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Archaeological Levels (archaeological + level)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Earth and Environmental Science	75%

Selected Abstracts

Palaeoeskimo site burial by solifluction: Periglacial geoarchaeology of the tayara site (KbFk-7), Qikirtaq Island, Nunavik (Canada)

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008
Dominique Todisco
The geoarchaeological study of the Palaeoeskimo Tayara site on Qikirtaq Island (Nunavik) has led to a better understanding of archaeological site formation in the arctic periglacial environment. The surrounding geomorphology (extra-site) is characterized by fine-grained, low plastic and leached postglacial glaciomarine sediments that have been reworked by sheet-like solifluction. This process buried the northern part of the Tayara site with mean annual rates between 1.68 and 2.86 cm/yr over approximately 350 years (1330,980 yr B.P.). The physicochemical and mineralogical properties of the frost-susceptible glaciomarine sediments may explain their susceptibility to solifluction. This process was probably enhanced by longer thawing periods or warmer/moister summer months that induced active layer thickening or rapid soil thawing. The dates we obtained in the downstream valley show that solifluction occurred during short warm periods in the Late Holocene between ca. 1500 and 1000 yr B.P., after 1000 yr B.P. (or after 500 yr B.P.) and recently (90,60 yr B.P.). Our data provide insights on the site factors and climate factors that govern site burial by solifluction. Solifluction promoted the preservation of the three superposed archaeological levels in the Tayara site; however, the waterlogging of the site related to solifluction also likely caused the subsequent abandonment of the site by the Palaeoeskimo people. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

New archaeo-stratigraphic data for the TD6 level in relation to Homo antecessor (Lower Pleistocene) at the site of Atapuerca, north-central Spain

GEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2003
Antoni Canals
The sediments of the TD6 level of Gran Dolina Cave at Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos, Spain, consist of a series of mud flows with angular clasts. The TD6 deposit has two parts: an upper part, known as the Aurora stratum, which yields Homo antecessor remains, and a lower part with rather homogeneous sediment. The excavation of TD6 level did not reveal a sequence of diachronic occupations. Instead, the contextual and stratigraphic studies permitted us to describe and delimit the micro-units forming the TD6 deposit. The study of the distribution of archaeological remains based on vertical archaeological profiles, using an archaeo-stratigraphic method, allowed us to document the occurrence of a series of archaeological levels within the apparent homogeneous deposit. Variations in the density of archaeological remains along the archaeo-stratigraphic levels permitted us to define two occupational cycles in TD6. These cycles seemingly show increased activities through time, culminating in the Aurora level with the presence of cannibalized Homo antecessor remains. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Three-dimensional resistivity probability tomography at the prehistoric site of grotta reali (Molise, Italy)

ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION, Issue 1 2009
Vincenzo Compare
Abstract A geoelectrical survey has been performed at the Mousterian (Palaeolithic) site of Grotta Reali (Molise Region, central Italy), which is one of the most important archaeological locations in the region, where Neanderthal fossils have been brought to light. An array of dipole,dipole profiles was designed in order to explore the nature of some archaeological levels found in a mostly fine-grained waste matrix along the wall of a travertine open quarry, very close to the Grotta Reali, which is a natural cavity of karst origin. Data analysis utilized a three-dimensional tomography approach based on the concept of occurrence probability of anomaly sources in the electrical resistivity distribution. The three-dimensional probability tomography allowed the geometry of an occluded portion of the prehistoric cavity to be delineated, and a vertical, elongated high resistivity block to be fully imaged inside this part of the cavity. Subsequent excavations have confirmed the inner geometry of the cavity, and identified a travertine column correlating with the high-resistivity block delineated by the three-dimensional geoelectrical tomography. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

THE AMINOCHRONOLOGY OF MAN-INDUCED SHELL MIDDENS IN CAVES IN NORTHERN SPAIN,

ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 1 2009
J. E. ORTIZ
Here, we provide the first report on the ages of 54 archaeological levels in 38 caves in northern Spain by means of the aspartic acid d/l ratio measurements in Patella shells, with good results. For this purpose, we developed an age calculation algorithm that allows the numerical dating of deposits from other archaeological localities in the area and nearby regions. We conclude that the sample size,that is, the number of shells analysed within a single level,reinforces the importance of analysing numerous specimens per horizon and the understanding of the time-averaging concept. The ultrastructure of different species of Patella shells was also studied, showing calcite in their apexes and aragonite at their margins. [source]