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Palaeoecological evidence from buried topsoils and colluvial layers at the Bronze Age fortification Corneşti-Iarcuri, SW Romania: results from palynological, sedimentological, chronostratigraphical and plant macrofossil analyses

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Abstract

Located in the Romanian Banat region, the Late Bronze Age (LBA) fortification Corneşti-Iarcuri is the largest known prehistoric settlement in Europe. Archaeobotanical and geoarchaeological investigations have targeted the reconstruction of vegetation, land use practices and subsistence strategies at the site, together with related human impact and environmental changes in the wider study area. Since colluvia constitute valuable archives in terms of landscape history and anthropogenic disturbance, one major focus was put on floodplain profiles. In the valleys, two generations of colluvium prevailed which were separated by fossil topsoils. Based on several radiocarbon datings, a chronology of events, including distinct phases of geomorphological activity and stability, has been established. Some of the buried palaeosurfaces contained pollen in sufficient concentrations to confirm off-site data from the Vinga area, where the regional vegetation during the Middle Copper Age consisted of Tilia-dominated woodlands with steppe elements. Following a major Late Copper Age deforestation phase that also led to considerable soil erosion, the gradual formation of a cultural landscape is documented by a progressive decline in tree cover in which Quercus gained relative importance, and a continuous presence of land use indicators. Plant macro-remains from archaeological excavations underpin both the openness of the semi-natural woodlands during the pre-fortification era and the increase of animal husbandry and farming in the LBA. Despite evident settlement pressure, it proved to be a geomorphologically stable phase. Towards the Early Iron Age, the values of anthropogenic markers in on-site pollen spectra rose to values comparable to those in surface samples.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the German Research Foundation (DFG) for funding our archaeobotanical project (Grant No. STO-720/4) from 2013 to 2019. We are grateful to our colleagues from Soil Science/Physical Geography (H. Thiemeyer, D. Fritzsch) at the Goethe University in Frankfurt. Finally, we very much appreciate the constructive suggestions from our reviewers.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Archaeobotanical Laboratory, Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Goethe University, Norbert-Wollheim-Platz 1, 60329, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Maren Gumnior, Rüdiger Krause & Astrid Stobbe

  2. Am Dorf 12, 63517, Rodenbach, Germany

    Christoph Herbig

  3. Department of Geography, West University, Bd. V Parvan, No. 4, 300223, Timişoara, Romania

    Petru Urdea

  4. National Museum of Banat, Piata Huniade Iancu 1, 300002, Timişoara, Romania

    Adrian C. Ardelean & Andrei Bălărie

Authors
  1. Maren Gumnior
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  2. Christoph Herbig
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  3. Rüdiger Krause
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  4. Petru Urdea
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  5. Adrian C. Ardelean
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  6. Andrei Bălărie
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  7. Astrid Stobbe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maren Gumnior.

Additional information

Communicated by J. Lechterbeck.

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Gumnior, M., Herbig, C., Krause, R. et al. Palaeoecological evidence from buried topsoils and colluvial layers at the Bronze Age fortification Corneşti-Iarcuri, SW Romania: results from palynological, sedimentological, chronostratigraphical and plant macrofossil analyses. Veget Hist Archaeobot 29, 173–188 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-019-00762-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00334-019-00762-1

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