Volume 35 (2010): Issue -1 (April 2010)

Obituary of Professor Algirdas Gaigalas.

In this work an age model for a peat core from the site near Żyglin, based on ¹⁴C is presented. The investigated profile is marked with some possible evidence of early human activity in this region. The earliest metallurgy industry is expected to correspond with charcoal production and the recent increase of metal content in this profile. In this work the Quantulus 1220™ recently purchased was used for ¹⁴C dating with liquid scintillation counting (LSC) technique. Therefore results of calibration, tests and verification with use of samples from inter-comparison programs (VIRI, FIRI) are also presented.

The paper presents analysis of depositional sequences of two peat bogs situated in the depressions developed within the landslide landforms Pcim Sucha in the Beskid Makowski Mts. (Outer Carpathians). The older peat bog, with depositional sequence 3.75 m long, started to form at the decline of the Boreal Phase ca 7570-7330 cal BC. Palynological and lithological analyses as well as numerous (18) radiocarbon datings of different horizons in the sediment enabled reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental changes of the Middle and Late Holocene. Increase in climate humidity at the beginning of the Atlantic, Subboreal and Subatlantic Phases were observed as deliveries of minerogenic material to the peat bog basin and formation of illuvial and mineral layers within peat. The particularly intensive delivery of allochtonous material to the peat bog took place at the beginning of the Subatlantic Phase and was the result of both significant humid climate and increased human impact (colonization of the Przeworsk Culture) in the landslide area. Rejuvenation of the landslide zone and formation of the second landslide were connected with this period and processes. Deposits of peat bog situated within this younger landslide, which are ca 1.3 m thick, are significantly contaminated with mineral material.

The paper presents new and important ¹⁴C data from eight Eneolithic sites in Campania measured at the Centre for Isotopic Research of Cultural and Environmental Heritage (CIRCE) AMS laboratory in Caserta (Italy). Twenty-four ¹⁴C determinations on bone and charcoal are used here for chronological reconstruction of human habitation and dating of some volcanic eruptions affecting the settlement activity. Our research has shed new light on absolute chronology of the whole Campanian Eneolithic, a period of profound cultural transformations triggered by introduction and use of metals, in particular copper.

Interdisciplinary palaeoenvironmental studies, conducted near the multi-cultural archaeological sites in the Horodyska River valley (Lublin Upland, East Poland), enable to reconstruct natural and anthropogenic changes of fluvial landscape in the Holocene. The changes are evidenced by the results of archaeological, geological, sedimentological and palynological investigations, as well as radiocarbon and thermoluminescence dating. The Horodyska fluvial system started functioning at the turn of the Late Vistulian and Preboreal. From the beginning of the Subatlantic the record of environmental changes in valley deposits bears the mark of human impact. Main phases of settlement on the river valley bottom (higher terrace) correspond to rather dry periods (Neolithic, Bronze Age, Halstadt period, period of Roman influence, early Middle Ages). Moistening of climate and its associated rise of groundwater level forced people to move settlement on the loess plateau and found a stronghold at the turn of the 11th and 12th centuries.

Lithological analyses and radiocarbon dating were used to elucidate the patterns and controls of Late Quaternary valley floor development of the Kłodnica River, the Upper Odra Basin. The research results were discussed with data obtained from valleys of rivers draining piedmont basins and highlands of southern Poland. In consequence, five stages of morpho-sedimentary evolution of the Kłodnica valley were distinguished. In the Late Vistulian a large-scale deposition of channel alluvium took place in the conditions of high river discharges. This sedimentary style probably still existed in the Early Pre-Boreal as long as open grass communities survived in the Kłodnica catchment. The next phase, in the Late Pre-Boreal and Boreal, is characterized by a significant increase in accumulation rate of biochemical facies. The considerable restriction of minerogenic deposition was connected with widespread of forest and gradual limitation of the river discharges. The third stage began at the decline of the Boreal and was defined by decrease of accumulation rate or even biogenic accumulation break. Synchronously, periodic increases of fluvial activity were noticed in the form of cutoffs of meander loops and overbank deposition in oxbows. The beginning of the fourth period took place not earlier than in the Early Sub-Boreal. This stage was distinguished by renewed peat growth/increase in biochemical accumulation rate and periodic increase in alluviation, generally taking place in the conditions of low channel-forming flows. The latest phase (from the Middle Sub-Atlantic till now) is characterized by common initiation of slope deposition and a rapid increase in fluvial sedimentation, especially overbank and tributary fan facies. An increase in minerogenic deposition occurred in response to human impact, which became more significant from the Roman Period and occurred on a large scale from the early Middle Ages. Older settlement phases, including intense settlement from the Hallstatt Period, were not clearly recorded in the Kłodnica valley fill.

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of quartz and infrared-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of feldspar were applied to fluvial sands from the lower terrace (M1) of the Moselle valley in Luxembourg (western Europe). The dating results indicated that the aggradation period for the sediments from below the M1 alluvial terrace can be correlated to the Weichselian upper Pleniglacial (MIS 2), which is in good agreement with the general chronostratigraphy of the Moselle terrace staircase. The ages were obtained from small aliquots of quartz and feldspars, using the single aliquot regenerative (SAR) protocol. The equivalent dose determination included a series of tests and the selection of the Minimum Age Model as the most appropriate statistical model. This made it possible to provide a reliable methodological background for further luminescence dating of fluvial sediments from the Moselle basin.

For the first time sedimentological interpretation of absolute ages obtained by thermoluminescence method on aquatic interglacial sediments was made. The analyzed size fractions of quartz grains were 160-250, 125-160, 100-125, 80-100 and 63-80 μm. The youngest and most reliable ages from 22 analyzed samples were obtained from the following quartz grain size granulometric fractions: 160-250 μm - 3 cases, 125-160 μm - 7, 100-125 μm - 6, 80-100 μm - 3 and 63-80 μm - 2 cases. Therefore, it may be concluded that the most suitable fractions for thermoluminescence dating are 125-160 μm and 100-125 μm. While evaluating the results of thermoluminescence dating it is necessary to take into account the procedure of sampling from layers of interest, their lithological composition, first of all granulometric, sedimentary environment, including sources of material, the material getting to the load flows, transportation mode and basin differentiation. From all the granulometric fractions of a sample, age of fine-grained fraction (63-80 μm) may be explained by the input of aeolian dust to a basin and sedimentation along with clasts brought to a lake by water flows. Aeolian sand storms performed precise multigenetic sedimentation that was active during that time. Bimodality of granulometric composition is defined by input of material from various sources of different composition. Older ages were obtained in the case of positive granulometric asymmetry. After sedimentological interpretation of thermoluminescence (TL) dating we can state that formation of aquatic fine-grained sands occurred 83.6±10 - 116.1±13 and 130.2±15 - 276.4±32 thousand years (ky) ago. Those geochronological zones coincide with interg lacial periods of Merkine (75.5-114 ky) and Snaigupele (180-280 ky) in Lithuania.

During the process of developing the standard chronology for oak for the Czech Republic, two versions of standard chronology were determined: the standard chronology developed using detrended tree-ring series and the standard chronology developed using non-detrended tree-ring series. These standard chronologies were applied to date detrended and non-detrended average tree-ring curves obtained from dendrochronological samples from selected archaeological locations. The highest values of the t-test were achieved when comparing the detrended or non-detrended average ring curves only and exclusively with the detrended standard chronology. Similarly, the highest percentage of the curve parallelism was always obtained in comparison with the detrended standard chronology. The confidence and, more importantly, the prediction intervals of the detrended ring curves are considerably smaller than those of the non-detrended ones. The regression curves of the detrended standardised values of the ring curves are more similar to the calibration curve than the non-detrended ones. The significance level of the regression models in the detrended ring curves is notably higher, than in the case of the non-detrended ring curves. The differences established between the detrended and non-detrended standard chronology have highlighted the importance to develop detrended standard chronologies.

The current paper presents investigation of the response of silver firs growing near Kartuzy in the Kaszubskie Lakeland (northern Poland) to climate conditions. Tree-ring width series covering the period of 1914-2006 were built and correlated with mean monthly temperature and precipitation. Dependence of the growth of analysed firs on winter, early spring and summer temperature was observed. Significant relation to moisture availability was detected only for January. Analysis of pointer years revealed similar driving forces that were obtained by correlation and response function investigation. Reaction of firs from the Kaszubskie Lakeland to the extreme climate conditions is analogous to the exhibited at other sites of this species localised outside distribution range. Investigated silver firs seem to have found favourable growth conditions in the studied area and further cultivation of that species in northern Poland may turn to be successful.