Papers by Birgit Schneider
Holocene human-environmental interactions and seismic activity in a Late Bronze to Early Iron Age settlement center in the southeastern Caucasus
Long-term human-environmental interactions in naturally fragile drylands are an actual topic of g... more Long-term human-environmental interactions in naturally fragile drylands are an actual topic of geomorphological and geoarchaeological research. Furthermore, many prehistoric societies in drylands were also affected by seismic activity. The semi-arid Shiraki Plain in the tectonically active southeastern Caucasus is currently covered by steppes and largely devoid of settlements. However, numerous Late Bronze to Early Iron Age city-type fortified settlements suggest early state formation between ca. 3.2 – 2.5 ka that abruptly ended after that time. A paleolake was suggested 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, ch...
Holocene silt-clay overbank sedimentation between climate change and human activitiy within the fragile loess-covered Weiße Elster catchment in Central Germany
Hydro-sedimentary provenance analyses in the Weiße Elster catchment (Central Germany): The basic dataset
Data in Brief, Feb 1, 2022
This manuscript documents geological master data and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data of a standardi... more This manuscript documents geological master data and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) data of a standardized 8*8 km sampling grid of the entire Weiße Elster catchment in Central Germany. Further, the manuscript documents XRF data of a refined 4*4 km sampling grid in the proximity of Salsitz floodplain transect as well as grain size data and XRF data of Salsitz SC40 core that was recovered from the Weiße Elster floodplain. The data provide opportunities for hydro-sedimentary provenance analyses as presented in the corresponding research article by Ballasus et al. [1].
XRF data sheet: Weiße Elster overbank silt-clay deposition (SC40 core, Salsitz transect)
We used stationary XRF spectrometry for analysing elemental composition of Holocene floodplain se... more We used stationary XRF spectrometry for analysing elemental composition of Holocene floodplain sediments from a recovered core form the Weiße Elster floodplain. For XRF sample preparation freeze-dried catchment sediments (8 g) were seaved (2mm) to discard the gravel fraction and large organic matter. Further homogenization was undertaken by grinding the samples with a vibratory Retsch mill MM 200. We created uniform pellets by pressing the powdered samples with a carbon-based binding agent in a Vaneox press at 20 t for 2 min. We conducted elemental analyses in a He atmosphere using a Spectro Xepos energy dispersive XRF spectrometer. The total drilling depth of SC40 core is 275 cm. We conducted stationary XRF measurements of 52 samples.
E&G Quaternary Science Journal
Valley infills are essential for understanding changes in hydrology and landscape. Anthropogenic ... more Valley infills are essential for understanding changes in hydrology and landscape. Anthropogenic activities are proven by prehistoric settlement remains, which mark distinct sediments and soils as usable land during certain time periods. In 2009 and 2018/19, excavations by the Saxonian Archaeological Heritage Office were conducted in the Elbe valley between Meißen and Dresden, preceding the construction of two natural gas pipelines. As a result, two important multicultural prehistoric sites were discovered on the Lower Weichselian Terrace (LWT) in different sediments and on varying stratigraphic levels. During this study sediments and soils at the excavation sites and throughout the pipe trench have been documented. Micromorphological, sedimentological and geochemical investigations and analyses of archaeobotanical and archaeological finds, complemented by 14 C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, enabled deciphering the structure of sediments and soils. Two major sites were the focus. At the Clieben site, an early Neolithic settlement and former topsoil, developed in a Weichselian valley loam above gravels and sands, are covered by younger overbank fines. At the Brockwitz site, shallow incision channels in the LWT were filled with clayey overbank fines during the Preboreal. An overprinting humic soil horizon was later anthropogenically overprinted during the early and middle Neolithic period. An omnipresent layer of Subboreal or younger overbank fines, covering the majority of the LWT in combination with the spatially confined Preboreal overbank fines, mirrors the ever-growing risk of flooding in a formerly attractive settlement area.
Remote Sensing, 2019
The Early Medieval Fossa Carolina is the first hydro-engineering construction that bridges the Ce... more The Early Medieval Fossa Carolina is the first hydro-engineering construction that bridges the Central European Watershed. The canal was built in 792/793 AD on order of Charlemagne and should connect the drainage systems of the Rhine-Main catchment and the Danube catchment. In this study, we show for the first time, the integration of Airborne LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and geoarchaeological subsurface datasets with the aim to create a 3D-model of Charlemagne’s summit canal. We used a purged Digital Terrain Model that reflects the pre-modern topography. The geometries of buried canal cross-sections are derived from three archaeological excavations and four high-resolution direct push sensing transects. By means of extensive core data, we interpolate the trench bottom and adjacent edges along the entire canal course. As a result, we are able to create a 3D-model that reflects the maximum construction depth of the Carolingian canal and calculate an excavation volume of approx...
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2017
The limited availability of high-resolution continuous archives, insufficient chronological contr... more The limited availability of high-resolution continuous archives, insufficient chronological control, and complex hydro-climatic forcing mechanisms lead to many uncertainties in palaeo-hydrological reconstructions for the Western Mediterranean. In this study we present a newly recovered 19.63 m long core from Lake Sidi Ali in the North African Middle Atlas, a transition zone of Atlantic, Western Mediterranean and Saharan air mass trajectories. With a multi-proxy approach based on magnetic susceptibility, carbonate and total organic C content, core-scanning and quantitative XRF, stable isotopes of ostracod shells, charcoal counts, Cedrus pollen abundance, and a first set of diatom data, we reconstruct Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic variability, seasonality and forcing mechanisms during the last 12,000 yr. A robust chronological model based on AMS 14 C dated pollen concentrates supports our highresolution multi-proxy study. Long-term trends reveal low lake levels at the end of the Younger Dryas, during the mid-Holocene interval 6.6 to 5.4 cal ka BP, and during the last 3000 years. In contrast, lake levels are mostly high during the Early and Mid-Holocene. The record also shows sub-millennial-to centennial-scale decreases in Western Mediterranean winter rain at 11.4
Quaternary Science Reviews, 2019
Here we reconstruct the dynamic growth of thermokarst lakes and basins and related changes of dep... more Here we reconstruct the dynamic growth of thermokarst lakes and basins and related changes of depositional conditions preserved in sediment sequences using a combination of biogeochemical data and robust grain-size endmember analysis (rEMMA). This multi-proxy approach is used on 10 sediment cores (each 300-400 cm deep) from two key thermokarst sites to distinguish four time slices that describe the Holocene thermokarst (lake) basin evolution in Central Yakutia (CY). Biogeochemical proxies and rEMMA reveal fine-grained sedimentation with rather high lake levels and/or reducing conditions, and coarse-grained sedimentation with rather shallow lake levels and/or oxidizing (i.e. terrestrial) conditions in relation to distal and proximal depositional and post-sedimentary conditions. Statistical analysis suggests that the biogeochemical parameters are almost independent of thermokarst deposit sedimentology. Thus, the biogeochemical parameters are considered as signals of secondary (post-sedimentary) reworking. The rEMMA results are clearly reflecting grain-size variations and depositional conditions. This indicates small-scale varying depositional environments, frequently changing lake levels, and predominantly lateral expansion at the edges of rapidly growing small thermokarst lakes and basins. These small bodies finally coalesced, forming the large thermokarst basins we see today in CY. Considering previous paleoenvironmental reconstructions in Siberia, we show the initiation of thaw and subsidence during the Late Glacial to Holocene transition between about 11 and 9 cal kyrs BP, intensive and extensive thermokarst activity for the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM) at about 7 to 5 cal kyrs BP, severely fluctuating water levels and further lateral basin growth between 3.5 cal kyrs BP and 1.5 cal kyrs BP, and the cessation of thermokarst activity and extensive frost-induced processes (i.e. permafrost aggradation) after about 1.5 cal kyrs BP. However, gradual permafrost warming over recent decades, in addition to human impacts, has led to renewed high rates of subsidence and abrupt, rapid CY thermokarst processes.
Frontiers in Earth Science, Sep 8, 2022
Long-term human-environmental interactions in naturally fragile drylands are a focus of geomorpho... more Long-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
E&G Quaternary Science Journal, 2011
Aeolian sediments (sandy loess, aeolian sand) were studied by pedological and geochronological (O... more Aeolian sediments (sandy loess, aeolian sand) were studied by pedological and geochronological (OSL) methods to reconstruct their stratigraphy and age, and to relate these results to archaeological evidence. The results prove loess accumulation on an older ventifact horizon during the Late Glacial period followed by layers of aeolian sand also dating to the Late Glacial period. Holocene aeolian sedimentation (6.9 ka) was recorded within the excavation site, which probably indicates Neolithic human impact that locally disturbed parts of the Magdalenien artefact scatter. The results are discussed by means of similar dated aeolian and archaeological stratigraphies in the Rhine-Main area. [Äolische Sedimentation im Rhein-Main-Gebiet vom Spätglazial bis in das Mittlere Holozän: Neue Nachweise von der Magdalenien Fundstelle in Götzenhain (Hessen, Deutschland)] Kurzfassung: Äolische Sedimente (sandiger Löss, Flugsand) wurden durch pedologische und geochronologische Methoden (OSL) mit dem Ziel untersucht, hieraus Aussagen zur stratigraphischen Abfolge und zum Ablagerungsalter zu gewinnen und diese Ergebnisse auf die Ergebnisse der archäologischen Ausgrabung zu beziehen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Ablagerung des Lösses im Spätglazial auf einer älteren Lage von Windkantern erfolgte und dieser am Ende des Pleistozäns von äolischem Sand überdeckt wurde. Untersuchungen der fundführenden Schichten ergaben eine mittelholozäne Datierung (6.9 ka), die mit einer lokalen Störung durch äolische Sedimentumlagerungen in Folge anthropogener Landschaftsveränderungen während des Neolithikums erklärt werden. Diese Untersuchungsergebnisse werden vor dem Hintergrund vergleichbarer äolischer Stratigraphien und Fundplätz im Rhein-Main-Gebiet diskutiert.
Die Verfullung von archaologischen Befunden ist bedeutend fur Informationen zur Nutzungs- und Auf... more Die Verfullung von archaologischen Befunden ist bedeutend fur Informationen zur Nutzungs- und Auflassungsgeschichte. In interdisziplinarer Zusammenarbeit wurde versucht, die Geschichte zweier anthropogener Strukturen zu untersuchen und anhand der Ergebnisse eine verbesserte Einschatzung der fruhen Stadtgeschichte Leipzigs zu erhalten. Die geoarchaologischen Untersuchungen erfolgten im Bereich einer vermutlich hochmittelalterlichen Materialentnahmegrube sowie des ehemaligen Ausengrabens der „urbs libzi“, der das Vorburggelande nach Osten hin abschloss. In die Arbeiten wurde auch ein weitgehend ungestorter Bereich einbezogen. Die freigelegten Profile wurden 2012 im Gelande dokumentiert und beprobt. Das entnommene Material wurde geochemisch untersucht. An Proben besonders exponierter Standorten wurden auserdem Dunnschliffe erstellt, die unter dem Polarisationsmikroskop interpretiert wurden. In dauerhaft feuchten Sedimenten sind meist Pollenkorner zu finden, welche die bei der Entstehun...
Die Regenerierung von versauerten Fließgewässern – Eine vergleichende Fallstudie aus dem Westerzgebirge und dem Świętokrzyskie Gebirge
Lorz, C.; Kowalkowski, A.; Joźwiak, M.; Kozlowski, R.; Schneider, B.: The recovery of acidified s... more Lorz, C.; Kowalkowski, A.; Joźwiak, M.; Kozlowski, R.; Schneider, B.: The recovery of acidified stream waters – A comparative case study from the Western Ore Mts. (Erzgebirge) and the Holy Cross Mts. (Świetokrzyskie Mts.). – Hercynia N.F. 38 (2005): 41 – 58. Since the 60s the water quality of smaller stream waters in forested hydrological catchments in Central Europe is considerably affected by acidification processes. The observed recovery during the last decade is related to the reduction of emissions - e.g. in scope of the Gothenburg protocol – and the terrestrial liming. Subject of the contribution is the comparison of the water chemistry of stream waters in two catchments in the upper elevations of the Westerzgebirge (Western Ore Mts.), SE Germany and of the Łysogory massif in the Gory Świetokrzyskie (Holy Cross Mts.), SE Poland. Therefore, data from current monitoring programs are analyzed in order to show trends for acidification related compounds such as sulfate, nitrate, al...
The decline of the early Neolithic population center of 'Ain Ghazal and corresponding earth-surface processes, Jordan Rift Valley
Quaternary Research, 2012
&... more 'Ain Ghazal is among the earliest large population centers known in the Middle East. A total of four major stratigraphic cultural units have been identified: 1) The oldest Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (MPPNB) unit (10.2 to 9.5 cal ka BP) clearly corresponds with the early Holocene maximum Dead Sea levels. 2) The second unit consists of Late Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (LPPNB) in situ walls and hearths. 3) In the subsequent PPNC (8.9 to 8.6 cal ka BP) the population density at the settlement drops dramatically, which corresponds with a significant drop in the Dead Sea level. 4) The 4th stratigraphic unit is characterized by the “Yarmoukian rubble layer”. Additionally, there is evidence for a previously unrecognized use of the site by Chalcolithic pastoralists. Sedimentological analyses reveal a constant increase in dust from a remote source during the entire human occupation period, which correlates well with the detectable drops in climatic humidity from the Dead Sea. As the major focus of this study, we can now rule out previous notions that the “Yarmoukian” rubble layer could have been produced by (catastrophic) slope-scale gravitational movements. To this point, it appears that the Neolithic mega-site was abandoned due to a climatic aridification.
Frontiers in Earth Science, 2021
Ice- and organic-rich deposits of late Pleistocene age, known as Yedoma Ice Complex (IC), are wid... more Ice- and organic-rich deposits of late Pleistocene age, known as Yedoma Ice Complex (IC), are widespread across large permafrost regions in Northeast Siberia. To reconstruct Yedoma IC formation in Central Yakutia, we analyzed the geochemistry, sedimentology, and stratigraphy of thawed and frozen deposits below two thermokarst lakes in different evolutionary stages (a mature alas lake and a initial Yedoma lake) from the Yukechi site in the Lena-Aldan interfluve. We focused on inorganic geochemical characteristics and mineral weathering in two ∼17 m long sediment cores to trace syngenetic permafrost aggradation and degradation over time. Geochemical properties, element ratios, and specific weathering indices reflect varying sedimentation processes and seasonal thaw depths under variable environmental conditions. Deeper thaw during the interstadial Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 enabled increasing mineral weathering and initial thermokarst processes. Sedimentological proxies reflect high...
Sub-decadal scale coupling of the Moroccan Sidi Ali lake core record with historical and meteorological data for the last 120 years
<p>The Western Mediterranean region including the North African desert margin faces... more <p>The Western Mediterranean region including the North African desert margin faces major environmental challenges in the backdrop of global climate change in terms of rising temperatures, a higher recurrence of drought events and a decrease in annual precipitation. As a condition to state further prospects, it is crucial to comprehend past and present hydro-climatic patterns. The Moroccan Middle Atlas is considered a transition zone between Atlantic, Mediterranean and Saharan air masses and is therefore of unprecedented interest in order to comprehend regional climate variability and to assess emerging hydrological, geomorphological and ecological impacts. Despite the growing number of limnological studies from the Middle Atlas, there still is a strong need for coupling palaeolimnological results at the sub-recent time scale with historical cartographic information, meteorological variables and underlying climatic forcing. Lake Sidi Ali (33°03’ N, 5°00’ W, 2080 m a.s.l.) provides a unique archive for understanding environmental changes throughout the 20<sup>th</sup> century. At least for the past 100 years the lake has experienced a minimum of three significant lake level changes in the order of several meters. We were able to reconstruct and quantify these alternations with the help of historical sources, topographic maps and satellite imagery. In addition, we implemented a multi-proxy analytical approach on a 145-cm long sediment record, including δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>13</sup>C isotope analysis of ostracod shells and CNS elemental analysis. A reliable age model based on 25 <sup>210</sup>Pb measurements and one radiocarbon dated cedar needle enables the linkage of sediment geochemical variations to lake level changes based on an instrumental record and historic topographic maps. We use meteorological precipitation and temperature data to evaluate the main drivers controlling these fluctuations. Furthermore, we have indications for a temporal coupling of Atlantic climate patterns (North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO; Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, AMO) with Sidi Ali lake level development.</p>
Kaum Tonverlagerung in 7000 Jahren – Untersuchungen zur Bodenentwicklung im Bereich einer frühneolithischen Siedlungin Groitzsch, NW-Sachsen
Im Zuge von archaologischen Ausgrabungen im Sudwesten der Kleinstadt Groitzsch wurden zwischen 20... more Im Zuge von archaologischen Ausgrabungen im Sudwesten der Kleinstadt Groitzsch wurden zwischen 2014 und 2015 umfangreiche Uberreste einer fruhneolithischen Siedlung und vereinzelte Zeugnisse jungbronzezeitlicher Aktivitaten entdeckt. Groitzsch liegt am sudlichen Ende des norddeutschen Tieflandes auf einer Spornlage sudlich der Einmundung der Schnauder in das 2 Kilometer breite Tal der Weisen Elster. Zahlreiche Fundstellen entlang des Tals belegen erhebliche anthropogene Aktivitaten seit 7500 Jahren. Der oberflachennahe Untergrund sudlich von Groitzsch besteht aus Geschiebelehm/Geschiebemergel und etwa einen Meter machtigem Loss. Verbreitet kommen hier Parabraunerden vor. Zur Untersuchung von fruhneolithischen Gruben und Graben in Hinsicht auf fruhneolithische Hausgrundrisse wurden umfangreiche Beprobungen durchgefuhrt. Die Auswertung im archaologischen Kontext erbrachten auch pedologisch wichtige Erkenntnisse bzgl. der holozanen Bodenentwicklung in diesem Raum.
Early Holocene aeolian sediments in southwestern Crete−preliminary results
The soilscapes along the southern and western coast of Crete (Greece) are dominated by coarse-gra... more The soilscapes along the southern and western coast of Crete (Greece) are dominated by coarse-grained reddish-brown slope sediments whose natural (pre-anthropogenic) configuration and properties are difficult to reconstruct due to the long history of intense land use. As a consequence, datable terrestrial sediment archives of pre-anthropogenic genesis are scarce. We present preliminary results of a study performed on an accumulation within an alluvial fan south of Stomio Bay in southwestern Crete. The studied profile is located in a small depression and is composed of a sequence of sandy to silty yellowish-brown calcareous sediments overlying coarse-grained slope sediments, including a fossil topsoil horizon. Based on macroscopic, micromorphological, geochemical, geophysical and mineralogical analysis, we interpret the fine-grained sediments to have a local aeolian origin. OSL dating indicates a final deposition phase during the early Holocene. Considering the scarcity of early Holo...
Remote Sensing
Wetland environments, with their excellent conservation conditions, provide geoarchaeological arc... more Wetland environments, with their excellent conservation conditions, provide geoarchaeological archives of past human activities. However, the subsurface soil is difficult to access due to high groundwater tables, unstable sediments, and the high cost of excavation. In this study, we present a ground-based non- and minimal-invasive prospection concept adapted to the conditions of wetlands. We investigated the Fossa Carolina in South Germany, a canal that was intended in 792/793 AD by Charlemagne to bridge the Central European Watershed. Although the resulting Carolingian banks and the fairway with wooden revetments are very imposing, archaeological traces of off-site construction activities have not been identified hitherto. Based on a geophysically surveyed intensive linear magnetic anomaly parallel to the Carolingian canal, we aimed to prove potential off-site traces of Carolingian construction activities. In this context, we built up a high-resolution cross-section using highly de...
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Papers by Birgit Schneider