4.3 Article

Holocene landscape dynamics at the tell Arslantepe, Malatya, Turkey - Soil erosion, buried soils and settlement layers, slope and river activity in a middle Euphrates catchment

Journal

HOLOCENE
Volume 24, Issue 10, Pages 1351-1368

Publisher

SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD
DOI: 10.1177/0959683614540949

Keywords

buried soils and sites; early Holocene; geoanthracology; historical soil erosion; slope-river connectivity; Turkey

Ask authors/readers for more resources

Alluvial and colluvial sequences were studied around the prehistoric tell Arslantepe in 11 exposures and additional auger cores. The chronology is based on 11 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages, four radiocarbon ages, and the embedded artifacts. Sediments contained wood charcoals, providing information on former vegetation. Fluvial activity is documented during Late Glacial times (15.4 +/- 2.5, 12.8 +/- 3.1kyr) and frequently after Roman times. Slope and soil erosion occurred in the early (10.6 +/- 1.4, 8.2 +/- 0.7kyr) and mid-late Holocene (6.7 +/- 0.9, 5.4 +/- 0.7-4.7 +/- 0.7, 2.6 +/- 0.2-2.5 +/- 0.2, 1.9 +/- 0.2-1.8 +/- 0.2kyr, and during the last 1000 years). The early Holocene erosion phases pre-date the so far established onset of settlement at the tell. This either indicates an earlier onset of agricultural land use than assumed or climatic influence on erosion, such as the 10.3 and 8.2kyr climate events known from Western Europe. The erosion phases at around 5.0 and 2.6kyr could reflect geomorphic responses to societal collapse (Late Chalcolithic state, Neo-Hittite kingdom) at Arslantepe. Most intensive Holocene soil erosion and landscape degradation occurred after occupation of the region by the Roman Empire. This is paralleled by the onset of river activity. A part of the lower neo-Hittite town as well as an early Holocene Terra Rossa-like soil that had formed rapidly were found buried. So far, no indication for mid-late Holocene fluvial activity of the adjacent creeks until Roman times has been found. Our results illustrate the large potential of slope deposits for long term reconstructions of human induced landscape transformation in Anatolia.

Authors

I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.

Reviews

Primary Rating

4.3
Not enough ratings

Secondary Ratings

Novelty
-
Significance
-
Scientific rigor
-
Rate this paper

Recommended

No Data Available
No Data Available