Late Holocene soil and vegetational changes in the foothills of the SE Carpathians (Ukraine), based on the study of pedochronocatenas

Abstract

A study of pedochronocatenas which include soils of archaeological sites is a reliable approach to reconstruct environmental changes since the time of the settlements existence. The studied pedochronocatenas include: 1) soils buried under ancient earth ramparts, 2) soils formed on the surface of these ramparts, and 3) natural undisturbed soils located close to the ramparts. The studied sites are located on the plateau between the Prut and Siret rivers (in the Glyboka district of the Chernivtsi region, South-Eastern part of the Ukrainian Carpathians). At present, this area is covered mainly by Haplic Greyzems and Dystric Cambisols under broad-leaved forests.

 Pedochronocatenas at two sites have been studied: 1) the Glyboka defensive rampart built during the IX-Xth centuries AD (1100-1000 yr BP, ¹⁴C 1040±190, the Early Slavic time) and 2) the Grushivka rampart built as a defence from the Scythians during the Vth century BC (2500-2400 BP), but also with the new material deposited on the old rampart during the Early Slavic times. According to archaeologists [3–6] the ramparts were built in order to defend those sides of the settlements which were unprotected by natural barriers. Morphological and morphometrical soil analysis, as well as pollen study have been carried out in order to trace pedogenic, vegetational and climatic changes since the time of the rampart’s construction.