My general interest is soil forming processes, mainly in arid to Mediterranean environments. I apply soil micromorphology (as a key method) to the study of soil-human interactions in ancient times. I also enjoy writing soil poetry.
- New setting for the INQUA Paleopedology Groups.
- Susan Marriott & Paul Wright: Paleosols of t... more - New setting for the INQUA Paleopedology Groups.
- Susan Marriott & Paul Wright: Paleosols of the Old Red Continent.
- Fei Yong: Paleosols in Tibet: A window into geological and anthropogenic past.
- Tribute to Alain Ruellan: The History of Soils: Some problems of definition and interpretation (reprint)
Tells (archaeological mounds) predominantly consist of poorly consolidated to unconsolidated sedi... more Tells (archaeological mounds) predominantly consist of poorly consolidated to unconsolidated sediments, and soils that are highly anthropogenic. This study examines pedogenic processes related to carbonate mobilization in tells in comparison with their peripheral soils (reference soil profiles). The key objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that tell deposits evolve through concurrent processes of sedimentation and pedogenesis (synlithogenic pedogenesis), and further explain it. Case studies are presented from three tells in semi-arid and Mediterranean climatic zones of the Levant. The methods applied included field survey, analyses of particle size distribution, pH, %CaCO3 and organic carbon content, and soil micromorphology. Soils of the tells contain miscellaneous cultural materials that derive mainly from degraded mud bricks, pottery and burnt wood. Chemical data show basic pH values, high CaCO3 content, and minor amounts of organic carbon. Field observations and lab analyses both indicate high similarity amongst the tells and their reference soil profiles. Buried tell soils show same characteristics as near-surface soils. However, the reference soil profiles show incipient horizonation, slightly darker colours, and more developed structure. Micromorphology of both the tells and the reference profiles show cohesively welded peds in a vughy microstructure, groundmass with an open porphyric c/f-related distribution, and discontinuous carbonate recrystallization. Relative rates of soil formation in the tells can be estimated when archaeological records are established. Contrary to the tells, the reference soil profiles show lower porosity and only minor remnants related to earth construction materials. We classify the soils of the studied tells as archaeological Calcareous Anthraltic Xerorthents. The correlative WRB classification would be Calcic Urbic Technosols (Archaic). The anthropogenic materials are as calcareous as the natural soils, but due to human action, carbonates in the tells are distributed differently. Based on these observations, ancient human actions and the dry climate have led to very little mobilization and accumulation of carbonates. The information provided in this study adds to the pedological understanding of archaeological environments. Specifically, it can be useful for the study of site formation processes of tells.
For over a century, the study of pedogenic calcrete and its formation focuses on natural processe... more For over a century, the study of pedogenic calcrete and its formation focuses on natural processes, disregarding the possible role of humans in its formation. Here we present field and micromorphological evidence from archaeological and modern sites in the eastern Mediterranean region (Israel) that indicate that some specific calcretes are human induced. We demonstrate that anthropogenic affected calcrete differs from 'natural' (non-human induced) calcrete. We show that the occurrence of the human induced calcrete is spatially limited and is associated with both macro-and micro-scale remnants, and occasionally high content of organic material. We propose an operative definition for anthropogenic calcretisation as the interference of humans with a com-ponent(s) that influence the formation of calcrete. We assume that if present-day calcretised environments will retain their calcretisation prone conditions for the next 5–10 millennia, a distinct calcretic morphology could become a significant terrestrial formation. This discovery can be particularly useful for evaluating past human impact on the environment, adding a new archaeological set of research tools that should further be developed.
The colloquial Arabic term nari has become, since the late 1890s, the most commonly used term for... more The colloquial Arabic term nari has become, since the late 1890s, the most commonly used term for describing a specific type of calcrete formation in the Levant. While it is reasonable to expect that such a long period of time would be sufficient for the establishment of a coherent use of the term, a combination of extensive literature reviews with field observations prove otherwise. A study of the geological contexts and etymology of the term nari and a review of literature back as far as the second half of the nineteenth century reveal a great lack of consistency among scientists’ use of the term. Correlating the terminological evolution of nari with present-day understanding of its formation mechanisms, its stratigraphic associations and contemporary uses of the term among scientists and local Arabs, allows us to propose a clear and consistent definition of nari. Our suggested definition recognizes it as a distinct surficial lithology. We show that the formation of nari in the Levant started in a regional calcretisation event in the late Pliocene to mid Pleistocene and is ongoing in the Levant nowadays.
Defining and classifying are fundamental needs in the everyday life of humans. Among quite a few ... more Defining and classifying are fundamental needs in the everyday life of humans. Among quite a few relevant examples in pedology, stands the question of whether soils and some types of sediments should or can be distinct. This issue is as old as soil science itself and is possibly very much related to the never ending debate regarding “the definition of soil”. As is the case in many fields, the necessity of humans to create and keep a uniform common language might collide with different cultural and/or scientific perspectives. Such is the case with the wide variety of soil classifications found throughout the world. One can easily note this diversity when reading publications that address two similar regolith profiles from different locations round the globe. In some cases it would be impossible to correlate two comparable profiles when using different classification systems. This contradictory situation is one of the most challenging topics in pedology. This whole background gave the inspiration for the following poem, titled “A dialog with a puzzled profile”
- New setting for the INQUA Paleopedology Groups.
- Susan Marriott & Paul Wright: Paleosols of t... more - New setting for the INQUA Paleopedology Groups.
- Susan Marriott & Paul Wright: Paleosols of the Old Red Continent.
- Fei Yong: Paleosols in Tibet: A window into geological and anthropogenic past.
- Tribute to Alain Ruellan: The History of Soils: Some problems of definition and interpretation (reprint)
Tells (archaeological mounds) predominantly consist of poorly consolidated to unconsolidated sedi... more Tells (archaeological mounds) predominantly consist of poorly consolidated to unconsolidated sediments, and soils that are highly anthropogenic. This study examines pedogenic processes related to carbonate mobilization in tells in comparison with their peripheral soils (reference soil profiles). The key objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that tell deposits evolve through concurrent processes of sedimentation and pedogenesis (synlithogenic pedogenesis), and further explain it. Case studies are presented from three tells in semi-arid and Mediterranean climatic zones of the Levant. The methods applied included field survey, analyses of particle size distribution, pH, %CaCO3 and organic carbon content, and soil micromorphology. Soils of the tells contain miscellaneous cultural materials that derive mainly from degraded mud bricks, pottery and burnt wood. Chemical data show basic pH values, high CaCO3 content, and minor amounts of organic carbon. Field observations and lab analyses both indicate high similarity amongst the tells and their reference soil profiles. Buried tell soils show same characteristics as near-surface soils. However, the reference soil profiles show incipient horizonation, slightly darker colours, and more developed structure. Micromorphology of both the tells and the reference profiles show cohesively welded peds in a vughy microstructure, groundmass with an open porphyric c/f-related distribution, and discontinuous carbonate recrystallization. Relative rates of soil formation in the tells can be estimated when archaeological records are established. Contrary to the tells, the reference soil profiles show lower porosity and only minor remnants related to earth construction materials. We classify the soils of the studied tells as archaeological Calcareous Anthraltic Xerorthents. The correlative WRB classification would be Calcic Urbic Technosols (Archaic). The anthropogenic materials are as calcareous as the natural soils, but due to human action, carbonates in the tells are distributed differently. Based on these observations, ancient human actions and the dry climate have led to very little mobilization and accumulation of carbonates. The information provided in this study adds to the pedological understanding of archaeological environments. Specifically, it can be useful for the study of site formation processes of tells.
For over a century, the study of pedogenic calcrete and its formation focuses on natural processe... more For over a century, the study of pedogenic calcrete and its formation focuses on natural processes, disregarding the possible role of humans in its formation. Here we present field and micromorphological evidence from archaeological and modern sites in the eastern Mediterranean region (Israel) that indicate that some specific calcretes are human induced. We demonstrate that anthropogenic affected calcrete differs from 'natural' (non-human induced) calcrete. We show that the occurrence of the human induced calcrete is spatially limited and is associated with both macro-and micro-scale remnants, and occasionally high content of organic material. We propose an operative definition for anthropogenic calcretisation as the interference of humans with a com-ponent(s) that influence the formation of calcrete. We assume that if present-day calcretised environments will retain their calcretisation prone conditions for the next 5–10 millennia, a distinct calcretic morphology could become a significant terrestrial formation. This discovery can be particularly useful for evaluating past human impact on the environment, adding a new archaeological set of research tools that should further be developed.
The colloquial Arabic term nari has become, since the late 1890s, the most commonly used term for... more The colloquial Arabic term nari has become, since the late 1890s, the most commonly used term for describing a specific type of calcrete formation in the Levant. While it is reasonable to expect that such a long period of time would be sufficient for the establishment of a coherent use of the term, a combination of extensive literature reviews with field observations prove otherwise. A study of the geological contexts and etymology of the term nari and a review of literature back as far as the second half of the nineteenth century reveal a great lack of consistency among scientists’ use of the term. Correlating the terminological evolution of nari with present-day understanding of its formation mechanisms, its stratigraphic associations and contemporary uses of the term among scientists and local Arabs, allows us to propose a clear and consistent definition of nari. Our suggested definition recognizes it as a distinct surficial lithology. We show that the formation of nari in the Levant started in a regional calcretisation event in the late Pliocene to mid Pleistocene and is ongoing in the Levant nowadays.
Defining and classifying are fundamental needs in the everyday life of humans. Among quite a few ... more Defining and classifying are fundamental needs in the everyday life of humans. Among quite a few relevant examples in pedology, stands the question of whether soils and some types of sediments should or can be distinct. This issue is as old as soil science itself and is possibly very much related to the never ending debate regarding “the definition of soil”. As is the case in many fields, the necessity of humans to create and keep a uniform common language might collide with different cultural and/or scientific perspectives. Such is the case with the wide variety of soil classifications found throughout the world. One can easily note this diversity when reading publications that address two similar regolith profiles from different locations round the globe. In some cases it would be impossible to correlate two comparable profiles when using different classification systems. This contradictory situation is one of the most challenging topics in pedology. This whole background gave the inspiration for the following poem, titled “A dialog with a puzzled profile”
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Papers by Danny Itkin
- Susan Marriott & Paul Wright: Paleosols of the Old Red Continent.
- Fei Yong: Paleosols in Tibet: A window into geological and anthropogenic past.
- Tribute to Alain Ruellan: The History of Soils: Some problems of definition and interpretation (reprint)
Conference Presentations by Danny Itkin
- Susan Marriott & Paul Wright: Paleosols of the Old Red Continent.
- Fei Yong: Paleosols in Tibet: A window into geological and anthropogenic past.
- Tribute to Alain Ruellan: The History of Soils: Some problems of definition and interpretation (reprint)