Sediment descriptions and geochemical analyses of radiocarbon-dated deposits from the vicinity of Göbekli Tepe—A dataset

This dataset comprises the detailed descriptions and laboratory measurements of sediment profiles from the semi-arid environs of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey—one of the oldest monumental structures of humankind dating to c. 11.5–10 ka BP. Focus of the descriptions are the architectural elements of the deposits allowing to conduct facies interpretations and the reconstruction of different depositional environments. This is supported by bulk geochemical sediment analyses (pH, electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, and loss on ignition) and the determination of total and inorganic carbon contents and chemical element concentrations. The Late Holocene chronology is based on radiocarbon dating of charcoal pieces and bulk samples containing organic matter from buried organic-rich topsoil horizons and soil sediments. Lithic artifacts from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic provide additional age estimates. Nykamp et al. [1] provide the synthesis that is based on the presented datasets.This dataset comprises the detailed descriptions and laboratory measurements of sediment profiles from the semi-arid environs of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic site Göbekli Tepe in southeastern Turkey—one of the oldest monumental structures of humankind dating to c. 11.5–10 ka BP. Focus of the descriptions are the architectural elements of the deposits allowing to conduct facies interpretations and the reconstruction of different depositional environments. This is supported by bulk geochemical sediment analyses (pH, electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, and loss on ignition) and the determination of total and inorganic carbon contents and chemical element concentrations. The Late Holocene chronology is based on radiocarbon dating of charcoal pieces and bulk samples containing organic matter from buried organic-rich topsoil horizons and soil sediments. Lithic artifacts from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic provide additional age estimates. Nykamp et al. [1] provide the synthesis that is based on the presented datasets

Meta-Analysis of Geomorphodynamics in the Western Lower Bakırçay Plain (Aegean Region, Turkey)

The relation between human activities, climate variability, and geomorphodynamics in the Mediterranean region is widely discussed. For the western lower Bakırçay plain in the ancient Pergamon Micro-Region, geoarchaeological studies have shown changes in geomorphodynamics primarily on a site-basis. We reconstruct past geomorphodynamics in the area based on a meta-analysis of 108 (14)C-ages obtained from 25 sediment sequences mainly from colluvial and alluvial deposits by analyzing cumulative probability functions of the (14)C-ages. Accounting for biases in the database, we applied different approaches and compared the empirical probability functions with simulated functions. Reconstructed geomorphodynamics in the western lower Bakırçay plain during the Holocene principally coincide with a trend of climate-driven sensitivity to erosion and population dynamics in the eastern Mediterranean, but are also related to the local settlement history. Our data analysis shows that transformations of the Pergamon Micro-Region between the Hellenistic and Roman Imperial times is contemporary to increasing geomorphodynamics that peak in Roman Imperial times. However, a cause–effect relationship between geomorphodynamics and settlement dynamics should be further evaluated. A comparison with data from other settlement centers in Anatolia shows that a coincidence between the peak in geomorphodynamics and a peak in settlement activity are not obvious and may be influenced by soil conservation measures, preferred settlement location, and inherited soil exhaustio

On-Site VIS-NIR Spectral Reflectance and Colour Measurements - A Fast and Inexpensive Alternative for Delineating Sediment Layers Quantitatively? A Case Study from a Monumental Bronze Age Burial Mound (Seddin, Germany)

Quantitative sediment analyses performed in the laboratory are often used throughout archaeological excavations to critically reflect on-site stratigraphic delineation. Established methods are, however, often time-consuming and expensive. Recent studies suggest that systematic image analysis can objectivise the delineation of stratigraphic layers based on fast quantitative spectral measurements. The presented study examines how these assumptions prevail when compared to modern techniques of sediment analysis. We examine an archaeological cross-section at a Bronze Age burial mound near Seddin (administrative district Prignitz, Brandenburg, Germany), consisting of several layers of construction-related material. Using detailed on-site descriptions supported by quantitatively measured sediment properties as a measure of quality, we compare clustering results of (i) extensive colour measurements conducted with an RGB and a multispectral camera during fieldwork, as well as (ii) selectively sampled sedimentological data and (iii) visible and near infrared (VIS-NIR) hyperspectral data, both acquired in the laboratory. Furthermore, the influence of colour transformation to the CIELAB colour space (Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage) and the possibilities of predicting soil organic carbon (SOC) based on image data are examined. Our results indicate that quantitative spectral measurements, while still experimental, can be used to delineate stratigraphic layers in a similar manner to traditional sedimentological data. The proposed processing steps further improved our results. Quantitative colour measurements should therefore be included in the current workflow of archaeological excavations

Towards timing and stratigraphy of the Bronze Age burial mound royal tomb (Königsgrab) of Seddin (Brandenburg, northeastern Germany)

This study uses an integrated multi-method geoarcheological and geochronological approach to contribute to the understanding of the timing and stratigraphy of the monumental burial mound royal tomb (Königsgrab) of Seddin. We show that the hitherto established radiocarbon-based terminus post quem time frame for the construction of the burial mound of 910–800 BCE is supported by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. The radiocarbon samples were obtained from a substrate directly underneath the burial mound which supposedly represents the late glacial/Holocene soil that was buried below the structure. We use sedimentological (grain-size analyses) and geochemical analyses (element analyses, carbon, pH, and electric conductivity determinations) to reassess and confirm this hypothesis. In addition to the burial age associated with the last anthropogenic reworking during construction of the burial mound, the OSL dating results provide new insights into the primary deposition history of the original substrates used for the structure. In combination with regional information about the middle and late Quaternary development of the environment, our data allow us to provide a synoptic genetic model of the landscape development and the multiphase stratigraphy of the royal tomb of Seddin within the Late Bronze Age cultural group “Seddiner Gruppe” of northern Germany. Based on our initial experiences with OSL dating applied to the sediments of a burial mound – to the best of our knowledge the first attempt in Europe – we propose a minimal invasive approach to obtain datable material from burial mounds and discuss related opportunities and challenges

Holocene geomorphodynamics of a rural catchment in the Pergamon micro-region (eastern Mediterranean)

The Pergamon micro-region (western Türkiye) has experienced several phases of increased geomorphodynamics during the Holocene. However, the role of local–regional human activities during a transformation between Hellenism and the Roman Imperial period and supra-regional climate fluctuations is still under discussion. Five sediment profiles from the alluvial fan of the rural Deliktaş catchment are analyzed and radiocarbon-dated to provide a sedimentological record covering the Holocene. Our results indicate seven phases of changing sediment dynamics. Five Holocene cycles of coarse- and fine-textured fan sediment deposition covered the paleochannel deposits of the Çaylak creek, and the floodplain sediments of the receiving Geyikli river which aggraded toward the piedmont during the Mid-Holocene. The landscape became stable on the Deliktaş fan and Geyikli floodplain at least ca. 4–3.4 cal ka BP as indicated by paleosols. These paleosols were again buried by fan sediments marking the first phase of accelerated geomorphodynamics during the Late Holocene. Both the local onset of human activities and the regional Mid-Holocene aridization with rapid climate changes play a role. The increased number of archeological sites and high human pressure on the environment during the Hellenistic–Roman transformation in the Deliktaş area and Pergamon micro-region were hypothesized to contribute to a phase of increased geomorphodynamic activity during the last 2.5 ka. This, however, is less apparent in our record. Our study emphasizes the importance of both, the climatic system and rural-urban cultural history, on landscape development, suggesting potential responses of locally diverse geomorphodynamics on regional-scale transformation in the eastern Mediterranean

The landscape of the Late Bronze Age royal tomb of Seddin (NE Germany): linking geomorphology, archaeology, and historic evidence

The monumental Late Bonze Age royal tomb of Seddin is located in the old morainic landscape of the Prignitz region, northeastern Germany. Together with other richly equipped burials and a row of stone pits in its direct vicinity, it provides evidence for the presence of an elite from the nineth to sixth centuries BCE in this region. Our map emphasizes the well-chosen location of the royal tomb in relation to the spatial arrangement of other archaeological monuments that together form an ensemble of a ritual landscape. We trace legacies of land use from the Bronze Age to the present against the backdrop of Late Quaternary landscape evolution. These include the Bronze Age landscape (re-)organization for ritual and economic purposes, its medieval use for arable farming, its economic use and settlement history in historic times, and modern times melioration of agricultural areas that together form the palimpsest of the present-day landscape

Göbekli Tepe: A Brief Description of the Environmental Development in the Surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage Site

This contribution provides a first characterization of the environmental development for the surroundings of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Göbekli Tepe. We base our analyses on a literature review that covers the environmental components of prevailing bedrock and soils, model- and proxy-based climatic development, and vegetation. The spatio-temporal scales that are covered are mainly the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Late Quaternary—whereby special attention is given to available data from the close vicinity of Göbekli Tepe. Information on Late Quaternary geomorphodynamics is largely absent for the environs of Göbekli Tepe, we therefore included remote sensing data, different terrain modeling approaches and field-based geomorphological mapping to gain insights into past process dynamics. The findings indicate that the environmental conditions at Göbekli Tepe during its time of occupation differed significantly from today, showing denser vegetation and a wide spread sediment cover. Different hypotheses are developed that aim to guide future research on environmental changes and their variations during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. These activities are crucial for a more profound understanding of the environment of the site, its potential perception by humans and therefore for the development of narratives on their landscape creation motive

Mid- to Late Holocene geomorphodynamics in a long-term settled mountain catchment in the Pergamon micro-region, western Turkey

From 300 BC to AD 300, the city of Pergamon underwent a profound transformation that impacted the rural settlement patterns and the concomitant geomorphodynamics. We present a geoarchaeological study in a long-term settled catchment in the Pergamon micro-region to disentangle the Holocene geomorphodynamics and triggering factors, for example, climate change and human activity. The analyses of eight radiocarbon-dated sediment profiles from the Tekkedere alluvial fan and its catchment indicate four principal sedimentation phases. Phase 1 (ca. 6.2 to 5–4 ka) is dominated by the floodplain aggradation of the receiving Bakırçay River, which is followed by the formation of floodplain soils (phase 2). Substantial geomorphodynamic changes occurred around 4 ka (phase 3), when the edge of the floodplain was buried by fan sediments of the tributary Tekkedere creek. This is attributed to supraregional aridization and rapid climate change events, superimposed by the onset of local human activities. Repeated cycles of coarse- and fine-textured fan sediments with age inversions after ca. 3.8 ka and valley infills younger than 1300 yr BP indicate the strong erosion and redeposition of sediments in phase 4. These increased geomorphodynamics may coincide with the changing settlement pattern and thus reflect human–environment interactions

Mensch-Umwelt-Interaktionen in der Umgebung der spätbronzezeitlichen Befestigungsanlage Corneşti-Iarcuri, West-Rumänien

This doctoral thesis focuses on human–environment interactions in the environs of the Late Bronze Age enclosure Corneşti-Iarcuri – the largest known settlement of European prehistory. Varying interactions among humans and the environment are considered on different spatial and temporal scales aiming to enhance our understanding of their impacts on the Holocene development of the landscape in the surroundings of Corneşti-Iarcuri and in which ways they were involved in the formation of the respective archaeological context. Moreover, this thesis aims at exemplifying how the integration of results from the disciplines of archaeology and geography can be achieved successfully. It is demonstrated that through the application of geoarchaeological and landscape archaeological approaches the point of view of a hitherto purely archaeological research at Corneşti-Iarcuri is extended. Corneşti-Iarcuri is located in the region of the Romanian Banat at the southern rim of the loess- covered, undulating plains of the Vinga Plain, c. 20 km north of the city of Timişoara. The region is characterized by fertile soils like Chernozems and Phaeozems, intensive arable farming and a moderate temperate climate with mean annual precipitation of 550 mm. The findings that contribute to enhance our understanding of the impact of past and present-day human–environment interactions on the landscape development and on the formation of the archaeological context in the area of Corneşti-Iarcuri as well as the illustration of the integration of disciplinary results are presented in four case studies. They demonstrate that extensive parts of the high plain are affected by an intensification of wind-driven soil erosion that is induced by plowing of the arable fields and causes the ongoing lowering of the surface since historic times. The surface lowering in combination with plowing has a considerable impact on the preservation of the archaeological record, because the destructive impact of the plow continuously reaches greater depths affecting the systemic context of the cultural remains or may even cause its complete destruction. In specific locations on the high plains hollow ways are identified that mainly formed during the Late Bronze Age as a consequence of trampling along frequently used footpaths, i.e. connecting settlements or leading through the gates of the enclosure. The trampling-induced compaction of the surface leads to reduced infiltration capacity and accelerated surface runoff finally facilitating the formation of path-oriented gullies. As these hollow ways ultimately form part of the archaeological context they provide first evidence of how people moved through the built-up area of Corneşti- Iarcuri and the adjacent landscape and how their regular movement transformed the landscape in the Late Bronze Age. The process of integrating disciplinary results is illustrated applying a conceptual model that also considers possible feedbacks back into the disciplines. The model exemplifies that close cooperation and intellectual exchange among the disciplines of archaeology and geography leads to the development of new hypotheses that are subsequently integrated into more holistic and rigorous interdisciplinary interpretations.Die vorliegende Dissertation untersucht Mensch-Umwelt-Interaktionen in der Umgebung der spätbronzezeitlichen Befestigungsanlage Corneşti-Iarcuri – der größten Siedlung der Europäischen Prähistorie. Dabei werden verschiedene Arten von Mensch-Umwelt-Interaktionen auf unterschiedlichen räumlichen und zeitlichen Ebenen berücksichtigt. Das Ziel ist die Verbesserung des Verständnisses in, welchem Maße diese Interaktionen Einfluss auf die holozäne Landschaftsentwicklung im Umland von Corneşti-Iarcuri hatten und in welcher Weise sie an der Herausbildung des archäologischen Kontexts beteiligt sind. Darüber hinaus soll eine Möglichkeit zur erfolgreichen Einbindung von archäologischen und geographischen Ergebnissen veranschaulicht werden. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Nutzung geoarchäologischer und landschaftsarchäologischer Ansätze die Sichtweise der bisher rein archäologischen Forschung erweitert. Corneşti-Iarcuri liegt in der Region des rumänischen Banats, am südlichen Rand der welligen und mit Löss bedeckten Ebenen der Vinga Plain, etwa 20 km nördlich der Stadt Timişoara. Die Region ist durch fruchtbare Böden, wie etwa Chernozeme und Phaeozeme, intensiven Ackerbau und ein gemäßigtes Klima mit mittleren Jahresniederschlägen von 550 mm gekennzeichnet. Die Erkenntnisse, die einerseits ein verbessertes Verständnis der Einflüsse vergangener und gegenwärtiger Mensch-Umwelt-Interaktionen auf die Entwicklung der Landschaft und die Herausbildung des archäologischen Kontexts im Umland von Corneşti- Iarcuri ermöglichen und andererseits die Einbindung disziplinärer Forschungsergebnisse veranschaulichen, werden in vier Fallstudien präsentiert. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse zeigen, dass weite Teile der Ebene von einer Intensivierung windinduzierter Bodenerosion betroffen sind. Diese wird durch das Pflügen der Ackerflächen verursacht und hat seit historischen Zeiten die kontinuierliche Abtragung der Oberfläche zur Folge. Die Kombination aus Oberflächenabtrag und Pflugtätigkeit hat einen erheblichen Einfluss auf die Erhaltung der archäologischen Zeugnisse, denn die zerstörerische Wirkung des Pflügens erreicht kontinuierlich größere Tiefen und gefährdet daher den systemischen Kontext der kulturellen Überreste; bis hin zu ihrer vollständigen Zerstörung. An einigen Stellen auf den Ebenen konnten Hohlwege identifiziert werden, die vornehmlich während der Spätbronzezeit durch das häufige Beschreiten der Wege, wie etwa zwischen einzelnen Siedlungen oder durch Tore der Befestigungsanlage hindurch, entstanden sind. Die durch das Beschreiten verursachte Kompaktion der Oberfläche führt zu verringerter Infiltrationskapazität und beschleunigtem Oberflächenabfluss und ermöglicht so die Entwicklung von Gullies. Da es sich bei diesen Hohlwegen letztlich um einen Teil des archäologischen Kontexts handelt, geben sie einen ersten Hinweis, wie sich die Menschen innerhalb der bebauten Flächen von Corneşti- Iarcuri und durch die angrenzende Landschaft bewegt haben und in welcher Weise die regelmäßige Nutzung von Wegen in dieser Zeit die Landschaft verändert hat. Der Prozess zur Einbildung disziplinärer Ergebnisse wird anhand eines konzeptionellen Modells veranschaulicht, dass auch mögliche Rückkopplungen zurück in die Disziplinen berücksichtigt. Das Modell zeigt, dass die enge Kooperation und der intellektuelle Austausch zwischen Archäologie und Geographie zur Entwicklung neuer Hypothesen führen, die nachfolgend in holistischeren und präziseren interdisziplinären Interpretationen münden