Elena A. Hensel, Oliver Bödeker, O. Bubenzer, R. Vogelsang
{"title":"结合地貌水文分析和定居点和原材料地点的位置——一个了解埃塞俄比亚西南部高地史前人类定居点活动的案例研究","authors":"Elena A. Hensel, Oliver Bödeker, O. Bubenzer, R. Vogelsang","doi":"10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Abstract. During this study, the recent relations between the\nhydrological systems and the distribution of archaeological sites and\nobsidian raw material outcrops within the catchment of the Bisare River,\naround Mt Damota, and around Mt Sodicho in the southwestern Ethiopian\nHighlands were investigated. To do so, we combined\ngeomorphological–hydrological analyses with field surveys and GIS mapping.\nThe aim was to try to transfer these recent interrelations into the past to\nbetter understand the factors that influenced prehistoric human settlement\nactivity. The natural geomorphodynamics in landscapes such as the\nsouthwestern Ethiopian Highlands were and still are characterized by the\ninterplay between endogenous processes (tectonics, volcanism) and climatic\nfluctuations and, during the recent past, also by human activity. In the\nconsidered region, protective and potentially habitable rock shelters are\nfound at the volcanic slopes of Mt Damota and Mt Sodicho at high\nelevations. In addition, in some areas recent morphodynamic processes make\nobsidian raw material available near the surface. However, archaeological\nand terrestrial paleoenvironmental archives that allow an understanding of\nthe interplay between prehistoric settlement activity and paleoenvironmental\nconditions are still rare. Therefore, the surroundings of formerly occupied\nrock shelters were investigated to illustrate the effect of the recent\nfluvial morphodynamics (erosion and accumulation) on surface visibility and\npreservation of archaeological obsidian raw material. This recent\ninformation can be used to make assumptions about the former hydrological\nsystem and to thereby get answers to research questions such as those about the\npast accessibility of obsidian raw material for prehistoric humans. The\nresults suggest that the study area is currently affected by a highly\ndynamic hydrological system, which is indicated by phenomena such as the\nformation of swamps due to sedimentation in natural depressions. In\naddition, wide areas of the Bisare River catchment are affected by gully\nerosion, which leads to land degradation but also to the exposure of the\nabove-mentioned lithic raw material outcrops. Human influence strongly\nincreased during the Holocene until today, especially on the mountain\nflanks. This in turn increased soil loss and erosion of archaeological\nsites, which complicates the transfer of the current morphodynamics into the\npast. Although it cannot be finally confirmed that prehistoric hunters and\ngatherers systematically used fluvially exposed raw material, based on our\nresults it can be assumed that humans frequented this area, due to the local\navailability of such kind of material.\n","PeriodicalId":11420,"journal":{"name":"E&G Quaternary Science Journal","volume":"1 4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2019-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"9","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Combining geomorphological–hydrological analyses and the location of settlement and raw material sites – a case study on understanding prehistoric human settlement activity in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands\",\"authors\":\"Elena A. Hensel, Oliver Bödeker, O. Bubenzer, R. Vogelsang\",\"doi\":\"10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"Abstract. During this study, the recent relations between the\\nhydrological systems and the distribution of archaeological sites and\\nobsidian raw material outcrops within the catchment of the Bisare River,\\naround Mt Damota, and around Mt Sodicho in the southwestern Ethiopian\\nHighlands were investigated. To do so, we combined\\ngeomorphological–hydrological analyses with field surveys and GIS mapping.\\nThe aim was to try to transfer these recent interrelations into the past to\\nbetter understand the factors that influenced prehistoric human settlement\\nactivity. The natural geomorphodynamics in landscapes such as the\\nsouthwestern Ethiopian Highlands were and still are characterized by the\\ninterplay between endogenous processes (tectonics, volcanism) and climatic\\nfluctuations and, during the recent past, also by human activity. In the\\nconsidered region, protective and potentially habitable rock shelters are\\nfound at the volcanic slopes of Mt Damota and Mt Sodicho at high\\nelevations. In addition, in some areas recent morphodynamic processes make\\nobsidian raw material available near the surface. However, archaeological\\nand terrestrial paleoenvironmental archives that allow an understanding of\\nthe interplay between prehistoric settlement activity and paleoenvironmental\\nconditions are still rare. Therefore, the surroundings of formerly occupied\\nrock shelters were investigated to illustrate the effect of the recent\\nfluvial morphodynamics (erosion and accumulation) on surface visibility and\\npreservation of archaeological obsidian raw material. This recent\\ninformation can be used to make assumptions about the former hydrological\\nsystem and to thereby get answers to research questions such as those about the\\npast accessibility of obsidian raw material for prehistoric humans. The\\nresults suggest that the study area is currently affected by a highly\\ndynamic hydrological system, which is indicated by phenomena such as the\\nformation of swamps due to sedimentation in natural depressions. In\\naddition, wide areas of the Bisare River catchment are affected by gully\\nerosion, which leads to land degradation but also to the exposure of the\\nabove-mentioned lithic raw material outcrops. Human influence strongly\\nincreased during the Holocene until today, especially on the mountain\\nflanks. This in turn increased soil loss and erosion of archaeological\\nsites, which complicates the transfer of the current morphodynamics into the\\npast. Although it cannot be finally confirmed that prehistoric hunters and\\ngatherers systematically used fluvially exposed raw material, based on our\\nresults it can be assumed that humans frequented this area, due to the local\\navailability of such kind of material.\\n\",\"PeriodicalId\":11420,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"E&G Quaternary Science Journal\",\"volume\":\"1 4 1\",\"pages\":\"\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":0.0000,\"publicationDate\":\"2019-10-17\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"9\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"E&G Quaternary Science Journal\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"1085\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019\",\"RegionNum\":0,\"RegionCategory\":null,\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"\",\"JCRName\":\"\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"E&G Quaternary Science Journal","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.5194/egqsj-68-201-2019","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
Combining geomorphological–hydrological analyses and the location of settlement and raw material sites – a case study on understanding prehistoric human settlement activity in the southwestern Ethiopian Highlands
Abstract. During this study, the recent relations between the
hydrological systems and the distribution of archaeological sites and
obsidian raw material outcrops within the catchment of the Bisare River,
around Mt Damota, and around Mt Sodicho in the southwestern Ethiopian
Highlands were investigated. To do so, we combined
geomorphological–hydrological analyses with field surveys and GIS mapping.
The aim was to try to transfer these recent interrelations into the past to
better understand the factors that influenced prehistoric human settlement
activity. The natural geomorphodynamics in landscapes such as the
southwestern Ethiopian Highlands were and still are characterized by the
interplay between endogenous processes (tectonics, volcanism) and climatic
fluctuations and, during the recent past, also by human activity. In the
considered region, protective and potentially habitable rock shelters are
found at the volcanic slopes of Mt Damota and Mt Sodicho at high
elevations. In addition, in some areas recent morphodynamic processes make
obsidian raw material available near the surface. However, archaeological
and terrestrial paleoenvironmental archives that allow an understanding of
the interplay between prehistoric settlement activity and paleoenvironmental
conditions are still rare. Therefore, the surroundings of formerly occupied
rock shelters were investigated to illustrate the effect of the recent
fluvial morphodynamics (erosion and accumulation) on surface visibility and
preservation of archaeological obsidian raw material. This recent
information can be used to make assumptions about the former hydrological
system and to thereby get answers to research questions such as those about the
past accessibility of obsidian raw material for prehistoric humans. The
results suggest that the study area is currently affected by a highly
dynamic hydrological system, which is indicated by phenomena such as the
formation of swamps due to sedimentation in natural depressions. In
addition, wide areas of the Bisare River catchment are affected by gully
erosion, which leads to land degradation but also to the exposure of the
above-mentioned lithic raw material outcrops. Human influence strongly
increased during the Holocene until today, especially on the mountain
flanks. This in turn increased soil loss and erosion of archaeological
sites, which complicates the transfer of the current morphodynamics into the
past. Although it cannot be finally confirmed that prehistoric hunters and
gatherers systematically used fluvially exposed raw material, based on our
results it can be assumed that humans frequented this area, due to the local
availability of such kind of material.