Portada, créditos e índice del nº 34 de 2003

              ALMOGAREN
XXXIV/2003
e1c INSTITUTUM CANARIUM
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ALMOGAREN
XXXIV/2003
IC INSTITUTUM CANARIUM
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Bruchstück einer südfranzösischen Stele, die eulengesichtige Muttergöttin
darstellend [Foto: Alain Aigoin, aus Guilaine, Jean: Au temps des dolmens.
La France meridionale au temps des megalithes.- Pages Grand Sud 14, Edi­tions
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Inhaltsverzeichnis:
Ludwig Zöller, Hans von Suchodoletz & Nils Küster:
Geoarchaeological and chronometrical evidence of early human occupation
on Lanzarote (Canary Islands) ................. ........ ...... ... ... ......... ... ... ..... ....... . 7
Hans-Joachim Ulbrich:
Frequenzanalyse eines Lithophons auf Lanzarote (Kanarische Inseln) .... 25
Uwe Topper:
Über einige mündliche Überlieferungen der Imasiren
des Hohen Atlas in Marokko .. .... ...... .. ... .. ........ .... .. ... .. ........ ...... .. ... .. ... .... 37
Yves & Christine Gauthier:
Monuments a alignement de petites tours de l'Immidir (Algerie) ............ 47
Claude Blanc, Werner Pichler & Alain Rodrigue:
Le site rupestre de Guelta Oukas (Maroc) .. .. .. .. ... ..... .... .... ..... ..... ... ...... .. . 79
Joaquin Caridad Arias :
Elemente der altmittelmeerischen Symbolik
in kanarischen Felsbildern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Ernesto Martin Rodriguez, Amelia Rodriguez Rodriguez,
Ja vier Velasco V azquez, Jaume Buxeda i Garrig6s & Vassilis Kilikoglou:
Economia y ritual en la prehistoria de Gran Canaria. Las minas de
obsidiana de la Montaiia de Hogarzales (Aldea de San Nicolas) . ...... ... .. 137
Friedrich Berger:
Die Herkunft des Wortes "Mühle" im Mühlespiel ..... ..... ..... .... .. ... ..... .... 161
Hans-Joachim Ulbrich:
Ein Conchero auf La Graciosa (Kanarische Inseln) .. .. ..... ..... .. .. .. .... .. .... . 163
Joan Escola Pujol:
Iconografia del Abrigo Grande de Rkeiz, Sahara Occidental .. .. ... .. .... ... 171
Marcos Sarmiento Perez:
Referencias a las Islas Canarias en la bibliografia de los
viajeros alemanes de los siglos XV y XVI .... .... ..... ... ..... ....... ... .. ... .. .. ... ... 235
F.J. Martin-Gil, M.C. Ramos-Sanchez, J. Martin-Gil,
P. Martin-Ramos & T. Gil-Negro:
About an old necklace bead of presumably Canary Islands origin ... ... 249
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Friedrich Berger:
Eine alternative Deutung des Figurensteins von Tonndorf ....... ...... .... 259
Maarten van Hoek:
Upside-down "bird" petroglyphs near Arica, Chile,
imitating earlier rock art symbolism? .. .... .. ... ..... ..... .... ...... ...... ... ... ..... . 265
Luis Alberto Anaya Hernandez:
La amenaza del mar: violencia y trafico humano.
Consecuencias economicas, sociales y psicologicas del
corso berberisco en Canarias. . ... .... ....... .. ...... .. ...... ... .. ..... ... .... ........ ..... 269
Hans-Martin Sommer:
Neue Felsbildstationen auf der Kanareninsel Lanzarote (V) .. ... ... ..... ... 287
Werner Pichl er:
Die "Megalithikum"-Diskussion im Zusammenhang mit
den Steinbauten von EI Julan (EI Hierro, Islas Canarias) .. ...... ... .. .. .... 297
Mark Milburn:
Some notes on the Canaries and the Sahara . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Friedrich Berger:
Deutung einer Petroglyphe mit Jesus-Monogramm und Mühlebrett .... 315
Hans-Joachim Ulbrich:
Das Problem der Harimaguadas (Gran Canaria) -
ihre Bedeutung und Abgrenzung ..... .... ...... ..... .... .. .. ... ..... .. .... ...... ......... 331
Hans-Martin Sommer:
Merkwürdige Steinsetzungen auf den Kanareninseln
Lanzarote und La Graciosa ...... .... .......... .... ......... ... ..... ... ... .. ............ ... . 347
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Almogaren XXXIV / 2003 Wien 2003 7 - 24
Ludwig Zöller1, Hans von Suchodoletz2, Nils Küster2
Geoarchaeological and chronometrical evidence
of early human occupation on Lanzarote
(Canary Islands)3
Abstract:
Two desert loess-palaeosol sequences in sediment traps were investigated
using (pedo-) stratigraphy, sedimentology, soil mineralogy and IRSL dating.
So far we cannot recognise significant IRSL age-underestimates from the
polymineral fine-grain fraction of our samples. We establish a first palaeo­climatic
sequence spanning the past ca 200 ka which can be compared to
data from other Canary Islands and surrounding areas, including terrestrial
and deep sea records. More humid phases on Lanzarote are apparently trig­gered
by Milankovich forcing, but the climate remained semi-arid to arid all
over the past 200 ka. The onset of human occupation of the island during a
slightly moister period is bracketed between 5 and 10 ka, based on the occur­rence
of archaeosediments containing bones of ovicaprids. This is the first
proof of much earlier occupation than witnessed so far from archaeological
records. The early subsidiary economy had a strong impact on soil stability
and landscape shaping of the island. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights rese rved.
1. Introduction
The volcanic island of Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain), situated in the
NorthAtlantic trade wind belt, is the driest ofthe Canary Islands. The highest
elevations (up to 670 m a.s.l.) do not exceed the altitude of the trade wind
dynamic inversion. Precipitation is therefore very low (100-250 mm/a) and
falls almost entirely during winter when the island is occasionally influenced
1 University ofBayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany. E-mail address ofthe corresponding
author (L. Zöller): ludwig.zoeller@uni-bayreuth.de
2 Geography Department, University ofBonn, Meckenheimer Allee 166, 53115 Bonn, Ger­many
3 This article was first published in Quaternary Science Reviews 22 (2003), 1299-1307.
The Institutum Canarium thanks authors and the original editor (Elsevier) for the per­mission
to re-print this article which is of considerable importance for the understanding
of the prehistoric human settlement on the Canary Islands and the local palaeoclimate.
7
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by the polar front (Jahn, 1988; Höllermann, 1991). Singular rainfall events
may, however, be very intense with >20 mm per day or even within an hour or
less. Despite the maritime island climate with high (ca 70 %) mean relative
humidity, but almost permanent drying trade winds Lanzarote has a semi­desert
to dry steppe climate actually not allowing natural forest growth and
restricting agricultural use to limited areas.
Several times per year easterly "levante" winds blowing from the Western
Sahara desert transport considerable amounts of yellowish dust to the island.
In buried and relict soils covering older plateau basalts the dust has accumu­lated
to a considerable, or even to the main component of the soil's parent
material (Jahn, 1988, 1995). In sediment traps such as old craters or ancient
valleys dammed by younger volcanic material the dust has accumulated to
several meters thick loams and desert loess layers. The typology of buried
soils argues for more humid weathering conditions during repeated past peri­ods,
but so far no sound chronology of the sediment-soil sequences has been
established for Lanzarote.
The goal of our pilot project was to set up a complete stratigraphy of these
sequences and to test luminescence (IRSL) dating ofthe fine-grained fraction
originating mostly from Saharan dust. Our encouraging first results suggest a
rough chronology for the past ca 200 ka and can be compared to data from
neighbouring areas such as Fuerteventura island (e.g., Petit-Maire et al., 1986;
Rognon and Coude-Gaussen, 1987; Rognon et al. , 1989, 1996) and the North
Canary Basin (Moreno et al., 2001). Furthermore, we tried to find (geo-) ar­chaeological
evidence for the onset of human occupation (cf. Schmidt, 1996)
during our fieldwork and to place this event into our chronometric framework
of climate change in the area.
2. Geological overview
The beginning of alkaline volcanism (shield volcano phase) can be explained
by the theory of a hot spot under the present day Canary Islands (Schmincke,
1998). Volcanism on Lanzarote started during the middle Miocene forming
two separate islands in the north and in the south of present-day Lanzarote.
The rejuvenation of volcanism during the Quaternary and even in historic time
(1730-1736 AD, 1824 AD), however, requires a modification of the simple hot
spot theory and is eventually linked to the activity of the North Canary trans­form
fault (Rothe, 1996) or convection at the continental margin (King and
Ritsema, 2000). The volcanic eruption history ofLanzarote is usually subdi­vided
into four "series": Series I occurred during the Miocene and Pliocene.
The volcanic landforms created during this series were subjected to strong
8
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erosion and pediplanation during rather long periods ofvolcanic and tectonic
quiescence. Series II may have started during the upper Pliocene and was most
active during the lower Pleistocene. The youngest published 40Ar/39Ar age is
ca 0.98 ma (Coello et al., 1992). The shape ofvolcanoes from this series have
experienced rather strong erosion and flattening. Series III has been attrib­uted
to the normally magnetised Brunhes chrone but more recent 40 Ar/39 Ar
dates suggest that series III started as early as 0. 92 ma and lasted until ca 0.24
ma ago (Coello et al., 1992). In contrast to volcanoes from series II, the mor­phology
of craters from series III is well preserved, despite the apparently
rather short period separating series II and III. Series IV is of Holocene age
and can be subdivided into the older subseries IVa with volcanic activity in
the Corona group in the north of Lanzarote (estimated 5-3 ka old, e.g. Jahn,
1988) and the historic eruptions (1730-1736 and 1824 AD) of subseries IVb in
the west and southwest.
3. Study areas
For the purpose of this study it is most important that ancient valleys cut
into the plateau basalts of series I and the extended lava flows of series II were
dammed by younger lava flows and pyroclastic deposits of series II (younger
part) and III. Some ofthese dammed ancient valleys are still small endorheic
basins today and, thus, have served as sediment traps since their beginning.
Our fieldwork for the present study focuses on two of these dammed an­cient
valleys, the "Valle de Fernes" in the southem part and a valley near the
village of Guatiza in the northem part of Lanzarote (Fig. 1 ). The "Valle de
Fernes" was originally part of an ancient northeast directed drainage system
in the "Los Ajaches" volcanic massif (series 1). Near the small village "Las
Casitas de Fernes" at the northeast end of the "valle" the valley exit was dammed
by repeated tephra falls and lava flows originating from the "Caldera Riscada".
Careful geomorphologic and volcano-stratigraphic mapping suggests that the
height of the dam is about 50 m. The lowest point of the present day bottom of
"Valle de Fernes" lies between 295 and 300 m a.s.l. We studied several expo­sures
in the "valle", but samples for dating were only extracted from a quarry
at the lowest point (Fig. 2) which contains almost no coarse detritus, close to
Las Casitas de Fernes.
The ancient valley near Guatiza extends from SW to NE. lt is cut in the
eastern to southeastem slope ofthe "Famara" highland (series 1) and is bor­dered
by scoria cones and tephra layers from series III at its eastern side. A
lava flow from the "Las Calderas" volcanic group east of Guatiza extended
northeast into the valley and dammed it. Another lava flow from this group
9
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Investigated profiles
(Contour lines at 100-m distance}
N +
Profile Femes
Profile Guatiza
0 5 10km
{Alter JAHN 1988)
Fig. 1. Contour map of Lanzarote and locations of the investigated profiles.
moved north and was briefly exposed in an aeolianite-paloesol sequence east
of the village Mala. This sequence covers several marine terraces of unknown
age up to 40 m a.s.l. and a small valley cut into the older terraces. Two inten­sively
developed buried reddish-brown luvic calcisols (terrae calcis) and sev­eral
buried weakly humic soils were found in the aeolianites overlying the
lava flow. OSL dating from this sequence is in progress with M. Lamothe
(Montreal, Canada). At its southwestern end the valley of Guatiza is locked by
lava flows and ashes from the volcano "Montafia de Guenia" (series II) resting
on lava flows from series II. The exposures "Guatiza I" and "Guatiza II" (Fig.
3) are located a few hundred meters southwest of Guatiza and about 1 km
west of Guatiza at the foot of the Famara highlands, respectively. Stratigraphie
correlation between the two sections was achieved by help of a basaltic tephra
layer most probably originating from the Corona volcanic group (see below).
4. Sampling and laboratory procedures
Samples for IRSL dating were taken from the previously cleaned profiles
in complete darkness immediately after removing the outermost few cm. Sam­ple
preparation according to the fine-grain technique ( 4-11 mm) was performed
10
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C
r2e,
Luminescence ages from Fernes
cm
o .---.,..,
590
670
4.94 ± 1.31 ka
101 ±14ka
200 ± 26 ka
(augered part)
(800)
{ X40)
(870)
(90-0)
(950)
(970)
(990)
( 1035)
tcphr.a and lap.illi
(1 065)
1080
Fig. 2. Stacked profile of the Fernes section and luminescence ages (ka).
under subdued green diode laboratory light. The multiple aliquot additive
<lose (MAAD) protocol was routinely applied, but for some samples we also
used the multiple aliquot total bleach-regeneration protocol (3 h bleach with
the Dr. Hoenle SOL2 lamp). From one sample we also performed TL dating.
11
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Guatiza I:
m.
m,
15
110
115
145
165
JS5
wo
320
Luminescence ages from Guatiza
Guatiza II:
fB,C
290
/ /. / / 380 :7 .... ·~
5.12 ± 0.57 kl\s c48o
v 490
770 .. 18.5 ::i: 2.2 ka
&30
/
I
! /
/ 9W
f
m.c /
1130
Fig. 3. Stacked profile of the exposures at Guatiza and luminescence ages (ka). '
We used calibrated 90Sr (2.89 Gy/min) and 241Am sources (2.60 Gy/min) for
laboratory irradiations. Afterwards all aliquots were stored at 70°C for one
week. Prior to IRSL readout on a Daybreak 1150 TL/OSL reader, they were
preheated at 220°C for 120 s. IRSL shine-down curves were recorded for 100
s at 40 mW/cm2 IR-stimulation energy (IR-LEDs with 880±80 nm), using a
combination of BG39 and GG400 detection filters. For TL measurements the
well-tried combination of a Corning 5-58 and a HA3 filter glass were used.
For details see Mauz et al. (2002) and Lang et al. (1996). Data processing was
12
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performed with the Daybreak software TLApplic 4.26. Late light subtraction
in addition to background subtraction was not performed because of very
low IRSL intensities (see below). For radioactivity analysis we used thick
source alpha counting (conversion factors after Aitken, 1998), beta-counting
(Ris0 GM-25, with reference to loess standard NUSSI presently submitted
for certification; a factor of 0.385±0.005 was used to convert count per minute
into beta dose-rates (Gy/ka), and on-site measurements of the environmental
dose-rate in the energy window 0.25-3 MeV (Harwell 4-channel gammaspec­trometer,
modified). The small dose-rate contribution from cosmic radiation
was estimated after Aitken (1985) assuming a more or less continuous sedi­mentation
rate. Interstitial water content was measured from sealed samples,
but as samples extracted from behind a removed detritus accumulation at the
bottom of the profiles yielded much higher o-values than samples from the
dried-out exposure we calculated the ages with assumed higher Ö-values (1.3
for samples >40 % clay, 1.2 for other samples).
The regenerative alpha dose of the oldest sample D213 was by far not high
enough to regenerate the IRSL intensity ofthe natural signal. With respect to
the onset of saturation of the beta-regenerated growth-curve we estimated the
a-value to 0.028±0.009 and used this value for age calculation rather than the
value of 0.022±0.004 determined from the quasi-linear part ofthe regenera­tion
growth curve.
Tests for anomalous fading were performed as follows: five aliquots re­ceived
the highest applied laboratory beta dose and their IRSL was measured
on the next day. Their IRSL intensities were compared to IRSL intensities of
those aliquots, which received the same dose but were stored at 70°C for one
week.
Sampling and laboratory procedures for sedimentological and pedological
analyses and their detailed results will be described elsewhere.
5. Results
Analytical data and dating results are listed in Table 1. IRSL ages are also
presented in stratigraphic order in Figs. 2 and 3. In general, a-values are low
to extremely low (minimum value 0.022) which was also found by Pomel et
al. (1985) for comparable parent material on Fuerteventura. Unusually low TL
signals were also reported by Rögner et al. (1999) for desert loess from the
Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. In both areas, however, the presence of feldspars in
the silt accumulations was proved by XRD analysis. Despite the low IRSL
intensities and resulting scatter in the EDs determined for the single channels
(1 channel = 1 s), ED shine-down plateaus did not show an increasing trend
13
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§
§
0
~~
'D N
0 -fj -fj
N - tr,.
6 0 00 - '° -
r-­r,..-..-;
0" '
-fj -fj
0 «"> N -;' r-: ~ "' - "'
with shine-down time. Dose response
curves and ED plateaus (or a young (4.94
±1.31 ka, Guatiza 250 cm) and the oldest
sample (200±26 ka, Fethes 670 cm) are
plotted in Fig. 4. Most ofthe samples did
not exhibit significant short-term anoma­lous
fading, some others faded slightly (5-
10 %) or the IRSL intensity apparently
increased slightly (5-10 % ) during storage
after irradiation. Due to the very low IRSL
intensities of the young samples the "in­verse
fading" may be an artefact from the
low signal-to-noise ratios, as no obvious
physical reason for signal increase can be
given at this stage. lt is important to note
that no significant short-term anomalous
fading was observed from the oldest dated
samples. Only from one sample (D 222)
the observed short-term fading exceeded
10%. The calculated age could therefore
be a minimum age.
Tue Fernes and Guatiza sections yielded
very different but overlapping chronolo­gies.
The youngest sediments are poorly
preserved in the sampled Fernes section
at the sampling site and probably due to
anthropogenic removal of the uppermost
few tens of cm of the parent soil. In neigh­boured
exposures closer to the village of
Fernes, however, several meters thitk
young alluvial fan sediments from torren­tial
ephemeral streams were preserved.
They bracket the 1730-1736 basaltic ash
(both air fall and fluvially reworked) from
the Timanfaya (Montafias del Fuego) erup­tions
and contain ceramics from the colo­nial
period (Hans-Martin Sommer, Ma­guez,
Lanzarote, oral commun.). Tue IRSL
.___ ___________ _, ages obtained so far from the Fernes sec-
14
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3.00
E1
BN-D220 (Guatiza 250 cm)
Plateau test
0.0 +~-,--~~~~-,--~~~~-,--~...--~-~-,--~~--+
0
3.00
E4
OSL CHANNEL 100
Growth curve
- S.00. O,,<BETA> 6. OCJE1.
Fig. 4a
Shine-down plateau and dose-response curve for sample BN-D 220.
15
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16
4.00
EZ
6.00
E4
>
=.,
z
III
.>z.­.:
BN-D213 (Fernes 670 cm)
0
/
/
/
/~
Plateau test
OSL CHANHEL 1.00
Growth curve
_.._...a- g------ ~--------
.,_..~,..,,--
y
0 / D
,II
/ ED: 2.44E2
Chi-2=2 . 05E1.
0.0 -+-""V'-'--T~~---+~~~~~~~~~.--~~.--•-- a,-._7_3~E-1. -,---t-
- 3.00E2 O. 0,y<BETA> J..20E3
Fig. 4b
Shine-down plateau and dose-response curve for sample BN-D 21 3.
© Del documento, los autores. Digitalización realizada por ULPGC. Biblioteca Universitaria, 2017
tion range from ca 4.94±1.31 to ca 200±26 ka. A triple palaeosol-complex
consisting of luvisols (flBt, f2Bt) and a basal luvivertisol (f3Bt) is bracketed
between ca 4.94±1.31 ka and ca 42.6±3.9 ka. Loess enriched with secondary
carbonates in the 5Bvcc soil horizon is dated 101±14 ka. lt overlies an inten­sively
developed triple pedocomplex (f6Bvt, f7Bt and f8Bt) most probably
including the last interglacial soil as suggested by clay contents and clay min­eral
composition. The oldest sample Fernes 670 cm (200±26 ka) was extracted
from the f9BtSd soil horizon which continues downward into the hand-augered
part of the profile.
The stacked profile at Guatiza contains many coarse alluvial fan deposits,
and IRSL dating was restricted to layers with high aeolian (loess) content. No
samples were dated from the lowermost exposed part (reddish brown soil
sediments below 830 cm). The oldest dated sample here is from a loess-like
layer containing lots of calcified nests of Anthophora, a hairy dry land bee
requiring little more humidity than at present (Petit-Maire et al., 1986). Tue
(minimum) age obtained from this layer is 18.5±2.2 ka which is coeval with
the onset ofthe "Erg Ogolien" (maximum extend of large longitudinal dunes
in the Sahel zone) shortly after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) (Reichelt et
al., 1992, cf. Swezey, 2001). This layer is topped by a cambic soil horizon
(fBvC) with mycelia-like secondary carbonate precipitation. The sedimenta­tion
age of the parent loess-like material is 10.2±1.4 ka providing a maximum
age for the lower Holocene soil formation. The volcanic ash layer rests on a
loess-like layer with some coarse scoria clasts dated 5.12±0.57 ka and is overlain
by a probably aeolian loess layer without clasts dated 4.33±0.48 ka.
These two ages strongly support the basaltic ash origins from the nearby (ca
12 km) Corona volcanic group. An ovicaprid hone found at a depth of 500 cm,
270 cm below the ash, could not be dated by radiocarbon due to very low
collagen content and a very atypical 813C content (-26 %0, Dr. B. Kromer, Hei­delberg,
Germany, pers. comm.), referred to typically-18 %0 to -20 %0 (Wagner,
1998). With respect to the stratigraphic consistence of our IRSL ages and -
within error bars - identical ages for the youngest desert loess sedimentation
pulse around 5-4 ka we consider our IRSL ages meaningful. This is supported
by the agreement with other chronometric results and palaeoclimatic records
from neighbouring areas (see Section 6).
6. Discussion
A considerable number of 14C ages and other geochronological data have
been collected from aeolianite-palaeosol sequences on the nearby island of
Fuerteventura andin Morocco (Petit-Maire et al., 1986; Damnati et al., 1996;
17
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Rognon and Coude-Gaussen, 1996), in the Sahara (Reichelt et al., 1992;
Swezey, 2001) andin the North Canary Basin (Moreno et al., 2001). The well­established
aridification of the Sahara after the lower to middle Holocene
humid phase is reflected by the strong pulse of desert loess accumulation on
Lanzarote since ca 5 ka, whereas the preceding more humid period is wit­nessed
by the formation of a cambic soil between ca 10 and 5 ka. A rather
humid phase precedingthe "Erg Ogolien" known from the Sahara (e.g., Reichelt
et al., 1992) is also recognised and further resolved on Fuerteventura andin
Morocco, but its exact beginning and timing is limited by systematic errors
and the range of radiocarbon dating. Our IRSL age from Fernes ( 42.6±3. 9 ka)
as a maximum age for the beginning of "middle Lake Period" ("Mittlere
Seenzeit", Reichelt et al., 1992) and related soil formations agrees consider­ably
well with age estimates from Fuerteventura based on non-calibrated
radiocarbon ages up to ca 37.7 ka BP (Damnati et al., 1996). More IRSL ages
from the Fernes section are needed to further resolve the environmental change
documented in the triple pedocomplex. With respect to the results from
Guatiza we believe that the uppermost palaeosol of this complex represents
the Late Glacial to Holocene and the middle palaeosol the late MIS 3 to early
MIS 2 pedogenesis, which are distinguished on Fuerteventura (Damnati et
al., 1996). As far as the range ofradiocarbon dating is concerned, we demon­strate
that IRSL dating of the fine grain fraction of desert loess is a very
helpful tool to decipher palaeoclimate change in desert margin areas. Fur­thermore,
we recognise that climate change in the western and southern Sa­hara
(Sahel) is excellently recorded in the volcanogenic sediment traps on
Lanzarote. This leads to the question, were the reasons for climate change
the same in the Southern to Western Sahara and on Lanzarote? lt is evident
that the climate change in the Sahel was controlled by the strength of the
palaeomonsoon activity and, thus, by Milankovich forcing (precession).
As so far we have no proof for significant IRSL age underestimates for our
samples from Lanzarote, we used our geochronological and other sedimento­logical,
pedological and mineralogical data to suggest a preliminary age model
for the sediment-palaeosol sequence beyond the present range of radiocarbon
dating (Fig. 5). Assuming Milankovich forcing we find that our ages fit well
with the 100 ka cycle. We recognise that stronger pulses of desert loess accu­mulation
on Lanzarote (ca 5.100 and 200 ka) occurred at the withdrawal of the
northern hemisphere monsoon front towards the equator, shortly after an inter­glacial
maximum with increased humidity (summer rainfall?) and soil for­mation.
So far this makes an essential difference to the pulses of loess sedi­mentation
in the middle latitudes (Antoine et al., 2001; Rousseau et al., 2002;
18
© Del documento, los autores. Digitalización realizada por ULPGC. Biblioteca Universitaria, 2017
-\0
-s ="=' ·.a. C. =.. :.c. ...
<.,
f .s, ~t
,.:.: :i .Cl
C. D.11
..!.: :i:i "=' ,:, ...
,S
,.:., : Qj .>.
-=-
.; .. "„"' .=. l t...l. = ..
!l ~ .s ..2
.~...
0
~ t
D207
50 lOO 150
1 _t_
D209 D 2ll
Time scale ( ka)
200
,. ....., ..
f• 1 ..1
.~ , 1 .... •"" '
I '
I
I
.,. ...
1
D2U
250 300
I. ~ ,. . 1.. / -"\ ' " \
,11 " t I .. \
t ~, '/",.., \ '
....... ,,
350 400
Global climate data
Dust input 1rom the Arabian Peninsula
in core RC i7-61 (reve.rsed scale)
100 ka-Miltnkovich-cycle
(peaks of 2 ka-cycle triggered
by precessi n)
a from Fernes
Silt content
FeofFto
Humus conCent
More humid period detected In Fernes
D More humid period assumed in Femes
Fig. 5. Tentative correlation of global climate data and data from the Fernes section. Note the reversed intensity scale of
dust input from the Arabian Peninsula. Mean IRSL ages from Fernes are plotted along the time axis.
© Del documento, los autores. Digitalización realizada por ULPGC. Biblioteca Universitaria, 2017
Lang et al., 2003). The strong ca 18 ka desert loess pulse on Lanzarote is,
however, an outlier from this cycle and coincides with an apparently world­wide
peak in mid-latitude loess sedimentation (Singhvi et al., 2001). For this
period Rognon and Coude-Gaussen (1996) reconstructed an atmospheric and
oceanic circulation pattern for the Canaries and northwest Africa which al­lowed
more Sahara dust to be transported to the Canary Islands. lt must be
considered that during maximum glacial advances the polar front over the
North Atlantic had a much more southern position than at present and could
therefore lead to more (winter) rainfall on the Canary Islands. Eventually the
youngest humid phase with soil formation before the "Erg Ogolien" phase
was triggered by increased activity of the polar front over the Canary Islands.
A closer spacing of samples for IRSL dating between the ca 40 and 5 ka dated
part of the Fernes section is necessary to approach this question. The frequency
of Anthophora nests in the ca 18 ka-loess at Guatiza argues for still slightly
moister conditions than at present, despite the desert loess formation. lt is
stressed, however, that the occurrence ofau thigenic palygorskite in both, desert
loess and palaeosols, as well as the absence of lake sediments in the exposed
sections, preclude semihumid or humid climates in the studied areas of
Lanzarote during the past 200 ka (cf. Eitel, 1994).
(1 The latest relatively humid period enabled the first intentional occupation v of Lanzarote between 10 and 5 ka ago as witnessed by numerous bones of
ovicaprids (probably the goat) embedded in alluvial fan (Guatiza) or mudflow
sediments (Teguise, not described in detail in this work). The domestication
of goats has been attested ca 10.000 years ago in the Zagros Mountains (Iran)
by Zeder and Hesse (2000), and at the end ofthe 9th millennium calBC to the
onset of the 8th millennium cal BC humans deliberately brought goats onto
the island of Cyprus, thereby causing early human impact on the landscape
(Vigne et al., 1999). In both exposures (Guatiza and Teguise) a dramatic change
in the sedimentology of the bone-bearing sediments, referred to the underly­ing
"Anthophora"-horizon and its terminating cambic soil, is striking (Fig. ·3).
The hinter land of the sites with alluvial fan and mudflow sediments is inten­sively
eroded by gullies, the larger ones being named "barrancos". At present
we cannot decide ifthe age of the "geomorphological crisis" attributed to strong
natural erosion on Fuerteventura at the end ofthe Late Glacial (Petit-Maire et
al., 1986; Rognon and Coude-Gaussen, 1996) is overestimated by the authors
and they eventually describe the same erosion event we find on Lanzarote <10
ka. Alternatively, there is older, natural erosion in the area, which so far we
could not distinguish on Lanzarote. In our opinion the poorly sorted bone­bearing
sediments at Guatiza, Teguise, and elsewhere are clearly related to
20
© Del documento, los autores. Digitalización realizada por ULPGC. Biblioteca Universitaria, 2017
extensive goat husbandary by early humans on Lanzarote. The geomorphologic
processes creating those sediments are most probably triggered by human
impact on the semiarid ecosystem prevailing at that time on Lanzarote, and
therefore we classify the sediments as archaeosediments sensu limitu. To­gether
with the related geomorphologic forms of erosion, they reflect a strong
anthropogenic reshaping of the island's geomorphology, which may even have
exceeded the geomorphologic impact of colonialism, but could actually be
surpassed by the impacts oftourism. This will be subject to further investiga­tions.
7. Note added in proof
During recent fieldwork (February, 2003) more ovicaprid bones were de­tected
at the Guatiza I section at the bottom of the fBt horizon >5 ka old. In a
nearby quarry a much more complete desert loess-palaeosol sequence than
known so far was found. This new section will enable us to refine the chronol­ogy
ofthe past 20-30 ka and to bracket the arrival of man in Lanzarote more
precisely.
Acknowledgements
The work was sponsored by DFG graut Zo51/17. We thank Hans-Martin
Sommer (Maguez, Lanzarote) for archaeological and technical assistance in
the field, Dr. Barbara Mauz, Elfriede Mainz and Henrik Blanchard (Geogra­phy
Department, University ofBonn) for their help with the laboratory work,
Susanne Lindauer (Heidelberg) for beta-counting, Dr. Norbert Günster (Bonn)
for stimulating discussions ofthe pedology, Dr. Daniel Richter and Dr. Simon
Davis (Lisbon) for valuable hints to early domestication of goats, and Thilo
Bode, Henrik Blanchard, Heike Goda, Victoria Lenz (Geography Department,
University of Bonn) and Dipl.-Geogr. Sven Müller (Munich) for very coop­erative
fieldwork and discussions. We also thank Dr. Markus Fuchs (Heidel­berg)
and unknown reviewers for critical comments on the manuscript.
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The place where one of the described ovicaprid bones was found in Guatiza, Lanza­rote
(February 2003). The photo does not originate from the article printed above, but
was kindly made available to the editor of Almogaren by Professor Zöller.
24
© Del documento, los autores. Digitalización realizada por ULPGC. Biblioteca Universitaria, 2017