Archaeological excavations at the Biblioteca Magliabechiana, which is part of
the Uffizi gallery complex in Florence (Tuscany, central Italy), exposed Dark
Earth deposits between alluvial sediments of the nearby Arno River. The term
Dark Earth refers to thick, dark colored, and seemingly homogeneous deposits
occurring in urban settings throughout Europe, broadly dated to the post-
Roman period. The stratigraphic sequence of the Biblioteca Magliabechiana
was investigated by integrating geomorphological, chronological, and archaeological
information with micromorphological and soil analytical data. This
combination of approaches resulted in the identification of an early phase of
Dark Earth formation (7th century A.D.) during which the area was characterized
by the accumulation of manure or night soil in wet peri-fluvial conditions.
After a phase of abandonment, Dark Earth accretion resumed (10th to early
11th century A.D.), at this stage due primarily to the dumping of domestic
waste. Subsequent progressive abandonment of the area was followed by the
deposition of alluvium, probably during the major flood of November 4, 1177.
The present study demonstrates that Dark Earth is the outcome of strong bioturbation
and human reworking acting on anthropogenic deposits and possibly
on alluvial sediments
The "Hoge Andjoen," an early medieval motte (860-960 A.D.) is an artificial hill made up of at least eight man-made "ground raising/leveling" layers. Each layer is associated with a stabilization level and a well-preserved occupation surface with evidence such as living floors, traces of cultivation, and goat/sheep trampling. The presence of this hill generated a local rise in the original groundwater table present in the natural, buried soil of the site. In some parts of the hill, and with little relation to the sedimentary boundaries, this process generated permanent water stagnation with pronounced anaerobic conditions and locally strong gradients of oxidoreduction. These gradients created a series of particular migrations and accumulations of iron, manganese, and phosphorus components. All organic artifacts, such as oak posts, wooden floors, leather, and seeds remained well preserved in the strongly reduced parts of the hill; they are completely decayed in the aerated zones of the hill. The soil moisture regime within the motte further influenced a series of postdepositional migrations/accumulations of clay and organic matter. The micromorphological study of this archaeological site allows verification of hypotheses developed during field surveying. These hypotheses relate mainly to the origin and mode of dumping of the various types of earthy material, the human activities related to the nine successive living floors, and the traces of numerous postdepositional processes observed throughout this archaeological structure. ᭧
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