GEOCHEMICAL FINGERPRINTS OF HISTORIC LAND-USE

Landscape modifications for Historic period European and African American land-use activities in the Midwestern United States began with the clearing and burning of “natural” vegetation, forever modifying the biogeochemical cycles of soils. Soil is the medium upon which the interactions of cultural land-use activities and the “natural” environment are imprinted. Further, the physical, biological and chemical processes of soil are differentially impacted by different land-use activities which are preserved long-term in cultural soils and can be observed and quantified. Yet little work has been done to document how Midwestern soils have responded to the early stages of historic European and African American land-use. This is due in part to the short duration of historical occupation in North America compared to the scales in which most geological processes occur and to a greater extent, the high degree of disturbance to most Midwestern landscapes for purposes of agriculture. However, archaeological and pedologic investigations at the National Historic Landmark of New Philadelphia, Illinois indicate evidence of past land-use activities preserved beneath the modern plow zone. In addition, initial geochemical investigations of soil cores from the site indicate that soil within a residential “yard” of an original homestead have not been modified by agricultural activity. This “natural” soil profile provides the background geochemical fingerprint from which geochemical effects of various land-use activities can be differentiated. Presented here are analyses of stratigraphic depth profiles of major and trace element concentrations obtained from ICP-OES and ICP-MS. These preliminary analyses reveal differential impacts on the geochemical processes of soil due to different land-use activities that elucidate the history of the cultural landscapes and agricultural changes and will provide important insights into the activities of the inhabitants of New Philadelphia and aid us in understanding sustainability of soil productivity for the future. In addition, this multi-prong analysis of soil characteristics will be used to design a framework for the interpretation of the effects of different land-use practices on soil characteristics elsewhere in the Midwest.