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Reconstructing human–landscape interactions in the context of ancient iron smelting on Elba Island, Italy, using sedimentological evidence
Author(s) -
Becker Fabian,
Eser Raphael,
Hoelzmann Philipp,
Schütt Brigitta
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
geoarchaeology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.696
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1520-6548
pISSN - 0883-6353
DOI - 10.1002/gea.21726
Subject(s) - aggradation , holocene , geology , marine transgression , context (archaeology) , smelting , sediment , deposition (geology) , archaeology , alluvial plain , geoarchaeology , paleontology , geochemistry , fluvial , geography , structural basin , chemistry , organic chemistry
We reconstruct human–landscape interactions in the context of ancient bloomery smelting on Elba Island, Tyrrhenian Sea, based on sedimentological evidence. Elba was, together with Populonia, the center of iron production in antiquity (mid‐6th century B.C.E. to 1st century C.E.). The sediment sequences obtained by vibracoring in the Campo plain reveal that the Holocene transgression triggered aggradation during the Early–Middle Holocene (>5.4 ka cal BP). Nevertheless, wetland conditions prevailed in low‐lying areas during Roman times. Correspondingly, ancient smelting sites are found only on elevated areas along the edge of the plain. The palaeolandscape thus plays a key role in understanding location factors for smelting sites in antiquity. Our sediment sequences indicate that during Etrusco–Roman times (2.4–2.0 ka cal BP) morphodynamics on the island increased, as is evident from the alteration of slope deposits and slack water deposits in upstream positions, and the change from lacustrine to alluvial deposition in downstream areas. The charcoal record shows that fire dynamics increased simultaneously. The sediments that are synsedimentary to the ancient smelting period show significantly increased arsenic contents and high sediment magnetic susceptibility, whereas overall concentrations of heavy metals remain in the range of the geogenic background signal.