Hermann Löns’ “Quintär” – an early approach to the geological stratigraphy of the Age of Humans and its significance in geosciences

In 1908, Hermann Löns outlined the concept of a Quintär” (“Quintary period”) to describe geological and biological manifestations of the Age of Humans. His definition of the “Quintary” consisted of twocomponents: a lithostratigraphical (“Quintary deposits” or “Quintary stratum”), and a faunistic (“Quintary fauna”) one. With a view on the stratigraphical component, Löns already anticipated the approach of the 21st Century to establish a geological definition for the Age of Humansbased on physical manifestations and geological evidence, that is nowadays reflected in the attempts to define the anthropocene. Transposed into modern terminology, the “Quintary stratum” is definedas a lithostratigraphical unit (Quintary Lithosome), that contains all deposits in which non-anthropogenic sedimentary processes have been replaced or modified by anthropogenic or technogenic activity. The Quintary Lithosome has a diachronous base and intercalates in its lower part vertically and laterally with non-anthropogenic deposits of the Holocene Series. The upper part, that correlates with the anthropocene series, has a global distribution. The Quintary Lithosome is exclusively defined for geological stratigraphies on Earth. It widely – though not totally – overlaps with the archaeosphere as a partial equivalent in archaeological stratigraphy. Previous suggestions to redefine the mostrecent period of Earth history by adopting a biostratigraphical scheme based on hominids and their cultural manifestations, are rejected hereinfor the realm of geological stratigraphy. However, for the context of archaeological stratigraphy, it is suggested to define the phase of cultural manifestations of hominins and their corresponding deposits as the Anthropian age and deposits, respectively.

ENGINEERING, GEOLOGICAL AND PETROGRAPHIC FEATURES OF ANTHROPOGENIC LAYERS IN THE TERRITORY OF SAMARA

The study of engineering and geological properties of anthropogenic deposits, widespread in the city of Samara. Their main properties have been identifi ed and a classifi cation based on the genetic principle has been developed. The results of a petrographic study of samples from cultural layers taken at an archaeological site are presented. Archaeological excavations were carried out on the territory of Khlebnaya Square, located in the oldest part of the city, in 2019. The object represents the cultural layers that were formed in the XVIII-XIX centuries at the site of the alleged location of the second Samara fortress. Petrographic studies of the samples were carried out under a binocular microscope at 8.75 times magnifi cation, in transmitt ed light of a polarizing microscope at 72 times magnifi cation and under a digital microscope (USB DIGITAL) at 10 times magnifi cation. It has been determined that the pebble fraction is represented by quartz ite and jasper fl int, the sandy and silty fractions are angular quartz fragments with an admixture of undecomposed organic remains. The organic cultural layers, which reach 7-8 m and more in the ancient part of the city, are especially powerful. Their presence is a limiting factor in modern urban construction.

From a river- to a man-dominated environment. Insights from the geo-archaeological record of Bologna (northern Italy)

<p>Mid-Late Holocene stratigraphy beneath the town of Bologna, in northern Italy, records an upward increase in the amount, thickness, width and connectivity of anthropogenic deposits and a parallel decrease in alluvial sediments. Anthropogenic deposits, spanning from the Neolithic to the Present, occur at three stratigraphic intervals separated by alluvial strata.</p><p>The lower interval, dated to the Neolithic-Early Eneolithic, includes sparse lithic, ceramic and copper artefacts, post holes, charcoals, shallow wells and ditches. These evidences of human presence are scattered along a pedogenized horizon developed during a phase of river stability lasting more than 3 millennia. Early Eneolithic rests are aligned along paleo river courses.</p><p>The second horizon consists of an uninterrupted archaeological sequence spanning from the Late Bronze Age to the Late Antiquity. Late Bronze and Iron Age remains include ceramic and metal artefacts, charcoals, huts, dwellings, wells, ditches, and cemetery sites. Iron age remains are pervasive and their distribution is irrespective of riverbed location. The elevated number of dwellings and cremation jars testifies to a significant local population growth. A dense grid of ditches and embankments denotes a widespread control of the drainage network. Roman deposits include large dwellings, public buildings, productive sites, wells, aqueducts, ditches, landfills, roads, bridges, cemetery sites. Romans introduced in the geological record huge amounts of anthropogenic materials with high preservation potential such as bricks and mortars. Large quantities of different rock types were imported from European and Mediterranean areas. These materials constitute a laterally continuous horizon buried at depth of 3-4 metres, which testifies to the development the colony of <em>Bononia</em>, founded in 189 BC. The amount and connectivity of roman rests, decreases away from the historical centre, where large farms, reclaimed lands and <em>centuriae</em> highlight an anthropogenically modified rural landscape. Fluvial gravels deposited since the Roman period are commonly enriched in brick clasts.</p><p>The uppermost anthropogenic interval is dated to the last millennia. Its base is a time-transgressive erosional surface which testifies to the progressive expansion of the Bologna urban area, with a minor pulse dated to Middle Ages (1200-1300 AD) and a major to the last 70 years. Particularly, in the 20th century the urban area of Bologna became 20 times larger and merged with adjacent villages. Post-1950 deposits are up-to-30 m thick and deeply cut into older stratigraphic units. Concrete, metal, and plastic are the most abundant materials. The last 70 years also record the spread of pollutants within shallow acquifers and dramatically increased subsidence rates due to water withdrawal.</p><p>Anthropogenic deposits beneath Bologna record an overall upward transition from a river-dominated to a man-dominated environment. Iron Age and Roman deposits represent the first evidence of a landscape heavily modelled by human activities. However, the thickness, lateral extent and pervasiveness of post-1950 anthropogenic units support the recently proposed idea to place the base of the Anthropocene in the mid-20<sup>th</sup> century.</p>

Landscapes and landforms connected with anthropogenic processes over three millennia: The Servian Walls at the Esquiline Hill (Rome, Italy)

Urban centers are characterized by scarcity of outcrops. At the urban-planning level, the examination of results from previous geological surveys and studies may provide sufficient data for an accurate subsurficial geologic modeling. In addition, in historical centers a GIS-based multitemporal analysis of historical and archaeological maps, and the examination of archive documents and reports, may be effective especially for the detection of geomorphic changes. The application of such a methodology at the Esquiline Hill allowed to detect the three-millennia-long landscape-modification main phases connected with the construction of the oldest city walls. They include a unique sequence of anthropogenic aggradational and erosional phases that shaped many anthropogenic landforms, presently visible and invisible, or vanished. Among them, the anthropogenic hill Monte della Giustizia, vanished since the end of the 19th century CE when it was erased, and the military moat, excavated in the 6th century BCE and enlarged in the 4th century BCE, finally backfilled in the 4th century CE, since then invisible. These geomorphic changes lastly output a flat leveled landscape similar to the previous volcanic plateau. Results suggest that the “geomorphological convergence,” that is, the resemblance between natural landforms created by different morphogenetic processes, also exists between natural and artificial landforms. Moreover, the study evidenced relationships between landforms and the damage status of historical masonry buildings, specifically connected with their foundation over thick layers of geotechnically-weak anthropogenic deposits. This advises that the multidisciplinary approach may also provide risk managers additional geological features to be evaluated as potential sources of natural hazard.

COMPLEX DEVELOPING COAL AND TECHNOGENIC DEPOSITS OF MOSCOW COAL BASIN

Conceptual principals of high-technological and power efficient producing nanomaterials and rare-earth metals for providing row materials import substitution and technological independence on enterprises in central Region of Russia are formulated. It’s shown that the problem can be solved on basis innovation technologies of integrated developing coal and anthropogenic deposits of Moscow Coal Basin. The solution of the problem consists of complex approach to studying and creating geotechnologies of deep processing coals and industrial wastes with using brown coal underground gasification.

Substantiation of the parameters of the tailings storage core during the storing of the cleaning rejects by hydraulic method

The paper analyzes the current state of artificial tailings storages. These unique anthropogenic facilities may be considered both as the sources of environmental hazard and as promising anthropogenic deposits. The relevance of their development is shown. Taking into account the existing technologies of tailings storing, it is substantiated that the future anthropogenic deposit is formed by hydraulicking layers of the same thickness, displaced relative to each other in the horizontal plane by the same amount. As a result of research dependences were obtained that allow estimation of the probable volumes of stored mineral processing products and available storage volume when building up dams, as well as justification of the location of the inner boundary between the core of the artificial storage and the body of the retaining prism.

Geomorphic processes influence human settlement on two islands in the Islands of Four Mountains, Alaska

The Islands of Four Mountains island group of the Aleutian island arc is remote and difficult to access. Consequently, little fieldwork has focused on geomorphic processes and their relationship to island morphology, climatic change, and human settlement. We investigated glacial, fluvial, and slope processes on the morphologically different Carlisle, Cleveland, and Tana volcanoes. The islands were extensively glaciated at the last glacial maximum (LGM), and there is evidence for a Neoglacial advance. On the highly dissected Tana volcano, a large basin is likely the result of a pre-LGM sector collapse and subsequent glacial erosion into weak hydrothermally altered rock. Valley and moraine morphology is also influenced by hydrothermal alteration. On both Tana and Carlisle, there are sediment fans composed dominantly of thick debris flow deposits mantled by ~3 m of layered tephras, fine-grained alluvium, and anthropogenic deposits. Debris flow deposition was favored during the unstable paraglacial landscape of the early Holocene–latest Pleistocene. The earliest direct archaeological evidence for settlement is 3.8 cal ka BP, but soil geochemical evidence suggests that the islands were inhabited by 7.3 cal ka BP. This discrepancy in the archaeological record may be explained by geomorphic processes including coastal erosion and unstable geomorphic surfaces.