Human transformations of the Earth / Charles French.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

French, C. A. I. (Charles A. I.), author.

Contributor:

George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

Series:

Studying scientific archaeology ; 7.

Studying scientific archaeology ; No. 7

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Soil science in archaeology.

Nature--Effect of human beings on.

Nature.

Physical Description:

x, 254 pages : illustrations (chiefly color), maps (some color) ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford, UK ; Havertown, PA : Oxbow Books, 2022.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Introduction: Geoarchaeological approaches in archaeology

Endeavour

Development of the discipline of geoarchaeology as part of archaeological investigations

Importance to archaeology, both on settlement sites and in landscape contexts

2. Methodological approaches

Approaches in the field

Landscape to soil-scape

Soils and palaeosols

Formulating research designs

Basic characterisation techniques

Augering and soil/sediment profile description

Ph and water quality

Loss-on-ignition

Magnetic susceptibility

More involved techniques

Phosphorus (or phosphate) content

Multi-element analysis by spectrometry techniques

Soil nutrient and fertility status

Micromorphology

FTTR, XRF, EDAX, XRD and SEM

Establishing chronologies: Radiocarbon, OSL and Bayesian approaches

Scales of resolution

Soil nomenclature and classification

3. Soil transformation trajectories in temperate European landscapes

The beginnings to woodland soil development

Disturbance and degradation of woodland soils

Agricultural soil development

Woodland to pasture soils

Acidification and podzolisation

Erosion and colluviation

Alluviation, floodplains and waterlogging

Wetland soils

Cumulative and plaggen soils

4. Major soil transformation trajectories in southern Mediterranean landscape systems

Brown to red Mediterranean soils (Luvisols)

Xeric calcific soils and soil erosion

Erosion, alluviation and wadi development

5. Major soil transformation trajectories in arid soil systems

Aridisols

Arroyo/colluvial/alluvial systems

The Burj-Masudpur area of the Indus valley, northern India

The central Rio Puerco, New Mexico

The lower lea valley, southern Peru

The Kerio-Embobut valleys in Marakwet, north-central Kenya

Terracing and irrigation

Aksum, northern Ethiopia

Konso, southern Ethiopia

Engaruka, northern Tanzania

Sangayaico in the upper lea valley, southern Peru

6. Timescales and longevity of soil processes

Timescales and longevity of soil properties

Soil horizonation and structural development

Within-soil illuviation and textural changes: stability, disturbance and erosion

7. Understanding long-term resilience in transformed soils.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-241) and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

ISBN:

9781789259209

1789259207

OCLC:

1312806582

Publisher Number:

99991955450