Paleosols, paleovegetation and Neolithic occupation of the Moskva River floodplain, Central Russia

This article describes the results of a comprehensive study of the first Zvenigorod Neolithic site, the cultural layer of which lies in the buried soil of the Moskva River floodplain. The soil dates to the late 5th – beginning of the 4th millennium BC. Pedological methods placed this soil in the Chernozem soil group, which is markedly different from modern Fluvisols and Albeluvisols. Similar Chernozem soil, dated 5000–3500 cal BC, has been found previously in other sites of the Moskva River valley. Pollen analysis of the buried soil showed that in the second half of the Atlantic period the vegetation of the floodplain consisted of meadow-steppe and broad-leaved forest elements. This vegetation is notably different from the vegetation of the late Holocene, which consisted mostly of spruce-deciduous forests. Archaeological and radiocarbon data indicate that this Neolithic site was a long-term settlement. Some traces of human impact on the vegetation of the Neolithic were revealed. The potential nature of the economy of Neolithic settlements in Moscow area is discussed.