Classification of buried soils, cultural, and colluvial deposits in the Viking town Hedeby

A novel approach combining fine-scale sampling, multimethod geoarchaeological analysis, and multivariate statistics successfully classified 13 distinct classes of buried soils, cultural, colluvial, fluvial, and fluvioglacial sediments in the Viking town Hedeby. This classification enabled a detailed differentiation between natural and cultural deposits, revealing spatial patterns that suggest waste disposal in the Hedeby-brook valley and metallurgic activities north of it. The study highlights the potential of this method for coring-based research at tightly managed heritage sites and surveys to identify excavation targets, with adaptable variables based on local conditions.

Khamnueva‐Wendt, S., Mitusov, A. V., Wendt, J., & Bork, H.-R. (2019). Classification of buried soils, cultural, and colluvial deposits in the Viking town Hedeby. Geoarchaeology, 35(3), 313–337. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.21777