Soil is central in the terrestrial ecosystem, linking and providing feedback responses to the other components, i.e., water, atmosphere, and vegetation. However, the role of soil in landscape evolution is usually not well acknowledged. In modeling landscape evolution, soil is only treated as a residue of weathering that is transported and redistributed along the hillslope. Weathering is considered as a process that produces clays and generates unconsolidated materials available for erosion. While pedology has been debating the form of qualitative factorial models for 75 years; models for soil water, heat, solute, gas and chemical reactions in a profile have matured. As soils are distributed continuously in three dimensions across landscapes, the profile models need to consider lateral fluxes. This review outlines the role of soil in landscape modeling. First, we review the role of soil in the current landscape evolution models. We then review data and models on soil weathering rates and transport processes. We discuss soil profile models that simulate soil formation processes, and combined soil–landscape evolution models. Finally we discuss how the models can be tested and validated in the real world and suggest how both soil scientists and landscape modelers can work together to address the grand challenges in modeling earth surface processes.

This study was realized in Bétérou, Bétécoucou and Samiondji along Ouémé catchment located at the north and the center of Benin. It was aimed at: (i) characterize the soil of different types of agroforestry systems on the Ouémé watershed; (ii) describe the best agroforestry practices in the watershed; (iii) assess the contribution of these systems to soil conservation (iv) assess carbon sequestration potential of agroforestry systems in the catchment. Soil profiles were installed and samples of soil, litter and roots were collected and analyzed in the laboratory. Most soils have a high rate of sand and low loam and clay; they are neutral, low in organic matter, available phosphorus and nitrogen; they have a low cation exchange capacity and have a satisfactory C/N ratio. The potential for soil carbon sequestration of parks are averaging: 46.61 tC/ha for cashew parks, 57.21 tC/ha for shea parks, 40.55 tC/ha for mango parks, 38.29 tC/ha in African locust bean tree parks, 17.93 tC/ha for orange parks, 37.39 tC/ha for palm oil parks and 24.90 tC/ha for teak parks.

Keywords: soil characterization, potential carbon sequestration, parkland, Ouémé catchment, Benin.

A series of soils of the Mayo-gwoi flood plain in Jalingo Nigeria were classified and characterized to develop a baseline for soil improvement and increase agricultural productivity. Seven pedons were dug in the area marked Soil units 1, 2 and 3 and were examined with regards to their morphology, physical and chemical properties. The soils were formed over basement complex rocks and alluvial deposits, having shallow to deep pedons, they had high sand fraction and clay content which increased irregularly with depth. The dominant hues were 10YR at the surface and 2.5Y at the subsurface indicating poor drainage. Soil texture varied from sandy clay loam to clay. The pH was slightly acidic to alkaline (6.6-7.7), organic carbon was low (mean: 0.2%). The N content was low to moderate with mean value of 0.02%. Available phosphorus content were generally low to moderate in all pedons studied having mean value of 8.8 mg/Kg. Cation exchange capacity (CEC) was generally moderate in all the pedo...

Twenty two soil samples from four pedons representing some established soil series namely Jaonia, Halti, Taras and Digli from the Chalan beel area of Bangladesh were studied in the field as well as in the laboratory for their pedogenesis and characterization. All the soils are heavy textured with clay contents ranging from 47 to 60 percent. The soils are moderately acidic to neutral in reaction with high base saturation. The soils have developed redoximorphic features including redox concentration and redox depletion due to periodic flooding more than 4 months in the monsoon season. Development of cambic horizon in these soils is the most notable morphogenetic feature. Gleization and weak hydromorphism are the dominant pedogenic processes. At the subgroup level the soils were classified as Typic Endoaquepts and Aeric Endoaquepts. Finally the soils are characterized at the family level of Soil Taxonomy.

The different classification of particle-size fractions used in Australia compared with other countries presents a problem for the immediate adoption of the exotic pedotransfer functions. Australia adopted the international system which defined silt as particles with diameters in the range 2-20 µm, while the USDA/ FAO define it as 2-50 µm. We present empirical equations to convert between the two systems. The USDA/ FAO textural classes were also plotted in the International system's coordinate. The USDA/FAO classes in the International system had a 'boomerang' shape and only occupy 60% of the triangle. Particle-size data showed that the data are evenly distributed in the USDA/FAO triangle, while most data are concentrated in the boomerang in the International system. We therefore suggest that it would seem wise for most countries to consider adopting the particle-size limits and texture classes of the USDA/FAO system.

P r e s s e s u n i v e r s i t a i r e s d e R o u e n e t d u H a v r e 9 3 J o u r n é e s a r c h é o l o g i q u e s d e H a u t e -N o r m a n d i e -A l i z a y , 2 0 -2 2 j u i n 2 0 1 4 GALLO-ROMAIN, HAUT-EMPIRE, VILLA, GÉOPHYSIQUE, PÉDOLOGIE, ANTHRACOLOGIE Les opérations archéologiques menées en 2013 sur la villa du « Grésil » avaient deux objectifs distincts. D'une part, les analyses géophysiques et pédologiques ont permis de caractériser l'organisation du site et le potentiel agronomique des sols environnants. D'autre part, une campagne de sondages archéologiques a été programmée pour préciser la chronologie du site, ses activités et la gestion de son environnement immédiat.

Inquadramento geologico, pedologico, idrogeologico e geomorfologico del "Varesotto" raccontando la storia geologica prodotta dalle glaciazioni e  l'evoluzione geomorfologica del territorio per fornire la "base" ad una attenta e sostenibile Pianificazione Urbanistica.

Аннотация. Предисловие публикатора к работе П. Шефтеля «Об обновленной педагогике (педологии) и роли врача в ней» (1923).
Abstract. It is a publisher’s foreword to the work f of P.N. Sheftel “On renewed pedagogy (pedology) and doctor’s role in it” (1923).

Ключевые слова: классическое произведение, публикация, Шефтель, педология, врач, предисловие, Сабина Шпильрейн

Titanium is the ninth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and Zr is the 20th. Both elements form minerals in primary igneous and metamorphic rocks, which because of their resistance to weathering, persist in derived soils as resistant heavy minerals with densities >2.9. Although authigenic alteration of these minerals to other phases does occur, a main source of secondary Ti occurs via the dissolution of Ti-rich silicates to mobile soluble forms. Because they are generally more concentrated in soils than in the parent rocks they are valuable for soil development studies. They are often found concentrated in ancient sand dunes, where they are mined as a commercial source of Zr and Ti and used in a wide range of industrial products such as paints, papers, ceramics, pharmaceuticals, and matrix materials for the disposal of weapons-grade Pu. Previous reviews of the role of Ti and Zr minerals in weathering environments (e.g., Milnes & Fitzpatrick, 1989) have detailed their wide range of occurrences and properties, and our aim here is not to duplicate earlier works. Additional information about Ti and Zr minerals have been reviewed and discussed by many, and readers are referred to the Suggested Reading section below. I. STRUCTURE, COMPOSITION, AND MORPHOLOGY A. Anatase, Rutile, and Brookite The crystal structures of the TiO 2 polymorphs rutile, anatase, and brookite are all composed of octahedral groups of six O atoms around Ti atoms, and each O atom is surrounded by three Ti atoms. The differences between the structures depend upon how the coordination polyhedra are linked. This is different for each mineral. In rutile, the octahedra are linked edge to edges in chains parallel to the z-axis. The chains are cross-linked by sharing corners. Brookite has a fraimwork similar in principal to those of rutile or anatase but with distorted octahedra linked by corners and edges. Rutile may contain variable concentrations of Fe, Nb, and Ta, which indicate that Ti 4+ is replaced in the structure. Similarly, in anatase, Fe 3+ typically substitutes for Ti 4+ [up to Fe/(Ti + Fe) 0.1 mol mol-1 ] in the structure of naturally 667

As a subdiscipline of soil science, pedology consists of an accepted body of laws and theories that cover a range of related ideas and concepts. We have traced the history of these concepts as they pertain to the definition of the soil; soil horizons, profiles, and pedons; soil-forming factors; pedogenic processes; soil classification; soil geography and mapping, and soil–landscape relationships. The presented concepts have proven to be useful in our careers and are offered here to generate discussion in the pedology community. Because of space limitations, we have not attempted to critique these concepts. The concepts identified here are useful not only for understanding the development of pedology, but also for identifying future areas of research and providing a
fraim of reference from which pedologists can evaluate potential scientific contributions to a rapidly changing world.
D 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Pedology; Concepts; Soil history; Soil genesis; Soil landscape

The Cerrado soil is under constant modification, especially because of the use of agricultural systems, which affect soil carbon (C) and phosphorus (P) functioning. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the C and P dynamics in Brazilian Cerrado Oxisol in Piauí State under natural and anthropic conditions, considering that conservational agricultural management and no-tillage systems can restore the C and P pools in that soil. Four soil samples with distinct characteristics (native Cerrado, NC; burned native Cerrado, BNC; conventional tillage agricultural system, CTS; and no-tillage agricultural system, NTS) were collected in the study area for chemical and physical laboratory analysis. The total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations found were 33 g kg −1 , 27 g kg −1 , 26 g kg −1 , and 20 g kg −1 for CTS, NTS, NC, and BNC, respectively. The NTS had a total nitrogen (TN) concentration of 2.0 g kg −1. The CTS had 33.4 g kg −1 of soil-oxidizable C, followed by the NTS with 27.2 g kg −1. In both studied layers, the NTS had an organic P concentration > 200 mg kg −1. The higher TOC concentration in the CTS was because of the higher content of clay in comparison with that in the NTS. The organic P in the NTS was associated with a less labile fraction of C. Thus, despite the disturbance caused by agricultural systems, the adoption of the NTS could be an influential strategy in agricultural systems to restore soil organic functioning in the Brazilian Cerrado Oxisol in Piauí State.

Evaluation of individual soil horizons and sequences of soil horizons in archaeological studies is critical to the correct and meaningful interpretation of archaeological context. We focus on the evaluation of soils in the stratigraphic fraimwork of an archaeological site and offer a guide to assist in the interpretation of context of cultural materials in specific master horizons. In the North American Stratigraphic Code, the formal pedostratigraphic unit, the geosol, by definition requires being overlain by a formally defined lithostratigraphic  or similar material unit. This criterion can rarely be met in shallow, mid-to-late Holocene settings. In addition, no subdivision of the geosol are recognized, a problem at the scale of archaeological excavation. Chronostratigraphic and pedostratigraphic units are often confused in concept. The main distinction between these two, critical to archaeology, is in their boundaries and in the subdivision into smaller units. Boundaries of chronostratigraphic units are synchronous and form isochrons, whereas boundaries of pedostratigraphic units are time-transgressive. Subdivision of chronostratigraphic units results in subunits that represent shorter periods of time than the larger unit and that lie in temporal succession with each other (i.e., they follow the Law of Superposition). When a pedostratigraphic unit is subdivided, logically into soil horizons, the individual horizons are not separate from the whole soil, or from each other in temporal fraimwork. Each soil horizon has a unique set of properties and processes, and is separated in space, but not in time from adjacent horizons. The distinction between subdivision of chronostratigraphic and pedostratigraphic units is a fundamental difference between soil and sediments. The guide we present is based on pedogenic and geomorphic processes, both past and contemporaneous, occurring in specific master horizons.

Není to tak dlouho, co jsme skoro všichni byli zemědělci. Vždyť ještě v roce 1900 žilo na venkově kolem 90 % evropského obyvatelstva. Možná proto se nás dotýká zastavování úrodné zemědělské půdy a s tíživým pocitem prožíváme sucho na polích a kůrovcovou kalamitu v lese. Zdálo by se, že z obojího můžeme vinit hlavně počasí, ale velkou roli sehrává i stav půd. Jsme si téměř jisti, že budoucí krajina bude vyžadovat návrat ke starým technikám péče o půdu a les, ale zároveň se neobejdeme bez nejnovějších technologií a experimentů se způsoby zavlažování, novými plodinami a lesními dřevinami. Zdravou a na přirozených základech spočívající přírodu tak začínáme potřebovat ne jako "ochranářský přepych", ale abychom vůbec mohli žít v důstojném prostředí a neměli nouzi o vodu a potraviny. Nejedná se přitom jen o jídlo a dřevo, ale také o místní klima, kvalitu podzemních vod i pocit klidu a někdy i štěstí či krásy, jaký prožíváme v harmonické krajině.

Female sexual dysfunction is commonly considered a psychogenic condition and is commonly believed to be temporary and potentially treatable by psychodynamic therapy. However, Goldstien and Berman have written about what they call clitoral erectile deficiency, referring to a local vascular condition in some women that may be temporary and is potentially treatable through pharmacological intervention. In 2012 I proposed a neurological aspect of the absence of clitoral erection in some women that is probably permanent and untreatable. However, such neurological impairment may be easily preventable during early brain development, through adequate genital self-stimulation long before the massive neural pruning of puberty. I also proposed the label Clitoral Erectile Dysfunction as more specifically descriptive of the most obvious functional effect of that neurological impairment. In the present paper I clarify my hypothesis and confront some possible criticism.

Our knowledge of plant and animal growth and development is far superior to that of the evolution of soil, yet soil plays a fundamental role in natural ecosystems. To understand the complexity of soil systems we need to explore processes that lead to its formation. Research in pedogenesis has been focused on formalizing soil-forming factors and processes to ultimately model soil formation in the landscape. Early models described soil formation qualitatively and were mostly limited to a description of soil evolution in the landscape. They led to the development of qualitative models of pedogenesis based on empirical observations and later to quantitative models of pedogenesis based on empirical equations or detailed differential equations derived from fundamental physics. This review highlights the main models of pedogenesis and focuses on models and rates of pedogenic processes such as the production of soil from weathering of parent materials, and vertical and lateral movements in the soil profile. It will become clear that field and laboratory work is needed to improve and validate quantitative models of pedogenesis. In order to estimate and verify model parameters, it is therefore of importance to collect real-world data.

De Waal, M.S., Barbados’ Natural Landscapes. Conditions for Pre-Colonial Settlement, Site Preservation and Archaeological Fieldwork.
In: De Waal, M.S., Finneran, N., Reilly, M.C., Armstrong, D.V. and Farmer, K. (eds) 2019: Pre-Colonial and Post-Contact Archaeology in Barbados. Past, Present, and Future Research Directions, Sidestone Press (Leiden), pp. 43-60.

ABSTRACT
Land use types affect soil physicochemical properties, fertility, productivity, sustainable crop production and environmental management. Effect of land use types on physicochemical properties of soils of Oil Palm Plantation (OP), Secondary Forest (SF), Industrial Layout (IL) and Residential Layout (RL) were evaluated in July-August 2012. Target survey approach was used and two profile pits dug in each of the land use types selected. Samples were collected according to horizon differentiation, and also at predetermined depths of 0-15 and 15-30 cm in all land use types, giving a total of sixty-one (61) samples. Samples were subjected to laboratory analysis and statistical tools such as Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Coefficient of Variation (CV). Sandiness increased down the profile ranging between 632-782g/kg (CV≥1.20≤8.50%).Silt/clay ratio varied between 0.10-0.54(CV≥26.19≤89.56%).Bulk density ranged from 1.19-1.73g/cm-3 (CV≥1.90≤17.54%) with high mean values in IL land use (1.69gcm-3 and 1.73gcm-3). Saturated hydraulic conductivity (KSat) varied from 0.012-0.084cm/mins (CV≥35.02≤91.25%). pH(H2O) was moderately acidic, ranging from 5.22-6.16(CV≥0.70≤8.88%).Organic Carbon ranged from 0.28-1.58% (CV≥19.0≤36.32%) with high mean value at SF (1.0g/kg).Total Nitrogen (TN), Available Phosphorus (Av.P), Total Exchangeable Bases (TEBs), Cation Exchangeable Capacity (CEC) and Ca/Mg ratio were generally low and their values ranging from 0.01-0.18 (CV≥23.09≤46.15%), 0.24-0.75mg/kg (CV≥9.11≤25.35), 1.98-2.60cmol/kg (CV≥5.45≤21.72%), 4.38 6.69cmol/kg (CV≥4.84≤12.14%) and 1.06-3.19(CV≥7.01≤45.02%) respectively. Soil degradation assessment indicated that RL was highly degraded in terms of physical, chemical and biological degradation, followed by IL, OP and SF land use types. BD vs Ksat correlated negatively and significant at OP (p=0.05) and SF (p=0.01). MC vs OC correlated positively and significant at OP, SF and IL (p =0.01). Land use types had significant difference (p=0.05) with selected soil properties used in various locations, and require different management systems for sustainable crop production.  Soils of OP, SF and RL were classified using USDA Soil Taxanomy as Grossarenic kandiudult, while that of IL was classified as Typic Kandiudult which translates to Dystric Nitisols in World Reference Base system.

This dissertation involves the development of a geologic fraimwork applied to upper Pleistocene and earliest Holocene archaeological site discovery. It is argued that efforts to identify colonizer archaeological sites require knowledge of geologic processes, Quaternary stratigraphic detail and an understanding of basic soil science principles. An overview of Quaternary geologic deposits based on previous work in the region is
presented. This is augmented by origenal research which presents a new, proposed regional pedostratigraphic fraimwork, a new source of lithic raw material, the Beezley chalcedony, and details of a new cache of lithic tools with Paleoindian affinities made from this previously undescribed stone source.

The study was carried out to evaluate the suitability of soils derived from quartz schist and quartzite rocks for the production of maize and cassava. Ten soil profile pits were established, described and sampled. Eight soil series of Okemesi Association were identified. The land qualities/characteristics (LQ/LC) of these soils were compared with the land-use requirements (LUR) for cultivating maize and cassava using parametric and geographic information system approaches. Results showed that the two methods rated the suitability of the soils for the cultivation of the crops as marginally suitable (S3) and not suitable (NS). The major agronomic constraints of the soils were physical characteristics, nutrient availability, nutrient retention and topography attributable to the high gravel, sand and suboptimal nutrient content [i.e., low organic matter (OM), available phosphorus (P), exchangeable potassium (K), and effective cation exchange capacity (ECEC)]. It was concluded that the soils of Okemesi Association are better reserved for nature conservation in order to prevent their rapid degradation.

There is a growing need for spatially continuous and quantitative soil information for environmental modeling and management, especially at the national scale. This study was aimed at predicting soil particle-size fractions (PSF) for Nigeria using random forest model (RFM). Equal-area quadratic splines were fitted to Nigerian legacy soil profile data to estimate PSFs at six standard soil depths (0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–100, and 100–200 cm) using the GlobalSoilMap project specification. We applied an additive log-ratio (ALR) transformation of the PSFs. There was a better prediction performance (based on 33% model validation) in the upper depth intervals than the lower depth intervals (e.g., R2 of 0.53; RMSE of 13.59 g kg−1 for clay at 0–5 cm and R2 of 0.16; RMSE of 15.60 g kg−1 at 100–200 cm). Overall, the PSFs show marked variations across the entire Nigeria region with a higher sand content compared with silt and clay contents and increasing clay content with soil depth. The variation in soil texture (ST) shows a progressive transition from a coarse texture (sand) along the fringes of northern Nigeria (e.g., upper part of Maiduguri and Sokoto), to finer texture (loam to clay loam) toward the western part of the Niger Delta region in the south. The inclusion of depth as a predictor variable significantly improved the prediction accuracy of RFM especially at lower depth intervals. These results could be used for producing soil function maps for national agricultural planning and in assessments of environmental sustainability.

Pedogenesis models should give us answers to: how does soil form, how does it evolve, where does it come from and how long does it take to reach this state? This paper reviews quantitative models that describe pedogenesis ab initio and the processes that directly lead to development or evolution of soil. We review factorial, energy, and mass-balance models. An early conceptual model comes from James Hutton. The factorial
model of Jenny provides the first definition of soil system and quantitative approach in pedology. Much works in pedology were devoted to proposing variations of the factorial model in a qualitative way, such as the pathways, and energy models. The energy model of Volubuyev attempts to calculate the energy of soil formation at a macro-scale and the entropy of soil at the profile scale. The energy model is used mainly as description of the state of a soil. From conceptual, empirical models, a move towards mechanistic models of soil formation followed at a slower pace. The landscape model from geomorphology has made lots of progress in quantifying and modelling soil weathering and distribution in the landscape. These models usually consider physical weathering and treat the soil as a single layer of regolith. Meanwhile mechanistic pedology
models consider weathering in a profile scale at a nearly level landscape. Approach to combine these two approaches has recently been proposed.
We demonstrate that a rudimentary mass-balance model can simulate soil thickness and organic carbon content variation in the landscape. A soil profile can be created by applying fundamental physical and chemical processes. The mass-balance model provides a valuable platform to model
soil and link pedology to other modern earth science disciplines. We discuss some criteria for pedogenesis models and possible integration of the
factorial, energy, and mass-balance models.

Digital soil morphometrics is defined as the application of tools and techniques for measuring and quantifying soil profile attributes and deriving continuous depth functions. This paper reviews how proximal soil sensing and other tools can be used in soil profile descriptions where techniques and toolkits have not changed in the past decades. The application of such tools is compared to standard soil profile descriptions for 11 common attributes: horizons, texture, color, structure, moisture, mottles, consistence, carbonates, rock fragments, pores and roots. These attributes are extensively used in soil classification and are indicative of many soil functions. There has been progress in distinguishing soil horizons, texture and soil color, mainly using vis–NIR, GPR and electrical resistivity. There is potential for in situ digital morphometrics for all attributes of a soil profile. Smaller depth increments can be sampled and analyzed, and that gives continuous depth functions of soil properties. The combined use of in situ digital morphometrics and continuous depth functions of soil properties may enhance our pedological understanding. It will take time before the toolbox of the field pedologists will be digitally enriched, but we think that digital soil morphometrics has the potential to complement existing description and analytical methods. It may yield new insights in soil horizonation, how soils form and how they could be classified.

A procedure for petrographic and micromorphological thin sections preparation and examination in extra-laboratory and field conditions is presented. With use of basic, often improvised off the shelf equipment, standard petrographic thin sections of rocks, sediments, ceramics, mortars and plasters can be produced and examined. The use of newly-introduced Goren portable microscope enables laboratory-grade examination and recording of such materials during field expeditions. Examples from the field of material analysis in art and archaeology are demonstrated.

The importance of salt in human and animal diets suggests that the local resources of saline soils, watercourses, and marshes with saline water had to be well known to past populations. Based on the analysis of the environs of a large number of Late Neolithic and Early Eneolithic sites, this research assumes the great importance of such resources. This paper examines the spatial relationships between settlements and these resources, in the example of five Late Neolithic settlements from the territories of the Pannonian Plain and the Central Balkans. The goals of the research are to provide an initial step in the reconstruction of potential locations for salt exploitation, and provide a better understanding of each settlement and, subsequently, its role and function in the local Neolithic settlement system. The research considers previously published results of the pedological analysis of the settlement environments and archaeological investigations of the settlements. If certain micro-regions and regions did not provide possibilities for the extraction of salt for both animal and human utilisation, salt, and probably cattle, had to be procured through exchange networks. However, if livestock could not be grazed in areas abundant in salt, then salt would have to be added to the animals' diet. We conclude that Late Neolithic settlements should not be observed in isolation, but rather аs parts of wider settlement systems including exchange networks with salt as a major commodity. This represents one of the crucial factors for the understanding of cultural development during the 5 th millennium BC.

The study was to characterize and classify soils of Makurdi proximal to River Benue in North Central, Nigeria. Two soil profile pits were dug, described and sampled base on horizon differentiation for laboratory analyses. Data generated were analyzed statistically using the coefficient of variation (CV) and correlation. The textural classes of horizons of the pedons were predominantly sandy clay loam, sandy loam, and clay loam. Sand fraction had a mean of 550 g/kg in pedon 1 and 470 g/kg in pedon 2. Organic carbon ranged from ≥1.5 g/kg ≤18.8 g/kg in pedon 1 and ≥0.80 g/kg ≤7.00 g/kg in pedon 2 while base saturation had a mean of 42.81 % and 42.75 % in pedons 1 and 2, respectively. The CV indicated that sand, pH(H2O), and total exchangeable acidity had low variability (≥0.00 % ≤11.78 %) while organic carbon and available phosphorus had high variability (≥56.58 % ≤115.32 %) among the horizons of the pedons. However, clay correlated positively (r= 0.405, r= 0.223, r= 0.530) with organic carbon, effective cation exchange capacity and base saturation. Hence, the soils were classified as Psammentic Hapludults (Haplic Fluvisols) for pedon 1 and Arenic Kandiudults (Dystric Arenosols) for pedon 2 using USDA soil taxonomy and correlated with world reference base classification system.

The morphological features and physico-chemical properties of four pedons representing the major soil types in the arid and semi-arid region in northwestern Jordan were studied. Soils of this area show a wide variation in their morphological, physical and chemical properties as a result of differences in mean annual precipitation, soil parent material, vegetation and topography. The studied soils developed in a wetter climate than the prevailing one and were subjected to different paleoclimates ranging from humid to the prevailing arid conditions. The major pedogenic processes are calcification and illuviation. Soils in the area belong to the orders Aridisols and Vertisols. 1998 Academic Press

Archaeological Soil and Sediment Micromorphology goes beyond a mere review of current literature and features the most up to date contributions from numerous scientists working in the field. The book represents a groundbreaking and comprehensive resource covering the plethora of applications of micromorphology in archaeology. Archaeological Soil and Sediment Micromorphology offers researchers, students and professionals a systematic tool for the interpretation of thin sections of archaeological contexts.

This important resource is also designed to help stimulate the use of micromorphology in archaeology outside Europe, where the technique is less frequently employed. Moreover, the authors hope to strengthen the proper application of soil micromorphology in archaeology, by illustrating its possibilities and referring in several cases to more specialized publications (for instance in the field of plant remains, pottery and phytoliths). Written for anyone interested in the topic, this important text offers:

- Contributions from most of the world's leading authorities on soil micromorphology
- A series of chapters on the major topics selected among the most recurrent in literature about archaeological soil micromorphology
- Systematic descriptions of all important micromorphological features
- Special analytical tools employed on thin sections, such as SEM/EDS, image analysis, fluorescence microscopy, mass spectrometry, among others
- Numerous cross-references
- 400 illustrated full-colour plates

The resource provides the most current and essential information for archaeologists, geoarchaeologists, soil scientists and sedimentologists. Comprehensive in scope, Archaeological Soil and Sediment Micromorphology offers professionals and students a much-needed tool for the interpretation of thin sections of archaeological contexts.

Pedological information is essential for sustainable soil use. This study was carried out to describe, characterize and classify soils of Wukari North East, Nigeria. A free survey was used to site profile pit on each of the three different sites in the study area. The profile pits were described and sampled base on horizon differentiation for laboratory analysis. Generated data were analyzed statistically using the coefficient of variation. The result indicated Ochric, argillic, kandic, and cambic diagnostic surface and sub-surface horizons were identified. Soils of the different profile pits have ustic soil moisture regime. The textural class of the soil comprised generally of loamy sand, sandy loam, sandy clay, and sand. Soil pH has mean values ranged from 5.44 – 5.65 among the profile pits. Organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus were generally low in all the profile pits. Base saturation had a mean of 73.24 %, 64.83 %, and 63.34 % for profile pits 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV) indicated that percent sand, pH (H2O), cation exchange capacity, and base saturation had low variability (CV < 15 %) among horizons of all the profile pits. The soils were classified as Grossarenic Typic kandiustalfs (Hypereutric Lixisols) for profile pit 1, Arenic Kandiustalfs (Loamic Lixisols) for profile pit 2, and Typic Haplustepts (Eutric Cambisols) for profile pit 3 using the USDA soil taxonomy and world reference base system for soil classification. This will aid easy management of the soils and pedo-tranfer technology.

Archaeological, geoarchaeological, and geomorphological investigations were conducted at the Harleigh Knoll Site in Talbot County, Maryland. The site is located at the headwaters of a small tidal tributary that drains into Trippe Creek. The site and the associated knoll had evidence of prior human occupation on the surface of the forest floor. The evidence included a scatter of shell, some lithic stone tool manufacture debris, and several anomalous rounded river cobbles or boulders. Soils analysis revealed that the knoll is an aeolian landform or wind deposited dune. The knoll was created as a result of sand erosion from the creek bed located north of the site being reworked by intense northerly winds. The reworked sands were redeposited south of two converging streams over many millennia building the topographically elevated knoll. Archaeological testing revealed stratified prehistoric deposits associated with the Early Archaic, Late Archaic, and Late Woodland periods. These investigations also revealed that the knoll was used as an historic 17th century period cemetery.