The Research Seminar Series in Archaeology and Environmental archaeology invites you to a seminar with Ana Catarina Vital, "Clay minerals as climatic proxies for archaeological research: a case-study from the Early Pleistocene of Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania)".
Apart from being objects of study in material culture and micromorphology, clay minerals have the potential to become an essential part of the repertoire of climatic proxies used by environmental archaeologists, particularly geoarchaeologists. As components of lacustrine (i.e., lake) deposits, the identification of specific clay minerals, their chemistry, and their oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions can provide valuable information on water chemistry and salinity, degree of leaching, palaeotemperature, paleoclimate, and the nature of lacustrine deposits. Clay minerals can therefore serve as significant archives for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental changes and palaeoecological conditions at archaeological sites.
Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) represents a valuable case study demonstrating the relevance of clay minerals as climatic proxies in archaeological research. Olduvai Gorge is a river-incised valley whose sedimentary basin accommodated a lake throughout most of the Pleistocene. The archaeological significance of Olduvai Gorge lies in its exceptional palaeoanthropological record, which includes fossil remains of several hominin species, such as Paranthropus boisei, Homo habilis and Homo erectus. Combined with numerous geological and fossil climate tracers, these records make Olduvai Gorge one of the most important archaeological sites in the world and an ideal location for investigating the links between palaeoenvironmental change, climate, and human evolution.
The Research Seminar Series in Archaeology and Environmental Archaeology presents and discusses current research in archaeology and environmental archaeology.
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