Holocene Sediment Dynamics in the Vicinity of a Roman battlefield near Osnabrück (NW-Germany)

Abstract

Abstract. Abstract. The interpretation of the Holocene sediment dynamics at Mount Kalkriese in the WiehengebirgeThe interpretation of the Holocene sediment dynamics at Mount Kalkriese in the Wiehengebirge mountains (northwestern Germany) shows that the onset and the extent of human land use corresponds well mountains (northwestern Germany) shows that the onset and the extent of human land use corresponds well with most colluvial archives in Central European loess regions: The onset of soil erosion in the Wiehengewith most colluvial archives in Central European loess regions: The onset of soil erosion in the Wiehengebirge mountains started during the Early Neolithic period. For the Bronze Age, erosion and colluviation are birge mountains started during the Early Neolithic period. For the Bronze Age, erosion and colluviation are documented as well. A considerable increase of soil erosion with correlated reworking of colluvial sediments documented as well. A considerable increase of soil erosion with correlated reworking of colluvial sediments was found since Roman times, indicated by the burial of Germanic artifacts of Roman Age at the toe-slopes. was found since Roman times, indicated by the burial of Germanic artifacts of Roman Age at the toe-slopes. Unfortunately, no absolute ages exist for the post roman period. However, in analogy to other sites it can be Unfortunately, no absolute ages exist for the post roman period. However, in analogy to other sites it can be assumed that highest erosion rates occurred during the Middle Ages. assumed that highest erosion rates occurred during the Middle Ages.This study also shows typical problems when using the soilscape model for calculating the sediment This study also shows typical problems when using the soilscape model for calculating the sediment budget: since truncated soil profi les are used to model eroded volumes, only minimum soil erosion is budget: since truncated soil profi les are used to model eroded volumes, only minimum soil erosion is mapped. This can lead to a considerable discrepancy between eroded and accumulated volumes. Therefore, mapped. This can lead to a considerable discrepancy between eroded and accumulated volumes. Therefore, we have to assume that soil erosion at the plateau and in upslope areas at Mount Kalkriese was much higher we have to assume that soil erosion at the plateau and in upslope areas at Mount Kalkriese was much higher than predicted by the soilscape model. In addition, extensive anthropogenic accumulation soils (Plaggen than predicted by the soilscape model. In addition, extensive anthropogenic accumulation soils (Plaggen soils) were deposited in the downslope areas, thereby increasing the discrepancy between erosion and acsoils) were deposited in the downslope areas, thereby increasing the discrepancy between erosion and accumulation volumes. cumulation volumes.The combination of mapping erosion and accumulation with augerings and trenches, calculation of the The combination of mapping erosion and accumulation with augerings...

Sediment budgeting of short‐term backfilling processes: The erosional collapse of a Carolingian canal construction

“…Kesel (1989) used historical data to decipher the flooded areas and calculated them with mean sediment densities to estimate the sediment storage of the Mississippi River floodplain. Some studies use geostatistical interpolation of drilling results (Rommens et al ., 2005; Bussmann et al ., 2014), geometric forms of sediment bodies (derived from drillings; von Suchodoletz et al ., 2009), geophysical subsurface data (e.g., Guillocheau et al ., 2012), or isopach maps (for submarine fan or deltas; Carvajal et al ., 2009) to decipher the sediment storage.…”

“…Historical sources describe heavy precipitation in autumn AD 793, which caused the erosion of excavated material (Hack, 2014; Werther et al ., 2020). Some studies on sediment budgets struggle with the dating and methodological errors (e.g., reworked material, broad 14 C range due to radiocarbon plateau, insufficient bleaching for luminescence dating) of their archives (Brown et al ., 2009; Bussmann et al ., 2014). The dendrochronological results of our study show a clear interval of the canal construction and pre‐dates the accumulation of the backfills.…”

“…One of the main challenges of sediment budgeting is to quantify the sediment storage and the amount of eroded sediment (Brown et al ., 2009). The spatial scale of sediment budget studies can be large (e.g., the Rhine (Hoffmann et al ., 2007) or Mississippi river catchments (Kesel et al ., 1992)), medium (e.g., small sub‐catchments (Weber and Pasternack, 2017; Rascher et al ., 2018)), or small (e.g., gully systems (Dotterweich et al ., 2003) or hillslope processes (Bussmann et al ., 2014; Smetanová et al ., 2017)). The temporal scales vary from orogenetic sediment fluxes of up to several millions of years (Hinderer and Einsele, 2001; Bhattacharya et al ., 2016) to short‐term rainfall events (Chen et al ., 2018).…”

Shaping pre-modern digital terrain models: The former topography at Charlemagne’s canal construction site

“…The offset of the modelled altitude and the detected palaeosols is low to moderate. However, if we consider the absence of a buried A-horizon and the thickness of the buried B-horizons [ 53 ], it is clear that these soils were truncated before the Carolingian construction phase [ 54 ]. Therefore, the “natural” offset should be lower since the original surface was higher.…”

The battle of Vossenack Ridge: exploring interdisciplinary approaches for the detection of U.S. Army field positions on a Second World War battlefield

“…We test these three points using an innovative interdisciplinary set of methods and a specific case study of the clash between U.S. Army and Wehrmacht units on Germany's western border in late 1944-the Hürtgen Forest battlefield (Rass et al 2009;Rass & Lohmeier 2011;Saunders 2011;Cowley & Stichelbaut 2013;Rost & Wilbers-Rost 2013;Bussmann et al 2014;Passmore et al 2014;Stichelbaut & Cowley 2016). In recent years, conflict archaeology and conflict-landscape studies of the twentieth century have refined our understanding of the material transformation and discursive translation (i.e.…”