Soil erosion, agricultural terracing and site formation processes at Markiani, Amorgos, Greece: The micromorphological perspective

French, Charles; Whitelaw, Todd

doi:10.1002/(sici)1520-6548(199902)14:2<151::aid-gea3>3.0.co;2-r

Cited by 54 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…This incipient central-place hierarchy was reconstituted with the Mycenean e a complex society with conspicuous status differentiation that was centered around Mycenae and Tiryns. Commerce was revived, olive cultivation and vineyards were productive [51], and it is likely that hillside terracing had been introduced [35]. The use of upland caves further suggests pastoral activity.…”

Section: Settlement History and Population Of The Southern Argolidmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental history in the Mediterranean world: cross-disciplinary investigation of cause-and-effect for degradation and soil erosion

Butzer

2005

Journal of Archaeological Science

292

208

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Section: Settlement History and Population Of The Southern Argolidmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental history in the Mediterranean world: cross-disciplinary investigation of cause-and-effect for degradation and soil erosion

Butzer

2005

Journal of Archaeological Science

292

208

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“…There have been a number of geoarchaeological and landscape archaeology studies of terraced landscapes, such as on Antikythera (Bevan & Conolly, 2011;Bevan, Conolly, & Tsaravopoulos, 2008), the Kythera Island Project (Krahtopoulou & Frederick, 2008), on the island of Ikaria (Tsermegas, Dłużewski, & Biejat, 2011), at Markiani, Amorgos, in Greece (French & Whitelaw, 1999), and in the American Southwest (Sullivan, 2000). These show multiple phases of terrace use and construction, suggesting variable effects on soil erosion, and in the case of the American Southwest, at least sociopolitical rather than ecological reasons for terrace abandonment.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Societal stability and environmental change: Examining the archaeology‐soil erosion paradox

Brown

Walsh

2016

Geoarchaeology

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This paper critically examines the soil exhaustion and societal collapse hypothesis both theoretically and empirically. The persistence of civilizations, especially in the Mediterranean, despite intensive and presumably erosive arable farming creates what is described here as the archaeology soil erosion paradox. This paper examines the data used to estimate past erosion and weathering rates before presenting case studies that engage with the theoretical arguments. Study 1 shows 5000 years of high slope erosion rates with both soil use and agriculture continuously maintained in the catchment. Study 2 shows how ancient agricultural terraces were constructed as part of an integrated agricultural system that fed the ancient city of Stymphalos—now abandoned. Study 3 presents a recent example of how after the removal of terraces high soil erosion rates result during intense rainstorms but that arable agriculture can still be maintained while external costs are borne by other parties. What these case studies have in common is the creation of soil, and increased weathering rates while productivity is maintained due to a combination of soft bedrock and/or agricultural terraces. In societal terms this may not be sustainable but it does not necessarily lead to land abandonment or societal collapse.

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“…2000 BC (Hope Simpson and Janko 2011:99). Evidence of soil erosion has been identified at the site of Markiani on the island of Amorgos in the Cyclades (French and Whitelaw 1999). There is some evidence for dryness elsewhere in the Peloponnese and other parts of Greece in the late 3rd millennium BC.…”

Section: S4mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interaction of Climate Change and Agency in the Collapse of Civilizations ca. 2300–2000 BC

Wiener¹

2014

Radiocarbon

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Human history has been marked by major episodes of climate change and human response, sometimes accompanied by independent innovations. In the Bronze Age, the sequencing of causes and reactions is dependent in part on dendrochronology and radiocarbon dating. This paper explores the interaction of a major, prolonged desiccation event between ca. 2300 and 2000 BC and human agency including migrations, the displacement of trading networks, warfare, the appearance of weapons made of bronze, and the first appearance of sailing vessels in the Mediterranean.

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Soil erosion, agricultural terracing and site formation processes at Markiani, Amorgos, Greece: The micromorphological perspective

Cited by 54 publications

References 30 publications

Environmental history in the Mediterranean world: cross-disciplinary investigation of cause-and-effect for degradation and soil erosion

Environmental history in the Mediterranean world: cross-disciplinary investigation of cause-and-effect for degradation and soil erosion

Societal stability and environmental change: Examining the archaeology‐soil erosion paradox

The Interaction of Climate Change and Agency in the Collapse of Civilizations ca. 2300–2000 BC

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