The combination of soil charcoal and pedological analysis in the study of soil profiles enables the understanding of environmental changes in the surrounding of the Cecita Lake (Sila Massif, southern Italy). Cecita Lake is an artificial lake, located in a tectonic dip filled up, since Middle Pleistocene through Late Pleistocene, by fluvial-lacustrine sediments related to a palaeo-lake. The nowadays forest cover around the lake is dominated by Pinus laricio. In the vicinity settlements dated to Late Neolithic, to Early Eneolithic and to Greek and Roman times are documented. The analysis of charcoals from two archaeological sites dated to Neolithic and to Roman Age respectively and from two soil profiles, one dated by radiocarbon analysis and the other pedostratigraphically related to the archaeological ones, has shown the transition from a Quercus deciduous forest to a Pinus forest between ca. 3000 and 2000 yr. BP. Pedological investigation has indicated a shift from warm and humid conditions to a climate with less seasonal contrast in the temperature rate and at least temporary lower annual rainfall after the late Prehistoric period. This transition probably accompanied the deterioration of the previous vegetation. Though pedological data shows deterioration in climatic conditions after the late Prehistoric period, the main forcing leading to the shift in the vegetation seems to be the human overexploitation of forest resources. This hypothesis can be confirmed by the charcoal analysis carried out at Palmi (south-western Calabria), which does not show any vegetation change from Neolithic to post-Bronze Age horizons. New charcoal analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating are performed on another soil profile not related to archaeological contexts and located far away from the analysed profiles. The aim is to obtain a more detailed chronological frame and a wider investigation area to clarify when the transformation of the vegetation happened and if it was human or climate inducted.
Environmental change at Cecita Lake (Sila Massif, southern Italy) between 3000 and 2000 BP: new data from soil charcoal and pedological analyses
SCARCIGLIA, Fabio;
2012-01-01
Abstract
The combination of soil charcoal and pedological analysis in the study of soil profiles enables the understanding of environmental changes in the surrounding of the Cecita Lake (Sila Massif, southern Italy). Cecita Lake is an artificial lake, located in a tectonic dip filled up, since Middle Pleistocene through Late Pleistocene, by fluvial-lacustrine sediments related to a palaeo-lake. The nowadays forest cover around the lake is dominated by Pinus laricio. In the vicinity settlements dated to Late Neolithic, to Early Eneolithic and to Greek and Roman times are documented. The analysis of charcoals from two archaeological sites dated to Neolithic and to Roman Age respectively and from two soil profiles, one dated by radiocarbon analysis and the other pedostratigraphically related to the archaeological ones, has shown the transition from a Quercus deciduous forest to a Pinus forest between ca. 3000 and 2000 yr. BP. Pedological investigation has indicated a shift from warm and humid conditions to a climate with less seasonal contrast in the temperature rate and at least temporary lower annual rainfall after the late Prehistoric period. This transition probably accompanied the deterioration of the previous vegetation. Though pedological data shows deterioration in climatic conditions after the late Prehistoric period, the main forcing leading to the shift in the vegetation seems to be the human overexploitation of forest resources. This hypothesis can be confirmed by the charcoal analysis carried out at Palmi (south-western Calabria), which does not show any vegetation change from Neolithic to post-Bronze Age horizons. New charcoal analysis and AMS radiocarbon dating are performed on another soil profile not related to archaeological contexts and located far away from the analysed profiles. The aim is to obtain a more detailed chronological frame and a wider investigation area to clarify when the transformation of the vegetation happened and if it was human or climate inducted.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
