Ancient agricultural soils serve as valuable archives of past land use, containing geochemical and physical indicators of human activity. This study investigates the identification and characterization of buried Byzantine-Early Islamic agricultural soils in the Tel Yavne hinterlands, central Israel. Despite extensive historical evidence of agriculture in the region, direct identification of ancient cultivated soils remains challenging due to the following natural and anthropogenic sedimentary processes.
To address this challenge, we employed a multi-proxy geoarchaeological approach, integrating sedimentology, portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), total organic carbon (TOC) and stable isotope analysis (δ13C), portable optically stimulated luminescence (pOSL), and high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) analysis. Soil profiles (4-5 meters deep) revealed interbedded clay and quartz sand layers (~1.5 meters thick), overlaid by a sandy anthrosol (~1 meter) bearing Byzantine/Early Islamic artifacts. The uppermost recentic layer is a 1 meter sandy grumusol.
Elevated levels of phosphorus, potassium, and calcium—comparable to modern fertilized soils—indicate nutrient enrichment from biomass ash and organic waste. The anthrosol layer, spanning approximately 1.8 hectares (18 dunam), is interpreted as an intentionally enhanced agricultural soil, likely developed to improve soil fertility in the loamy alluvial setting of the Soreq floodplain.
The integration of geochemical, mineralogical, and chronological analyses provides robust evidence of historical agricultural practices. The pOSL results suggest rapid deposition of anthropogenic material, while TOC and δ13C values reflect shifts in paleo-vegetation and climate. These findings demonstrate the utility of a holistic geoarchaeological approach for reconstructing ancient agrarian landscapes and highlight the role of human-environment interactions in shaping the region’s sedimentary record.