Dendrogeomorphological analysis of the Sawicki Landslide in the Beskid Niski Mountains (S Poland)

We applied dendrochronological analysis to study an extensive (~2.5 km long) complex-type landslide in the Beskid Niski Mountains (Polish Flysch Carpathians), which was rejuvenated in historical time (the earliest transformation occurred in 1913). We used three complementary methods (dating of eccentricity of annual growth rings, eccentricity indices, and analysis of reaction wood), based on seven species of deciduous and coniferous trees. A total of 204 trees were sampled and 408 cores collected using a Pressler increment borer. Based on the dendrochronological analysis, the activity of various parts of the landslide in the past century is presented, which appears to have been diverse and influenced mostly by precipitation. The upper part of the landslide was active from the 1920s until the 1940s. In the middle section of the landslide, intensifications of gravitational movement were repeatedly recorded after intense rainfalls throughout the entirety of the last century. The highest landslide activity was dendrochronologically detected in the 1980s and 1990s. Increasing landslide activity during so-called “dry years” may have been related to quick drying of the bedrock, resulting in changes in rock strength parameters. Our results indicate significant susceptibility of this particular slope-valley geosystem in response to even slight hydrogeological changes (including dryness), which can trigger ground movement

Nyckelharpa z Wolina. Przyczynek do historii instrumentów strunowych w średniowiecznej Europie

The text presents the results of a functional analysis and interpretation of a wooden object discovered during archaeological works in Wolin. According to the authors of the article, it is the top plate of the soundboard of a stringed instrument called the nyckelharpa. The results of a radiocarbon test indicate that the Wolin instrument is now the oldest known instrument of this type

The environmental history of the oxbow in the Luciąża River valley – Study on the specific microclimate during Allerød and Younger Dryas in central Poland

The vicinity of the Rozprza archaeological site (central Poland) has been the area of a series of palaeoecological studies tracking the environmental history of the Luciąża River valley up to ca. 13,200 cal. BP. Numerous subfossil palaeomeanders of different sizes have been discovered in the valley floor. Here, we present the first results of multiproxy research on the paleo-oxbow lake fill, one of the oldest in the region. The wide range of palaeoecological analyses resulted in reconstructions of vegetation history, climatic, hydrological and habitat changes. The studied oxbow was an aquatic ecosystem with diverse invertebrate fauna until the end of Younger Dryas when it transformed into a limno-telmatic habitat. The sediment composition indicates active denudation processes and several episodes of turbulent hydrological conditions. Such an increased river activity could have caused flooding, resulting in an allochthonous matter supply to the oxbow lake in Late Vistulian. Environmental changes were strictly related to the regional features of the catchment, the transformation of soils, and the hydrogeological conditions. The chironomid- and pollen-inferred climatic reconstructions indicate periods of high and low continentality. The chironomid record indicates relatively cool summer conditions in the Allerød, especially ca. 13,000 cal. BP, possibly related to the Gerzensee Oscillation. On the other hand, a distinct increase of summer temperatures in Younger Dryas (up to 16 °C) was recorded. Such a situation was also confirmed in some other studies from the region, suggesting that it might be the effect of some specific, local palaeoclimatic conditions.Fundator badań: Fundator badań: Optional.empt