Abstract
The new procedure presented here, which draws on the unexpected benefits of nuclear weapons testing, shows how variation in the concentration of the radioisotope 137Cs can be used to monitor soil movements over the last 40 years. The measurements allow a site's ‘life expectancy’ to be calculated, and there are some promising dividends for tracking site formation processes.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 658-670 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Antiquity |
| Volume | 80 |
| Issue number | 309 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Sep 2006 |
Keywords
- 137Cs inventory
- CRM
- Erosion
- Quantock Hills
- Site formation processes
- Soil redistribution
- Tillage
Cite this
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Quantifying the threat to archaeological sites from the erosion of cultivated soil. / Wilkinson, Keith; Tyler, Andrew; Davidson, Donald; Grieve, Ian.
In: Antiquity, Vol. 80, No. 309, 01.09.2006, p. 658-670.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantifying the threat to archaeological sites from the erosion of cultivated soil
AU - Wilkinson, Keith
AU - Tyler, Andrew
AU - Davidson, Donald
AU - Grieve, Ian
PY - 2006/9/1
Y1 - 2006/9/1
N2 - Ploughing is probably the greatest agent of attrition to archaeological sites world-wide. In every country, every year, a bit more is shaved off buried strata and a bit more of the past becomes unreadable. On the other hand, people must eat and crops must be planted. How can the fields be best managed to get the best of both worlds? Perhaps the most pressing need for resource managers is to know how quickly a particular field is eroding: negotiation and protection is then possible. Up to now that has been difficult to measure.The new procedure presented here, which draws on the unexpected benefits of nuclear weapons testing, shows how variation in the concentration of the radioisotope 137Cs can be used to monitor soil movements over the last 40 years. The measurements allow a site's ‘life expectancy’ to be calculated, and there are some promising dividends for tracking site formation processes.
AB - Ploughing is probably the greatest agent of attrition to archaeological sites world-wide. In every country, every year, a bit more is shaved off buried strata and a bit more of the past becomes unreadable. On the other hand, people must eat and crops must be planted. How can the fields be best managed to get the best of both worlds? Perhaps the most pressing need for resource managers is to know how quickly a particular field is eroding: negotiation and protection is then possible. Up to now that has been difficult to measure.The new procedure presented here, which draws on the unexpected benefits of nuclear weapons testing, shows how variation in the concentration of the radioisotope 137Cs can be used to monitor soil movements over the last 40 years. The measurements allow a site's ‘life expectancy’ to be calculated, and there are some promising dividends for tracking site formation processes.
KW - 137Cs inventory
KW - CRM
KW - Erosion
KW - Quantock Hills
KW - Site formation processes
KW - Soil redistribution
KW - Tillage
U2 - 10.1017/S0003598X00094114
DO - 10.1017/S0003598X00094114
M3 - Article
VL - 80
SP - 658
EP - 670
IS - 309
ER -