The value of soil survey for archaeology

Dekker, L.W.; Weerd, Marga de

doi:10.1016/0016-7061(73)90024-4

Cited by 7 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…In opening up this conversation, this paper presents a case study in Scotland to look at the quality of the information that can be gained from past excavation literature, and how national datasets may provide meaningful information on the preservation environment, post-depositional events and prospective threats to a region's archaeological resource. To date, a handful of studies have applied national soil survey data to the archaeological record, but their focus has primarily been on site prospection [1][2][3] and similar efforts have not been extended to an assessment of heritage at risk. Risk maps offer a valuable resource for heritage management; however, recent iterations have concentrated on catastrophic threats, such as natural disasters [4][5][6], or the long-term effects of pollution, tourism, erosion or climate change [5,7,8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk and Resources: An Evaluation of the Ability of National Soil Datasets to Predict Post-Depositional Processes in Archaeological Sites and Heritage at Risk

Reid

Milek

2021

Heritage

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Previous studies have demonstrated the vast range of physical, chemical and biological processes that influence the preservation of archaeological sites, yet characterisation at the site-level remains largely unexplored. National datasets on soil type, land use and erosion modelling have the potential to predict localised impacts but remain an untapped resource in the evaluation of heritage at risk. Using early medieval Scotland as a case study, this paper explores in detail some of the primary factors which have impacted the archaeological record and the degree to which site-based evidence contained in excavation reports compares with national datasets (Land Cover Map 2015, Soil Information for Scottish Soils and Soils of Scotland Topsoil pH) and coastal erosion models (Dynamic Coast National Coastal Change Assessment and Coastal Erosion Susceptibility Model). This provides valuable information on the preservation of Scotland’s early medieval settlement, as well as a methodology for using national datasets in the remote assessment of post-depositional factors across the broader archaeological landscape. Results indicate that agriculture, bioturbation and aggressive soil conditions are among the most significant factors impacting Scotland’s archaeological remains. While the national datasets examined have the potential to inform heritage management strategies on these processes, their use is limited by a number of theoretical and methodological issues. Moving forward, site-specific studies that characterise the preservation environment will be crucial in developing baseline assessments that will advance both local and global understandings of destructive factors and soil-mediated decay.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk and Resources: An Evaluation of the Ability of National Soil Datasets to Predict Post-Depositional Processes in Archaeological Sites and Heritage at Risk

Reid

Milek

2021

Heritage

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“…Louis Dekker started his career in 1956 as a soil surveyor for Stiboka. He became fascinated by the patterns of soils in the landscape while making the soil maps (Dekker and Deweerd, 1973). After all Dutch soils were surveyed in the 1970s, he immersed himself in finding the origins of the patterns he noticed earlier while discovering new ones at the same time by taking thousands of field samples not only in the Netherlands but in other countries that he happened to visit.…”

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confidence: 99%