A pedological investigation of catchment basins below late Minoan period archaeological sites in eastern Crete, Greece

A series of soil pedons were investigated in conjunction with the Kavousi Archaeological Expedition in Eastern Crete, Greece. These soils were located in sediment catchment basins in landscape positions that were topographically below archaeological sites known to have been inhabited in the Late Minoan IIIc Period (1100-900 B.C.). The objective of this investigation was to use soil information in concert with available archaeological and chronological data to reconstruct the Late Pleistocene and Holocene landscape history of Eastern Crete. Four soil pedons were located near the archaeological site of Karphi which is in the Diktean Range north of the Lasithi Plateau. These four pedons included two sinkholes, one alluvial fan deposit, and one buried agricultural terrace. Three soil pedons were also investigated near the archaeological sites of Vronda and Kastro, which are near the village of Kavousi in the Siteia Range. These soil pedons included one buried colluvial deposit, one alluvial fan deposit, and one sinkhole. The soil morphology was described for each pedon, and particular attention was paid to existence of buried soils, discontinuities, and presence of artifacts. Samples were collected from the horizons in each pedon and were subjected to laboratory analysis. These analyses included total carbon content, organic carbon content, pH, CEC, particle size, total element, citrate-dithionite iron, and weak acid extractable element, as well as some selective clay mineralogy. Results from this investigation show that stable soils with argillic horizons existed prior to 3,000 yr B.P. and that soils developed after 3,000 yr B.P. show little evidence of weathering. This pattern may be related to moister conditions which occurred on the island prior to 3,000 yr. B.P. The analyses also indicate that an erosional episode, which could be related to human-influenced landscape destabilization, occurred after 3,000 yr. B.P. at Karphi and Kavousi. Additional investigations revealed that an eolian component was deposited at Karphi approximately 1,700 yr. B.P., and clay rich sediments in the sinkhole at Kavousi exhibited vertic properties and translocated artifacts of Minoan age in the pedon.