Geomorphological system and landscape coevolution in Mercurey (Burgundy, France): hypothesis of an early soil maintenance strategy

Research in the Mercurey terroir of Burgundy reveals an early soil maintenance strategy linked to vine cultivation. The study identifies two distinct phases of sediment deposition over 2,800 years: one dominated by coarse colluvium from solifluction flows (beginning around 800 cal. BC) and another characterized by fine sedimentation and high vine charcoal concentration post-1400 cal. AD. This shift suggests that medieval wine-growing practices, including the construction of agricultural infrastructures, disrupted sediment flow, retaining coarser materials on hillslopes and reducing erosion in valley bottoms. The findings were derived from sedimentary deposit analysis and pedoanthracological studies, offering insights into the coevolution of geomorphic dynamics and human land use in UNESCO-listed Burgundian landscapes.

Chaize, B., Cossart, E., Christol, A., & Fressard, M. (2021). Geomorphological system and landscape coevolution in Mercurey (Burgundy, France): hypothesis of an early soil maintenance strategy. Géomorphologie : Relief, Processus, Environnement, 27(2), 107–126. https://doi.org/10.4000/geomorphologie.14882