Archaeogeomorphology as an application in physical geography

This paper presents a geographical subfield that was first introduced by an American archaeologist in 1992 and deserted. It is reexamined here by a geomorphologist and placed in a proper perspective, where it is compared with the similar field of geoarchaeology. The purpose is to explore and further develop the concept “archaeogeomorphology” and to present examples from published studies. Both geoarchaeology and archaeogeomorphology are considered separately and then compared before they are critically scrutinized as an application within a subfield of physical geography in geomorphology. It is argued that archaeogeomorphology should be treated as a geomorphology in some studies that were previously considered within the geoarchaeology domain. Moreover, many examples of archaeogeomorphological studies already exist, including within heritage conservation science. These need to be considered as part of a new subfield within geomorphology, as part of physical geography.

► This paper positions archaeogeomorphology as a subfield of physical geography. ► Existing publications in applied geomorphology are already archaeogeomorphological. ► This subfield should be developed with a focus on cultural landscapes. ► A journal is needed to bring this subfield to the foreground and develop it.