ABSTRACT
This chapter on the landscape and s o i l s of the Acconia area i s organised i n f i v e main s e c t i o n s . 1 I n t r y i n g t o i n t e r p r e t p a t t e r n s of p r e h i s t o r i c settlement and the f a c t o r s i n f l u e n c i n g s i t e l o c a t i o n , a knowledge of these two aspects of the environment i s of fundamental importance. The f i r s t s e c t i o n provides an i n t r o d u c t i o n t o the Acconia area - i t s geology, hydrology and cl i m a t e - and includes a d i s cussion of the d i a g n o s t i c c r i t e r i a used i n the d e s c r i p t i o n and c l a s s i f i c a t i o n of s o i l s . I n the second s e c t i o n , the main physiographic u n i t s of the area are i d e n t i f i e d and described: a map showing the l o c a t i o n of the respective u n i t s i s provided i n F i g . 2.1. The t h i r d s e c t i o n o u t l i n e s the basic sequence of formation of the d i f f e r e n t u n i t s of the landscape and deals w i t h general aspects of t h e i r r e l a t i o n ship w i t h p r e h i s t o r i c s i t e s . I n the f o u r t h s e c t i o n , a more d e t a i l e d account of the Acconia dune area and the s o i l p r o f i l e s found there i s presented. Emphasis i s placed on the m u l t i p l e genesis of the observed p r o f i l e s , which have dur i n g the course of t h e i r development been a f f e c t e d by such f a c t o r s as d e p o s i t i o n , s o i l f o r mation, p r e h i s t o r i c occupation and erosion. The f i n a l s e c t i o n i s concerned w i t h a d e s c r i p t i o n of pa t t e r n s of sedimentation and erosion i n one p a r t of the Acconia dune area. A t t e n t i o n i s drawn t o the r e l a t i o n s h i p between areas subject t o l o c a l erosion and the ' v i s i b i l i t y 1 of archaeological m a t e r i a l on the surface of the land scape, which has i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of p a t t e r n s of p r e h i s t o r i c settlement recognised during survey work.
