Geoarchaeological evidence of landscape degradation in the Valley of the Muses (Boeotia, Greece) during classical antiquity

At the foot of Mount Helicon, in Boeotia, Central Greece, is located the Valley of the Muses, traversed by the Askris River. The valley was known in the Antiquity as the location of the Sanctuary of the Muses, where every four years festivals (Mouseia) were held in honor of the muses. It was also the place of birth of the poet Hesiod. Therefore, even today it retains a special mythical appeal. At that time, the humidity provided by the mountain massif surrounding the valley should have helped to create an ideal landscape to stimulate poetic inspiration and literary and musical creativity. In the words of Pausanias ‘Helikon is one of the mountains of Greece with the most fertile soil and the greatest number of cultivated trees. The wild-strawberry bushes supply to the goats sweeter fruit than that growing anywhere else’. He also spoke of the existence of a ‘holly forest’ in the area of the Sanctuary. It is difficult to recognize this special environment at present at the head of the valley and on Mount Helicon, where the Muses Sanctuary was located and to imagine the magnetism of the area as a meeting point for such a particular artistic activity. This is because the imprint left by the complex process of subsequent human occupation of the area generated profound changes in the landscape of the valley, also extensive to nearby areas. Besides, only a few remains of the theater and the Sanctuary of the Muses as well as such ancient settlements of the surroundings, as Askra and Thespies, are lying under present crops or scrub. Much archaeological and geoarchaeological information about these historic sites and landscapes however has been recovered since 1978 due to the Boeotia Project directed by John Bintliff and Anthony Snodgrass.Fil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; EspañaFil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Geoarchaeological evidence of landscape degradation in the Valley of the Muses (Boeotia, Greece) during classical antiquity

At the foot of Mount Helicon, in Boeotia, Central Greece, is located the Valley of the Muses, traversed by the Askris River. The valley was known in the Antiquity as the location of the Sanctuary of the Muses, where every four years festivals (Mouseia) were held in honor of the muses. It was also the place of birth of the poet Hesiod. Therefore, even today it retains a special mythical appeal. At that time, the humidity provided by the mountain massif surrounding the valley should have helped to create an ideal landscape to stimulate poetic inspiration and literary and musical creativity. In the words of Pausanias ‘Helikon is one of the mountains of Greece with the most fertile soil and the greatest number of cultivated trees. The wild-strawberry bushes supply to the goats sweeter fruit than that growing anywhere else’. He also spoke of the existence of a ‘holly forest’ in the area of the Sanctuary. It is difficult to recognize this special environment at present at the head of the valley and on Mount Helicon, where the Muses Sanctuary was located and to imagine the magnetism of the area as a meeting point for such a particular artistic activity. This is because the imprint left by the complex process of subsequent human occupation of the area generated profound changes in the landscape of the valley, also extensive to nearby areas. Besides, only a few remains of the theater and the Sanctuary of the Muses as well as such ancient settlements of the surroundings, as Askra and Thespies, are lying under present crops or scrub. Much archaeological and geoarchaeological information about these historic sites and landscapes however has been recovered since 1978 due to the Boeotia Project directed by John Bintliff and Anthony Snodgrass.Fil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; EspañaFil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Paisagens herdadas: a degradação agrocerâmica do vale de Tafí e suas relações com o noroeste argentino

The aim of this paper is to show the long-term effects produced by Prehispanic agricultural occupations in the Tafí valley, Northwestern Argentina, providing a synthesis of the degradative processes triggered by those populations together with their consequences on present landscape. Our approach used a geoarchaeological perspective and integrated the information from other arid valleys in the region. The main manifestation of this degradative process is recorded in the deposits of the H2 morphostratigraphic unit, which is extremely large and has been dated between ca. 4200 and 600 BP in valley bottoms. Its stratigraphic record contains cultural materials from Prehispanic populations of primary and secondary contexts. Environmental degradation is evidenced by the presence of accelerated morphogenetic processes, with sedimentation rates that were twice as high since the settlement of agropastoral communities. These rates increased from 1-1.7 m/1000 yr to 2.5-3 m/1000 yr. At the same time, the (now buried) paleosoils of the valleys described in Prehispanic agricultural terraces are eroded on their superficial horizons (2A) and show loss of the soil silt fraction, as well as chemical alterations.   El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar los efectos a largo plazo producidos por las ocupaciones prehispánicas agroalfareras del valle de Tafí, Noroeste Argentino, realizando una síntesis de los procesos degradativos generados por tales poblaciones y su repercusión en la configuración actual del paisaje desde una perspectiva geoarqueológica, integrando información de otros valles áridos de la región. La principal manifestación de este fenómeno degradativo ha quedado registrada en los depósitos de la unidad morfoestratigráfica H2 depositada entre ca. 4200 y 600 años AP en los fondos de los valles y que alcanza enormes dimensiones. Su registro estratigráfico contiene rasgos materiales de las ocupaciones humanas prehispánicas de índole primaria y secundaria. El deterioro ambiental se evidencia en primer lugar en los procesos de morfogénesis acelerada, duplicándose prácticamente las tasas de sedimentación a partir del asentamiento de las comunidades agropastoriles en la zona (alrededor del 2200 AP), pasando de 1-1,7 m/1000 años a 2,5-3 m/1000 años. Al mismo tiempo, otra pauta de degradación general del valle se aprecia en el deterioro de los paleosuelos (hoy enterrados) en las zonas agrícolas prehispánicas, donde se registra erosión parcial o total de los horizontes superficiales (2A) y pérdida de materiales finos (fracción limo especialmente) así como alteraciones químicas.O objetivo deste trabalho é mostrar os efeitos a longo prazo produzidos pelas ocupações pré-hispânicas agrocerâmicas do Vale de Tafí, Noroeste da Argentina, elaborando uma síntese dos processos degradativos gerados por tais populações e sua repercussão na configuração atual da paisagem a partir de uma perspectiva geoarqueológica, integrando informações de outros vales áridos da região. A principal manifestação deste fenômeno degradativo foi registrada nos depósitos da unidade morfoestratigráfica H2 depositada entre ca. 4200 e 600 anos AP nos fundos dos vales, e que atinge enormes dimensões. Seu registro estratigráfico contém características materiais de ocupações humanas pré-hispânicas de natureza primária e secundária. A deterioração ambiental é evidenciada em primeiro lugar nos processos de morfogênese acelerada, praticamente dobrando as taxas de sedimentação a partir do assentamento das comunidades agropastoris na área (em torno de 2200 AP), passando de 1-1,7 m/1000 anos a 2,5-3 m/1000 anos. Ao mesmo tempo, outro ponto de degradação geral do vale pode ser visto na deterioração dos paleossolos (atualmente enterrados) nas áreas agrícolas pré-hispânicas, onde se registra erosão parcial ou total dos horizontes superficiais (2A) e perda de materiais finos (fração silte especialmente), bem como alterações químicas. 

The holocene paleoenvironmental sequence of the eastern slope of Loma Pelada (Tafí Valley, Argentine Northwest): climatic changes and human action

Se ha realizado un detallado estudio de las acumulaciones holocenas en 18 quebradas del valle de Tafí, que ha permitido reconocer una amplia secuencia evolutiva desde ca. 13000 años hasta la actualidad, que puede servir como modelo de referencia general para las depresiones intermontanas del Noroeste de Argentina. Esta secuencia se ha elaborado a partir del estudio geomorfológico y geoarqueológico, mediante la realización de mapas, perfiles transversales y longitudinales y cortes estratigráficos, en los que se recoge toda la información paleoambiental y de la ocupación humana en la vertiente oriental de Loma Pelada. Estos datos se contextualizaron con la información existente a nivel regional y global para generar un modelo evolutivo de mayor significación. La etapa agradativa más antigua (unidad morfosedimentaria 4) abarca el Holoceno inferior y medio (ca. 13000-ca. 4200 AP) y originó una importante acumulación en laderas, valles y conos aluviales, con variado significado paleoclimático, culminando con un nivel de cenizas volcánicas (V1). Tras una etapa de incisión, se configuró la unidad morfosedimentaria 3, con posterioridad a ca. 4200 AP y hasta alrededor del 1500 AD, conteniendo abundante información geoarqueológica y paleoambiental que abarca la cultura Tafí y el Periodo de Desarrollos Regionales. Esta etapa acumulativa es consecuencia de las altas tasas de erosión desencadenadas en estas cuencas debido a la degradación generada por las actividades agrarias intensivas en estas etapas culturales. Finalmente, las unidades 2 y 1 son de época más reciente, relacionadas con la variabilidad climática durante la Pequeña Edad del Hielo, reflejada en dos fases de agradación, menos importantes que las anteriores, separadas una etapa de incisión intermedia.A detailed study of the holocene accumulations in 18 streams of the Tafí valley has been carried out, which has allowed to recognize a wide evolutionary sequence from ca. 13000 years to the present, which can serve as a general reference model for the intermountain depressions of the Northwest of Argentina. This sequence has been elaborated from the geomorphological and geoarchaeological study, by means of maps, cross-sectional and longitudinal profiles, and stratigraphic sections, which collect all the paleoenvironmental information and information on human occupation on the eastern slope of Loma Pelada. These data were contextualized with the existing information at the regional and global level to generate an evolutionary model of greater significance. The oldest pleasant stage (morphosedimentary unit 4) covers the lower and middle Holocene (ca. 13000-ca. 4200 BC) and originated an important accumulation in slopes, valleys and alluvial cones, with varied paleoclimatic significance, culminating in a level of ash volcanic (V1). After an incision stage, morphosedimentary unit 3 was configured, after ca. 4200 AP and until around 1500 AD, containing abundant geo-archaeological and paleoenvironmental information covering the Tafí culture and the Period of Regional Developments. This cumulative stage is a consequence of the high erosion rates triggered in these basins due to the degradation generated by intensive agricultural activities in these cultural stages. Finally, units 2 and 1 are from a more recent period, related to climatic variability during the Little Ice Age, reflected in two phases of gratification, less important than the previous ones, separated by an intermediate incision stage.Fil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza; EspañaFil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentin

Application of 2D/3D models and alteration mapping for detecting deterioration processes in rock art heritage (Cerro Colorado, Argentina): A methodological proposal

Few rock art studies include the state of alteration analysis. This paper proposes a digital non-invasive comprehensive methodology for assessing the state of alteration of rock art. We used a detailed photographic record for making alteration maps, 2D/3D models, micro-topographic reconstructions, weathering models by zones, and the characterization and prevision of weathering progression processes. We applied DStretch plugin to identify pictograms and rock weathering. With two examples, we propose five basic steps: (1) spatial location of the shelters in their geological context; (2) general record in its geomorphological/environmental contexts; (3) systematic record of the cavities through passive sensors and 3D reconstruction; (4) assessment of the active and non-active degradative processes to gain a dynamic perception of the processes involved in the shelter formation and its evolution up to the present; (5) analysis of single motifs and/or panels to assess the weathering state, propose mitigation measures for preventing further deterioration and facilitating long-term conservation.Fil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; Españ

The ancient city of Quilmes: ethnohistory and geoarchaeological context

La antigua ciudad de Quilmes se localiza en el valle del río Santa María, en un punto central entre Pie de Médano y la confluencia con el río Calchaquí. El objetivo de este trabajo es sintetizar sus características, su papel histórico en el Noroeste Argentino y la problemática de su puesta en valor. Además se ponen en evidencia los procesos geomorfológicos que pueden condicionar su conservación, dadas las características de su emplazamiento. La ciudad constituyó uno de los grandes asentamientos del valle y el último bastión de la resistencia indígena. Tras su caída en 1666 los habitantes de la ciudad, junto con pobladores de otras ciudades vecinas, fueron trasladados a la fuerza fuera del valle. El derrotero de los Quilmes incluyó el desmembramiento de toda la población hacia diversos confines del virreinato, incluyendo una travesía de 1400 km hasta la pampa argentina. La población de Calchaquí en general y de Quilmes en particular perdió gradualmente su individualización étnica en un proceso de invisibilización particularmente agudo tras la proclamación de la república. Sin embargo, la Comunidad de Quilmes es una de las primeras en ingresar en el proceso de reindentificación y reclamo de derechos, iniciado en la década del ’70. Durante esta misma época, con objetivos netamente turísticos y ajenos a la Comunidad, se hizo la puesta en valor y reconstrucción de un sector de la ciudad. Sin embargo, es recién en 2002 cuando la Comunidad India Quilmes, amparada en un marco legal favorable, logró la restitución de la antigua ciudad y es hoy su administradora. La ciudad está ubicada en un área de cono activo lo que le dio acceso a fuentes agua. Sin embargo, complica las posibilidades de conservación por la torrencialidad del sistema. Por otra parte, se han realizado innovaciones constructivas sobre parte del sitio sin tomar ningún tipo de medidas de mitigación ni registro. Considerando todo el emplazamiento, la ciudad está repartida en varias unidades geomorfológicas afectadas por los canales que bajan de la sierra y se distribuyen en la zona y generan destrucción de las estructuras por ensanchamiento lateral de los cursos. En el sector restaurado, la eliminación de la vegetación favorece la escorrentía superficial generando zonas de lavado intenso con desplazamiento de sedimentos hacia el muro perimetral.The ancient city of Quilmes is located in Santa María Valley, in a central point between Pie de Médano and the confluence with Calchaquí River. The objective of this paper is to synthetize its characteristics, its historical role in the Northwest of Argentina, and the problematic of its put in value. Besides the geomorphological problems linked with its conservations are showed. The city was one of the biggest Prehispanic settlements of the valley and the last bastion of the indigenous resistance. After its fall, the population, together with other defeated peoples, was forced to abandon the city and distributed to several places across the viceroyalty, as far as the Pampean Plain. Calchaquí population in general and the Quilmes people in particular gradually lost their ethnic individuality in a long time process, especially after the Republican period started. However, the Community of Quilmes was one of the first into start to reconstruct their identity and territorial claim during the ‘70s. During that time, and just with a touristic purpose, unrelated to the Community, the old city was put in value by making a partial reconstruction. However, it was only in 2002 when the Indian Community of Quilmes recovered the city administration. The city is located in an active alluvial fan sector, which gave easier access to water supplies in the past. However, that position is dangerous to its conservation given to its torrentiality. Besides, the new constructions were made without neither mitigation measures nor record of the findings. Considering the whole area, the city is distributed among several geomorphological units affected by the river channels coming from the mountains and distributed across the alluvial fan. These channels are affecting the archaeological structures by lateral erosion of its sides. In the restored area, the elimination of the vegetation cover improves the surface runoff generating areas of intense laminar erosion and the movement of sediments towards the perimeter wall.Fil: Rodríguez, Maia del Rosario. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; ArgentinaFil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; ArgentinaFil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza; Españ

Holocene climate variability and soil erosion hazards on the margins of the lower Ebro Depression, SW of Zaragoza, Spain

The Huerva Valley (NE Spain, 30 km south of Zaragoza) is the contact area between the Iberian mountain range and the lower Ebro Depression. Properties of both geographic regions exist: one can identify Jurassic hard limestone, typical for the Iberian Mountains in the ‘Massive of Mezalocha’ as well as soft horizontal layered Tertiary limestones on the ‘Plana’, typical for the Ebro Depression. Quaternary deposits are present in valley bottoms and hill slope sections. Numerous geomorphological features, mostly of Quaternary age are present in the area: piping, glacis, debris cones, terraces, incisions, etc. Triangular slope facets appear on the southeast slope of the hill ‘Las Coronas’. The facets indicate alternating periods of sedimentation and erosion associated with climate variability during the Holocene. The evidence lies in their shape and relative position. They can only be formed when, after a period of accumulation of colluvium, a facet individualizes due to erosion and incision processes. Their actual position, one facet behind the other, proves climate cycli stimulating now sedimentation, then erosion. Severe climatic conditions (wind, drought, heat and cold) and agriculture make the current landscape extremely vulnerable to erosion. A soil erosion hazard classification for the study area was done using the Van Zuidam (1979) methodology, resulting in an erosion risk map. Gully areas and places with a high degree of incised slopes are most vulnerable to erosion, followed by fluvial ravines situated in the Jura limestone and steep slopes linked to the flat Tertiary platforms. Investigations are currently done to sequence and laterally correlate the observed phenomena

Heritage conservation hazard in archaeological sites in Santa María Valley (NW Argentina): A geoarchaeological approach

Alluvial fans are typical geomorphic features of arid and semiarid mountain areas. Most archaeological sites in Santa María valley (NW Argentina) are located on this kind of landform. The aims of this paper are to describe the geomorphological context and assess the state of conservation of four archaeological sites on the piedmont of Sierra de Quilmes (NW Argentina) from a geoarchaeological perspective; to diagnose the geomorphological processes affecting the sites over the last 50 years; to assess their vulnerability and conservation hazard; and to propose some corrective measures. By mapping with remote sensors (e.g., drones, aerial photographs, and satellite images) and conducting field surveys, we found that most archaeological sites are set on the H1 and H2 units of the alluvial fans. and that their geomorphological dynamic has increased in the last 50 years. The main active processes are debris flows, overflows, and mudflows, accompanied by the development of rills, sheetflood, and aeolian deflation. Human impact is also severe. The four sites need mitigation measures and a structured management plan. To date, no studies of this kind have been done rin the region, although one of the sites has been partially reconstructed for touristic purposes.Fil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; ArgentinaFil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; EspañaFil: Vattuone, Marta Amelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; ArgentinaFil: Medina, Paula L.. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; Argentin

Reconstruction of agrarian practice and land impact in the drylands: A geoarchaeological approach

Mankind is an important factor for landscape and soil change. The reconstruction of past human activities in agricultural lands is a challenge in itself because in these archaeological areas, evidence of artefacts is normally scarce or missing. This challenge must be met with a geoarchaeological methodology that goes beyond usual archaeological approaches. In this paper, we develop a step-by-step proposal for the reconstruction of agrarian behavior of dryland environments, considering geosciences, biogeochemistry, biology, and archaeology.L’espèce humaine joue un rôle important dans les changements affectant les paysages et les terrains superficiels. La reconstitution des activités humaines du passé concernant les terres agricoles représente un défi en lui-même parce que, pour ces secteurs archéologiques, l’évidence d’objets façonnés est normalement rare voire absente. On doit répondre à ce défi par une méthodologie géo-archéologique qui va au-delà des approches archéologiques conventionnelles. Dans cet article, nous décrivons une proposition par étapes, pour la reconstitution des pratiques agraires dans un environnement de sols arides, prenant en compte les géosciences, la biochimie, la biologie et l’archéologie.El hombre es un factor importante de cambio para los paisajes, así como para los suelos. La reconstrucción de las actividades humanas pasadas sobre las tierras agrícolas es un desafío en sí misma. Esto se debe a que en estas áreas arqueológicas la evidencia artefactual es escasa o nula. El desafío debe ser afrontado con metodologías geoarqueológicas que exceden las aproximaciones arqueológicas usuales. En este trabajo desarrollamos paso a paso una propuesta para la reconstrucción del comportamiento agrario en ambientes áridos considerando aportes de las geociencias, biogeoquímica, biología y arqueología.Fil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Universidad Nacional de Tucuman. Facultad de Cs.naturales E Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueologia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. No especifíca;Fil: Roldán, J.. No especifíca;Fil: Maldonado, Mario Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Relict slopes and palaeovalleys at Taracena-Guadalajara (central Spain): Geomorphological and palaeogeographical interpretation

Relict talus are of great interest for the reconstruction of Quaternary paleoenvironments. In this study, a special type of talus developed in the central zone of the Iberian Peninsula is analyzed, which we will refer to as talus-palaeovalley alignments. They constitute talus sequences that conserve the intermediate paleovalleys, arranged in parallel alignments, and separated by the tributary streams of the Henares River. This special arrangement could explain the accelerated transformation of the Pleistocene talus, with very much higher scarp retreat rates than those recorded in the bibliography. The chronologies obtained through OSL in some of the six differentiated stages (S1-S6) are placed in relation with various climatic reconstructions of the Pleistocene and, especially with the glacial phases of the Pyrenees, with which they show good temporal correlations. A further two stages of talus flatirons (S7 and S8) were recorded, which developed during the Holocene, both at the foot of older talus. Independent accumulations also formed at the foot of the main scarps (Muela de Alarilla and Valdenoches). The chronology provided by archaeological remains and radiocarbon dating placed their formation in the Iron Age Cold Epoch and the Little Ice Age (LIA), respectively.Fil: Peña Monné, Jose Luis. Universidad de Zaragoza. Facultad de Filosofía y Letras; EspañaFil: Rubio Fernández, V.. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; EspañaFil: Sampietro Vattuone, Maria Marta. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Laboratorio de Geoarqueología; ArgentinaFil: Garcíav Giménez, R.. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; Españ