M. A. Bronnikova1, A. V. Panin1,2, V. V. Murasheva3, and A. A. Golyeva1
1Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnyi per. 29, Moscow 119017, Russia
2Moscow State University, Leninskie Gory, Moscow 119991, Russia
3State Historical Museum, Red Square, 1, Moscow 109012, Russia
The history of applying soil micromorphology in archaeology in Russia and abroad is overviewed. The main objectives of soil micromorphological analysis of archaeological objects are specified. The possibilities offered by this method are illustrated by the example of a micromorphological study of a cultural layer of an Early Medieval settlement. The prospects of archaeological soil micromorphology development are outlined.
Key words: archaeological soil micromorphology, geoarchaeology, cultural layers.
DOI: 10.19047/0136-1694-2016-86-35-45
For citation: Bronnikova M.A., Panin A.V., Murasheva V.V., and Golyeva A.A. Soil micromorphology in archaeology: history, objectives, possibilities and prospects,Byulleten Pochvennogo instituta im. V.V. Dokuchaeva, 2016, Vol. 86, pp. 35-45. doi: 10.19047/0136-1694-2016-86-35-45
REFERENCES
1. A. L. Aleksandrovsky, V. I. Balabina, T. N. Mishina and S. N. Sedov, “Ell yunatsite and the nearby settlement - comparative pedological analysis in the context of archaeological stratigraphy,” Short Reports of the Institute of Archaeology (KSIA), 225, 189–205 (2011) [in Russian].
2. M. A. Bronnikova and O. N. Uspenskaya, “The Late Holocene evolution of vegetation and landscape within the archaeological complex of Gnezdovo,” In:Gnezdovo. The Archaeological Monument Research Data, V.V. Murasheva (ed.), (Alfaret, St. Petersburg, 2007) [in Russian].
3. M. A. Bronnikova, I. V. Turova, I. A. Arzhantseva, S. B. Bolelov and A. R. Nutretdinova, “Multidisciplinary approach to studying ceramic artefacts: methodology, prospects and results,” Proc. IV (XX) All-Russia Archaeological Meeting (Kazan, 2014), 4, 124–127 [in Russian].
4. M. A. Bronnikova, I. V. Turova, R. A. Vafeev, and I. A. Arzhantseva, “Early-Medieval Uigurian fortress Por-Bajin (Republic of Tyva): building materials and sources of row materials on the evidence of morphological and bulk chemical data”, In: Archaeological Soil Micromorphology, Contributions to the Archaeological Soil Micromorphology Working Group Meeting 3rd to 5th April 2008, Frankfurter Geowiss. Arb., Serie D, 30, 15–23 (2008).
5. M. A. Bronnikova, E. P. Zazovskaya, A. A. Bobrov, “Local landscape evolution related to human-impact of an early medieval pre-urban center in the upper Dnieper region (Central Russian Plain): an interdisciplinary experience”, Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geologicas, 2003, 20, 3, 245–262.
6. W. Cornwall, Soils for the Archaeologist, (Phoenix House, London, 1958).
7. M.-A. Courty, Soil Micromorphology in Archeology. Proceedings of the British Academy, 1992, 77, 39–59.
8. M.-A. Courty, “Microfacies Analysis Assisting Archaeological Stratigraphy”, In: Earth sciences and archaeology, P. Goldberg, V. T. Holliday, C. R. Ferring (Eds.), (Springer Science+Business Media, New York, 2001).
9. M.-A. Courty, P. Goldberg, R. Macphail, Soils and Micromorphology in Archaeology (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1989).
10. J. B. Dalrymple, “The application of soil micromorphology to fossil soils and other deposits from archaeological sites”, Journal of Soil Science, 9, 2, (1958).
11. A. Dolgikh, A. Alexandrovskiy, K. Voronin, E. Alexandrovskaya, N. Kovalukh, V. Skrypkin, D. Davydov, “Geoarchaeological investigations of Bronze-Neolithic settlements on Lake Nero (Central Russia)”, In: Geomorphic processes and geoarchaeology: from landscape archaeology to archaeotourism (Smolensk, 2012).
12. Geoarchaeological issues of the Upper Dnieper – Western Dvina river region (Western Russia): fieldtrip guide (Universum, Moscow-Smolensk, 2012).
13. P. Goldberg, and R. I. Macphail, Practical and Theoretical Geoarchaeology, Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, 2006.
14. A. A. Golyeva, A. L. Aleksandrovsky and L. K. Tselishcheva, “Phytolith analysis of Holocene paleosols”, Pochvovedenie, 3, 34–40 (1994) [in Russian].
15. A. A. Kazdym, and M. P. Verba, “The microstructure of cultural layers of ancient settlements as a stable diagnostic feature,” In: Ecology of ancient and modern societies. Issue 2 (IPOS SO RAN, Tyumen, 2003) [in Russian].
16. O. S. Khokhlova, A. A. Khokhlov, A. M. Kuznetsova, V. Yu. Malashev, and R. G. Magomedov “Changes in the Soil Properties under Differently Directed Climatic Fluctuations of the Late Holocene in the Semidesert Zone (by the Example of the Palasa-Syrt Burial Mounds in Dagestan)”, Eurasian Soil Science, 48 (1), 27–42 (2015). doi: 10.1134/S106422931501010X
17. O. S. Khokhlova and A. O. Nagler, “Soil science methods in studying the construction of ancient burial mounds,” Proc. Int. Conf. “The role of soils in biosphere and human life” (2015) [in Russian].
18. R. I. Macphail, “Archaeological Soil Micromorphology Working Group”, In: C. Smith (ed.), Encyclopedia of Global Archaeology, (Springer Science+Business Media, New York, 2014), doi 10.1007/978-1-4419-0465-2
19. R. I. Macphail, P. Goldberg, “Archaeological materials”, In: Interpretation of micromorphological features of soils and regoliths, G. Stoops (ed.) (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2010).
20. R. I. Macphail, and J. Cruise “The Soil Micromorphologist as Team Player: A Multianalytical Approach to the Study of European Microstratigraphy”, In: Earth sciences and archaeology, P. Goldberg, V. T. Holliday, C. R. Ferring (Eds.) (Springer Science+Business Media, New York, 2001).
21. C. Orton and M. Hughes, Pottery in Archaeology. [Online]. Cambridge Manuals in Archaeology (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2013), Available from: Cambridge Books Online <http://dx.doi.org.sci-hub.io/10.1017/CBO9780511920066> [Accessed 24 April 2016].
22. B. M. Sageidet, Soil Micromorphology and its contribution to the interpretation of archaeological sites (AmS-Varia, Stavanger, 2000).
23. S. N. Sedov, E. P. Zazovskaya, M. A. Bronnikova, A. A. Kazdim, and S. Yu. Rosov, “Late Holocene man-induced environmental change in Central Russian Plain: paleopedological evidences from early medieval archaeological site”, Chinese Science Bulletin, 44, 159–165 (1999).
24. S. N. Sedov, O. S. Khokhlova, A. A. Sinitsyn, M. A. Korkka, A. V. Rusakov, B. Ortega, E. Solleiro, M. S. Rozanova, A. M. Kuznetsova, and A. A. Kazdym “Late Pleistocene Paleosol Sequences as an Instrument for the Local Paleographic Reconstruction of the Kostenki 14 Key Section (Voronezh Oblast) as an Example”,Eurasian Soil Science, 43 (8), 876–892 (2010). doi: 10.1134/S1064229310080053
25. E. P. Zazovskaya, Early Medieval paleourbanozems (fossil soils of ancient cities) in mountainous regions of Russia. PhD Thesis. (Inst. of Geography, Moscow,2013) [in Russian].