Soil chemistry to support old map analysis of the built-up area of an abandoned settlement. Case study from the Romanian banat

Abstract

This paper focuses on the combination of geochemical methods and old map analysis to study landscape and settlement development. It is well known that historical land use of abandoned rural settlements affects soil chemistry and vegetation composition. We wanted to find out whether it is possible to distinguish various historical land uses when we know the current chemical composition of the soil; in particular, whether it is possible to recognize the presence of an abandoned village. Geochemical measurement was combined with old maps and grey literature analysis. The model area in the Romanian Banat Mountains is well documented by preserved old maps and is even documented by a land allocation plan from the beginning of the 19th century colonization. This unique document was compared with other old maps, and the spatial development of the rural settlement in the Romanian Banat was analysed. The geochemical methods revealed interpretable patterns, but in situations of little-known historical context (we do not know which households were really inhabited); the use of other supporting methods (archaeological topography, geophysics) is recommended.