Medieval D ark E arth in an Active Alluvial Setting from the U ffizi G allery Complex in F lorence, I taly
2012; Wiley; Volume: 27; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1002/gea.21403
ISSN1520-6548
AutoresCristiano Nicosia, Roger Langohr, Florias Mees, Antonia Arnoldus‐Huyzendveld, Jacopo Bruttini, Federico Cantini,
Tópico(s)Isotope Analysis in Ecology
ResumoArchaeological excavations at the B iblioteca M agliabechiana, which is part of the U ffizi gallery complex in F lorence ( T uscany, central I taly), exposed D ark E arth deposits between alluvial sediments of the nearby A rno R iver. The term D ark E arth refers to thick, dark colored, and seemingly homogeneous deposits occurring in urban settings throughout E urope, broadly dated to the post‐ R oman period. The stratigraphic sequence of the B iblioteca M agliabechiana was investigated by integrating geomorphological, chronological, and archaeological information with micromorphological and soil analytical data. This combination of approaches resulted in the identification of an early phase of D ark E arth formation (7th century A . D .) during which the area was characterized by the accumulation of manure or night soil in wet peri‐fluvial conditions. After a phase of abandonment, D ark E arth accretion resumed (10th to early 11th century A . D .), at this stage due primarily to the dumping of domestic waste. Subsequent progressive abandonment of the area was followed by the deposition of alluvium, probably during the major flood of N ovember 4, 1177. The present study demonstrates that D ark E arth is the outcome of strong bioturbation and human reworking acting on anthropogenic deposits and possibly on alluvial sediments.
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