Human-environmental interactions and seismic activity in a Late Bronze to Early Iron Age settlement center in the southeastern Caucasus

dc.contributor.authorSuchodoletz, Hans Von
dc.contributor.authorKirkitadze, Giorgi
dc.contributor.authorKoff, Tiiu
dc.contributor.authorFischer, Markus
dc.contributor.authorPoch, Rosa M.
dc.contributor.authorKhosravichenar, Azra
dc.contributor.authorSchneider, Birgit
dc.contributor.authorGlaser, Bruno
dc.contributor.authorLindauer, Susanne
dc.contributor.authorHoth, Silvan
dc.contributor.authorSkokan, Anna
dc.contributor.authorNavrozashvili, Levan
dc.contributor.authorLobjanidze, Mikheil
dc.contributor.authorAkhalaia, Mate
dc.contributor.authorLosaberidze, Levan
dc.contributor.authorElashvili, Mikheil
dc.date.accessioned2022-11-26T10:20:33Z
dc.date.available2022-11-26T10:20:33Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractLong-term human-environmental interactions in naturally fragile drylands are a focus of geomorphological and geoarchaeological research. Furthermore, many dryland societies were also affected by seismic activity. The semi-arid Shiraki Plain in the tectonically active southeastern Caucasus is currently covered by steppe and largely devoid of settlements. However, numerous Late Bronze to Early Iron Age city-type settlements suggest early state formation between ca. 3.2-2.5 ka that abruptly ended after that time. A paleolake was postulated for the lowest plain, and nearby pollen records suggest forest clearcutting of the upper altitudes under a more humid climate during the Late Bronze/Early Iron Ages. Furthermore, also an impact of earthquakes on regional Early Iron Age settlements was suggested. However, regional paleoenvironmental changes and paleoseismicity were not systematically studied so far. We combined geomorphological, sedimentological, chronological and paleoecological data with hydrological modelling to reconstruct regional Holocene paleoenvironmental changes, to identify natural and human causes and to study possible seismic events during the Late Bronze/Early Iron Ages. Our results show a balanced to negative Early to Mid-Holocene water balance probably caused by forested upper slopes. Hence, no lake but a pellic Vertisol developed in the lowest plain. Following, Late Bronze/Early Iron Age forest clear-cutting caused lake formation and the deposition of lacustrine sediments derived from soil erosion. Subsequently, regional aridification caused slow lake desiccation. Remains of freshwater fishes indicate that the lake potentially offered valuable ecosystem services for regional prehistoric societies even during the desiccation period. Finally, colluvial coverage of the lake sediments during the last centuries could have been linked with hydrological extremes during the Little Ice Age. Our study demonstrates that the Holocene hydrological balance of the Shiraki Plain was and is situated near a major hydrological threshold, making the landscape very sensitive to small-scale human or natural influences with severe consequences for local societies. Furthermore, seismites in the studied sediments do not indicate an influence of earthquakes on the main and late phases of Late Bronze/Early Iron Age settlement. Altogether, our study underlines the high value of multi-disciplinary approaches to investigate human-environmental interactions and paleoseismicity in drylands on millennial to centennial time scales.ca_ES
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.964188
dc.identifier.idgrec032566
dc.identifier.issn2296-6463
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10459.1/84358
dc.language.isoengca_ES
dc.publisherFrontiers Mediaca_ES
dc.relation.isformatofReproducció del document publicat a https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.964188ca_ES
dc.relation.ispartofFrontiers in Earth Science, 2022, vol. 10, art. 964188.ca_ES
dc.rightscc-by (c) Hans Von Suchodoletz et. al., 2022.ca_ES
dc.rights.accessRightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessca_ES
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/*
dc.subjectSouthern Caucasusca_ES
dc.subjectHoloceneca_ES
dc.subjectLate Bronze/Early Iron Ageca_ES
dc.subjectGeoarchaeologyca_ES
dc.subjectPaleohydrologyca_ES
dc.subjectHydrological modellingca_ES
dc.subjectPaleoseismicityca_ES
dc.titleHuman-environmental interactions and seismic activity in a Late Bronze to Early Iron Age settlement center in the southeastern Caucasusca_ES
dc.typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleca_ES
dc.type.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionca_ES
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