The Impact of Climate Change on an Archaeological Site in the Arctic
Climate change may accelerate the degradation of archaeological sites in the Arctic and lead to a loss of important historical information. This study assesses the current preservation conditions and the processes controlling the physical and chemical stability of the Qajaa kitchen midden in western...
| Published in: | Archaeometry |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2017
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/arcm.12319 https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Farcm.12319 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/arcm.12319 |
| Summary: | Climate change may accelerate the degradation of archaeological sites in the Arctic and lead to a loss of important historical information. This study assesses the current preservation conditions and the processes controlling the physical and chemical stability of the Qajaa kitchen midden in western Greenland. Currently, the site is well protected by low ground temperatures, permafrost and a high water/ice content, keeping the deposits anoxic. Based on 5 years of monitoring data, degradation experiments and model simulation, our results suggest that the combined effects of permafrost thaw, thermal and hydrological erosion and oxygen exposure may lead to substantial loss of archaeological evidence before the end of the 21st century. |
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