Stratigraphy of peat bog in the Gorobets River valley and development of natural environments of Shikotan Island (Lesser Kurile Ridge) in the Holocene

The stratigraphic subdivision of peat in the Gorobets River valley, the largest river on Shikotan Island, is conducted based on the study of palynological and diatom assemblages, tephrostratigraphy, and radiocarbon dating. The study object is one of the oldest peats in the South Kurile region and reflects the development of natural environments beginning from the early Holocene. Nine phases are distinguished in the development of vegetation on Shikotan Island. The changes in vegetable communities were determined by climatic fluctuations during the Holocene. Their ages, the factors responsible for the appearance and extinction of particular coniferous, small-, and broad-leaved taxa, and changes in their landscape-forming role during different periods of the Holocene, as well as specific features in the formation of the present-day vegetation on the Lesser Kurile Ridge representing a separate floral area, are established. In addition to the climatic and sea-level fluctuations, the development of the island landscapes was determined to a significant extent by its topography, size, and isolation.     

Paleoshoreline reconstruction: A proposed method to approach submerged prehistoric landscapes of Espiritu Santo Island,Baja California Sur,Mexico

When the first Americans inhabited the area now known as Isla Espiritu Santo, around 12.5 and 6 ka, the sea level continuously rose. This resulted in the loss of the coastal territory and the retreat of the human population further inland. Part of the archaeological evidence of this period currently lies over the seafloor and under the seabed. Therefore, reconstructing paleoshorelines is a necessary first step toward submerged precontact archaeology and a broad understanding of the spatial context in which those human populations interacted and how the landscapes changed. Isla Espiritu Santo is of prehistoric importance as it contains numerous Paleocoastal tradition sites as early as ~12,400 Cal B.P. This research aims to reconstruct the changing shoreline positions as sea levels rose around Isla Espiritu Santo between 12.5 and 6.5 ka. We apply numerical modeling to map digital elevation models at 1 ka intervals by estimating the changes in the morphology of the seafloor according to the deposition rates and global sea-level curve. The results show the evolution of coastal morphology and paleoshoreline's position. Three primary geoforms are proposed: (1) coastal plains, (2) tombolo, and (3) a coastal lagoon–island barrier system. This also offers insights into the physical aspect of submerged prehistoric landscapes and the possible resource exploitation options of early societies. In this research, the reconstruction of submerged landscapes seeks to contribute to the long-term goal of locating submerged precontact sites.