ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT: We analyzed with high vertical resolution a polycyclic terraced soil, looking for the imprints of ancient agricultural practices. Aluminum, Fe and Si fractionation was studied by selective dissolution techniques, and combined with elemental and isotopic composition, phosphate retention and pH in NaF. The aim was to identify signals of land-use change and infer the agricultural management techniques applied. The buried paleosol exemplifies the soil properties prior to the construction of the terrace and showed a strong andic character. But in the anthropogenic soil layers the soil components responsible for andic properties decrease. Variations in acidity, P and Ca content, and the δ15N and δ13C, evidenced the use of fertilization and liming and/or new crop species. The 14C dating indicates that the intensification of the agricultural use and the strong anthropization started in the Early Middle Ages. The current agricultural landscape is mainly inherited from these early modifications.
