The Pyrogenic Archives of Anthropogenically Transformed Soils in Central Russia
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geosciences Article The Pyrogenic Archives of Anthropogenically Transformed Soils in Central Russia Alexandra Golyeva 1,* , Konstantin Gavrilov 2 , Asya Engovatova 2, Nikita Mergelov 1,* and Nailya Fazuldinova 3 1 Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia 2 Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 117036 Moscow, Russia; [email protected] (K.G.); [email protected] (A.E.) 3 Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (A.G.); [email protected] (N.M.); Tel.: +7-916-329-4335 (A.G.) Abstract: Charred materials (anthracomass) stored within a soil constitute a major part of its py- rogenic archive and could provide evidence of past fire events, both natural and anthropogenic. However, the dynamics of man-made contributions to the total anthracomass of soil at different time scales are insufficiently understood. In this study, we determined the anthracomass concentrations, stocks, and particle-size distribution in anthropogenically transformed soils of different genesis and ages. Materials were collected from the following archaeological sites within Central Russia—3 Upper Paleolithic sites (Avdeevo, Khotylevo-2 and Yudinovo-1), 2 Early Iron Age settlements (Khotylevo-2 and Yaroslavl), and 1 Medieval site (Yaroslavl). Samples from different cultural layers (CLs), plough layers, and native soils (control) were studied. We identified anthracomass accumulation over a wide chronological scale starting from the Upper Paleolithic Period. The high degree of preservation of anthracomass in ancient anthropogenically transformed soils was explained by the presence of Citation: Golyeva, A.; Gavrilov, K.; large fragments of charred bones, which are more durable in comparison to wood charcoal. The Engovatova, A.; Mergelov, N.; Fazuldinova, N. The Pyrogenic anthracomass concentrations and stocks in the Early Iron Age plough layer were lower than those Archives of Anthropogenically in the Medieval plough layer. CLs were generally more enriched in the anthracomass than plough Transformed Soils in Central Russia. layers, due to their sedimentational genesis, which is more favorable for anthracomass preservation Geosciences 2021, 11, 165. https:// than the turbational genesis of plough layers. However, the differences between charred particle doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11040165 sizes in synlithogenic CLs and turbational plough layers were less clear than expected, due to the specific conditions of formation of each particular layer, e.g., burial rate, duration of ploughing, and Academic Editors: Evgeny Chuvilin type of agricultural land use. and Jesus Martinez-Frias Keywords: charcoal; anthracomass; anthropogenic impact; Paleolithic; Iron Age; Medieval period Received: 28 February 2021 Accepted: 3 April 2021 Published: 6 April 2021 1. Introduction Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in Soils preserve large amounts of information related to past environmental conditions published maps and institutional affil- and anthropogenic pressures. One aspect of the great diversity of such information is rep- iations. resented by the charred materials (anthracomass) of different genesis (wood and bone) that form the pyrogenic archive of soil. For example, recent studies on the species composition and the particle-size distribution of charcoal assemblages allowed for determinations of wildfire frequency and tree species composition and dynamics [1–14]. Of particular interest, there were several literature reviews showing that any territory colonized by people is Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. inevitably subjected to fires, which results in the formation of pyrogenic archives of specific This article is an open access article archaeological epochs [15–19]. The majority of studies to date focused on macro fragments distributed under the terms and of charcoal that are used in the identification of tree species burned by ancient people for conditions of the Creative Commons various industrial or domestic purposes ([20–24] and others). There are few studies on Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// the micro particles of charcoal [25] and even fewer assessments of the total reservoir of creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ anthracomass produced by people [25,26]. Relationships between the content, genesis, and 4.0/). chronological dynamics of anthracomass were not yet investigated, until the present time. Geosciences 2021, 11, 165. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences11040165 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/geosciences Geosciences 2021, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 11 Geosciences 2021, 11, 165 2 of 11 content, genesis, and chronological dynamics of anthracomass were not yet investigated, untilThe the present aim of time. this study was to determine the anthracomass concentration, stocks, and particle-sizeThe aim distributionof this study was in anthropogenically to determine the anthracomass transformed concentration, soils of different stocks, genesisand and agesparticle-size within Centraldistribution Russia. in anthropogenically transformed soils of different genesis and ages within Central Russia. 2. Materials and Methods 2. Materials and Methods The study materials were collected from archaeological sites of different ages within The study materials were collected from archaeological sites of different ages within CentralCentral Russia,Russia, i.e., the the central central part part of of the the East East European European Plain Plain (Figure (Figure 1). 1Brief). Brief descrip- descriptions oftions the of sites the aresites given are given below; below; summarized summarized in in Table Table1 .1. FigureFigure 1. LocationsLocations of of the the study study sites sites on onthe theEast East Euro Europeanpean Plain. Plain. Indices Indices are explained are explained in Section in Section 2.1 2.1 below and Table 1. below and Table1. 2.1. Study Sites Table 1. Brief characteristics of the study sites and anthropogenically transformed soil horizons—cultural layers (CLs) and 2.1.1. The Upper Paleolithic Site of Avdeevo (A) plough layers (Ap). The Avdeevo site was located on the left bank of the Ragozna river (the right tribu- Index 1 Site/GPS Sampletary of the Seim river), Age near the Avdeevo Topographic villag Positione, at a distance Archaeological of 35 km from Culture the city References of Avdeevo Kursk, in the Oktyabrsky DistrictPromontory of the Kurs ofk allegedlyRegion. The the cultural layerEastern (CL) was formed Upper Paleolithic, A N51.6903◦ CL, piton fill sandy loams and contained bones1st terrace of the of mammoth the Ragozna fauna (indicatingGravettian that the ancient[27 –30] 23–21 ky BP E35.8019◦ settlement was located within the periglacialriver zone) and numerous(Kostenkovo-Avdeevo) artifacts made of stone Upper Paleolithic, Eastern B Khotylevo- Hearth(large arrowheads, knives of KostenkovoPromontory type, ofetc.) a flat and bone (e.g., female figurines). The[31 ,32] 24–21 ky BP Gravettian (Khotylevo) 2 archaeological findings from this interfluveCL were betweensubdivided two into two assemblages located at ◦ Early Iron Age, N53.3469 CL, U-shaped gullies that join C ◦ different depths3rd–5th that were separated by a fill of different composition.Early Slavic Both (Kiev) assemblages [ 33] E34.1081 house fill the Desna river valley originated fromcenturies typical AD earthen houses of the Kostenkovo-Avdeevo archaeological cul- Yudinovo-1 CL1ture. Such housesUpper Paleolithic, were characterizedPromontory by the presence of the 1st of variousEast-European pits and large hearths. D N52.6708◦ terrace of the Sudost river Epigravettian [34–36] CL2The Kostenkovo-Avdeevo14–12 ky BP culture is generally regarded as a variety of the East-European E33.2828◦ CL1 1220–1238 AD (the tributary of Desna) (Timinovka-Yudinovo) E Yaroslavl Early 13th The 2nd terrace at the CL2 Slavic N57.6264◦ century AD confluence of Kotorosl and [16] ◦ Middle of the 12th Volga rivers E39.8933 CL3 century AD The 8th–10th Ap1 F centuries AD Ap2 Early Iron Age Dyakovo 1 Indices correspond to those in Figure1. Geosciences 2021, 11, 165 3 of 11 2.1. Study Sites 2.1.1. The Upper Paleolithic Site of Avdeevo (A) The Avdeevo site was located on the left bank of the Ragozna river (the right tributary of the Seim river), near the Avdeevo village, at a distance of 35 km from the city of Kursk, in the Oktyabrsky District of the Kursk Region. The cultural layer (CL) was formed on sandy loams and contained bones of the mammoth fauna (indicating that the ancient settlement was located within the periglacial zone) and numerous artifacts made of stone (large arrow- heads, knives of Kostenkovo type, etc.) and bone (e.g., female figurines). The archaeological findings from this CL were subdivided into two assemblages located at different depths that were separated by a fill of different composition. Both assemblages originated from typical earthen houses of the Kostenkovo-Avdeevo archaeological culture. Such houses were characterized by the presence of various pits and large hearths. The Kostenkovo- Avdeevo culture is generally regarded as a variety of the East-European Gravettian culture. Detailed archaeological descriptions of this site were published by [27–30]. 2.1.2. The Upper Paleolithic Site of Khotylevo-2 (B) The Khotylevo-2 site was located on the right bank of the Desna River, at the north- western margin of the Khotylevo village in the Bryansky District of the Bryansk Region. This site is mostly known for the