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ID_person:
152
ID_paper: 126 |
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B.
Ducke
Inst. of Prehistoric Archaeology, Free University of Berlin,
Germany
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| A
geo-archaeological model of Holocene landscape development and
its implications for the preservation of archaeological sites |
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This
paper presents a geo-archaeological approach to estimating the
potential state of preservation of archaeological sites in the
Central European Lowlands where the Holocene shaping of the
landscape has been dominated by processes of soil erosion/deposition.
Initialised by Neolithic settlers and constantly fuelled by
agricultural land use, these processes have reached an unprecedented
magnitude with the emergence of mechanised agriculture in the
20th century.
Over time, in accordance with topography and soil properties,
protective soil layers are either removed (erosion), thereby
exposing sites to an increased risk of being destroyed or built
up (deposition), preserving the sites but making them hard to
find.
In recent years, geo-physical models have been developed that
are both precise and easy to parameterise. With the help of
these and the integration of archaeological data, it is possible
to locate and assess the potential locations of eroded and covered
sites.
One of the main purposes behind the design of the model was
to create a tool to support risk assessment and resource allocation
in heritage management, another to gain a better understanding
of the history of human impact on the landscape.
Key words: archaeological site management, geo-archaeology,
erosion models, soil erosion/deposition, risk assessment |
[gor]11-02-2003
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