The spatial and temporal reconstruction of a medieval moat ecosystem.

Moats and other historical water features had great importance for past societies. The functioning of these ecosystems can now only be retrieved through palaeoecological studies. Here we aimed to reconstruct the history of a stronghold's moat during its period of operation. Our spatio-temporal approach allowed mapping of the habitat changes within a medieval moat for the first time. Using data from four cores of organic deposits taken within the moat system, we describe ecological states of the moat based on subfossil Chironomidae and Ceratopogonidae assemblages. We found that over half (57%) of the identified dipteran taxa were indicative of one of the following ecological states: limnetic conditions with or without periodic water inflow, or marshy conditions. Samples representing conditions unfavourable for aquatic insects were grouped in a separate cluster. Analyses revealed that the spatio-temporal distribution of midge assemblages depended mostly on depth differences and freshwater supply from an artificial channel. Paludification and terrestrialization did not happen simultaneously across the moat system, being greatly influenced by human activity. The results presented here demonstrate the importance of a multi-aspect approach in environmental archaeology, focusing not only on the human environment, but also on the complex ecology of the past ecosystems.

Changing natural conditions and their impact on the Mt. Snieznica landscape, Outer Western Carpathians - Reconstruction of the Holocene environment based on geochemical indices and radiocarbon dating.

Environmental changes during the Holocene impacted the development of all civilizations, and it is important to understand the power of this influence through, for instance, the reconstruction of these changes. However, when the climate and environmental conditions of the deep past are analyzed, researchers need to rely on various types of proxy data that are only approximations of the required information. In addition, this type of information is often absent or has several gaps (hiatuses). In the present study, we analyzed a 4.4-m deep core excavated from the fen formed within the landslide body on the northern side of Mt. Snieznica in the Wyspowy Beskidy Mountains, the Outer Western Carpathians, southern Poland. In total, we analyzed 405 samples in terms of 29 geochemical components (e.g., nitrogen (N), carbon (C), sulfur (S), and the total organic carbon (TOC)) and physical properties, namely particle-size distribution, loss on ignition (LOI), and microcharcoal content. Additionally, to establish geochronology, we dated 27 samples of different biological materials using the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon method. A detailed examination of plant macrodetritus and wood anatomy supported our interpretation based on the geochemical data. The Mt. Snieznica landslide probably formed ca. 14,000 cal BP in the first phase of the Allerød Interstadial. For almost 9000 years, there were no appropriate terrain conditions for the long-term accumulation of organo-mineral materials. At ca. 4400 cal BP, peat accumulation commenced. The beginning of peat accumulation correlates with the global 4.2 Bond event of cold climate conditions. After another ca. 2000 years, the core sediments were dominated by limnetic mud, suggesting aquatic conditions in the landslide depression. This sudden shift in the characteristics of sedimentation is loosely linked to the boundary between the Subboreal and Subatlantic phases (ca. 2500 cal BP). The apparent dichotomy of the depositional record agrees with the reconstructed climatic conditions during the second part of the Holocene. Up to 3000 cal BP, the regional climate was warm and humid, which allowed fast biomass production and hillslope stabilization by trees. Forest fires occurred only at the beginning and end of this period (4400-3000 cal BP). After 3000 cal BP, the regional climate became cool and dry. In this period, we found evidence of intensified erosion, but it was unrelated to forest fire activity.