Paleolandscape and paleoenvironmental interpretation of spring-deposited sediments in Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)



Description :
Iron-rich sediments in Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt, have been recognized as spring mounds and as archaeological sites where Paleolithic materials have been recovered. Detailed sedimentologic investigation and mapping of these features reveal that spring mound sediments were deposited in a shallow vegetated wetland formed by the discharge of iron-rich Nubian Aquifer waters along the southern margin of the oasis, controlled largely by localized faulting and the variable paleotopography of the basin floor. The potentially interpluvial nature of this water resource makes it an important sedimentary archive for archaeological investigations in the basin. The Dakhleh spring mounds record a unique groundwater controlled paleoenvironment, providing the first evidence of a bog iron in Egypt and one of the few occurrences of iron-rich wetland remnants in the modern Sahara.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Catena (Giessen), issn : 0341-8162, 2010, vol. 83, n°. 1, p. 7-22, nombre de pages : 16, Références bibliographiques : 2 p.

Date :
2010

Editeur :
Pays édition : Allemagne, Cremlingen-Destedt, Catena