Late Holocene anthropic degradation records in semi-arid environments (NE Spain and NW Argentina)

Peña-Monné, Jose Luís; Sampietro-Vattuone, María Marta

doi:10.18172/cig.3587

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…In fact, the construction and operation of Roman dams are contemporary to the greatest erosive degradation. Peña‐Monné and Sampietro‐Vattuone (2019) estimated erosion rates of about 4.5 m/1000 years in the valley of the central Ebro depression during such a period. For this reason, all Roman reservoirs were usually filled in a few centuries, losing their utility and being abandoned.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure, evolutionary context and chronological data of the Monforte de Moyuela Roman dam (Ebro Basin, NE of Spain)

et al. 2022

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The Monforte de Moyuela dam, also known as Ermita de la Virgen del Pilar dam, is a Roman reservoir built on a tributary of the Aguasvivas River (Ebro basin, Spain).A multidisciplinary study has been carried out to investigate this kind of Roman water infrastructure. It is the fifth-highest dam (16.8 m) in the Iberian Peninsula and the seventh in the Roman Empire. The initial dam was built ca. 100 B.C.-10 A.D., probably in the period of Augustus, like other nearby Roman dams. It was quickly filled due to the extreme and generalized anthropic degradation in the basin during the Roman period. During the mid-2nd century, the wall was increased in height and its final silting was dated to the early 7th century. The study of the opus caementicium mortars shows constructive differences between the initial and subsequent phases of the wall. These mortars provided charcoal for dating the two phases. In addition, the stratigraphic and edaphological study of the reservoir's sedimentary fill, together with the 14 C ages, allowed us to reconstruct the two main activity cycles and the final siltation of the dam.Subsequently, the dam broke in two phases, which created the two stepped sections located on the current valley bottom. The data obtained allowed the creation of a geomorphological map and an evolutionary model of the valley showing the main differentiated stages, from the initial construction of the dam to its final opening. Although some remains of canals downstream of the dam have been identified, the use of this dam, which remained active for several centuries, still needs to be investigated in greater detail.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure, evolutionary context and chronological data of the Monforte de Moyuela Roman dam (Ebro Basin, NE of Spain)

et al. 2022

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“…The thick and large accumulations of the H1 unit in the shape of alluvial fans and terraces was interpreted by various authors as a response to agricultural overexploitation (Constante and Peña-Monné, 2009;Constante et al, 2010;Peña Monné, 2018;Peña Monné et al, 2004;Peña-Monné and Sampietro-Vattuone, 2019). Most of these H1 accumulations in the valleys are mainly composed of fine sediments from eroded slopes.…”

Section: Paleoenvironmental Changes and Human Impactmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…(a) Holocene cut-and-fill terraces in Bardenas Reales; (b) Val de la Bajada profile (H2 and H3 units); (c) Val de La Poza profile (H1 to H4 units); and (d) La Poza detailed profile with radiocarbon datings (reworked from Pérez-Lambán et al, 2014, 2019). …”

Section: H2 Unitmentioning

confidence: 99%

Morphosedimentary and geoarchaeological records during the last 1400 years in the Ebro depression (NE Spain) and their paleoenvironmental interpretation

et al. 2023

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Most studies on the geomorphological evolution of the Holocene from the Ebro depression (NE Spain) are focused on the period up to the Roman Epoch (218 BC–476 AD) while some references to medieval (476 AD–15th century) deposits are also occasionally dated. This paper focuses on the establishment of aggradation units on the valley bottoms and slopes of the Ebro depression after 1400 BP, their origin, comparison with other areas, and relationship with global paleoenvironmental changes. These units were produced after the incision phase that marked the end of the large Holocene accumulation (unit H1) around 1400 BP (at the end of the Late Roman Epoch). Morphosedimentary records enable us to establish three aggradation units during the last 1400 years: unit H2 ( ca. 1400–650 cal BP); unit H3 – with two H3A subunits ( ca. 650–500 cal BP) and H3B ( ca. 500–320 cal BP); and the H4 unit (after 320 cal BP). These units are organized following five types of aggradation/incision arrangements with differing complexities. There are also connections among these units and two slope stages in the region. Finally, the genetic relationships between these units and global paleoenvironmental changes are shown (LALIA, MCA, and LIA) and related to anthropic activity. This contribution is the first detailed and systematic approach to the study of morphosedimentary units and sedimentary arrangements during the Recent Holocene in the Mediterranean area.

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“…Regarding the environmental impacts caused by past communities, regionally it was noted that ca. 1000 years BP, a process of increasing aridity began, at a time when the valleys of Northwest Argentina were occupied by agro-pastoralist populations (Lindskoug, 2013;Oxman et al, 2016;Peña-Monné & Sampietro-Vattuone, 2019). Although some researchers maintain that during this period, anthropic activity must have exerted pressure and overexploitation of the environment, causing the abandonment of large areas (Peña-Monné & Sampietro-Vattuone, 2019), other studies suggest that while during this period there were important environmental changes that led to landscape modifications, they did not mark the abandonment of these areas by local populations (Meléndez et al, 2018;M.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Erosion control in Prehispanic agrarian landscapes from Northwestern Argentina: El Alto‐Ancasti Highlands case study (Catamarca, Argentina)

et al. 2021

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Recent research in the El Alto-Ancasti Highlands (Northwestern Argentina) has identified an extensive agricultural system distributed in between residential sites. This agricultural system seems to have been vulnerable to a gullying system that caused erosion and soil surface loss. The existence of check dams along the inside of these gullies places the beginning of this erosion process at least during its Prehispanic occupation, between 600 and 1000 AD when the agricultural system was active. Here, we characterise the Prehispanic construction of the agricultural landscape, its impact on soil formation and the interaction established by Prehispanic farmers in the area with the local erosive dynamics along the eastern frontier of Northwestern Argentina. Our study indicates the need to pursue further research into runoff agriculture in these environments and its potential contribution for the mitigation of long-term erosive processes and risks, as well as elucidating strategies towards sustainable soil management by modern-day local communities.

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Late Holocene anthropic degradation records in semi-arid environments (NE Spain and NW Argentina)

Cited by 6 publications

References 28 publications

Structure, evolutionary context and chronological data of the Monforte de Moyuela Roman dam (Ebro Basin, NE of Spain)

Structure, evolutionary context and chronological data of the Monforte de Moyuela Roman dam (Ebro Basin, NE of Spain)

Morphosedimentary and geoarchaeological records during the last 1400 years in the Ebro depression (NE Spain) and their paleoenvironmental interpretation

Erosion control in Prehispanic agrarian landscapes from Northwestern Argentina: El Alto‐Ancasti Highlands case study (Catamarca, Argentina)

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