Engineering Survey Vol. XVI, No. 4/2022
Yurchenko A.P., Bricheva S.S.
Yurchenko A.P., Bricheva S.S., 2022. Sediments’ structure of the Osyotr River terraces near Zaraysk by electrical resistivity tomography data: first results. Engineering Survey, Vol. XVI, No. 4, pp. 62–68, https://doi.org/10.25296/1997-8650-2022-16-4-62-68.
In addition to paleogeographic and archaeological research shallow geophysical methods are increasingly being used to address the challenges of identifying buried forms of ancient topography. These tasks are especially relevant for Paleolithic archaeological sites. In this case, geophysical surveys are focused on delineating the boundaries of lithological complexes overlaid by more recent deposits within the first few meters. The obtained results help refine the spatial structure of the archaeological site and answer questions about the ancient topography and the processes that formed it. This study presents the initial results of using the method of electrical tomography to study the deposits of the Osyotr River terraces, where the Upper Paleolithic Zaraysk site is located. Electrical tomography was selected as the most promising method for work in the East European Plain, often covered with loess deposits. The research aimed to identify the main lithological layers, compare the obtained results with geological and archaeological data, and evaluate the applicability of the employed method in the paleoreconstruction of the archaeological site’s territory. As a result of the work, the structure of the terrace in the area of Zaraysk Kremlin was determined to a depth of 8 m, and the landslide slope of the terrace was extensively examined to a depth of 50 m, revealing the landslide body, the slip plane, and the surface of separation. Further geophysical investigations in the areas adjacent to Zaraysk site will allow for a more precise reconstruction of the paleolandscape and, in the long term, the development of a strategy for archaeological surveys.
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ALEXANDER P. YURCHENKO
Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia; yurchenap@outlook.com
Address: Bld. 29, Pde 4, Staromonetniy Ln., 119017, Moscow, Russia
SVETLANA S. BRICHEVA*
Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences; Moscow, Russia; svebrich@gmail.com Lomonosov Moscow State University; Moscow Russia
Address: Bld. 1, Leninskie Gory, 119991, Moscow, Russia