New data on the age of the Middle Palaeolithic site of Proniatyn (Podolian Upland)

The Middle Palaeolithic site Proniatyn is geomorphologically located on the near-watershed slope of the right bank of the Seret River. The history of its archaeological research began in 1977. During numerous expedition seasons of works conducted with using of methods of natural sciences and archaeology (until 2015), rich flint material was found on the site, which was located in the deposits of the over-Horokhiv deluvial solifluction stratum, i.e. not in situ, but was moved down the slope. The upper chronological limit of the cultural horizon was determined as 85±7 ka (according to V. Shovkoplias) by TL-dating of the Upper Pleistocene loess, which overlaps the over-Horokhiv deluvial solifluction stratum. In 2015, the Proniatyn site became the subject of scientific excursion of the international loess seminar «Loesses and Palaeolithic of Podillia». To clarify the age of the site, survey pit 5, located directly next to the main excavation, in the southern part of the site was expanded and deepened. The main goal of the work was to search for artifacts in the Horokhiv fossil pedocomplex (MIS 5), which is only slightly disturbed by deluvial-solifluctional processes. Two artifacts were found in the eluvial horizon of this complex, the third one was found in its humus horizon. Detailed analysis of the finds shows that the additional flint artifacts discovered in 2015 do not contradict the conclusion that technical, morphological and typological features of these three flints are completely identical to several thousand previously excavated flints from this site and represent the flake-blade Levallois industry. In general, all discovered artifacts from Proniatyn form a single monocultural complex of the site. Based on research conducted in 2015 is clearly established that the age of Proniatyn cultural horizon does not correspond to the age of deluvial-solifluctional strata, as previously thought, but is older than it. It is associated with the eluvial horizon of the Horokhiv fossil soil complex, the age of which is estimated at 112,0±11,2 ka and 106,7±11 ka according to TL-dating (the Palaeolithic site Yezupil I), 110±18 ka according to TL-dating and 102±16 ka according to OSL-dating (Palaeolithic site Mariampil I). Key words: Middle Palaeolithic, artifact, Mousterian, loess-palaeosol sequence, deluvial-solifluctional processes, Podillia.

Izprana tla v Sloveniji: pedološke lastnosti, prostorska razporeditev in klasifikacija

Eluvial-illuvial processes plays key role in pedogenesis, especially in the development of leached soils. As reported in Slovenian soil map 1 : 25.000 leached soils cover 2,3 % of Slovenian territory. They occur on different parent materials, mostly on flat relief preserved from erosion and colluvial processes. The aim of our study is the evaluation of their morpohological, physical and chemical properties, spatial distribution and dependency on soil forming factors, especially on parent material. Pedological properties are demonstrated according to analytical and descriptive data of 49 leached soils from the pedological base of Soil Information System of Slovenia. Obvious leaching processes are clearly recognized in almost all profiles of leached soils. Eluvial horizon in comparison to illuvial horizon has lower pH value, which is in average 4,4 and 4,6 for E and Bt horizon respectively, brighter color, lower base saturation (in average for 16,6 %) and lower CEC (in average for 5,5 mmol_c 100 g ^-1 soil). On average ratio of clay content between illuvial and eluvial horizon is 1,63. In the 75 % of all studied leached soils this ratio is above 1,38. After evaluation, according to WRB classification, an argic horizon is identified only in 40 soil profiles, while other 9 profiles do not match criteria of sufficient textural differentiation or there is not enough data to classify them. Detailed overview of the WRB criteria for argic horizons (cation exchange capacity of clay fraction and base saturation in argic horizons) reveals that Luvisols and Alisols are the most widespread groups in Slovenia among leached soil. Against expectations based on different references, we do not determined Acrisols within Soil Map Database.

Palevye soils with a bleached horizon developing from carbonate-free rocks in the classification System of Russian Soils

The position of palevye soils with differentiated profiles and with podzolized horizons developing from carbonate-free rocks under conditions of the cold extremely continental semihumid climate in the permafrost zone of Central Siberia in the New Russian Classification system is analyzed. The profile of these soils consists of the raw-humus horizon, bleached podzolic or eluvial horizon, and iron-illuvial or clay-illuvial horizon with some features typical of the metamorphic pale soils. According to the character of their middle-profile horizons, they can be attributed to the orders of Al-Fe-humus soils (sandy and loamy sandy varieties) and texture-differentiated soils (loamy sandy and clay loamy varieties). According to the character of their organic profiles, they can be separated as raw-humus subtypes among podzols and podzolic soils, respectively. Their specific regional characteristics - a tendency for the formation of a cryohumus horizon, clay illuviation, iron illuviation, and specific pale metamorphism of the mineral mass (pale metamorphized) (clay-illuvial subtype) - are also reflected at the subtype level. These characteristics can be present in different combinations reflected in the corresponding names of complex subtypes. In the geographical space, these soils form a transition from typical pale soils of the cold ultracontinental semiarid climate to the soils of cold moderately continental humid climate.

An Unusually Interlayered Clay Mineral from the Eluvial Horizon of a Humus-Iron Podzol

The <2 µm fraction from the eluvial horizon of a humus-iron podzol is composed predominantly of a dioctahedral mineral with a basal spacing of 14.7 Å which contracts to 13.7 Å on solvation with glycol, and to 11.4 Å on heating to 300°C. The interlayer region is partially filled with an amorphous organo-Fe-Al complex which is very unstable and is affected by every treatment employed, even homoionic cation saturation. The mineral has a mica-like morphology, contains 3.4% non-exchangeable K2O and is considered to be an interstratified mica-vermiculite formed by the weathering of mica. The contraction of the basal spacing with glycol is probably due to water being removed from the interlayer region of the vermiculite component, leaving only the natural organo-complex in the interlayer; alternatively, the contraction may be more apparent than real, resulting from an interstratification effect. Treatment with H2O2 results in partial expansion with glycol.