Geochemical approach to determine the anthropogenic signal at non-intensively settled archaeological sites – The case of an Iron Age enclosure in Bohemia

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F67985912%3A_____%2F22%3A00552518" target="_blank" >RIV/67985912:_____/22:00552518 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11210/22:10447596 RIV/60460709:41330/22:91635

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816221007530?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816221007530?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2021.105895" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.catena.2021.105895</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Geochemical approach to determine the anthropogenic signal at non-intensively settled archaeological sites – The case of an Iron Age enclosure in Bohemia

Original language description

We present a geochemical analysis of a specific Iron Age type of site known as the Viereckschanze – a square enclosure located in Bělčice, southern Bohemia. We performed soil coring from the topsoil to ca 100 cm depth, with 200 cores (divided into 456 samples). The samples were measured using portable XRF and the final dataset comprised 16 elements (Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Zr, Pb, and LE – ‘light elements’). Because of the compositional character of data expressed in ppm, the data were transformed using isometric log-ratio transformation, which enabled them to carry out a multivariate analysis. This made it possible to determine the anthropogenic and natural content of elements. The site was specific when compared to usual archaeological sites for its ‘unconventional’ chemical signal: 1) the P signal typical for archaeological settlements was found mainly outside of the enclosure, 2) the conventional anthropogenic signal from the inside of the enclosure was only represented by Mn, 3) other elements related to possible anthropogenic activities were revealed only after applying statistical analysis (specifically As, Pb, Zn, Cu), 4) the unusual manifestation of Si and Ti (usually natural signals) strongly connected to anthropogenic contexts was observed. Increased contents of Cu, Zn and especially Pb were recorded in places indicated by previous magnetic measurements which were possibly related to an onsite metalworking activity. Such results could be characterised as a mixture of typical human-related signals (represented mainly by P and Mn) and typical natural signals (like Si, and Ti). These observations corroborate the hypothesis of a specificity of the Viereckschanzen. They did not have to be used exclusively for residential purposes and could have had a different, more complex socio-economic role in the past. Last but not least, their occupation was probably also rather short-time.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

60102 - Archaeology

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Catena

ISSN

0341-8162

e-ISSN

1872-6887

Volume of the periodical

210

Issue of the periodical within the volume

March

Country of publishing house

NL - THE KINGDOM OF THE NETHERLANDS

Number of pages

15

Pages from-to

105895

UT code for WoS article

000791837400001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85120752675