Identification and Study of Long-term Cultivated Soils in Semi-arid Environment: Construction of a Pedo-sedimentary and Geochemical Reference Collection (Oasis of Masafi, United Arab Emirates)
| Type | : | COM |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | : | Production scientifique |
| Au bénéfice du Laboratoire | : | Oui |
| Statut de publication | : | Publié |
| Année de publication | : | 2017 |
| Lieu de publication | : | - |
| Titre de la conférence | : | 9th International Conference on geomorphology |
| Lieu de la conférence | : | New Delhi, India |
| Année de la conférence | : | 2017 |
| Date de début | : | - |
| Date de fin | : | - |
| Titre du proceeding | : | - |
| Editeur de presse | : | - |
| Volume | : | - |
| Fascicule | : | - |
| Pages | : | |
| Auteurs (5) | : | COSTA Sophie PURDUE Louise BLASCO Thierry DUFOUR Aurélie CHARBONNIER J |
| Editeurs scientifiques (0) | : | |
| DOI | : | - |
| URL | : | https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02195773 |
| Abstract | : | The Masafi oasis, in the ophiolithic al Hajar mountains (United Arab Emirates, Fujairah), has been excavated since 2007 in the framework of the French archaeological mission (Dir. S. Méry). The excavations have revealed an occupation spanning from the Iron Age to the late Islamic Period, structured on the exploitation of agro-pastoral products and copper. To understand the environmental context and subsistence strategies, geoarchaeological test pits have been dug in the palm grove since 2014. While they have revealed cycles of cultivation and abandonment for the last 3000 years, the farming activities themselves remain poorly understood and the agrarian patterns need to be clarified. The present study aims to improve our knowledge of ancient agrosystems by identifying new proxies in soils to 1- characterize phases of occupation versus abandonment, 2- estimate soil fertility, implementation and nature of soil enrichment products, and the impact of agriculture on soil resilience, 3- assess land cover, 4- detect paleo-pollutions linked with human activities. To this end, shallow test pits were dug in the current Masafi oasis in abandoned areas and in cultivated plots possibly representative of ancient agricultural landscapes: irrigated plots with palm trees, fruit trees or cereals; plots with manure, ashes, or carbonates. Systematic samples were taken for laboratory studies: elementary and isotopic analyses, loss on ignition, pH, electrical conductivity, magnetic susceptibility. Statistical analyses allowed for the creation of agricultural facies characteristic of agricultural modes. This reference collection is a powerful analytical tool to study agrosystems as a whole, from socioenvironmental dynamics (identification of cultivated soils and agrarian patterns) to technical systems (agricultural strategies, gestures and heritage). This will be applied to the study of the 3000 years old Masafi oasis, with the aim to enlarge its use to ancient agricultural soils in semi-arid environments in Arabia. |
| Mots-clés | : | oasis; agrarian geoarchaeology; soil analysis; elementary and isotopic geochemistry |
| Commentaire | : | - |
| Tags | : | - |
| Fichier attaché | : | - |
| Citation | : |
Costa S, Purdue L, Blasco T, Dufour A, Charbonnier J (2017) Identification and Study of Long-term Cultivated Soils in Semi-arid Environment: Construction of a Pedo-sedimentary and Geochemical Reference Collection (Oasis of Masafi, United Arab Emirates). 9th International Conference on geomorphology. New Delhi, India
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