TY - JOUR A1 - Trappe, Julian A1 - Büdel, Christian A1 - Meister, Julia A1 - Baumhauer, Roland T1 - Combining geophysical and geomorphological data to reconstruct the development of relief of a medieval castle site in the Spessart low mountain range, Germany JF - Earth Surface Processes and Landforms N2 - Within the Spessart low mountain range in central Germany, numerous castle ruins of the 13th century ce exist. Their construction and destruction were often determined by the struggle for political and economic supremacy in the region and for control over the Spessart's natural resources. Wahlmich Castle is located in a relatively uncommon strategic and geomorphological position, characterized by a fairly remote position and atypical rough relief. In order to reconstruct the local relief development and possible human impact, a multi-method approach was applied combining two-dimensional geoelectrical measurements, geomorphological mapping and stratigraphic-sedimentological investigations. This provides new insights into the influence of landscape characteristics on choices of castle locations. The combined geoelectrical, geomorphological and stratigraphic-sedimentological data show that the rough relief is of natural origin and influenced by regional faulting, which triggered sliding and slumping as well as weathering and dissection of the surface deposits. The rough relief and the lithology permitted intensive land use and building activities. However, the location of the castle offered access to and possibly control over important medieval traffic routes and also represented certain ownership claims in the Aschaff River valley. The economic situation combined with rivalry between different elites led to the castle being built in a geomorphological challenging and strategically less valuable location. Focusing on castles located in rare and challenging geomorphological positions may therefore lead to a better understanding of castle siting in the future. KW - faulting KW - sedimentology KW - percussion core probing KW - geophysical prospection KW - geomorphological mapping KW - geoarchaeology Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-257433 VL - 47 IS - 1 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Trappe, Julian A1 - Kneisel, Christof T1 - Geophysical and sedimentological investigations of Peatlands for the assessment of lithology and subsurface water pathways JF - Geosciences N2 - Peatlands located on slopes (herein called slope bogs) are typical landscape units in the Hunsrueck, a low mountain range in Southwestern Germany. The pathways of the water feeding the slope bogs have not yet been documented and analyzed. The identification of the different mechanisms allowing these peatlands to originate and survive requires a better understanding of the subsurface lithology and hydrogeology. Hence, we applied a multi-method approach to two case study sites in order to characterize the subsurface lithology and to image the variable spatio-temporal hydrological conditions. The combination of Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and an ERT-Monitoring and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), in conjunction with direct methods and data (borehole drilling and meteorological data), allowed us to gain deeper insights into the subsurface characteristics and dynamics of the peatlands and their catchment area. The precipitation influences the hydrology of the peatlands as well as the interflow in the subsurface. Especially, the geoelectrical monitoring data, in combination with the precipitation and temperature data, indicate that there are several forces driving the hydrology and hydrogeology of the peatlands. While the water content of the uppermost layers changes with the weather conditions, the bottom layer seems to be more stable and changes to a lesser extent. At the selected case study sites, small differences in subsurface properties can have a huge impact on the subsurface hydrogeology and the water paths. Based on the collected data, conceptual models have been deduced for the two case study sites. KW - peatland KW - slope bogs KW - geomorphology KW - subsurface hydrology KW - electrical resistivity tomography KW - ground penetrating radar KW - boreholes KW - Hunsrueck Y1 - 2019 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-201699 VL - 9 IS - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ullmann, Tobias A1 - Nill, Leon A1 - Schiestl, Robert A1 - Trappe, Julian A1 - Lange-Athinodorou, Eva A1 - Baumhauer, Roland A1 - Meister, Julia T1 - Mapping buried paleogeographical features of the Nile Delta (Egypt) using the Landsat archive JF - E&G Quartnerny Science Journal N2 - The contribution highlights the use of Landsat spectral-temporal metrics (STMs) for the detection of surface anomalies that are potentially related to buried near-surface paleogeomorphological deposits in the Nile Delta (Egypt), in particular for a buried river branch close to Buto. The processing was completed in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) for the entire Nile Delta and for selected seasons of the year (summer/winter) using Landsat data from 1985 to 2019. We derived the STMs of the tasseled cap transformation (TC), the Normalized Difference Wetness Index (NDWI), and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). These features were compared to historical topographic maps of the Survey of Egypt, CORONA imagery, the digital elevation model of the TanDEM-X mission, and modern high-resolution satellite imagery. The results suggest that the extent of channels is best revealed when differencing the median NDWI between summer (July/August) and winter (January/February) seasons (ΔNDWI). The observed difference is likely due to lower soil/plant moisture during summer, which is potentially caused by coarser-grained deposits and the morphology of the former levee. Similar anomalies were found in the immediate surroundings of several Pleistocene sand hills (“geziras”) and settlement mounds (“tells”) of the eastern delta, which allowed some mapping of the potential near-surface continuation. Such anomalies were not observed for the surroundings of tells of the western Nile Delta. Additional linear and meandering ΔNDWI anomalies were found in the eastern Nile Delta in the immediate surroundings of the ancient site of Bubastis (Tell Basta), as well as several kilometers north of Zagazig. These anomalies might indicate former courses of Nile river branches. However, the ΔNDWI does not provide an unambiguous delineation. N2 - Die Rekonstruktion der Paläotopographie und -hydrographie des Nildeltas spielt für landschaftsarchäologische Fragestellungen eine zentrale Rolle, da die antike Siedlungsaktivität stark von der Dynamik des antiken Flussnetzes beeinflusst war. Für viele Bereiche des Deltas ist die Lage antiker Flussarme jedoch unbekannt, da diese im Laufe der Zeit verlandet und heute nicht mehr eindeutig im Landschaftsbild erkennbar sind. In diesem Kontext erlauben moderne Fernerkundungsdaten eine flächendeckende Untersuchung und ermöglichen Anomalien der Landbedeckung und Diskontinuitäten der Oberflächenmorphologie zu identifizieren, wodurch wertvolle Hinweise zur paläogeomorphologischen Situation gewonnen werden können. Zur Detektion solcher Anomalien wird in diesem Beitrag das Landsat Archiv genutzt, wobei verschiedene spektrale und zeitlich-räumliche Metriken für das gesamte Nildelta (Ägypten) für den Zeitraum 1985 bis 2019 in der Google Earth Engine berechnet wurden. Die Merkmale der Merkmale der Tasseled Cap Transformation (TC), des Normalized Difference Wetness Index (NDWI) und des Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) wurden analysiert und mit historischen topographischen Karten des Survey of Egypt, CORONA-Bildern, dem digitalen Höhenmodell der TanDEM-X-Mission und modernen Satellitenbildern verglichen. Die Ergebnisse der Zeitserienanalyse zeigen die Lage eines verlandeten Flussarms in der Nähe von Buto, der durch den Vergleich der Medianwerte des NDWI zwischen Sommer- (Juli/August) und Wintersaison (Januar/Februar) (ΔNDWI) deutlich zu erkennen ist. Der beobachtete Unterschied ist wahrscheinlich auf eine geringere Boden- und/oder Pflanzenfeuchtigkeit während des Sommers zurückzuführen, welche möglicherweise durch grobkörnige Ablagerungen im Untergrund bedingt wird. Ähnliche Anomalien wurden in der unmittelbaren Umgebung mehrerer pleistozäner Sandhügel (Geziras) und Siedlungshügel (Tells) des östlichen Nildeltas gefunden, was die Kartierungen der potentiellen oberflächennahen Fortsetzung ermöglichte. Weitere lineare und mäandrierende ΔNDWI Anomalien wurden im östlichen Nildelta in der unmittelbaren Umgebung der antiken Stätte von Bubastis (Tell Basta) sowie einige Kilometer nördlich der Stadt Zagazig gefunden. Diese Anomalien weisen vermutlich auf frühere Verläufe von Flussarmen des Nils in diesem Bereich des Deltas hin. KW - Nile Delta KW - paleogeography Y1 - 2020 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-230349 VL - 69 IS - 2 ER - TY - THES A1 - Trappe, Julian T1 - The influence of medieval building activity on relief development within the Spessart uplands, Germany. A sedimentological, geophysical and GIS-based approach at different castle and mining sites T1 - Der Einfluss von mittelalterlicher Bautätigkeit auf die Reliefententwicklung im Spessart, Deutschland. Ein sedimentologischer, geophysikalischer und GIS-basierter Ansatz an verschiedenen Burgställen und einem Bergbaugebiet N2 - In the Spessart, a low mountain range in central Germany, a feud during the Middle Ages led to the construction of numerous castles in this region. This study analyzes the mutual influence of (paleo-)relief development and medieval building activity using a geomorphological and geoarchaeological multimethod approach to expand the knowledge of human-environmental interactions during this time. For this purpose, GIS-based terrain analysis and geophysical measurements were conducted and combined with sedimentological information to create 1D-3D models of the subsurface and to assess knowledge of the landscape and relief evolution at various medieval castle and mining sites. The interpretation of all these data led to the answering of numerous site-specific questions on various geomorphological, geoarchaeological, geologic, and archaeological topics that have been explored in this work and have greatly increased our knowledge of each study site. In addition to these key contributions to the archaeological and geomorphological interpretation of individual study sites, a quantification of the anthropogenic influence on the relief development was conducted, a generalized model of the influence was derived, and new methodological and interpretative approaches were developed. Overall, this study links geomorphological/geological and (geo-)archaeological investigations at five medieval sites and delivers important information on human-environmental interactions within the Spessart and beyond. N2 - Mostly taking place in the Spessart, a low mountain range in central Germany, a feud between the counts of Rieneck and the bishops in Mainz escalated during the medieval period. This feud led to many castles being built at both sites, as well as other building activities. Many of these buildings and castles were located at specific and unique relief positions. This study analyzes the mutual influence of (paleo-)relief development and medieval building activity by utilizing a multi-method approach. For this purpose, GIS-based terrain analyses and geophysical measurements were conducted and combined with sedimentological information from invasive methods and outcrops to assess information on the topographic relief at four medieval castle sites and a medieval mining area. From the recent relief, the influence of medieval building activity was revealed and the paleo-relief was derived. The study sites were chosen in conjunction with the Archaeology Project of the Spessart Region (Archäologisches Spessartprojekt), which performed or is planning to perform excavations at these sites. With the help of GIS-based terrain analyses, the main objective was split into a number of site-specific questions. Spatial data were collected with the help of electrical resistivity tomography, ground-penetrating radar, seismic refraction tomography and fluxgate magnetic surveying to answer these questions. The ambiguous, spatial geophysical results were proven using Pürckhauer and Edelman soundings and with the help of boreholes and outcrops. More precise information about the selective soundings was extrapolated using geophysical data. Additionally, with these established methods, a new approach for the description of the relative resistivity distribution within the subsurface was developed. In addition to a quantitative description of the data, additional parameters were derived with the help of a constructed ArcGIS-tool. By interpreting all these data, most of the site-specific questions were answered. These questions are of variable complexity and focus on different geomorphological, geological, geoarchaeological and archaeological topics. For example, the genesis of the rough topography surrounding Wahlmich Castle near Waldaschaff was deciphered. Additionally, mainly boreholes and AMS-14C-datings revealed a connection between the medieval usage of a castle with a mill, including mill ponds, and the sedimentation history in a talweg at Hauenstein Castle. With the help of a geophysical prospection, the location of Mömbris Castle was precisely predicted, which resulted in a targeted excavation off-target the initially suspected areas. At Rannenburg Castle near Alzenau, massive, anthropogenically used loess loam deposits were prospected. Furthermore, at Eisenberg near Steinau an der Straße, important information was derived based on the position and form of iron deposits and collapsed shafts. In addition to all these key contributions for the archaeological and/or geomorphological interpretation of individual study sites, quantification of the anthropogenic influence on the relief was conducted. A generalized model that focuses on the mutual influence of relief development and medieval building activity was derived. Furthermore, new research approaches were developed that focus not only on positive location factors for a specific use, but also on the negative location factors for another type of use. The newly developed approach for describing the relative resistivity distribution can also be transferred to other studies to increase objectivity. Moreover, it is possible to create generalized datasets for individual study sites. Thus, this study links geomorphological/geological and (geo-)archaeological investigations at a medieval site and delivers important information on the mutual influence between the research items of all these disciplines within the Spessart and beyond. N2 - Nachdem im Mittelalter eine Fehde zwischen den Grafen von Rieneck und den Mainzer Bischöfen eskalierte, wurden im Spessart, einem deutschen Mittelgebirge, häufig in sehr spezifischen und ungewöhnlichen Reliefpositionen von beiden Streitparteien diverse Burgen errichtet sowie andere Bautätigkeiten vorgenommen. Die vorliegende Arbeit widmet sich dieser Landschaft, indem sie den wechselseitigen Einfluss von (Paläo-)Reliefentwicklung und mittelalterlicher Bauaktivität mit Hilfe eines Multimethodenansatzes analysiert. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit wurden an vier mittelalterlichen Burgenstandorten und einem mittelalterlichen Bergbaugebiet GIS-basierte Reliefanalysen und geophysikalische Messungen durchgeführt sowie sedimentologische Informationen aus invasiven Methoden und Aufschlüssen aufgenommen, um das rezente Relief zu erfassen, den Einfluss der mittelalterlichen Bauaktivität darzustellen und das Paläorelief abzuleiten. Die Untersuchungsgebiete wurden mithilfe des Archäologischen Spessartprojektes ausgesucht, welches an den jeweiligen Standorten Ausgrabungen durchgeführt hat oder plant. Mit Hilfe einer GIS-basierten Reliefanalyse wurde die Hauptfragestellung in eine Anzahl standortspezifischer Fragestellungen untergliedert. Für die Beantwortung dieser Fragestellungen wurden mit geoelektrischer Widerstandstomographie, Bodenradar, Refraktionsseismik und Fluxgatemagnetik geophysikalische Daten erhoben. Die mehrdeutigen aber flächenhaften geophysikalischen Daten wurden mit punktuellen Pürckhauer-, Edelman- und Rammkernsondagen genauer definiert; diese präziseren Informationen der punktuellen Sondagen konnten wiederum mit Hilfe der geophysikalischen Daten extrapoliert werden. Zusätzlich zu diesen etablierten Methoden wurde ein neuer Ansatz zur Beschreibung von der relativen elektrischen Widerstandsverteilung im Untergrund entwickelt und neben einer quantitativen Beschreibung der Daten auch zusätzliche Parameter mit Hilfe eines konstruierten ArcGIS-Tools abgeleitet. Durch die übergreifende Interpretation der Daten konnten die aufgeworfenen standortspezifischen Fragestellungen beantwortet werden. Nachdem diese Fragestellungen in ihrer Komplexität variierten und zudem verschiedene geomorphologische, geologische, geoarchäologische und archäologische Themen fokussierten, konnte eine große Bandbreite an Befunden generiert werden. So konnte beispielsweise die Genese einer markanten und rauen Topographie in der Umgebung des Burgstalls Wahlmichs in Waldaschaff entschlüsselt werden. Die Sedimentation in einer Bachaue bei Hauenstein konnte mit Hilfe von Bohrungen und 14C-Datierungen klar zu der mittelalterlichen Nutzung eines Burgstalls mit Mühle und entsprechenden Mühlteichen zugeordnet werden. In Mömbris konnte die Lage der eigentlichen Burganlage mit Hilfe einer geophysikalischen Prospektion präzisiert werden, was zu einer gezielten Ausgrabung außerhalb der eigentlichen Verdachtsflächen geführt hat. An der Rannenburg in der Nähe von Alzenau konnten mächtige, anthropogen genutzte Lössauflagen prospektiert werden und am Eisenberg in der Nähe von Steinau an der Straße konnten wichtige Informationen zur Lage und Form von Erzlagerstätten und Pingen gewonnen werden. Neben all diesen wichtigen Beiträgen zur archäologischen und geomorphologischen Interpretation der einzelnen Standorte konnte der anthropogene Einfluss an jedem Standort quantifiziert werden und ein generalisiertes Modell zur wechselseitigen Einflussnahme von Reliefentwicklung und mittelalterlicher Bebauung abgeleitet werden. Des Weiteren konnten neue Forschungsansätze entwickelt werden, welche nicht nur die Standortvorteile für bestimmte Nutzungen einzelner Standorte fokussieren, sondern auch die Standortnachteile für andere Nutzungsformen betrachten. Außerdem kann der neu entwickelte Ansatz zur Beschreibung der relativen Widerstandsverteilung im Untergrund auch auf zukünftige Fragestellungen übertragen werden, um die Objektivität bei der Betrachtung von verschiedenen Datensätzen zu erhöhen und gegebenenfalls auch generalisierte Datensätze für einzelne Standorte zu erstellen. Somit bildet diese Arbeit ein Bindeglied zwischen der geomorphologischen beziehungsweise geologischen und (geo-)archäologischen Erforschung eines mittelalterlichen Standortes und liefert wichtige Informationen über die wechselseitige Einflussnahme dieser Forschungsgegenstände im Spessart und darüber hinaus. T3 - Würzburger Geographische Arbeiten - 125 KW - Geoarchäologie KW - geophysical prospection KW - geoarchaeology KW - human-environmental interactions KW - Spessart KW - Prospektion Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-261499 SN - 978-3-95826-184-6 SN - 978-3-95826-185-3 SN - 0510-9833 SN - 2194-3656 N1 - Parallel erschienen als Druckausgabe in Würzburg University Press, 978-3-95826-184-6, 49,80 EUR PB - Würzburg University Press CY - Würzburg ET - 1. Auflage ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meister, Julia A1 - Garbe, Philipp A1 - Trappe, Julian A1 - Ullmann, Tobias A1 - Es-Senussi, Ashraf A1 - Baumhauer, Roland A1 - Lange-Athinodorou, Eva A1 - El-Raouf, Amr Abd T1 - The Sacred Waterscape of the Temple of Bastet at Ancient Bubastis, Nile Delta (Egypt) JF - Geosciences N2 - Sacred water canals or lakes, which provided water for all kinds of purification rites and other activities, were very specific and important features of temples in ancient Egypt. In addition to the longer-known textual record, preliminary geoarchaeological surveys have recently provided evidence of a sacred canal at the Temple of Bastet at Bubastis. In order to further explore the location, shape, and course of this canal and to find evidence of the existence of a second waterway, also described by Herodotus, 34 drillings and five 2D geoelectrical measurements were carried out in 2019 and 2020 near the temple. The drillings and 2D ERT surveying revealed loamy to clayey deposits with a thickness of up to five meters, most likely deposited in a very low energy fluvial system (i.e., a canal), allowing the reconstruction of two separate sacred canals both north and south of the Temple of Bastet. In addition to the course of the canals, the width of about 30 m fits Herodotus’ description of the sacred waterways. The presence of numerous artefacts proved the anthropogenic use of the ancient canals, which were presumably connected to the Nile via a tributary or canal located west or northwest of Bubastis. KW - ancient Egypt KW - Tell Basta KW - sacred lakes KW - Herodotus KW - ERT KW - drilling KW - Isheru Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-246129 SN - 2076-3263 VL - 11 IS - 9 ER -