Changes in Soil Cover Under the Infl uence of Aeolian and Water Sedimentation

Abstract

The purpose is to determine the paleogeographic setting of soil cover formation at the archaeological site ‘Yelyuzan I’. Materials and methods. In 2021 the soils of the Neolithic site ‘Yelyuzan I’ 1.75 km south-west of the village Nizhnyaya Yelyuzan, Gorodishchensky District, Penza Region, within the lower reaches of the Kadada River valley were studied. Soil-archaeological methods of study and their basic physical and chemical properties of soils (granulometric composition, acidity, sum of exchangeable bases, organic carbon content, etc.) carried out on the basis of the certifi cation laboratory were used. Results and discussion. Two types of synlithogenic soils have been identifi ed: buried soddy-sandy grey soil (stratozem) and modern alluvial (grey humus) soil. The role of soil fauna in the immersion of the cultural layer, as well as periodic moistening in the formation of the soil profi le has been revealed. Conclusions. The surface of the dune elevation was a convenient unsinkable place of temporary settlement of ancient people of the Eneolithic Age. At that time soddy-sandy grey soil and cultural layer on its surface were formed. After burial by river alluvium, modern soddy (grey-humus) soil began to develop. The soil fauna determined the immersion of the cultural layer to diff erent depths of the buried soil. Periodic fl ooding caused the processes of soil profi le gleying.