Soil Science and Archeology

Abstract

The problem of paleopedological studies of archeological monuments in Russia is discussed on the basis of the materials published in Pochvovedenie. From 1900 to 1979, only 15 articles published in the journal were devoted to this problem. The last two decades have been marked by a burst of interest in paleopedological research in connection with archeology: more than 35 articles on this topic were published in Pochvovedenie. The most important publications in the journal and in special monographs are analyzed. The conceptual review of data on soil evolution and environmental changes in the Holocene and on their role in the life of ancient humans dwelling in the steppe zone of Eurasia from the Mesolithic epoch to Medieval times is presented. The peculiarities of environmental processes during separate archeological periods and in different regions of Eurasia are revealed. The most topical challenges facing the archeological pedology - the new science that has integrated soil, paleogeographic, and archeological investigations - are formulated.