TY - GEN A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Ouimet, William A1 - Dethier, David A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Raab, Alexandra T1 - Soils on historic charcoal hearths - terminology and chemical properties T2 - Soil Science Society of America Journal : SSSAJ N2 - Historic charcoal hearth remains provide a unique archive of the long term interaction between biochar, soil development and plant growth. Charcoal as raw material was crucial for production of iron in iron works and hence numerous charcoal hearths can be found in the forests near historic iron works in Europe as well as the Eastern United States. Charcoal hearths are round to elliptical forms often around 10 m in diameter, and consist of several decimeter thick layers that contain charcoal fragments, ash, and burnt soil. We studied the soil chemistry of 24 charcoal hearths and compared them to the surrounding ‘natural’ soils in the northern Appalachians of northwestern Connecticut. The thickness of the topsoils on the charcoal hearths and their carbon content are remarkably higher than in the surrounding topsoils. The presence of residual products from charcoal production classifies the soils as Anthropic Udorthents (US Soil Taxonomy) or Spolic Technosols (Humic) according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources. The widespread occurrence of charcoal hearth remains and their high spatial density in different ecosystems underlines their importance for further pedological research. KW - biochar KW - pedogenesis KW - land use KW - carbon sink Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2017.02.0067 SN - 1435-0661 SN - 0361-5995 VL - 81 IS - 6 SP - 1427 EP - 1435 ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Raab, Alexandra A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Bonhage, Alexander ED - Holzheu, Stefan ED - Thies, Birgit T1 - The geomorphic legacy of historic charcoal production in Brandenburg, Germany T2 - 4th Central European Geomorphology Conference, Bayreuth, October 9th-13th 2017 Y1 - 2017 SP - 117 EP - 118 CY - Bayreuth ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Raab, Alexandra A1 - Bonhage, Alexander A1 - Raab, Thomas T1 - Bodenveränderungen durch die historische Holzkohleproduktion in Brandenburg T2 - Abstracts der Jahrestagung der Deutschen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft, Göttingen, 2017 Y1 - 2017 UR - http://dbg17.abstract-dialog.de/search/abstract_detail.php?aId=346 PB - DBG CY - Göttingen ER - TY - GEN A1 - Schneider, Anna A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Wechler, Klaus-Peter A1 - Raab, Alexandra A1 - Raab, Thomas T1 - Reconstruction of a Paleosurface and Archaeological Site Location in an Anthropogenic Drift Sand Area T2 - Archaeological Prospection N2 - Knowledge of the position of archaeological remains in the surface relief provides important basic information for archaeological survey design and interpretation. Geomorphological processes in (pre)history may have resulted in a modification of the local relief around archaeological sites, especially in areas that are prone to sediment erosion and relocation, such as sheet sand and dune landscapes. In this study, we reconstructed and analysed the palaeorelief of an archaeological excavation site in an inland dune area in southern Brandenburg, Germany. The remains of two Mesolithic sites were documented in the archaeological excavations and found to be associated with a buried soil horizon. To gather information on the relief of the buried soil surface, we used a combination of sedimentological and pedological profile descriptions along archaeological survey trenches and geophysical prospection with ground penetrating radar supplemented with microdrone photography and photogrammetry, global positioning system (GPS) surveys, and analysis of LiDAR-based elevation models. A digital elevation model of the buried surface was generated and analysed using a geographical information system (GIS). A comparison of the palaeosurface model with the recent surface elevation model shows that sand remobilization resulted in a considerable reshaping of the relief. Further, an analysis of the buried surface model shows that the relief position of the two archaeological sites in the study area was considerably more prominent in relation to the corresponding buried soil surface than in relation to the recent surface morphology. The results affirm the significance of Holocene sediment relocation for the local surface morphology and the importance of considering such relief modifications in archaeological surveys. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.1571 SN - 1099-0763 VL - 24 IS - 4 SP - 297 EP - 310 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Raab, Thomas A1 - Hirsch, Florian A1 - Ouimet, William A1 - Johnson, Katharine M. A1 - Dethier, David A1 - Raab, Alexandra T1 - Architecture of relict charcoal hearths in northwestern Connecticut, USA T2 - Geoarchaeology N2 - Relict charcoal hearths are round or elliptical earthen platforms up to 11 m in diameter and a widespread feature of historical industry that supplied charcoal used in the production of iron in furnaces or smelters. The iron industry dominated Litchfield County, Connecticut, and surrounding areas in the northeastUnited States throughout the 19th century, peaking in ∼1850. The large number of charcoal hearths in this region is a relic of >150 years of widespread iron production. In this study, we describe the architecture and soil stratigraphy of 26 charcoal hearths in Litchfield County. This contribution aims to (1) compare soils that comprise the charcoal hearths with “natural” adjacent soils, (2) measure the thickness of topsoil developed upon the hearths, and (3) characterize the stratigraphy associated with these features. Results indicate that the black topsoils overlying the charcoal hearths contain residual charcoal and are on average 2.6 times thicker than adjacentCambisols. Charcoal hearths display two ormore black, charcoal-rich strata separated by layers of reddish-brown soil low in charcoal content indicating multiple episodes of use.We also find that many charcoal hearths have been stabilized with boulders on the downslope side during construction and repeated use.Overall, the results presented here provide significant information regarding the construction, use, and associated impacts of earthen platforms for charcoal production in the northeastUnited States, with further relevance to other areas where historical charcoal production occurred. Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21614 SN - 1520-6548 VL - 32 IS - 4 SP - 502 EP - 510 ER -