Eurasian Journal of Soil Science

Abstract

Studies on paleosols under an archaeological landmark of a rare type (a complex of kurgans with “whiskers”) dating from the Early Iron Age (the fourth century AD) have been performed in the steppe zone of the Transural Plateau. The size and shape of third-order soil polygons under stony ridges (“whiskers”) between the kurgans have been described in detail. The results have shown that the paleosol under the kurgans erected at the turn of the Late Sarmatian and Hun times (1600 years ago) is characterized by a higher humus content and deeper location of the carbonate horizon, compared to the recent soil. This indicates that an increase in atmospheric humidity took place in the fourth century AD.

Keywords

Paleosols, paleoclimate, steppe zone, Early Iron Age

References

<p>Agroklimaticheskie resursy Chelyabinskoi oblasti (Agroclimatic Resources of Chelyabinsk Oblast), Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1977.</p>

<p>Arinushkina, E.V., 1970. Rukovodstvo po khimicheskomu analizu pochv (Handbook of Chemical Soil Analysis), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.</p>

<p>Borisov, A.V., 2002. Development of Soils in the Desert&ndash;Steppe Zone of the Volga&ndash;Don Interfluve over the Past 5000 Years, Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation , Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.</p>

<p>Chernyanskii, S.S., 1999. The History of Soil Development in the Chernozem Zone of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene, Cand. Sci. (Geogr.) Dissertation , Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.</p>

<p>Chernyanskii, S.S., Ivanov, I.V., Demkin, V.A., Tairov,A.D., 1999. Chernozem and Solonetz Soils of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene: Results of Soil- Archaeological Studies, in Kurgan s &ldquo;usami&rdquo; Solonchanka- I (The Solonchanka-I Kurgan with &ldquo;Whiskers&rdquo;), Tr. Muz.&ndash;Zap. &ldquo;Arkaim,&rdquo;Chelyabinsk, pp. 98&ndash;138.</p>

<p>Demkin, V.A., 1984. The Holocene Developmental History of Soils in the Desert&ndash;Steppe Zone of the European Soviet Union, Istoriya razvitiya pochv SSSR v golotsene (The Holocene Developmental History of Soils in the Soviet Union), Pushchino, pp. 130&ndash;131.</p>

<p>Demkin, V.A., 1083. Soils of Dry and Desert Steppes of Eastern Europe in the Ancient and Middle Ages, Extended Abstract of Doctoral (Biol.) Dissertation , Moscow: Moscow State Univ.</p>

<p>Demkin, V.A., 1997. Paleopochvovedenie i arkheologiya (Paleosol Science and Archaeology), Pushchino: PNTs RAN.</p>

<p>Demkin, V.A., Demkina, T.S., 2003. Archaeological Soil Science at the Turn of the Third Millennium, Problemy evolyutsii pochv: Mat-ly IV vseross. konf. (Proc. IV Akll-Russia Conf. &ldquo;Problems in Soil Evolution&rdquo;), Pushchino, pp. 29&ndash;34.</p>

<p>Demkin, V.A., Dergacheva, M.I., Borisov, A.V., 1998. Soil Evolution and Climate Change in the Semidesert Zone of Eastern Europe during the Late Holocene. Pochvovedenie 2: 148&ndash;157.</p>

<p>Demkin, V.A., Demkina, T.S., Borisov, A.V., 2004. Transformation of Soils and Environmental Conditions in the Semidesert Low Volga Region within the Past 4000 Years, Pochvovedenie 3: 271&ndash;283.</p>

<p>Ivanov, I.V., Chernyanskii, S.S., 1996. General Regularities in the Development of Chernozems in Eurasia and Evolution of Chernozems in the Trans-Uralian Region, Pochvovedenie, 9: 1045&ndash;1055.</p>

<p>Ivanov, I.V., Lukovskaya, T.S., 1998. Dynamics of Natural Soil-Forming Conditions and Nature&ndash;Society Interactions in Eurasian Steppes: Some Problems in Holocene Paleogeography, in Ekologiya i pochvy: Izbrannye lektsii I-VII Vserossiiskikh shkol (Ecology and Soils: Selected Lectures at All-Russia Workshops I&ndash;VII), Dobrovol&rsquo;skii, G.V., Ed., Pushchino, vol. 1, pp. 283&ndash;302.</p>

<p>Ivanov, I.V., Plekhanova, L.N., Chichagova, O.A., 2001. Paleosols of the Arkaim Valley and Samara River Basin as Indicators of Ecological Conditions in the Bronze Age, Bronzovyi vek Vostochnoi Evropy: kharakteristika kul&rsquo;tur, khronologiya i periodizatsiya: Mat-ly mezhdunar. nauch.konf. (Proc. Int. Sci. Conf. &ldquo;The Bronze Age in Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Cultures, Chronology, and Periodization&rdquo;), Samara, pp. 375&ndash;384.</p>

<p>Lyubchanskii, I.E., 1998. Chronological Aspects of &ldquo;Whiskered&rdquo; Kurgan Complexes in the Eurasian Steppes, in Kul&rsquo;tury evraziiskikh stepei vtoroi poloviny I tysyacheletiya n.e.: Voprosy khronologii (Eurasian Steppe Cultures in the Second Half of the 1st Millennium AD: Problems of Chronology), Samara, pp. 303&ndash;310.</p>

<p>Lyubchanskii, I.E., Tairov, A.D., 1999. Archaeological Studies on the Solonchanka-I &ldquo;Whiskered&rdquo; Kurgan Complex, in Kurgan s &ldquo;usami&rdquo; Solonchanka-I (The Solonchanka-I Kurgan with &ldquo;Whiskers&rdquo;), Tr. Muz.&ndash;Zap. &ldquo;Arkaim,&rdquo; Chelyabinsk, pp. 5&ndash;62.</p>

<p>Myakina, N.B., Arinushkina, E.V., 1979. Metodicheskoe posobie dlya chteniya rezul&rsquo;tatov khimicheskikh analizov pochv (Methodological Guidelines for Reading the Results of Chemical Soil Analysis), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.</p>

<p>Pesochina, L.S., 2004. Development of Soils and Natural Environment in the Lower Don Region in the Second Half of the Holocene, Extended Abstract of Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Moscow State Univ.</p>

<p>Plekhanova, L.N., 2004. Natural and Anthropogenic Evolution of River Valley Soils in Steppes of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene, Extended Abstract of Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Moscow State Univ.</p>

<p>Plekhanova, L.N., Demkin, V.A., 2005. Ancient Soil Disturbances in River Valleys within the Steppe Zone of the Southeastern Urals, Pochvovedenie 9: 1102&ndash;1111.</p>

<p>Plekhanova, L.N., Demkin, V.A., Zdanovich, G.B., 2007. Evolyutsiya pochv rechnykh dolin stepnogo Zaural&rsquo;ya vo vtoroi polovine golotsena (Evolution of River Valley Soils in Steppes of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene), Moscow: Nauka.</p>

<p>Tairov, A.D., 2003. Izmeneniya klimata stepei i lesostepei Tsentral&rsquo;noi Evrazii vo II&ndash;I tys. do n.e. Materialy k istoricheskim rekonstruktsiyam (Climate Changes in Steppes and Forest-Steppes of Central Eurasia in the Second and First Millennia BC: Materials for Historical Reconstructions), Chelyabinsk.</p>

<p>Zdanovich, D.G. Kirillov, A.K., 2002. Kurgannye pamyatnikiYuzhnogo Zaural&rsquo;ya: arkheoastronomicheskie aspekty issledovaniya (Kurgans in the Southern Transural Region: Archaeoastronomic Aspects), Chelyabinsk: Krokus.</p>

Abstract

Studies on paleosols under an archaeological landmark of a rare type (a complex of kurgans with “whiskers”) dating from the Early Iron Age (the fourth century AD) have been performed in the steppe zone of the Transural Plateau. The size and shape of third-order soil polygons under stony ridges (“whiskers”) between the kurgans have been described in detail. The results have shown that the paleosol under the kurgans erected at the turn of the Late Sarmatian and Hun times (1600 years ago) is characterized by a higher humus content and deeper location of the carbonate horizon, compared to the recent soil. This indicates that an increase in atmospheric humidity took place in the fourth century AD.

Keywords: Paleosols, paleoclimate, steppe zone, Early Iron Age

References

Agroklimaticheskie resursy Chelyabinskoi oblasti (Agroclimatic Resources of Chelyabinsk Oblast), Leningrad: Gidrometeoizdat, 1977.

Arinushkina, E.V., 1970. Rukovodstvo po khimicheskomu analizu pochv (Handbook of Chemical Soil Analysis), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.

Borisov, A.V., 2002. Development of Soils in the Desert–Steppe Zone of the Volga–Don Interfluve over the Past 5000 Years, Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation , Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.

Chernyanskii, S.S., 1999. The History of Soil Development in the Chernozem Zone of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene, Cand. Sci. (Geogr.) Dissertation , Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.

Chernyanskii, S.S., Ivanov, I.V., Demkin, V.A., Tairov,A.D., 1999. Chernozem and Solonetz Soils of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene: Results of Soil- Archaeological Studies, in Kurgan s “usami” Solonchanka- I (The Solonchanka-I Kurgan with “Whiskers”), Tr. Muz.–Zap. “Arkaim,”Chelyabinsk, pp. 98–138.

Demkin, V.A., 1984. The Holocene Developmental History of Soils in the Desert–Steppe Zone of the European Soviet Union, Istoriya razvitiya pochv SSSR v golotsene (The Holocene Developmental History of Soils in the Soviet Union), Pushchino, pp. 130–131.

Demkin, V.A., 1083. Soils of Dry and Desert Steppes of Eastern Europe in the Ancient and Middle Ages, Extended Abstract of Doctoral (Biol.) Dissertation , Moscow: Moscow State Univ.

Demkin, V.A., 1997. Paleopochvovedenie i arkheologiya (Paleosol Science and Archaeology), Pushchino: PNTs RAN.

Demkin, V.A., Demkina, T.S., 2003. Archaeological Soil Science at the Turn of the Third Millennium, Problemy evolyutsii pochv: Mat-ly IV vseross. konf. (Proc. IV Akll-Russia Conf. “Problems in Soil Evolution”), Pushchino, pp. 29–34.

Demkin, V.A., Dergacheva, M.I., Borisov, A.V., 1998. Soil Evolution and Climate Change in the Semidesert Zone of Eastern Europe during the Late Holocene. Pochvovedenie 2: 148–157.

Demkin, V.A., Demkina, T.S., Borisov, A.V., 2004. Transformation of Soils and Environmental Conditions in the Semidesert Low Volga Region within the Past 4000 Years, Pochvovedenie 3: 271–283.

Ivanov, I.V., Chernyanskii, S.S., 1996. General Regularities in the Development of Chernozems in Eurasia and Evolution of Chernozems in the Trans-Uralian Region, Pochvovedenie, 9: 1045–1055.

Ivanov, I.V., Lukovskaya, T.S., 1998. Dynamics of Natural Soil-Forming Conditions and Nature–Society Interactions in Eurasian Steppes: Some Problems in Holocene Paleogeography, in Ekologiya i pochvy: Izbrannye lektsii I-VII Vserossiiskikh shkol (Ecology and Soils: Selected Lectures at All-Russia Workshops I–VII), Dobrovol’skii, G.V., Ed., Pushchino, vol. 1, pp. 283–302.

Ivanov, I.V., Plekhanova, L.N., Chichagova, O.A., 2001. Paleosols of the Arkaim Valley and Samara River Basin as Indicators of Ecological Conditions in the Bronze Age, Bronzovyi vek Vostochnoi Evropy: kharakteristika kul’tur, khronologiya i periodizatsiya: Mat-ly mezhdunar. nauch.konf. (Proc. Int. Sci. Conf. “The Bronze Age in Eastern Europe: Characteristics of Cultures, Chronology, and Periodization”), Samara, pp. 375–384.

Lyubchanskii, I.E., 1998. Chronological Aspects of “Whiskered” Kurgan Complexes in the Eurasian Steppes, in Kul’tury evraziiskikh stepei vtoroi poloviny I tysyacheletiya n.e.: Voprosy khronologii (Eurasian Steppe Cultures in the Second Half of the 1st Millennium AD: Problems of Chronology), Samara, pp. 303–310.

Lyubchanskii, I.E., Tairov, A.D., 1999. Archaeological Studies on the Solonchanka-I “Whiskered” Kurgan Complex, in Kurgan s “usami” Solonchanka-I (The Solonchanka-I Kurgan with “Whiskers”), Tr. Muz.–Zap. “Arkaim,” Chelyabinsk, pp. 5–62.

Myakina, N.B., Arinushkina, E.V., 1979. Metodicheskoe posobie dlya chteniya rezul’tatov khimicheskikh analizov pochv (Methodological Guidelines for Reading the Results of Chemical Soil Analysis), Moscow: Mosk. Gos. Univ.

Pesochina, L.S., 2004. Development of Soils and Natural Environment in the Lower Don Region in the Second Half of the Holocene, Extended Abstract of Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Moscow State Univ.

Plekhanova, L.N., 2004. Natural and Anthropogenic Evolution of River Valley Soils in Steppes of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene, Extended Abstract of Cand. Sci. (Biol.) Dissertation, Moscow: Moscow State Univ.

Plekhanova, L.N., Demkin, V.A., 2005. Ancient Soil Disturbances in River Valleys within the Steppe Zone of the Southeastern Urals, Pochvovedenie 9: 1102–1111.

Plekhanova, L.N., Demkin, V.A., Zdanovich, G.B., 2007. Evolyutsiya pochv rechnykh dolin stepnogo Zaural’ya vo vtoroi polovine golotsena (Evolution of River Valley Soils in Steppes of the Transural Region in the Second Half of the Holocene), Moscow: Nauka.

Tairov, A.D., 2003. Izmeneniya klimata stepei i lesostepei Tsentral’noi Evrazii vo II–I tys. do n.e. Materialy k istoricheskim rekonstruktsiyam (Climate Changes in Steppes and Forest-Steppes of Central Eurasia in the Second and First Millennia BC: Materials for Historical Reconstructions), Chelyabinsk.

Zdanovich, D.G. Kirillov, A.K., 2002. Kurgannye pamyatnikiYuzhnogo Zaural’ya: arkheoastronomicheskie aspekty issledovaniya (Kurgans in the Southern Transural Region: Archaeoastronomic Aspects), Chelyabinsk: Krokus.