Understanding the environment within which archaeological sites are situated is crucial to accurately interpret mobility and activity patterns of past hunter-gatherers. During the late Pleistocene, an enormous influx of eolian loess was deposited and reworked simultaneously in the northern Negev Desert, filling the valleys with fluvial loess deposits up to 20 m thick. The largest valley  filled with fluvial loess is the lower Besor basin. The extensive erosion of loess over the past 12,000 years led to badlands morphology and exposure of numerous paleolithic sites. An interdisciplinary study has been  initiated to combine excavations of the Paleolithic sites and a  study of the loess depostional sequence. The goal is to better understand diachronic shifts in the local environment and changes in cultural material from the late Middle Paleolithic to the late Upper Paleolithic/Early Epipaleolithic (~80-12 ka). As a result of slow accumulation of the fluvial loess, these archives open windows onto short habitation events, exhibiting archaeological sites with minimal spatial movement of finds, preservation of structures as well as faunal and botanical remains.

In this talk we will present  initial results of a paleoenvironmnetal reconstruction of the northern Negev loess badlands in the lower Besor basin combining results from excavations at five sites dating between ~70 to 27 ka.   

How to cite: Goder-Goldberger, M., Boaretto, E., Edeltin, L., López-Bultó, O., Kolska-Horowitz, L., Lavi, R., Porat, N., Toffolo, M., Zilberman, T., Jacobi, Y., and Crouvi, O.: Loess archives and Paleolithic hunter-gatherers at the desert margins, northern Negev, Israel, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-5055, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-5055, 2025.

Particle shape properties, such as aspect ratio, circularity and convexity, can be utilised as indicators for textural maturity, encapsulating the means to assess similarities and differences among sediment populations from variable depositional settings. The characterisation of sediment particle morphologies can provide insights into the transportation mechanisms and depositional environments of sedimentary sequences, including anthropo-sedimentary strata from archaeological sites. Here we present a new approach on the quantification shape from sediment samples, implementing dynamic image analysis through the of the Analysette 28 ImageSizer (Fritsch). The grain shape study is conducted in conjunction to micromorphological characterisation of particle surface topographies (SEM), granulometric and mineralogical (XRD) analyses. Chemical treatment and mechanical sieving are incorporated in the sample preparation process, while a standard operational procedure is suggested. Preliminary results from samples originating from differential geomorphological settings, including sandy soils, coastal and dune deposits from the coastal plain of Israel, provide the basis for the establishment of the proposed approach. Further integration of this methodological framework to Palaeolithic archaeological sites will provide additional analytical pathways in deciphering complex archaeological site formation processes.

How to cite: Oikonomou, I., Ben Dor, Y., Karampaglidis, T., Jacobi, Y., Crouvi, O., and Malinsky-Buller, A.: Exploring Depositional Environments through Particle Morphologies: Grain Shape Analysis and its Application in Sedimentology and Archaeology, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17331, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17331, 2025.

The interaction between humans and climate has been a main focus of research in recent years, with many studies relying on contemporary data and modeling approaches. However, understanding the dynamics of this interaction over long timescales necessitates the integration of paleoclimate records with archaeological data. Paleoclimate records provide a window into the Earth's long-term climatic fluctuations, while archaeological evidence offers insights into human responses to these changes. The Amuq Valley is an exceptional study area for investigating these interactions, as it features a rich dataset derived from systematic archaeological research and hosts two lakes that serve as natural archives of climatic changes. This study utilizes a combination of paleoclimatic proxies, including isotopic, mineralogical, and geochemical analyses, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and radiocarbon dating, to investigate sedimentological records of paleoclimatic fluctuations and identify significant drought episodes, specifically the 8.2 ka, 5.2 ka, 4.2 ka, and 3.2 ka events. For this purpose, a total of 206.2 meters of undisturbed sediment cores were collected from Amuq and Toprakhisar Lakes and adjacent floodplain deposits near the archaeological sites of Tell Aççana, Tell Tayinat, and Tell Kurdu. These cores, ranging in length from 7 to 20 meters, provide a valuable archive of environmental changes in the region. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) measurements were performed on the split cores with a Bartington MSE2 surface device, offering initial insights into variations in sediment composition and environmental conditions. Selected cores underwent further detailed analyses. Geochemical properties were assessed using ITRAX micro XRF scanning and ICP-MS/ICP-OES techniques, enabling high-resolution identification of elemental compositions. Additionally, mineralogical assessments were conducted with X-ray diffraction (XRD) to identify changes in sediment composition related to climatic variability. A robust chronological framework was established using radiocarbon (14C) dating of microcharcoal samples extracted from the sediments. This approach allowed for precise dating of sedimentary layers, facilitating the correlation of environmental changes with known climatic events. The study focuses on the durations and characteristics of key drought episodes, specifically those occurring at 3.2 ka, 4.2 ka, 5.2 ka, and 8.2 ka, as inferred from sedimentary evidence. By combining sedimentological, geochemical, and chronological data, this research aims to enhance our understanding of paleoclimatic variability and its implications for human societies in the region. The findings contribute to broader discussions on how ancient communities demonstrated resilience and adapted to climatic stress, providing valuable insights for tackling contemporary environmental challenges.

How to cite: Bektaş, Z., Avşar, U., Akar, M., Toksoy Köksal, F., Yavuz, N., Pişkin, E., Hubert-Ferrari, A., and Pearson, C.: Reconstructing Ancient Human-Climate Interactions: Paleoclimatic Evidence from the Amuq Valley, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1050, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1050, 2025.

Since the Late Holocene the impact of human activity on fluvial systems in Central Europe has reached unprecedented levels, reshaping riverine landscapes and their floodplains. This led to a change in the sedimentary system, causing a transformation of the fluvial morphology. The Wiesent River catchment in northern Bavaria, Germany, serves as a case study for understanding this transition from natural to human-dominated floodplain systems since the Early Middle Ages. Utilizing sedimentological, (chrono)stratigraphical, and geophysical analyses, we investigate how direct interventions (e.g. hydrotechnical installations) as well as indirect influences (e.g. catchment-wide agriculture) have collectively changed the fluvial geomorphology and sedimentary dynamics of the area.

Here we present a detailed examination of floodplain architecture, highlighting thick overbank deposits and changes in sediment dynamics that serve as proxies for anthropogenic activity. Our results, derived from optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, reveal significant shifts in sedimentation rates that correlate with the intensification of human activities, such as deforestation for agriculture and the establishment of hydrotechnical installations. Concurrently, we explore paleoenvironmental indicators, including phytoliths, biomarkers and ostracods, to assess ecological responses within the floodplain over time.

This research underscores the critical role of geomorphology in the broader context of the interaction between human agency and environmental processes. By contrasting natural and anthropogenically influenced systems, we aim to enhance the understanding of mechanisms driving the fluvial geomorphic change. Thereby we contribute to the discourse on sustainable landscape management and restoration practices in the face of ongoing environmental challenges.

How to cite: Grimm, B., Voigt, A., Dix, A., Schreg, R., Kolb, T., Pauly, N., Profe, J., and Fuchs, M.: From natural- to human-dominated fluvial landscapes: sediment dynamics & anthropogenic interaction of the Wiesent River catchment (NE-Bavaria, Germany), EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-7934, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-7934, 2025.

Pottery is a key material for understanding archaeological cultures, offering valuable insights into origins, production techniques, and recipes through its chemical and mineralogical composition. However, when archaeological pottery is exposed to waterlogged sediments, it often undergoes chemical and mineralogical alterations, complicating its classification and archaeometric analysis. The extent and consistency of these changes remain poorly understood due to a lack of systematic studies on the effects of waterlogging. A better understanding of these transformations is essential to enable reliable interpretations of pottery recovered from such environments.

To address this issue, we have adopted an interdisciplinary approach that combines expertise from archaeometry, mineralogy, and geochemistry. Initially, different types of pottery are mineralogically and geochemically characterized to establish baseline data before conducting leaching experiments in controlled laboratory environments. Key factors influencing alteration mechanisms such as the chemical composition of ceramics and water (e.g., saline vs. freshwater), pH, temperature, diffusive soil gases (e.g., CO₂), and exposure time—are systematically investigated.

Leaching experiments with powdered pottery are conducted to simulate long-term exposure to waterlogged sediments. Both the eluate and the residual solid are analyzed after the experiments to identify which elements are leached and whether new mineral phases have formed, potentially altering the ceramics

How to cite: Schauer, M., Aßbichler, D., and Saskia, T.: Impact of Waterlogging on Archeaological Ceramics , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16998, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16998, 2025.

Calcareous tufas are exceptional sedimentary archives for retracing the evolution of past environments and detect the impact of human activities on geomorphological processes in piedmont areas.

The analysis of the sedimentary dynamics of six natural sequences located in southeastern France, in close proximity to archaeological sites, has has enabled the identification of direct and indirect signs of occupation at the watershed scale. This analysis has also revealed the influence of these activities on surface formations characteristic of calcareous environments, and their development.       
The multi-proxy approach, at the interface between geomorphology, sedimentology, and archaeology, integrates sedimentological and physicochemical analyses with paleoenvironmental, chronological, and archaeological data. This approach aims to discretize the geomorphological agents responsible for the evolution of sedimentation patterns from the Late Glacial to the Medieval periods.

A notable finding is the variation in the nature and geochemical composition of the facies, as well as the frequency and amplitude of the periodicity of the tufa sedimentation cycle. These variations intensify from the Late Neolithic period onwards, a time when human impact on the environment was particularly significant. Prior to the Late Neolithic period, these indicators do not appear systematically in the studied sequences, suggesting a heterogeneous occupation of the territory, as also detected by the paleoenvironmental analyses. The proposed analytical framework is of a dual nature, with the objective of 1) detecting potential occupations at the watershed scale ; and 2) highlighting the influence of these occupations on sedimentary deposition processes and modalities.

In the end, the contribution of this work reaffirms the key role of these sedimentary archives in understanding landscape evolution and their ability to record anthropogenic modulations during their sedimentation. This geomorphological approach, when applied to the Provence tufa systems, offers new perspectives for understanding human-environment interactions during the Holocene. Moreover, it also possesses strong potential for generalization to other geographical and chronological contexts, including more recent periods.

How to cite: Sirdeys, N., Ollivier, V., Bellier, O., and Bracco, J.-P.: Human or climate: which geomorphological agent?The example of Holocene tufa systems in Provence (Southeastern France) as a tool for analysis, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18880, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18880, 2025.

Tailings dams, designed to store mining by-products, can significantly alter the landscape and, if not properly maintained, can pose long-term environmental risks. There is a wealth of research on the rapid/sudden failure of tailings dams, but comparatively little on how they may gradually fail over time, due to natural erosional processes. This issue is paramount if tailings storage is left unmanaged, especially within an environment with high background rates of erosion and sediment transport. This study investigates the Antamok Valley Fill Tailings Dam in Benguet (the Philippines), unused for tailings storage from large-scale mining since 1998, which has become susceptible to continued infilling, overtopping, and potential erosion of its dam wall. Using state-of-the-art numerical modelling, this research assesses the long-term integrity and geomorphological impacts of the dam, including changes in dam storage capacity due to infilling and the downstream impact of potential release of tailings through overtopping and erosion of the dam wall. We used an IfSAR digital elevation model (DEM), observed hourly rainfall, and field-derived grain size distribution as inputs to a CAESAR-Lisflood to numerically simulate centennial changes in the dam and their impact on local topography. Our preliminary results indicate that dam infilling leads to a progressive reduction in water storage, causing increased episodes of overtopping that accelerate erosion along the dam wall and the deposition of tailings in the surrounding area downstream. This study highlights the importance of regular monitoring and maintenance of legacy tailings dams to mitigate their potential environmental impacts. Given the risks of continued infilling, overtopping, and erosion, long-term management strategies are necessary to prevent further structural degradation and associated hazards.

Keywords: Tailings Dam; Sediment transport; Geomorphology; Philippines

How to cite: Thapa, S., Coulthard, T. J., Vasilopoulo, G., and Williams, R. D.: Assessing the long-term integrity of the tailings dam in the dynamic tropical landscape of the Philippines, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19255, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19255, 2025.

As a significant emblem of human civilization, the emergence and development of early cities represents a pivotal milestone in the chronicles of human history. However, the environmental mechanisms underlying the rise of early cities are still ambiguous.  In this study, we have selected the upper Jialu River basin in Central China as our research area, which holds significance for the origin and development of Chinese civilization, with a multitude of Neolithic-Bronze city sites dispersed throughout. Using comprehensive field surveys, OSL dating, and grain size analysis, we have reconstructed the river's geomorphic evolution since the late Pleistocene. The influence of landforms on the intensive distribution of early city sites was also discussed. The results showed that the Jialu and its tributaries had been established during the early Pleistocene. At 80-16 ka BP, there was continuous accumulation in the area. From 15-9.8 ka BP, the river incision resulted in the formation of the expansive T3 terrace. Between 9.8-4 ka BP, the regional geomorphology stabilized. After 4 ka BP, tectonic uplift and subsidence resulted in the formation of the T2 terrace. After a minor accumulation, the T1 terrace was formed during the late historical period. The unique trough-shaped landform in the region played a pivotal role in the origin and development of early cities. The landscape stability resulting from the river incision facilitated early urbanization and the expansion of urban areas. The river incision also fixed river channels in the plain areas, which were previously occupied by swamps and wetlands that gradually transformed into land, providing a foundation for the establishment of Zhengzhou Shang City, the capital of the early Shang Dynasty.

How to cite: Ye, L., Duowen, M., Peng, L., and Panpan, C.: Landform basis for the rise of early cities：A case from the upper Jialu River basin in Central China, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4046, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4046, 2025.

Since Eugène Dubois’ discovery of the first Homo erectus fossils at Trinil, Central and East Java have been recognized as a ‘hominin hotspot’ in Southeast Asia. The Early Pleistocene record, documenting the earliest known Homo erectus presence in the region, is well-studied, particularly in the fossil-rich Sangiran Dome, which offers laterally traceable  exposures that are analyzed through chronological and palaeoenvironmental methods.

In contrast, the Middle Pleistocene is less understood, relying largely on fragmented exposures along the northern margin of the Madiun Basin. Here, the riverine nature of the Early and Middle Pleistocene deposits that are eroded and exposed by the modern Solo River resulted in discontinuous and short stratigraphies, as e.g. at the famous Trinil site. The fragmented and complex nature of the Middle Pleistocene record complicates efforts to assess the impact of the period's high-amplitude global glacial-interglacial cycles on the local environment and their effects on local fauna. This includes Homo erectus, which persisted in the region until ~120 ka.

A new Pleistocene locality along the Solo River, Sogen, marks a significant step forward. Here, the Solo river exposes Early to Middle Pleistocene deposits over a distance of at least 1.3 km, comprising approximately 57 meters of inclined strata. The lower 20 meters are predominantly lahars, dated to the Early Pleistocene through correlation and palaeomagnetic data. The overlying 20 meters represent a low-energy flood-plain deltaic environment with fining-upward sequences capped by paleosols with carbonate concretions and vertic properties, indicating seasonally dry conditions. Fossils, though sparse overall, are concentrated at the paleosol interfaces and overlying carbonate-rich layers. These include Bovidae, Cervidae, Suidae, Proboscidea, Crocodylidae, Gavialidae, and aquatic fauna such as catfish, freshwater gastropods, and bivalves. A hominin parietal, possibly from Homo erectus, was found in secondary position and likely derives from one of these fossiliferous intervals. Stone artifacts from this period on Java are rare, but were found too. The upper 17 meters suggest a shift to wetter conditions, with conglomerates and lake deposits tentatively correlated with OIS 11 or 9. These inclined deposits are capped horizontally by Late Pleistocene terrace deposits.

The sedimentary cycles observed in the middle, fossiliferous part of the section raise questions about their origin. Are they autogenic, resulting from lateral shifts in fluvial systems and/or tectonic activity within the basin? Or are they allogenic, driven by glacial-interglacial eustatic sea-level cycles? If allogenic, what is the relationship between specific lithologies (and pedogenesis) and glacial-interglacial periods? Finally, what caused the apparent transition from relatively dry to wetter conditions in the upper section?

To address these questions, we present chronological, stable isotope, and palaeoenvironmental data, and consider the implications for the fossil and archaeological evidence contained in this record. We also examine the limitations of basin-margin context for interpreting hominin behavior and environmental conditions, including the effects of discontinuous sedimentation on fossil and artifact preservation and representation, as well as the lithology-dependent preservation of palaeoenvironmental proxies. Finally, we consider future directions for research, specifically regarding the scientific potential of deeper facies of the Madiun Basin.

How to cite: Pop, E., van der Lubbe, J., Hafsari, M., Veldkamp, T., Haribuana, P. Y., Shidqi, B. P., Schoorl, J., Khurniawan, S., Arjanto, D. Q., Joordens, J., Sutisna, I., Berghuis, H., Hilgen, S., Huisman, H., Kuiper, K., Krijgsman, W., Fajari, N. M. E., Smit, M., and Noerwidi, S.: Unraveling Java’s Middle Pleistocene: the palaeoanthropological Sogen site (Indonesia) as a sedimentological and environmental archive , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19960, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19960, 2025.

Portable/pulsed-photon Optically Stimulated Luminescence (pOSL) readers measure luminescence signals from sediments, providing practical and preliminary chronostratigraphic insights for studying late Quaternary depositional systems. Vertical, horizontal, and 2D-matrix port-OSL profiling has proven useful for interpreting sedimentary sections during fieldwork. This method can also target field sampling to prioritize full OSL dating samples, particularly where sediments share similar mineralogy and particle size.

Based on approximately 100 archaeological excavations in Israel, spanning prehistoric to pre-modern periods, we briefly review the methodological approaches, utilities, and complexities of port-OSL profiling for geomorphic and chronological research, specifically in archaeological and environmental archaeological contexts.

We demonstrate how port-OSL, even in non-uniform sediment and thin units often characterizing archaeological sites, can help detect cryptostratigraphic boundaries, interpret aeolian, fluvial, and slope depositional processes, and attribute them to anthropogenic or natural forcing and relative age. Altogether, port-OSL appears to be a valuable tool for site and landscape excavations spanning short to broad temporal ranges.

How to cite: Ackermann, O., Robins, L., and Roskin, J.: Outlining the Potential of Port-OSL Profiling in Service of Prehistoric to Pre-Modern Archaeological Research, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8026, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8026, 2025.