Volume 10, No. 1, 1999
Unlike the dying swan in the legend, I am resolved not to break into exquisite song as I slip quietly away as Editor, first of The Quaternary Perspective and then of Quaternary Perspectives. However, I trust that readers will tolerate a few self-indulgent squawks before I take flight. It has been a fascinating eight years since August 1991, with clear progression on a number of fronts within our organisation.
Most institutions of the like of INQUA have some need for a newsletter. As such, The Quaternary Perspective may have been regarded as something of an ugly duckling at first. I seem to recall that the more tolerant and understanding Quaternarists diplomatically referred to it as plain in appearance, but having useful information inside and serving some purpose for the membership. The first issue, numbered Volume 1, Number 1-2, entered the publishing scene with such modesty and self-effacement that it carried no date. Volume 2, No. 1 is dated February 1991, so it would appear that The Quaternary Perspective first appeared late in 1990.
Coinciding with my taking over the editorship in the autumn of 1991, our newsletter became fatter for a brief time, although it is arguable whether it became any sleeker. There was some suggestion that the newsletter was impossible to read without spectacles, but most colleagues tolerated the effects of the transition, including the great delays arising from a situation in the offices of our publishers that affected volume 4, number 1-2. However, in those heady days of the Global Change Committee and our first Chinese President, the great and gracious Liu Tungsheng, attitudes to the newsletter were changing. The first ‘camera-ready’ issue appeared as volume 5, number 1 in September 1994, and contained the news that the Executive Committee had finally relented in agreeing that the work of INQUA’s newsletter was worthy of the establishment of an editor, rather than letting it remain a side-show of the INQUA Secretary. Without acrimony, we moved into acronyms in the next issue (5/2 – December 1994), the material in 1995 including some key policy decisions taken by the International Council during the XIV INQUA Congress in Berlin.
Following a formative meeting in the autumn of 1995 at Elsevier Science Limited in Oxford, England, a course was set designed to alter the shape, scale and impact of the INQUA newsletter. The immediate result was volume 7, number 1 (1996) of the mildly renamed Quaternary Perspectives. The format change was quite revolutionary: it was set in three-columns on high quality glossy paper, with much improved print quality and good half-tone photographic reproduction. It had also been decided to go into colour, but who it was decided that the colours should be those of the Swedish national flag cannot be revealed! The content and internal organisation also changed, with the first word profiles with photographs of each member of the INQUA Executive Committee. Many people were complimentary about the changes, and Quaternary Perspectives was regarded as glossy, sleek and instantly recognisable. The thought occurred to some that perhaps the ugly duckling had, at last, turned into a swan.
Another product of that Oxford meeting, perhaps of greater moment than the format changes, was the firm decision to proceed towards providing an on-line version of the newsletter at the earliest possible date. Elsevier Science was clearly beginning to play a much more proactive part in the provision of our newsletter, a development greatly valued by INQUA. The most recent milestone in this progression was the appearance of Quaternary Perspectives on the world-wide web just one year ago (volume 9, number 1).
Quo vadis? As INQUA continues to develop and re-shape itself with growth of this complex area of science, it is certain that the form and content of any of its news-providing media will also evolve. The web version of the newsletter, whatever title it may adopt in the future, will surely be a long-lasting phenomenon. However, the fate of the printed version is less predictable. The excellent working arrangement between INQUA and Elsevier Science enjoyed over the past few years underlies most of the changes seen in the newsletter, but economics are unlikely to allow either a larger size or a higher frequency of issues in the future in the case of the printed version. In fact, such changes may well prove unnecessary. As Commission newsletters continue to develop and (as is happening already) they move on to the world-wide web, so the role of Quaternary Perspectives may consolidate, perhaps to concentrate much more on essentially ‘central’ issues and information. Much of it may well be relatively formal, although I personally hope that it will never become just a business news-sheet without one or two features such as Sound-Bytes, photographs of INQUA activities, and even the occasional cartoon.
In retiring as Editor, I trust that now that the new format is established and, importantly, the world-wide web version is thoroughly set up, the newsletter will be seen to be in fairly good order. Editorial control for eight years is perhaps all that should be countenanced by INQUA: after such a span, it is surely time for a change of face and, perhaps, a change of pace. INQUA expects to appoint a new Editor at the XV Congress in Durban, with the new appointee’s first duty being the compilation of Quaternary Perspectives volume 10, number 2. I wish our newsletter, and the new Editor, every success in the future.
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The Editor |
| The Editor in the chair at about the time of the III INQUA Congress in Vienna (1936). |
The INQUA Secretariat has formally announced that the following
nominations have been received for positions on the Executive Committee
for the inter-Congress period 1999-2003. The International Council will be
asked to vote on this item during their meetings at the XV Congress in
Durban, South Africa, in August of this year.
(* Indicates Vice-President in the current (1995-1999) quadrennium; +
Indicates Secretary in the current (1995-1999) quadrennium.)
Prof. Timothy C. Partridge (South Africa) *
Prof. Nicholas J. Shackleton (United Kingdom) *
Prof. An Zhisheng (China)
Prof. John J. Clague (Canada)
Dr. Nicolas Fedoroff (France)
Prof. Yury A. Lavrushin (Russia)
Prof. Timothy C. Partridge (South Africa) *
Prof. Nicholas J. Shackleton (United Kingdom) *
Prof. Sylvi Haldorsen (Norway) +
Prof. Leszek Marks (Poland)
Catastrophic events or relatively rapid climatic and other environmental changes are being recognised and evaluated ever more frequently in the Quaternary and especially Holocene records. Where specific dates of such events are being correlated or evaluated in the light of alleged historical narratives described in the Bible or other scriptures, many intriguing questions arise. It is truly very difficult for geology, archaeology and history to reach a unified conclusion.
A recent example of this is provided by attempts to equate Noah's biblical flood or the Akkadian Gilgamesh version with the real event of breaching the Bosporus and rapidly filling the Black Sea around 7,600 years BP, as interpreted by marine geologists Ryan and Pitman (1998. Noah's Flood. Simon & Schuster, 319pp). Their thorough examination of the evidence leaves open many questions. What kind of human environment did the flooding really destroy? What really documents its effects and consequences? What a challenge for a team of marine geologists, underwater archaeologists, environmental historians and many others!
The geological and environmental events that may have triggered the biblical Exodus of the Hebrew tribes from Egypt have been discussed for a long time. A consensus is emerging that a significant historical Santorini explosion, causing widespread darkness for several days, may have triggered the amazing sequence of events described in the Biblical narrative of the Exodus, up to the destruction and conquest of Jericho. But what about the timing? The traditionally accepted date of the Exodus is during the time of pharaoh Rameses II of the 19th dynasty, around 1250 BC (Before the Common Era). This date has now been challenged by at least two recent publications, pushing it back by almost 400 and 200 years respectively, based on essentially geological evidence. This constitutes quite a revolutionary change, deserving some scrutiny.
Based on the evidence of (a) recently published calibrated C14 dates from the strongest Santorini volcanic eruption 3356 BP, interpreted as triggering darkness and cooling also observed in a number of long-distance tree-rings and ice cores, and (b) new calibrated C14 dates on short-lived cereals from the Jericho excavation, documenting the destruction of the Middle Bronze town of Jericho, some 45 years later, in agreement with the biblically described long wandering of the Hebrew tribes in the Sinai desert and subsequent conquest of Canaan, Bruins and van der Plicht (1996. The Exodus Enigma. Nature 378, p. 213) have suggested 1630 BCE as the Exodus date, which would place it in the 17th dynasty.
At the same time, and so without referring to each other, Le Moreaux and Idris, a hydrogeologist and a water engineer respectively, published a wide-ranging book (1996. The Exodus: Myth, Legend, History. Word Way Press, 262pp), reaching the conclusion that the final cataclysmic Santorini eruption, and the mayhem caused by tsunamis in the eastern Mediterranean and Egypt, resulted in the Hebrew Exodus. It occurred on geological, historical and 'logical' evidence during the reign of pharaoh Tuthmosis III (18th dynasty) 1450 BCE or about 200 years before the traditional date.
Such differences of 200 or almost 400 years is no small matter for mid~Holocene events in this part of our world and a challenge to researchers to solve the puzzle. Why is the destructive 1450 BCE Santorini eruption not evident in tree-ring data and ice cores? Could the destruction of Jericho have been due to earthquake rather than conquest? What other evidence is there for the decades-long interval between the Exodus and the Conquest? An additional complication is that there is, as yet, no Egyptian archaeological or other historical testimony for the Exodus during Rameses II's time (Frerichs and Lesko, eds., 1997. Exodus: The Egyptian Evidence. Eisenbrauns, 112pp). So perhaps the Exodus is a mythical exaggeration or the Egyptian dynasty chronology needs readjustment?
There is a vast literature on the problem of causation surrounding these biblical events, each of which has its strengths and its weaknesses. The geological evidence for the causal relation between the Santorini explosion and the presumed happenings in Egypt seems strong and is supported by many (Friedman, 1992. Geology illuminates biblical events. Geotimes 37:18-20). The problem of chronology is currently wide open. It seems that a more precise dating, as well as improved delimitation of the extent of the events in the eastern Mediterranean is a solvable problem that needs to be addressed. What a challenge for a multidisciplinary INQUA-like team, encompassing several of its Commissions!
Dan H. Yaalon
Jerusalem, March 1999
[The following extract from the renowned author H.G. Wells’ book entitled "The Outline of History", Cassell & Co. Ltd., London (1920) may be of interest in the above context: "This Flood story is very widely distributed in ancient tradition; it may be a memory of that flooding of the Mediterranean valley which occurred in the Neolithic age of mankind. Or it may recall some great catastrophe in Georgia and the Caspian region." (p. 254) – Editor].
Loessfest '99, held in Bonn at the end of March, marked the 175th anniversary of the first description of the Rhineland loess by Karl Caesar von Leonhard, as well as the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the INQUA Loess Commission. The meeting, organized by Edward Derbyshire, Ian Smalley and Ludwig Zöller, was a joint initiative of the Loess Commission and IGCP Project 413 on "Understanding Future Dryland Changes from Past Dynamics." The success of this festival and the pre-festival excursion were, to a substantial degree, a result of their comprehensive and meticulous planning. A 280-page book of extended abstracts (a mini-proceedings, in essence) and a profusely illustrated field-guide were provided. Generous help from three German, one Dutch and two British institutions ensured the involvement of distinguished colleagues from the former Eastern bloc and from several developing countries, as well as materially helping with publication costs.
The talks and posters provided a feast of new data and overviews on all aspects of loess research. Some 88 papers were presented by just under 100 participants, amongst whom were the President and Secretary of INQUA (see photo.) In addition to the keynote reviews, oral and poster papers, a special evening lecture was delivered by Professor W. von Koenigswald on Climatic changes recorded by the Quaternary fauna in the Rhine area.
Work on a broad spectrum of geotechnical problems affecting the built environment were presented during the first day, under the title Loess as a Geohazard. This left many wondering why people still dare to build their houses on loess! Clearly, the agricultural richness of loess continues to outweigh problems such as cracked walls, displaced roofs and killer landslides in many parts of the world.
Sessions followed on the origin of loessic dust, palaeosols in loess, the use of loess to infer the dynamics of the palaeomonsoons and related atmospheric systems, and the dating of loess-palaeosol sequences. More than one quarter of the papers focused on the stratigraphical record in loess, including problems concerned with their dating. Data from most continents, i.e. Europe, South and North America, Africa and Asia (including Siberia) highlighted the potential of loess in high-resolution paleoclimatology (and in reconstruction of variations in atmospheric circulation patterns). There was also discussion of some serious inadequacies in the dating of these deposits. Until recently, variations in climate proxy parameters such as magnetic properties, grain size and soil typology have been used for climate reconstruction. Chronometric attribution of these has been based on correlation with isotopic records. However, recent results, including those presented at the Loessfest, call for caution in such an exercise in the absence of a sound geological framework.
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| Some participants of "Loessfest ’99" in Bonn, March 1999 |
Excellent concordance between luminescence and AMS radiocarbon ages on organic matter was noted but problems continue to be posed in explaining a consistent underestimation of radiocarbon ages from similar loess-palaeosol sequences. Even so, and despite the problem of age underestimation in luminescence dating, the increasing number of luminescence ages led to the suggestion that the windows of opportunity for loess accumulation occur post glacially and for relatively short periods of time. Thus there is now a need to reconcile somewhat divergent inferences provided by luminescence ages and those provided by magnetic/sedimentological studies. This also underlines the need for due care in the identification in loess of high resolution phenomena such as the Heinrich events, as well as the way we use mineral magnetic records. A set of minimum prerequisites in the use of such records was proposed. Several authors cautioned against ‘wiggle matching’ without sufficient background data on field sites, the proxy being used, and the time series involved. A convincing case was made for the use of paleopedology and soil micromorphology in both reconstructing climate and ensuring the reliability of a chronology.
Studies characterising modern dust-fall events and their climatological implications highlighted the climatic importance of atmospheric dust and the issues involved in forging the link between present conditions and paleorecords. To this end, an initiative was launched to stimulate the loess community to play a part in setting up a global dust data bank in a project called DIRTMAP (Dust Indicators and Records of Terrestrial and Marine Palaeoenvironments Database). This will synthesize and collate information on accumulation of wind-deposited dusts for the Last Glacial Maximum, forming a factual basis for global models. The loess connection, or Fink-Link, will commemorate the pioneering work of Julius Fink in loess research.
Loessfest participants came away with the clear message that more technological refinements, especially in the area of dating, are needed to exploit the potential of the loess record and to provide a fuller understanding of the message contained in the magnetic components of loess. Thus, Loessfest promised much for the future of continental climatic reconstruction while, at the same time, raising a number of caveats with respect to current use (or abuse!) of many climate proxies and the land-sea correlations based on them. Clearly, the global loess record continues to raise almost as many questions as answers. The Proceedings of Loessfest ‘99 will be published as special issues of Earth Science Reviews and Quaternary International. The aim is to publish both by the middle of 2000, so watch this space.
Sylvi Haldorsen
INQUA Secretary
Ashok K. Singhvi
Co-Leader IGCP 413
Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 18, Nos. 4-5
The Late Quaternary in the Eastern Mediterranean Region
Guest Editors: N. Roberts, M. Kuzucuoglu and M. Karabiyikoglu
Preface
(PDF) |
Table
of Contents (with Abstracts)
Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 18, No. 7
High Resolution Records from European Lakes
Guest Editor: B. Zolitschka
Preface
|
Table
of Contents (with Abstracts)
Quaternary International, Volumes 57-58
Quaternary Palaeoclimates of the Southern Hemisphere
Guest Editors: T.C. Partridge, A.P. Kershaw and M.H. Iriondo
Preface
(PDF) |
Table
of Contents (with Abstracts)
Quaternary International, Volume 59
Holocene human impacts in Australia and the Western Pacific
Guest Editor: Lesley Head
Preface
(PDF) |
Table
of Contents (with Abstracts)
Vagn Mejdahl, founder and leader of the Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating at Risø, Denmark, died on the 21st August 1997, after a brief illness. A physics graduate of the University of Copenhagen, Vagn became a pioneer in the field of solid state dosimetry. Inspired by Martin Aitken’s early work at Oxford using TL to date archaeological materials, he started his own dating research in close collaboration with Risø’s health physics group. Eventually, and after much hard work, he succeeded in persuading the Danish authorities to set up a Nordic Laboratory for TL Dating in 1983. He led it until his death.
Vagn’s published contributions run from the late 1950s to his co-authored papers for the international specialist seminar on "Luminescence Dating: Methods and Applications" held at the University of Aarhus in May 1997, a meeting organized specifically to celebrate his great contributions to luminescence dating. Many of his articles will continue to be cited by workers around the world: examples cover the attenuation of beta rays in coarse-grain samples, the use of CaSO4: Mn as TL dosimeter for determining the internal beta dose-rate of feldspar samples, and his more recent work on the SARA technique for estimating the burial dose. Vagn was not put off by controversy, as his distinctive contributions to the age determination of the clay tiles at Glozel (France) demonstrate: he was still involved in this controversy when he died. We have lost not only a highly respected colleague but a wise counsellor and a loyal friend. He will be widely missed.
Lars Bøtter-Jensen
Risø National Laboratory
Roskilde, Denmark
A full version of this obituary may be seen in the Vagn Mejdahl Festschrift issue of Quaternary Science Reviews, Volume 18, No. 2, "Quaternary Geochronology Special issue, edited by R. Grün.
Prof. Dr. Gerold Richter, of Trier in Germany died on 12 February 1999, after a prolonged illness. A renowned and internationally honoured authority on soil erosion since the1960s, he was instrumental, together with the late Professor Jan de Ploey, of Belgium, in founding in 1988 the European Society for Soil Conservation of which he was the latest President. His achievements were considerable. His scientific and advisory activities on behalf of UNESCO-FAO were world-wide in scope and comprehensive in coverage. As recently as 1998 he edited the first German textbook on soil erosion. Just two years earlier he published, with M. Pécsi of Hungary, the most voluminous German comprehensive work on loess. It was this breadth of perspective and depth of knowledge that made him an obvious choice as a keynote lecturer at "Loessfest ‘99". Sadly, that was not to be. He will not be forgotten either by those who rose from their seats in remembrance and respect of Gerold Richter at the Opening Ceremony of "Loessfest ‘99", or by a great many Quaternarists and geomorphologists around the world.
Ludwig Zöller
Geographisches Institut
Universität Bonn, Germany