TY - JOUR
T1 - Identifying buried byzantine-early Islamic agricultural soils in the Yavne Hinterlands, Israel
T2 - a multi-proxy approach
AU - Marcus, Jenny
AU - Wieler, Nimrod
AU - Terem, Shulamit
AU - Greenbaum, Noam
AU - Zilberman, Tami
AU - Yasur, Gal
AU - Asscher, Yotam
AU - Betzer, Pablo
AU - Varga, Daniel
AU - Ackermann, Oren
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2026 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2026/4
Y1 - 2026/4
N2 - Ancient agricultural soils contain geochemical and physical indicators of past cultural practices, often reflecting nutrient accumulation due to agricultural activities. Studying soil chemistry can therefore help identify ancient agrarian sites, yet few studies examine the elemental composition of soils tied to historical agriculture. This study uses potential proxies for identifying and mapping ancient agricultural activities within buried soil in Tel Yavne hinterlands, Israel. Employing a multidisciplinary approach—including sedimentology, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), total organic carbon (TOC) content (%C) and its isotopic composition (δ13C values), portable luminescence measurement (pOSL), and high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) analysis—this study analyzed soil profiles in the vicinity of Tel Yavne. Profiles revealed interbedded clay and quartz sand layers, capped by a sandy Anthrosol containing Byzantine/Early Islamic artifacts. The Anthrosol exhibited high levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and silica, comparable to modern fertilized soils, indicating nutrient enrichment from biomass ash and organic waste. These findings map an 18-dunam (1.8 ha) agricultural area, underscoring the value of integrated geochemical and sedimentological methods for reconstructing ancient land use.
AB - Ancient agricultural soils contain geochemical and physical indicators of past cultural practices, often reflecting nutrient accumulation due to agricultural activities. Studying soil chemistry can therefore help identify ancient agrarian sites, yet few studies examine the elemental composition of soils tied to historical agriculture. This study uses potential proxies for identifying and mapping ancient agricultural activities within buried soil in Tel Yavne hinterlands, Israel. Employing a multidisciplinary approach—including sedimentology, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), total organic carbon (TOC) content (%C) and its isotopic composition (δ13C values), portable luminescence measurement (pOSL), and high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) analysis—this study analyzed soil profiles in the vicinity of Tel Yavne. Profiles revealed interbedded clay and quartz sand layers, capped by a sandy Anthrosol containing Byzantine/Early Islamic artifacts. The Anthrosol exhibited high levels of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and silica, comparable to modern fertilized soils, indicating nutrient enrichment from biomass ash and organic waste. These findings map an 18-dunam (1.8 ha) agricultural area, underscoring the value of integrated geochemical and sedimentological methods for reconstructing ancient land use.
KW - Ancient agricultural soils
KW - Byzantine-Early Islamic period
KW - Sedimentology
KW - Stable isotopes
KW - Tel Yavne
KW - pOSL
KW - pXRF
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105028417658
U2 - 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105597
DO - 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105597
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AN - SCOPUS:105028417658
SN - 2352-409X
VL - 70
JO - Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
JF - Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports
M1 - 105597
ER -