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Geosciences
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Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology
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Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2025 | Viewed by 11861

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Najat Bhiry

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departement de géographie and Centre d’études nordiques, Pavillon Abitibi-Price 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 3115 Université Laval, Québec (Québec) G1V 0A6, Canada
Interests: plant paleoecology; Quaternary geology (stratigraphy, sedimentology, micromorphology); Arctic and North Atlantic geoarcheology
Prof. Dr. Émilie Gauthier

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratoire de Chrono-Environnement, UMR CNRS 6249, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
Interests: environmental archaeology; palynology; human impact on environment; climate change; mountainou sareas (Jura, Alps); Arctic areas
Dr. Dominique Todisco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratoire IDEES-UMR 6266, Université de Rouen, Rouen, France
Interests: geomorphology; periglacial geoarchaeology; site taphonomy; site formation processes; landscape archaeology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The landscapes and ecosystems of arctic and subarctic regions have been shaped primarily by quaternary geology (e.g., glaciation, land emersion), but also by climate change. These changes had a significant impact on the habitability of the land, which in turn influenced the choice of sites for human occupation and affected human activities in various ways. Traces left by humans on the environment can be observed through a variety of geoarchaeological proxies at different scales of analysis. Geoarchaeology combines different analytical techniques to study soils and sediments associated with landforms of archaeological interest.

This Special Issue welcomes articles dedicated to the study of interactions between humans and the environment (in circumpolar arctic and subarctic regions) in the context of climate change over time. Of special interest are papers dealing with the resilience (or non-resilience) of humans to environmental changes based on geoarchaeological proxies and/or environmental archaeological proxies at sites located in high latitude regions. Papers focusing on archaeological sites threatened by the effects of climate changes (coastal erosion, permafrost degradation, shrubification, etc.) are also of interest.

Prof. Dr. Najat Bhiry
Prof. Dr. Émilie Gauthier
Dr. Dominique Todisco
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Geosciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • human-environment relationship
  • geoarchaeology
  • environmental archaeology
  • landscape archaeology
  • site taphonomy
  • archaeometry
  • Arctic and Subarctic
  • climate change

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2772 KiB  
Article
Late Holocene Environmental History and Norse Settlement in Outer Fjords from South Greenland: A Case Study at Lake Qallimiut
by Emilie Gauthier, Andrés Currás, Charly Massa, Typhaine Guillemot, Hervé Richard and Vincent Bichet
Geosciences 2023, 13(4), 123; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13040123 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1948
Abstract
To complement discussions about vegetation history and climate variations in south Greenland, especially during the Norse settlement, we developed a sedimentological multiproxy approach to study a 4300-year-old lacustrine core comprising pollen analysis, NPPs analysis, physical measurements (magnetic susceptibility, density, and grain size), and [...] Read more.
To complement discussions about vegetation history and climate variations in south Greenland, especially during the Norse settlement, we developed a sedimentological multiproxy approach to study a 4300-year-old lacustrine core comprising pollen analysis, NPPs analysis, physical measurements (magnetic susceptibility, density, and grain size), and geochemical analyses (X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, and elemental analyses). Sediment archives were retrieved from a river-fed lake, Lake Qallimiut, located in the outer fjords of the Vatnahverfi area. The pollen analysis indicated a transition from juniper and willow cover to a dwarf birch forest. Non-pollen palynomorphs (NPPs) suggested grazing pressure and the presence of wild herbivores between 2300 and 1800 cal. BC. From ca. 1000 cal. AD, the presence of Norse farmers was evidenced in this area by archaeological surveys, and pollen analyses confirm the presence of human activities from the 11th century to the end of the 13th century. However, human impact progressively vanished between the 12th and 13th centuries, much earlier than at the other Vatnahverfi sites. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology)
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29 pages, 5057 KiB  
Article
Evolution of Coastal Subarctic Lakes in the Context of Climatic and Geological Changes and Human Occupation (North-Central Labrador, Canada)
by Camille Latourelle-Vigeant, Reinhard Pienitz and Najat Bhiry
Geosciences 2023, 13(4), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13040097 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2551
Abstract
Climate fluctuations and landscape evolution, with their associated impacts on northern coastal ecosystems, likely influenced human populations of Nunatsiavut who have inhabited the region for nearly 7000 years. As part of an interdisciplinary research initiative within the Nain Archipelago on the subarctic coast [...] Read more.
Climate fluctuations and landscape evolution, with their associated impacts on northern coastal ecosystems, likely influenced human populations of Nunatsiavut who have inhabited the region for nearly 7000 years. As part of an interdisciplinary research initiative within the Nain Archipelago on the subarctic coast of Labrador, this project sought to reconstruct the postglacial palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental variability of Dog Island and document its impacts on the evolution of lakes located in the vicinity of significant archaeological sites. To address these questions, we analysed physical, geochemical, and biological indicators preserved in sediment cores of two lakes. Results from Oakes Bay West Lake revealed gradual acidification since ca. 4900 cal. yr BP, coherent with terrestrial vegetation development and/or neoglacial cooling, interrupted by periods of milder climatic conditions (ca. 4900–3640 cal. yr BP and ca. 1520 cal. yr BP—present) that favoured large sediment inputs. Evilik Lake revealed the classic sequence of isolation of the basin in three major phases in response to glacio-isostatic rebound. These complementary results allowed for the development of a local palaeoenvironmental framework that contributes to a better understanding of how landscape evolution and climate have influenced human societies through site availability and proximity to marine resources, and how, in turn, they impacted their immediate environment through activities, such as wood harvesting and its associated effects on nutrients and lake sediment inputs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology)
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16 pages, 23033 KiB  
Article
Slope Dynamics in Relation to the Occupation and Abandonment of a Mountain Farm in Þistilfjörður, Northeast Iceland
by Julien Lebrun, Najat Bhiry, James Woollett and Þorsteinn Sæmundsson
Geosciences 2023, 13(2), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences13020030 - 25 Jan 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1366
Abstract
Extreme weather events such as storms, heavy snow accumulation, rapid snowmelt, and heavy rain have been closely related to slope instability in arctic and subarctic regions. In this paper, we investigate the historical activity of slope processes such as snow avalanches and debris [...] Read more.
Extreme weather events such as storms, heavy snow accumulation, rapid snowmelt, and heavy rain have been closely related to slope instability in arctic and subarctic regions. In this paper, we investigate the historical activity of slope processes such as snow avalanches and debris flows in Þistilfjörður, northeastern Iceland, and examine their possible role in the occupation and abandonment of three archaeological sites located on slopes of Mt. Flautafell. The study combines geomorphological and stratigraphical surveys with historical records, notably Jarðabók Árna Magnússonar og Páls Vídalíns and Sýslu og sóknarlýsingar Bókmenntafélagsins Svalbarðssókn. Geomorphological surveys show numerous features that are indicative of active slope movement processes in and around the investigated sites. Our results suggest that the slopes experienced periods of instability during the occupation of these sites. The burial or destruction of some parts of the homefield at the Flautafell farm reveals slope activity, which may also be related, at least indirectly, to the abandonment of the farm at Norður Hús sometime before A.D. 1300. Nearby auxiliary farm installations of Stekkur remained untouched by slope processes even though they are situated in a vulnerable area. Further study and dating of slope processes and farm occupation could allow them to be used as proxies for deteriorating environmental conditions affecting the region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology)
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21 pages, 4796 KiB  
Article
Paleogeography of Human Settlement at Iqaluktuuq, Victoria Island, Nunavut
by Julie M. Ross and T. Max Friesen
Geosciences 2022, 12(12), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12120440 - 29 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1877
Abstract
Change in sea levels, be they isostatic or eustatic, impact humans and the paleogeography they inhabit. In this paper we examine paleogeography at Iqaluktuuq, a section of the Ekalluk River, Victoria Island, Nunavut, between Tahiryuaq (Ferguson Lake) and Wellington Bay. The area’s isostatic [...] Read more.
Change in sea levels, be they isostatic or eustatic, impact humans and the paleogeography they inhabit. In this paper we examine paleogeography at Iqaluktuuq, a section of the Ekalluk River, Victoria Island, Nunavut, between Tahiryuaq (Ferguson Lake) and Wellington Bay. The area’s isostatic rebound impacted the Ekalluk River’s development and the use of the area by two essential subsistence resources, Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and caribou (Rangifer tarandus). This, in turn, impacted the choices of Pre-Dorset, Middle and Late Dorset, and Thule/Inuit people regarding site locations. A new relative sea-level curve developed using calibrated radiocarbon dates on marine shells and terrestrial material from archaeological sites is produced for Iqaluktuuq. Based on the data, large scale (1:50,000) paleogeography maps are presented for the period of human occupation of Iqaluktuuq, 3100 calibrated years Before Present (B.P. cal) to present, revealing how paleogeography impacts people’s settlement choices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology)
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29 pages, 4063 KiB  
Article
Micromorphological Analysis of Archaeological Abenaki Pit Features from the Fort Odanak Site (CaFe-7), Québec, Canada
by Sarah Robert, Najat Bhiry and Allison Bain
Geosciences 2022, 12(12), 437; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences12120437 - 26 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2404
Abstract
Built in the early 18th century on the banks of the Saint-François River (Quebec, QC, Canada), the fortified Jesuit mission of Saint-François-de-Sales was an important Abenaki centre during the colonial period. Between 2010 and 2021, archaeological excavations conducted by the Waban-Aki Nation led [...] Read more.
Built in the early 18th century on the banks of the Saint-François River (Quebec, QC, Canada), the fortified Jesuit mission of Saint-François-de-Sales was an important Abenaki centre during the colonial period. Between 2010 and 2021, archaeological excavations conducted by the Waban-Aki Nation led to the discovery of the mission’s remains at the Fort Odanak site (CaFe-7) in the historical centre of Odanak (Quebec, QC, Canada), and revealed numerous pit features likely used for storage or refuse disposal. A sedimentological and micromorphological investigation was undertaken in two areas of the site to identify the function and use of four pit features and to clarify site formation and evolution over time. Our study indicates that all pit features were used as refuse facilities prior to abandonment, but two of them were possibly used for storage. Chronological (14C) results indicate that Indigenous people frequented the site during the 16th century, before the establishment of the Jesuit mission, and that an initial domestic Abenaki occupation occurred during the second half of the 18th century in one of the sampled sectors. The use of traditional pit features by the Abenaki of Odanak seems to have persisted into the late 19th century. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Arctic Geoarchaeology and Environmental Archaeology)
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