Reconstruction of vegetation, climate and human history based on pedological and geoarchaeological investigations of the mesolithic site Ullafelsen, Fotschertal next to Innsbruck, Austria

自从1991年在Ötztal山脉的Tisenjoch上发现了一具铜石器时代的木乃伊Ötzi冰人以来，蒂罗尔的高山考古得到了全世界科学界和公众的关注。因此，在Ullafelsen中石器时代项目中，由考古学家Dieter Schäfer发起和协调，在过去的20年里，人们对因斯布鲁克附近的Stubai山脉中的Fotsch山谷进行了深入的调查。因此，考古研究的重点是1869年的中石器时代遗址Ullafelsen。从11000年到9500年前的夏季，人类猎人在那里定居。在本研究计划中，将通过应用现代土壤生物地球化学和考古测量方法来解决三个主要研究目标，以补充迄今为止开展的考古和土壤地层学工作。首先，该项目旨在重建人类定居之前、期间和之后Ullafelsen及其周围的植被历史。如今，Ullafelsen位于森林线（UFL）的范围内；然而，UFL极有可能在人畜遗传学上被推向下坡。因此，它将调查是否转移的UFL可以证明，甚至可能是日期。在方法上，这将通过分析植物来源的脂质和糖生物标志物以及木炭生物标志物来解决。第二个研究重点是重建人类定居之前、期间和之后的气候条件。这将通过一种耦合稳定同位素方法（18O - 2H）来解决，该方法对植物来源的脂质和糖生物标志物进行了研究，包括应用最近开发的古湿度计，以及应用古沉淀和土壤细菌膜脂（GDGTs）的重建同位素组成（18O和2H）作为古温度的代用物。第三个研究重点将是基于粪便和木炭生物标志物重建人类对Ullafelsen及其周围土壤的影响。结合磷和稳定氮同位素（15N）分析，找出人类对土壤影响的类型和强度。利用现代土壤生物地球化学和考古分析方法回答上述研究问题，也将有助于更好地理解考虑人类影响的亚高山地区晚冰期和全新世景观和气候历史，而不仅仅是地方性的Ullafelsen。

Since the finding of Ötzi the Iceman, a Chalcolithic mummy, on the Tisenjoch in the Ötztal Mountains in 1991, high mountain archaeology in Tyrol gained scientific and public attention world-wide. Thus, initiated and coordinated by the archaeologist Dieter Schäfer within the Mesolithic Project Ullafelsen, also the Fotsch Valley in the Stubai Mountains close to Innsbruck is intensively investigated for the last 20 years. Thereby, the archaeological research focuses on the Mesolithic site Ullafelsen in 1869 m asl., that was settled by human hunters from 11000 to 9500 BP during summer times. Within this research proposal, three main research objectives shall be addressed by the application of modern soil biogeochemical and archaeometric methods in order to complement the archaeological and soil-stratigraphical work carried out so far. First, the project aims at reconstructing the vegetation history on and around the Ullafelsen before, during and after the human settlement. Nowadays, the Ullafelsen is located in the range of the upper forest line (UFL); however, the UFL is very likely pushed downhill anthropo-zoogenetically. Therefore, it will be investigated whether shifts of the UFL can be proven and maybe even dated. Methodologically, this will be tackled by analysing plant-derived lipid and sugar biomarkers as well as charcoal biomarkers. The second research focus aims at reconstructing the climatic conditions having prevailed before, during and after human settlement of the Ullafelsen. This will be tackled by a coupled stable isotope approach (18O - 2H) carried out on plant-derived lipid and sugar biomarkers and include the application of a recently developed paleohygrometer as well as the application of reconstructed isotopic composition (18O und 2H) of paleoprecipitation and membrane lipids (GDGTs) of soil bacteria as proxies for paleotemperature. The third research focus will lie on the reconstruction of the human impact on the soils at and around the Ullafelsen based on faecal and charcoal biomarkers. In combination with phosphorous and stable nitrogen isotope (15N) analyses, type and intensity of human impact on the soils shall be found out. Answering the above-mentioned research questions using modern soil biogeochemical and archaeometric analytical methods will contribute also beyond the locality Ullafelsen to a better understanding of the Late Glacial and Holocene landscape and climate history of subalpine regions in due consideration of human impact.