extended abstracts - Geomorphic Processes and Geoarchaeology

Geomorphic processes and geoarchaeology
landscape complexes make them less resistant to environmental and anthropogenic
disturbances, thus supporting their instable equilibrium. Many of landscape complexes,
for example, remnants of high moraine-fluvioglacial plain and kame hills, are peculiar in
their natural features and rather unusual for valley outwash complexes of the Moscow
region. The combination of hollow-like depressions and kames located on a remnant in
the valley outwash complex is a rare formation indeed and this nature monument requires
thorough investigation and conservation.
Reconstruction of nature management in the Iron Age. The ecotone location on the
border of interfluve and valley natural territorial complexes, high diversity and contrasts
of natural conditions have, in their turn, predetermined the high natural resource potential,
and, hence, the prospects for economic development. In the past these landscape
complexes were among the most favorable for agricultural development. Apparently, this
is one of the most ancient areas of economic development of the territory. The presentday
landscape structure of these complexes has a lot of anthropogenic-natural and even
anthropogenic («man-made») complexes, such as the site of the ancient
settlement Dunino.
Landscape features of the territory contributed to its specific economic
development. The long-lasting adaptive economy has formed the territorial structure of
land use which balanced the natural features of the territory and the economic needs of
the Early Iron Age population.
The analysis of actual natural territorial complexes and their edaphic properties
(microclimate, soil fertility, ground moistening etc.) made it possible to reconstruct the
primary landscape structure and resource base of the area. This allows suggesting the
possible economic use of particular landscape complexes in the Iron Age. The suggested
land use has been verified during soil-archeological studies which proved the presence of
soil horizons reflecting ancient economic activities of the population.
The archeological excavations of some monuments of the Iron Age in the Moskva
River basin in the XX century have proved that the inhabitants of fortified ancient
settlements have a developed and complex economy, which combined cultivation, cattle
breeding, fishery and hunting. The latter included «creation» and preservation of certain
areas to hunt beavers, catch fish etc. The ancient settlements were the elements of welldeveloped
settlement-economic system. The landscape has been already essentially
transformed and cultivated; and its organization was rather complex. Forests have been
essentially «pressed» by the fields; many crafts, for example, iron making, extraction of
clay and sand for manufacturing ceramics and construction of houses have been taken out
of the sites of fortified ancient settlements. These were the central fortification points,
surrounded with other settlements and areas where different kinds of economic activities
were regularly carried out (including seasonal field camps, milking places and so forth).
The high level of economy organization was achieved, among other, by the
purposeful use of landscape, especially geomorphologic, features of the valleys of the
Moskva River and its small tributaries. The economic activities of the population of the
Iron Age were performed within the plots having natural boundaries and natural limits.
Thus, it became easier to control free (or semi-free) grazing cattle, fields and others lands.
Houses were constructed not only on flat surfaces. The investigations in Dunino have
shown that there are considerably thick cultural layers on the landslide terraces. The
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