The Geoarchaeological Significance and Spatial Variability of a Range of Physical and Chemical Soil Properties from a Former Habitation Site, Isle of Skye

Entwistle, Jane, Abrahams, Peter and Dodgshon, R. A. (2000) The Geoarchaeological Significance and Spatial Variability of a Range of Physical and Chemical Soil Properties from a Former Habitation Site, Isle of Skye. Journal of Archaeological Science, 27 (4). pp. 287-303. ISSN 0305-4403

Full text not available from this repository.

Abstract

Of the 34 major and trace elements investigated in this study, enrichments of K, Th, Rb and, to a lesser extent, Cs, were associated with former habitation of the area, whilst high levels of Sr and, to a lesser extent, Ca were associated with the adjacent field area. This latter enrichment is thought to represent additions of shell sand and/or bone and fish refuse. Phosphorus is a less reliable indicator of human habitation than K, Rb and Th, possibly because P enrichment may be caused by additions of animal manure as well as by human habitation of an area. Vanadium, Co, Zn, Pb, Ni, Ga, Sc, Mg, Cu and U all indicated negligible on-site enrichment, whilst Cr and organic matter content were found to be depleted in the on-site soils relative to the control samples. Consideration of the degree of variability in the soil parameters investigated has implications for the bulk or composite sampling of soils over sites of former habitation.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	F400 Forensic and Archaeological Science F800 Physical and Terrestrial Geographical and Environmental Sciences
Department:	Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Geography and Environmental Sciences
Depositing User:	Becky Skoyles
Date Deposited:	15 Feb 2019 12:41
Last Modified:	10 Oct 2019 23:46
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/38037

Downloads