Nadiya Gavrylyuk

Doctor of Historical Sciences (Dr. habil), Leading Researcher of the Ancient Archeology Department, Institute of Archaeology NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2369-5701

E-mail: gavrylyuk_na@ukr.net

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Zhanna Matviishina

Doctor of Geographical Sciences (Dr. habil), Professor, Head of the Paleogeography Department, Institute of Geography NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

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Marcin Matera

Doctor of Archeology, Institute of Archaeology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4913-0749

E-mail: marcinmatera@uw.edu.pl

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Keywords: geomorphology, geoarchaeological researches, ancient Greek ‘s period, steppe region of Dnieper.

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Abstract

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It is about carrying out geoarchaeological research in the steppe zone of the Dnieper region. Agriculture has always played an important role in the economy of the coastal regions of the great river, and it is impossible to obtain objective data about this branch without studying the soil. That is why the Ukrainian-Polish expedition started a complex landscape study of the hillforts of the Lower Dnieper at the turn of the century. The first stage was the conduct of paleopedological research during the archaeological field work at the Konsulivsky hillfort. In the season of 2021, the remains of powerful fortifications, including a rampart and a moat, were discovered on the hillfort. Clearing in the excavation and outside it allowed to draw the following conclusions.

The character of all clearing profiles in the interval of 0.0–0.8 m corresponds to the characteristics of modern low-humus southern chernozems formed on a light loamy substrate.

The soil which formed under the influence of changes in natural conditions and climate from the 1st century BC – 2nd century AD has been preserved in profiles 1, 2, 4, 5 below the level of 0.8 m. This preserved ancient soil has a different genesis. It is characterized by a lower content of humus, it was formed in a shorter time and it is more uniformly humus-rich, it is also characterized by the activity of soil fauna, and it is also secondary carbonated due to the leaching of carbonates from the surface soil and the layer below it. The ancient soil is close to the chestnut soils of modern Ukraine and corresponds to drier conditions of soil formation (southern variations of the dry steppe).

Analysis of the profiles from the excavations of 2021 on the mentioned hillfort and their comparison with the background soils of today help for us in the reconstruction of the physical and geographical situation of the ancient times and in identifying trends in their changes.

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References

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