Late glacial environmental history and early soil formation in Northwest Switzerland

In 1996, well preserved deer bones, antler fragments and black grouse bones were found in a filled karst crack. Those animal remains were discovered in a limestone quarry in the Jura Mountains near Dittingen (canton Basel-Landschaft, Northwest Switzerland). The site is located in a gully of a dry valley beneath a loess covered high plain. In the framework of an archaeological excavation, the karst crack filling and overlying sediments (hill-washed loess, soils and colluviums) were documented. Samples for granulometry, geochemistry, micromorphology and palynology were analysed. The animal remains derived from the karstic fissure were radiocarbon dated to the early Bølling Interstadial (14’800 to 14’200 cal. BP). In addition, the palynological study shows that the overlying gully sediments were deposited between the Younger Dryas and the Middle Ages. The interdisciplinary investigation of the sediments revealed new insights into early soil formation processes, morphogenetic events and the vegetation history of periglacial environments. The new results clearly show that soil formation started immediately in the early Late Glacial. Decalcification and clay illuviation quickly developed in the course of intense vertical water flow through the sediment. It is therefore evident that luvisol development took place during the Late Glacial Interstadial (Bølling-Allerød Interstadial)

Non-Sequential Ensemble Kalman Filtering using Distributed Arrays

This work introduces a new, distributed implementation of the Ensemble Kalman Filter (EnKF) that allows for non-sequential assimilation of large datasets in high-dimensional problems. The traditional EnKF algorithm is computationally intensive and exhibits difficulties in applications requiring interaction with the background covariance matrix, prompting the use of methods like sequential assimilation which can introduce unwanted consequences, such as dependency on observation ordering. Our implementation leverages recent advancements in distributed computing to enable the construction and use of the full model error covariance matrix in distributed memory, allowing for single-batch assimilation of all observations and eliminating order dependencies. Comparative performance assessments, involving both synthetic and real-world paleoclimatic reconstruction applications, indicate that the new, non-sequential implementation outperforms the traditional, sequential one

Ein Einzelknochen kommt selten allein. Histotaphonomische Analysen von zwei Menschenknochen aus Burgäschisee-Nord

Zum ersten Mal wurden histotaphonomische Untersuchungen an menschlichen Einzelknochen aus dem Kontext von neolithischen Feuchtbodenfundstellen vorgenommen. Es handelt sich dabei um ein Femur- (BAS 1) und ein Scapulafragment (BAS 2), die aus zwei unterschiedlichen Besiedlungshorizonten (BAS 1, 3830-3780 BC/ BAS 2, 3340-3100 calBC) der prähistorischen Fundstelle Aeschi SO, Burgäschisee-Nord stammen. Von diesen wurden zwei in Kunstharz eingegossene und zu Dünnschliffen gearbeitete Proben unter dem Mikroskop histotaphonomisch untersucht. Beide Knochen zeigen keinerlei Bioerosion. Dabei ist insbesondere das Ausbleiben von Spuren körpereigener Bakterien bedeutend, die im Zuge der Verwesung üblicherweise einen starken Befall verursachen. Das Fehlen solcher Spuren deutet auf eine perimortale Manipulation des betroffenen Körpers hin und gibt damit bisher unbekannte Einblicke in die Totenbehandlung im Neolithikum der Schweiz.For the first time, histotapohnomic analyses were carried out on human bones from the context of Neolithic wetland sites. The analysed pieces consisted of a fragment of each a femur (BAS 1) and a scapula (BAS 2). Both are dated to different chronological horizons (BAS 1, 3830-3780 BC/ BAS 2, 3340-3100 calBC) and have been found on the Neolithic site of Aeschi SO, Burgäschisee-Nord. Two samples of these bones were cast in epoxi resin and prepared into thin sections for histotaphonomic analysis under the microscope. Both samples show no signs of bioerosion. The absence of traces of endogenous bacteria is particularly significant, as these usually cause heavy infestation in the normal course of putrefaction. The absence of such traces indicates perimortal manipu-lation of the affected bodies and thus provides hitherto unknown insights into the treatment of the dead in the Neolithic of Switzerland.Pour la première fois, des analyses histotapohnomiques ont été effectuées sur des os humains provenant de sites lacustres néolithiques. Les pièces analysées étaient constituées de fragments d’un fémur (BAS 1) et d'une omoplate (BAS 2). Trouvés sur le site néolithique d’Aeschi SO, Burgäschisee-Nord, ces deux os datent de périodes différentes (BAS 1, 3830-3780 av. J.-C. / BAS 2, 3340-3100 cal BC). Deux échantillons ont été coulés dans de la résine synthétique et préparés en lames minces pour une analyse histotaphonomique au microscope. Ils ne montrent aucun signe de bioérosion. L'absence de traces de bactéries endogènes est particulièrement significative, car elles sont actives dans le cours normal de la décomposition. L'absence de telles traces indique une manipulation perimortem des corps des défunts et fournit ainsi des indications jusqu'ici inconnues sur le traitement des morts au Néolithique en Suiss

Ausflug in die Vergangenheit. Archäologische Streifzüge durchs Baselbiet

Im Kanton Baselland sind die archäologisch fassbaren Spuren der Vergangenheit vielfältig. Es sind die Hinterlassenschaften der Kelten und Römer und unserer Vorfahren aus dem Mittelalter bis in die Neuzeit. Die Archäologie hat aber auch Zeugnisse ans Licht gebracht, die noch älter sind und von der Frühzeit der Menschheit berichten. Die Vergangenheit der Heimat zu kennen, heisst die eigene Identität zu verstehen. Dieses Buch führt den historisch interessierten Wanderer zu den archäologischen Fundstellen im Kanton Baselland. Thematisiert werden die Landschaftsgeschichte, der Wandel von Vegetation und Fauna, und vor allem die Grundzüge der Geschichte von den Anfängen bis in die Neuzeit. Zudem bietet das Buch Einblicke in die archäologische Forschung des Kantons. 19 Wanderrouten werden vorgestellt. Ein kostenloses App für Smartphone ergänzt das Buch. GPS-gesteuert führt es den Wanderer zu den Fundstellen im Kanton und kommentiert audiovisuell viel Wissenswertes an Ort und Stelle. Dieses Buch und das App sind die ersten der neuen Reihe Ausflug in die Vergangenheit. Nach und nach sollen weitere Kantone und Regionen vorgestellt werden, damit die Geschichte der Schweiz und ihre herrliche Landschaft erfahren und erwandert werden können

3D visualization of bioerosion in archaeological bone

Palaeoradiology is increasingly being used in archaeological and forensic sciences as a minimally invasive alternative to traditional histological methods for investigating bone microanatomy and its destruction by diagenetic processes. To better understand ancient mortuary practices, taphonomic studies using microCT scanning methods are gaining an ever more important role. Recently it was demonstrated that 2D virtual sections obtained by microCT scanning of intact samples are comparable to physical sections for the rating and diagnosis of bioerosion in archaeological bone. Importantly, volume image data obtained from tomographic methods also allow the rendering and analysis of 3D models. Building on these methods we provide (1) detailed descriptions of bioerosion in 3D volume renderings, virtual sections, and traditional micrographs, and (2) accessible techniques for the visualization of bioerosion in skeletal samples. The dataset is based on twenty-eight cortical bone samples, including twenty femora (of which five are cremated), two ribs, two parietals, one mandibular ramus, one humerus, and two faunal long bones from five archaeological sites in Lower Austria dating from the Early Neolithic to the Late Iron Age. Notably, we reduce the need for time-consuming image segmentation by sequentially applying two noise-reducing, edge-preserving filters, and using an image-display transfer function that visualizes bioerosion, as well as Haversian and Volkmann canal structure and density in 3D. In doing so we are also able to visualize in 3D the invasion of canals by microbiota, which has previously only been reported in 2D sections. Unlike conventional thin sections, the 3D volume images shown here are easy to create and interpret, even for archaeologists inexperienced in histology, and readily facilitate the illustration and communication of microtaphonomic effects

Substantiating microCT for diagnosing bioerosion in archaeological bone using a new Virtual Histological Index (VHI)

Recent technological advances have broadened the application of palaeoradiology for non-destructive investigation of ancient remains. X-ray microtomography (microCT) in particular is increasingly used as an alternative to histological bone sections for interpreting pathological alterations, trauma, microstructure, and, more recently, bioerosion with direct or ancillary use of histological indices. However, no systematic attempt has been made to confirm the reliability of microCT for histotaphonomic analysis of archaeological bone. The objective of this study is therefore to compare thin sections of human femora rated with the Oxford Histological Index to microCT sections using the newly developed Virtual Histological Index in order to provide an accessible methodology for the evaluation of bioerosion in archaeological bone. We provide detailed descriptions of virtual sections and assess the efficacy of the method on cranial and postcranial elements, cremated long bones, and faunal samples. The traditional histological and virtual methods showed a strong correlation, providing the first systematic data substantiating lab-based microCT as a suitable alternative tool for reconstructing post-mortem history in the archaeological record, and for the reliable, non-destructive screening of samples for further analyses