have been shaping the Earth's surface for millennia, which means that it is essential to place present environmental concerns into a long-term context.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"708 ","pages":"Pages 26-35"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142173062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Geo- and ethnoarchaeological investigations of a cave in the Northern Zagros Mountains (Ashkawta Rash, Iraqi Kurdistan)","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.04.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.04.012","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ashkawta Rash Cave was investigated in two short excavation campaigns in 2018 and 2021. Hundreds of anthropogenic layers testify to the use of the cave over the last three millennia. In this article, we combine ethnoarchaeological and measurement technology related issues with the excavation results. After reviewing the archaeological and ethnographical literature we describe various economic practices, such as the stockpiling of dairy products, which can be demonstrated or at least made probable in the cave and its immediate surroundings. We catalogue different uses of the cave and date them wherever possible. Furthermore we describe general modes of cave use within the pastoral economy of northern Zagros, namely the phases of site formation with deposition and accumulation, followed by systematical removal of cave sediments and cultural layers. Grazing initially brings considerable amounts of material into the cave, then these layers, several metres thick, are removed again and again. As a result, future investigations can identify from remote wheter caves in the area yield potential undisturbed strata sequences or not. At the same time, this recognises an important process in the formation of the specific cultural landscape.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"700 ","pages":"Pages 39-49"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44897563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The first occupation of the mountains: Neolithic human-environmental interactions in the Kohgiluyeh region (southern Zagros, Iran)","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.04.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper focuses on the first human settlement<span><span> of the Kohgiluyeh region in southwestern Iran in relation to regional environmental conditions. At an altitude between 500 and 3500 m asl, a range of different ecozones and diversified resources available at short distance compose this highly mountainous region. The first sedentary occupation occurred here during the 8th millennium BC. Applying </span>remote sensing, GIS and geo-topographic landscape analyses to contextualize the available dataset, our study illustrates that in the southern portion of the region fertile lands played a pivotal role for the first settled communities and the stability of their subsistence strategies. Farming became even more important during the later Neolithic phase. Furthermore, Neolithic sites are recorded along the bottom of open slopes, at locations with direct access to the combined resources of the plains and the hilly lands. The first occupation of the region is also documented at high elevation up to 1600 m asl, along narrow valley formations, where limited areas are available for farming.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"700 ","pages":"Pages 27-38"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47217845","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"At the onset of settled pastoralism – Implications of archaeozoological and isotope analyses from Bronze age sites in the North Caucasus","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.05.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.05.008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Bioarchaeological studies provide a valuable contribution to the understanding of the economy and activities of prehistoric populations in mountain regions. The Late Bronze Age in the Caucasus is an epoch of fundamental transformations that is accompanied by the development of a semi-stationary pastoral economy and ultimately by the emergence of combined mountain agriculture. So far, only a few archaeozoological assemblages from this period have been published. The site of Ransyrt-1 in the North Caucasus offers a substantial collection of bone material from the remains of a mountain sanctuary. Analysis of the animal remains as well as preliminary isotopic analyses of strontium, oxygen, and carbon shed light on animal exploitation at this site. Comparisons with slightly later settlements in the North and South Caucasus illustrate the development of intensive livestock management strategies in the Late Bronze Age in this region at the interface between Southwest Asia and the Eurasian steppe.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"700 ","pages":"Pages 50-67"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618223001544/pdfft?md5=365df292afc6b03e27530c33078fe05b&pid=1-s2.0-S1040618223001544-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47245686","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Mineral dust and lead deposition from land use and metallurgy in a 4800-year-old peat record from the Central Alps (Tyrol, Austria)","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.03.018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.03.018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Humans have occupied the Alps over most of the Holocene. Yet, continuous records on the impact of using montane resources and landscapes are scarce or confined to segregated areas or periods. We present a high-resolution geochemical record of the last 4800 years from the ombrotrophic peatland Piller Moor in the Central Alps (Tyrolean Oberland, western Austria), using inductively coupled mass plasma spectrometry (ICP-MS) and highly efficient inter-calibrated portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (pXRF). Fluctuations of metal enrichment factors (EF) for lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and antimony (Sb), accumulation rates of anthropogenic lead (Pb<sub>anth</sub> AR) and mineral matter (MAR), based on titanium (Ti), are in line with archaeological and pollen evidence for human presence and environmental change. Periods of intensified, erosive land use are indicated by MAR around 4400 cal BP, 3400 cal BP and, very prominently, at 2400 cal BP. After low MAR in the early Middle Ages, soil disturbances reappear around 1200 cal BP (750 AD), after 200 cal BP (1750 AD) and during the 20th century AD. We found evidence that metallurgy was practised in the area as early as 4450 cal BP, again from 3500 to 2900 cal BP and episodically between 2400 and 1400 cal BP. The Central Alps were presumably a source of increased Pb-emissions in the post-Roman period from 1500 to 1400 cal BP (450–550 AD). Generally, our findings suggest that mining predates archaeological and historical evidence. Following a continuous increase since the Middle Ages, atmospheric Pb EF and Pb<sub>anth</sub> AR peak around 1980 AD. The record of mineral atmospheric input illustrates the notable impact of human activities on soil erosion and dust entrainment in the Central Alps. Furthermore, links between Little Ice Age cold phases and reduced human impact and mining are established. Our high-resolution peat-geochemistry data quantifies atmospheric deposition of mineral matter and Pb, which act as proxies for landscape evolution and metallurgy on a local and regional scale. It provides new insights and a deeper understanding of the interaction of climate, environment and humans in mountainous landscapes like the Central Alps.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"700 ","pages":"Pages 68-79"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618223001027/pdfft?md5=8aa121ac715ae960cb7dc643aaf97ab6&pid=1-s2.0-S1040618223001027-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49052702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The mobility of shepherds in the Upper Pyrenees: A spatial analysis of pathways and site-location differences from medieval times to the 20th century","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.07.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper investigates ancient pastoral mobility in a high mountain area of the Pyrenees. Firstly, modern transhumant routes were analysed using GIS tools in order to understand possible determinant factors (such as terrain slope and altitude, water courses and possible nodes) in the layout of a route used for seasonal livestock movements. The observations obtained were then used to model optimal paths which may have been used by ancient shepherds. Subsequently, an analysis was made of the spatial relationship between the simulated paths and the dispersion pattern of archaeological sites in two time periods: Late Antiquity-Medieval (3rd-14th centuries AD) and Modern-Contemporary (18th-20th centuries AD). The results show significant differences in the spatial distribution of the sites throughout both periods in terms of accessibility and proximity to possible pathways. This variability provides information concerning historical changes in the social structure of pastoral alpine landscapes over long periods of time.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"700 ","pages":"Pages 97-113"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1040618223002367/pdfft?md5=6d254bc068c72097588891aa06c7ce36&pid=1-s2.0-S1040618223002367-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45075830","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Inhabiting the central Asian mountains: Study of modern campsites from the Nuratau range, Uzbekistan","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.12.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.quaint.2023.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Settlements and dwellings related to pastoral communities in mountainous areas speak to the adaptation strategies of people to this specific environment. This paper describes unprecedented archaeological features found in the Nuratau Mountains of Uzbekistan, dated between the 18th-early 20th centuries AD, and interpreted as living places of pastoralist groups. Preliminary statistical and spatial analyses provide information on the intra- and inter-site organization and the settlement patterns of these communities. We document some variability in patterns of social and spatial organization of the dwellings and campsites and we discuss the interweaving of the ecological and cultural factors governing the settlement systems. When studied as both physical structures and social spaces, the Nuratau campsites contribute to highlight the choices made by pastoral communities in the past and to investigate the integration of human activities in mountain landscapes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49644,"journal":{"name":"Quaternary International","volume":"700 ","pages":"Pages 3-26"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2024-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139772895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}