Multi-proxy survey of open-air surface scatters in drylands: Archaeological and physico-chemical characterisation of fossilised dunes in North Gujarat (India)

This research aims at improving our understanding of open-air archaeological surface scatters in drylands, their extension and the intensity of human activities during their occupation. To do so, the study of physico-chemical proxies is integrated to that of archaeological artefacts by means of systematic field survey combined with laboratory sedimentary analyses and a robust statistical approach. In most dry regions, archaeological survey has traditionally aimed at the collection of artefacts. When present, the study of physical and geochemical samples has been limited to excavated archaeological levels. In this work, we evaluate the archaeological significance of physico-chemical proxies from surface samples collected within and around four mid and late-Holocene surface scatters in North Gujarat, a semi-arid region located at the south-west margin of the Thar Desert in India. The four archaeological scatters are found on top of fossilised sand dunes. Archaeologically, they represent subsistence strategies based on hunting and gathering, agro-pastoralism, or a succession/mixture of the two. The four locations were systematically sampled across a linear transect. For each sampling unit, the archaeological materials were quantified and classified by means of a Linear Discriminant Analyses. Physio-chemical variables were ordinated in a PCA space and clustered through a Hierarchical Clustering. Results were displayed along the dune transect and integrated into a Correspondence Analysis. Significant differences are attested in the spatial distribution and content of Ca, P and grain size, allowing us to suggest a set of distinct cultural soilscapes that characterise the dunes of the study area: vertisols (agric horizons in interdunal lower slopes), aridisols (relict dune surfaces in the mid-slope), and anthrosols (top dune). The last show a strong correspondence with the presence of archaeological artefacts, and the different intensity of human footprint are discussed accordingly to potential past subsistence strategies and the intensity of human occupation. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA.This research arises from collaboration between the MS University of Baroda and the IMF-CSIC (Spanish National Research Council) within the framework of the North Gujarat Archaeological Project (NoGAP) and the SimulPast Project CSD2010-00034). F.C.Conesa acknowledges worked on this paper with funding from the JAE-PreDoc program (CSIC and European Social Found). A. L. Balbo worked on this paper under the Juan de la Cierva Programme (MINECO JCI-2011-10734), and with a Research Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation/Stiftung.Peer reviewe

Automated detection of archaeological mounds using machine-learning classification of multisensor and multitemporal satellite data.

This paper presents an innovative multisensor, multitemporal machine-learning approach using remote sensing big data for the detection of archaeological mounds in Cholistan (Pakistan). The Cholistan Desert presents one of the largest concentrations of Indus Civilization sites (from ca 3300 to 1500 BC). Cholistan has figured prominently in theories about changes in water availability, the rise and decline of the Indus Civilization, and the transformation of fertile monsoonal alluvial plains into an extremely arid margin. This paper implements a multisensor, multitemporal machine-learning approach for the remote detection of archaeological mounds. A classifier algorithm that employs a large-scale collection of synthetic-aperture radar and multispectral images has been implemented in Google Earth Engine, resulting in an accurate probability map for mound-like signatures across an area that covers ca 36,000 km2 The results show that the area presents many more archaeological mounds than previously recorded, extending south and east into the desert, which has major implications for understanding the archaeological significance of the region. The detection of small (30 ha) suggests that there were continuous shifts in settlement location. These shifts are likely to reflect responses to a dynamic and changing hydrological network and the influence of the progressive northward advance of the desert in a long-term process that culminated in the abandonment of much of the settled area during the Late Harappan period.ER

Occupation and mobility in high-mountain agropastoral societies: a proposal for an ethnoarchaeological study in the Jbel Sirwa (Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Desde los orígenes de la domesticación, las sociedades agropastoriles de alta montaña han sido un ejemplo excepcional de adaptación y resiliencia a territorios inhóspitos, ya que requieren de un delicado equilibrio entre las actividades de trashumancia y cultivo para poder asegurar la continuidad del grupo. Los trabajos arqueológicos sobre estas sociedades han dejado tras de sí numerosas preguntas sobre la relación entre los humanos y el medio de montaña. Todos estos interrogantes nos han llevado a estudiar la materialidad de la vida cotidiana de las poblaciones agropastoriles del Jbel Sirwa. Así pues, desde el proyecto ARCHEOMOBAS, ofrecemos esta propuesta metodológica interdisciplinar para llevar a cabo estudios etnoarqueológicos de este tipo de comunidades en territorios montañosos.Since the first days of domestication, high mountain agropastoral societies have provided an exceptional example of adaptation and resilience to inhospitable territories, as the maintenance of population groups requires a delicate balance between transhumance and cultivation activities. Archaeological research into these societies has left numerous questions about the relationship between humans and the mountain environment unresolved. These questions have motivated the authors to explore the materiality of the daily life of the agropastoral populations of the Jbel Sirwa. Thus, with this proposal, the ARCHEOMOBAS project outlines an interdisciplinary methodological approach intended to carry out ethnoarchaeological studies of this kind of community in mountainous territories

Exploring green gentrification in 28 global North cities : the role of urban parks and other types of greenspaces

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MAlthough cities globally are increasingly mobilizing re-naturing projects to address diverse urban socio-environmental and health challenges, there is mounting evidence that these interventions may also be linked to the phenomenon known as green gentrification. However, to date the empirical evidence on the relationship between greenspaces and gentrification regarding associations with different greenspace types remains scarce. This study focused on 28 mid-sized cities in North America and Western Europe. We assessed improved access to different types of greenspace (i.e. total area of parks, gardens, nature preserves, recreational areas or greenways [i] added before the 2000s or [ii] added before the 2010s) and gentrification processes (including [i] gentrification for the 2000s; [ii] gentrification for the 2010s; [iii] gentrification throughout the decades of the 2000s and 2010s) in each small geographical unit of each city. To estimate the associations, we developed a Bayesian hierarchical spatial model foreach city and gentrification time period (i.e. a maximum of three models per city). More than half of our models showed that parks-together with other factors such as proximity to the city center-are positively associated with gentrification processes, particularly in the US context, except in historically Black disinvested postindustrial cities with lots of vacant land. We also find than in half of our models newly designated nature preserves are negatively associated with gentrification processes, particularly when considering gentrification throughout the 2000s and the 2010s and in the US. Meanwhile, for new gardens, recreational spaces and greenways, our research shows mixed results (some positive, some negative and some no effect associations). Considering the environmental and health benefits of urban re-naturing projects, cities should keep investing in improving park access while simultaneously implementing anti-displacement and inclusive green policies

El último frente del Maresme: la batalla del Turó del Balís a finales de enero de 1939

La batalla del Turó del Balís és un episodi poc conegut que s’emmarca en l’ofensiva de Catalunya i l’ocupació militar del Maresme a les acaballes de la Guerra Civil espanyola. Les tropes republicanes van establir una línia defensiva ocupant els promontoris costaners situats entre Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Sant Vicenç de Montalt i Caldes d’Estrac. El gruix de les forces divisionàries italianes de les Fletxes Blaves va trobar una forta resistència al Turó del Balís, a on s’havia atrinxerat la recentment formada 77a Divisió republicana. Entre els dies 28 i 29 de gener de 1939 tingué lloc un intens combat amb foc creuat d’artilleria fins que el bàndol republicà es retirà en direcció al nou front establert al riu Tordera. Aquest article explora per primera vegada el context històric i espacial de la batalla. Primer, es compara aquest enfrontament amb la resta de l’ofensiva italiana a partir de l’extracció automatitzada de dades del fons documental de les Fletxes Blaves. Tot seguit s’explora l’entorn del turó i la transformació del paisatge en els últims anys. La pressió urbanística de la zona posa en risc la preservació de possibles restes materials i constructives associades als combats. L’estudi arqueològic i la conservació d’aquest espai esdevé un propòsit primordial per a la recuperació de la memòria històrica al Maresme, i representa un pas endavant per posar en relleu la resistència combativa de l’exèrcit republicà durant la defensa de Catalunya.The Battle of Turó del Balís is a relatively little-known episode that occurred during the offensive of Catalonia and the military occupation of the coastal Maresme region in the final stages of the Spanish Civil War. Republican troops established a defensive line throughout the hills encompassing the villages of Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Sant Vicenç de Montalt, and Caldes d'Estrac. The core of the Italian divisional forces of the Blue Arrows encountered strong resistance at Turó del Balís's heights, where the newly formed 77th Republican Division had entrenched itself. Between January 28 and 29, 1939, the two forces fought intense combat accompanied by artillery crossfire until the Republican army retreated towards the new front established up north at the Tordera River. This article explores the historical and spatial context of the battle for the first time. First, it compares the battle with the rest of the Italian campaign through automated text extraction and data visualization from the archival records of the Blue Arrows. Then, it explores the landscape of the battlefield and identifies present-day land use changes that put at risk the preservation of potential material and structural remains associated with the battle. The archaeological study of this space is a primary aim for restoring the Balis episode within the war memory in Catalonia. It becomes a step forward in emphasizing the combative resistance of the Republican army during the defense of the country.La batalla del Turó del Balís es un episodio poco conocido que se enmarca en la ofensiva de Cataluña y la ocupación militar del Maresme a finales de la Guerra Civil española. Las tropas republicanas establecieron una línea defensiva ocupando los promontorios costeros situados entre Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Sant Vicenç de Montalt y Caldes d'Estrac. El grueso de las fuerzas divisionarias italianas de las Flechas Azul encontró una fuerte resistencia en el Turó del Balís, donde se había atrincherado la recién formada 77 División republicana. Entre los días 28 y 29 de enero de 1939 tuvo lugar un intenso combate con fuego cruzado de artillería hasta que el bando republicano se retiró en dirección al nuevo frente establecido en el río Tordera. Este artículo explora por primera vez el contexto histórico y espacial de la batalla. Primero, se compara este enfrentamiento con el resto de la ofensiva italiana a partir de la extracción automatizada de datos del fondo documental de las Flechas Azules. A continuación se explora el entorno de la colina y la transformación del paisaje en los últimos años. La presión urbanística de la zona pone en riesgo la preservación de posibles restos materiales y constructivos asociados a los combates. El estudio arqueológico y la conservación de este espacio se convierte en un propósito primordial para la recuperación de la memoria histórica en el Maresme, y representa un paso adelante para poner de relieve la resistencia combativa del ejército republicano durante la defensa de Cataluña

An Algorithm to Detect Endangered Cultural Heritage by Agricultural Expansion in Drylands at a Global Scale

This article presents AgriExp, a remote-based workflow for the rapid mapping and monitoring of archaeological and cultural heritage locations endangered by new agricultural expansion and encroachment. Our approach is powered by the cloud-computing data cataloguing and processing capabilities of Google Earth Engine and it uses all the available scenes from the Sentinel-2 image collection to map index-based multi-aggregate yearly vegetation changes. A user-defined index threshold maps the first per-pixel occurrence of an abrupt vegetation change and returns an updated and classified multi-temporal image aggregate in almost-real-time. The algorithm requires an input vector table such as data gazetteers or heritage inventories, and it performs buffer zonal statistics for each site to return a series of spatial indicators of potential site disturbance. It also returns time series charts for the evaluation and validation of the local to regional vegetation trends and the seasonal phenology. Additionally, we used multi-temporal MODIS, Sentinel-2 and high-resolution Planet imagery for further photo-interpretation of critically endangered sites. AgriExp was first tested in the arid region of the Cholistan Desert in eastern Pakistan. Here, hundreds of archaeological mound surfaces are threatened by the accelerated transformation of barren lands into new irrigated agricultural lands. We have provided the algorithm code with the article to ensure that AgriExp can be exported and implemented with little computational cost by academics and heritage practitioners alike to monitor critically endangered archaeological and cultural landscapes elsewhere

Use of Satellite SAR for Understanding Long-Term Human Occupation Dynamics in the Monsoonal Semi-Arid Plains of North Gujarat, India

This work explores the spatial distribution of monsoonal flooded areas using ENVISAT C-band Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) in the semi-arid region of N. Gujarat, India. The amplitude component of SAR Single Look Complex (SLC) images has been used to estimate the extent of surface and near-surface water dynamics using the mean amplitude (MA) of monsoonal (July to September) and post-monsoonal (October to January) seasons. The integration of SAR-derived maps (seasonal flooding maps and seasonal MA change) with archaeological data has provided new insights to understand present-day landscape dynamics affecting archaeological preservation and visibility. Furthermore, preliminary results suggest a good correlation between Mid-Holocene settlement patterns and the distribution and extension of seasonal floodable areas within river basin areas, opening interesting inroads to study settlement distribution and resource availability in past socio-ecological systems in semi-arid areas

Remote Sensing and Historical Morphodynamics of Alluvial Plains. The 1909 Indus Flood and the City of Dera Gazhi Khan (Province of Punjab, Pakistan)

This paper explores the historical inundation of the city of Dera Ghazi Kkan (Punjab, Pakistan) in 1909. The rich documentation about this episode available—including historic news reports, books and maps—is used to reconstruct the historical dynamics between an urban settlement and the river morphodynamics in the Indus alluvial plain. Map and document-based historical regressive analysis is complemented with the examination of images obtained through different Remote Sensing techniques, including the use of new algorithms specifically developed for the study of topography and seasonal water availability which make possible to assess long-term changes in the Indus River basin. This case of study provides an opportunity to examine: (1) how historical hydrological dynamics are reflected in RS produced images; (2) the implications of river morphodynamics in the interpretation of settlement patterning; and (3) the documented socio-political responses to such geomorphological change. The results of this analysis are used to consider the long-term dynamics that have influenced the archaeo/cultural landscapes of the Indus River basin. This assessment provides critical insights for: (1) understanding aspects of the formation, preservation of representation of the archaeological record; (2) identifying traces of morphodynamics and their possible impact over the cultural heritage; and (3) offering insights into the role that recent historical documents can have in the interpretation of RS materials. This paper should be read in conjunction with the paper by Cameron Petrie et al. in the same issue of Geosciences, which explores the Survey of India 1” to 1-mile map series and outlines methods for using these historical maps for research on historical landscapes and settlement distribution