Existing and proposed urban geosites values resulting from geodiversity of Poznań City

Poznań, a city in central-western Poland, is located in the lowland region but has no less attractive geomorphological and human history. It was here that Poland was born at the end of the tenth century. The city’s location is connected with the meridian course of the Warta River valley. In contrast, in the northern part of the city, there is a vast area of the frontal moraines of the Poznań Phase of the Weichselian Glaciation. Against the backdrop of the geomorphological development of the city, the article presents the existing geosites, classified as urban geosites. The present geosites include three lapidaries with Scandinavian postglacial erratics, one of them also with stoneware, a fragment of a frontal push moraine and impact craters. Besides, three locations of proposed geosites with rich geomorphological and/or human history were identified. These are as follows: the peat bog located in the northern part of the city, defence ramparts as exhumed anthropogenic forms, and the Warta River valley. The existing and proposed geosites in Poznań were evaluated in three ways. In general, it should be assumed that the proposed new geosites are higher ranked than the current ones

Naturalne i antropogeniczne przekształcenia środowiska geograficznego na stanowisku archeologicznym kultury mogiłowej w Szczepidle 17 (Kotlina Kolska)

Artykuł dotyczy badań relacji człowiek–środowisko na przykładzie osady kultury mogiłowej ze środkowej epoki brązu, którą odkryto na obszarze niecki deflacyjnej pomiędzy wydmami parabolicznymi na odcinku konińskim Pradoliny Warty. Lokalizacji osadnictwa kultury mogiłowej w pradolinie sprzyjały warunki klimatyczne okresu subborealnego, które określane są jako suche i chłodne. W wyniku badań archeologicznych, litologicznych i geochemicznych stwierdzono, że działalność człowieka przekształciła rzeźbę stanowiska archeologicznego, czyli niecki deflacyjnej. Powstały obiekty archeologiczne, które są pozostałościami działalności osadniczej i gospodarczej (metalurgicznej) zachodzącej na tych samych przestrzeniach stanowiska wielokrotnie. Archiwalne badania palinologiczne wskazują na: obecność wskaźników synantropizacji środowiska, gatunków wprowadzanych przez człowieka, ale też pośrednio na wylesienia, pojawiają się powierzchnie otwarte – pola. Od okresu subborealnego można obserwować nakładanie się wpływów antropogenicznych i naturalnych, klimatycznych kształtujących reżim hydrologiczny w dolinie Warty – można wnioskować o coraz większej częstotliwości powodzi i akumulacji mad. Ten czynnik w konsekwencji mógł się przyczynić do opuszczenia osady około 2800 BP (okres wilgotnych warunków w dolinie)

Revealing the internal organization of a Middle Bronze Age fortified settlement in Kakucs-Turján through geoarchaeological means: Magnetometric survey and sedimentological verification of a housing structure

Kakucs – Turján is a multi – layered fortified settlement from the Middle Bronze Age located in Central Hungary. The site was subjected to a non – invasive prospection using the magnetometry method. The magnetic anomalies provided insight into the horizontal plan of the site, revealing a tri-partite structure encircled and divided internally by ditches. In one of the so-defined zones, an agglomeration of a house – like anomalies were detected indicating the location of the housing area. One of these features was subjected to archaeological excavations which revealed the remains of two houses built on top of each other (tell – like deposition). In addition to excavations, sedimentological and geochemical sampling provided data on the functional aspects of the house. The spatial distribution of chemical elements and grain – size parameters showed that the house witnessed heavy anthropogenic activity. The distribution of phosphorous, copper and zinc indicated that a large part of activities could have taken place outside of the house, in the area where a suspected entrance was registered during the excavations. Geoarchaeological analysis at Kakucs – Turján thus resulted in a delimitation of the site's internal organization and a clarification of one of the house's chronology and functionality.25409419Journal of Archaeological Science: Report

Monitoring environmental catastrophe area through change detection techniques

The use of satellite images has been very effective for monitoring the dynamics of the land use and occupation over time. For this purpose , the change detection techniques have been strong allies. These techniques have multiple complexities depending on the objective to be achieved. This study aims to evaluate the technique for land use and land cover changing detection in areas affected by the environmental disaster of November 2008 in the region of Morro do Baú, Santa Catarina, Brazil. A total of 04 (four) images from different dates between 1992 and 2009 (post-disaster) were used. The images were processed in vegetation index using bands 7 and 4 in order to minimize atmospheric and radiometric distortions. Shadow mask, construted from the digital terrain model, was developed to avoid false changes caused by shade. It was concluded that the georeferencing must be very accurate in applying these techniques. The vegetation index by using bands 7 and 4and the shadow mask, were effective in minimizing false changes. It showed that the techniques applied are effective to detect changes in areas affected by the disaster

Prehistoric landform use and main phases slope covers accumulation on the archeological site in Bruszczewo (Great Poland)

Slope covers can be used in archeology as a source for the study of manlandscape relations. An example of this type of research carried out at an archeological site is Bruszczewo no 5 situated 60 km south of Poznań. As to culture, relics from site no 5 at Bruszczewo span a segment of prehistory from the early Bronze Age to the period of Roman influence (from ca. 4000 BP to ca. 1500 BP). There are also early medieval ceramics there. The analysis of the distribution of the slope covers at the archeological site was carried out on the basis of geomagnetic sounding of the site, excavations, and geological sounding. The slope covers in question are deposited primarily in the moat and the scarp zones of the site, to a much lesser extent also in the peatbog zone. In those various zones the following stages of slope wash sedimentation can be distinguished: (1) the early Bronze Age stage associated with Unetician culture, (2) one associated with the Bronze Age (Lusatian culture), and (3) modern colluvial deposits (mixed archeological material from the Bronze Age to the Middle Ages)

Warunki klimatyczne okresu średniowiecza a powstanie, rozwój i upadek grodziska na Zawodziu w Kaliszu

The early medieval stronghold in Kalisz was established in the ninth century among the branches of meandering Prosna river. The stronghold's castle was located on the floodplain terrace of Prosna river at an altitude of 100-108 m asl. In the tenth and eleventh centuries numerous redevelopments within the town occurred. In the early thirteenth century, as a result of fightings among dukes, the stronghold was exposed to destruction. Long-term flooding (1221-1223) resulted in the change of the main Prosna river channel. Prosna no longer assured the settlement with defensive functions. The above, and subsequent invasion of duke Henry I the Bearded (Henryk Brodaty) on Zawodzie in 1233, determined moving the castle on a fluvial terrace, in today's center of Kalisz

Stratygrafia osadów fosy i strefy krawędziowej na stanowisku archeologicznym w Bruszczewie jako rezultat jego użytkowania w pradziejach

Archaeological and geomorphologic research conducted on the archaeological site in Bruszczewo, indicates most of the cultural layers and archaeological objects to be dated back to the Early Bronze Period. Such is also the dating of the oldest colluvial deposits there. Second phase of relief transformations and sedimentary deposition is connected with the Lusatian stage of the site exploitation in the Late Bronze and Early Iron Age. Layers dated back to these periods can be observed in the moat, in the edge zone of the site as well as in the peatbog zone. Most of the material related to this stage of the settlement exploitation is deposited in the unearthed Lusatian moat. Third stage - the medieval settlement of the site - is well-known mainly for its mixed colluvial sediments. They contain cultural material from different periods, and were transported and deposited in modern times. Fourth phase of the area exploitation - agrotechnical denudation - is marked with the layer of colluvia of the widest spatial range, covering the deposits of peatbog plain. These sediments are linked to regular cultivation within the archaeological site

Aluwialne wypełnienie doliny oraz stożek napływowy na terasie zalewowej Prosny w Kościelnej Wsi (koło Kalisza) : zmienność litofacjalna i antropogeniczne uwarunkowania

The sediment study of the alluvial bottom of Prosna river valley and of alluvial fan in the floodplain terrace, with the special attention paid to its origins, anthropogenic conditions at that time and also to lithofacial variability, enabled to draw the following conclusions. The fan was the result of erosion-denudation processes triggered after 6220š140 BP (Gd-4677) (about 4300 BC). The beginning of these processes can be associated with the Neolithic human beings activity, having taken into account conditions of the Holocene Climatic Optimum as well as presence of Neolithic cultures found in the investigated area. The lithofacial analysis of the sediments has revealed a simple fractionation sequence: D right arrow B right arrow C right arrow A for the alluvial filling of the river bottom. This indicates its accumulation as the result of meandering river activity. Cyclical lithofacies transitions for the alluvial fan sediments have been observed: A (sandy) into F (sandy-silty) and into E (silty)