The study region of Death Metals II is the Eastern Carpathian Basin (ECB), defined as the area between the Carpathian Arch, Tisza and Danube rivers. The research of the
Holocene of the ECB has a history that reaches back almost
a century, through field-work carried out in the marshes and bogs of Transylvania.
Because the border between Hungary and Romania runs through the middle of the
Tisza/Tisa Lowland (also known as Tiszántúl), discrepancies in research methods
and interests, chronology and “geographic unity” persist; a division that only
started to dilute itself in the past decades. Research during the last
decade of Holocene geographic landscape of the region presents new data, but
was concerned with local areas, with little interest in addressing the issue at
a macro-regional level.
The Holocene has several major phases: Preboreal,
Boreal, Atlantic, Subboreal, and Subatlantic. Only one phase (Subboreal) is chronologically relevant for the study. Furthermore, from a geographic perspective, these
phases do not represent a period in the Lowland’s life that had only minor influence
on the geographic landscape. In contrast, the
geomorphological features of Transylvania are mostly of Neogene origin and no
major alteration to the geographic landscape occurred during the Holocene.
The western part of the ECB has mid and small scale regions: 1. Tisza/Tisa Lowland – Upper, Middle
and Lower Tisza/Tisa region, 2. Northern Lowland alluvial fan plain – Nyírség,
Hajdúság, 3. Körös/Criş region, 4. Körös/Criş-Maros/Mureş plain region. While the eastern part has also several geomorphological subdivisions: 1. Eastern Carpathian mountains; 2.
Southern Carpathian mountains; 3. Apuseni mountains; 4. Transylvanian plateau. Lastly, the southwestern part of the ECB, Banat, is divided into two major
areas: 1. Banat Lowland; 2. Banat mountains. Due to this natural division, the
first is very similar to the Tisza/Tisa Lowland and the second to the high
altitude zones of Transylvania.
The presentation, maps and
analysis of the soil composition of the study region is based on the SOTER
programme for Central and Eastern Europe (ver. 1.0).
In terms of flora, most of the data comes from palynology and macro fossil analysis, and it is largely dependent on environmental factors of pollen deposition. The pollen that reaches the deposition sites, used for later soundings to obtain pollen schemes, is dependent on several variables: pollen productivity of the plants in each area, dispersal mechanisms and the size of the basin. Some sites may contain pollen from an area of a few kilometres around the sites (e.g. Avrig, Steregoiu, Iezerul Călimani, Tăul Zănoguţii) to well over 20 km (e.g. Molhaşul Mare, Mohoş). Hence, the pollen spectrum may represent local or broad-regional trends of palaeoflora.
Palynological studies are used as indirect evidence for establishing variables of temperature and humidity in the Holocene. In the higher-lying regions of Transylvania, lakes provide useful information for the Late Glacial and Holocene changes in water plants populations and climate. Especially the oscillation of green algae (Pediastrum spp. and Botryococcus sp.) is a good indicator of temperature, acidity and humidity. Speleological research of speleothem is also an important means of reconstructing Holocene.
The term of ecozone from biology needs a slight
adaption for use in archaeology and the present study. In the natural sciences,
this term means the largest biogeographic region of the planet, of which there
are eight altogether. The principle of defining these zones is based on a
specific association of flora, fauna, climate and geomorphology, and can be
adapted to suit the needs of archaeology and the present study. An eco-zone is
defined as a specific combination of environmental variables (vegetation,
animals, geographic landscape and climate). Since it has a somewhat modified
meaning, as of that used in ecology, a renaming of the concept within
archaeology seems necessary in order to avoid confusion: instead, the term archeco-zone is employed. Applying the
eco-zone principles to the above data and information, several eco-zones can be
distinguished within the study area.
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| Archeco-zones of the Eastern Carpathian Basin ©Tibor-Tamás Daróczi |
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