The paper discusses the environmental changes in the pile-dwelling period (5.7–3.2 ka) at the Ljubljansko barje (Slovenia) which were revealed during the study of settlement pattern and sedimentary ...analysis. The archaeological and radiocarbon data have demonstrated that the oldest pile-dwellings were located closer to the edge of the wetland, and the youngest were positioned closer to the central zone of the basin. The reason for the changes in the settlement pattern lies in the lake's gradual regression: The pile-dwellers at the Ljubljansko barje built their villages on the edge of the relatively deeper water zone as it regressed.
The sedimentary analyses have revealed basal shell-rich marls grading upward into clays with terrigenous input, suggesting a complex lacustrine environment evolving with time into a marshland. At the Resnikov prekop site, a depositional hiatus occurs from 7.4 to 2.2 ka, following which the basin filled with terrigenous sediment delivered by streams from the hilly surroundings. Across the Ljubljansko barje at Stare gmajne and Blatna Brezovica, presumably no depositional hiatus occurred, but the pile-dwellings were located in the marsh, not far from the edge of the deep water zone.
Both analyses clearly demonstrate the interdependence between the gradual regression of the lake and settlement pattern during the period of pile-dwellings. These results fail to support some alternative hypotheses that the sites on the southeastern edge lined the dry land formed by river banks feeding the barje.
The Ljubljana Marshes (Ljubljana Moor) is a large wetland in the southern part of the Ljubljana basin in the central part of Slovenia, with well-preserved archaeological evidence of settlements. The ...data have traditionally been interpreted as the remnants of the prehistoric pile dwelling settlements located in a shallow lake. In this paper, we present new data that challenge these interpretations. An aerial LiDAR survey of the Ižica floodplain on the Ljubljana Marshes has revealed a complex topography of stratified palaeochannels. The 14C dates of the channel infills suggest that the first phase of the palaeochannels can be dated to before 3770 cal. BC, which is contemporary with Eneolithic settlements located on its banks. We suggest that settlements were located in the floodplain, next to active rivers, and not in the lake as was traditionally hypothesised.
This paper presents the recent excavations of two Late Bronze Age archaeological sites on the edge of the Ljubljana Marshes. The newly discovered urn burial from Matena has been associated with the ...settlement in Iška Loka. Both sites have been linked to the sites of the Oloris-Podsmreka Horizon in Slovenia, which belong to the broader cultural circle of the Virovitica Group. The sites of the Oloris-Podsmreka Horizon occur over a long period of time; from the second half of the 15th cent. to the end of the 13th cent. BC, i.e. Bz C/D–Ha A. Both sites presented in this paper are dated to the later part of the Bz D phase (13th cent. BC).
This study shows the link between land use, landscape changes, and ecosystem services. Two pilot areas were investigated for how land use changes from 1824 to 2013 affect the provision of ecosystem ...services. It was found that low-intensity managed traditional land use is disappearing due to the intensification of agricultural production on the one hand, and the retreat of agriculture from unfavorable areas on the other hand. However, such traditional land use contributes to more diverse and more numerous ecosystem services and helps preserve the cultural landscape. Therefore, intensification and overgrowth should be restricted, and less intensive agriculture should be encouraged. The approach presented can be used as a support tool for decision-making in managing and governing landscapes.
Landscape interpretation is one of the best-suited and established forms of informing and raising the awareness of visitors and local residents. The literature contains only rare examples of useful ...methodology that could help managers with the initial steps of interpretation. A methodological basis for landscape interpretation is presented, using the case of the Ljubljana Marsh. The form consisting of eight thematic categories is a useful tool for identifying suitable topics and selecting the right interpretation tools. Using this form, managers will reach their final interpretation goal more easily: to make people recognize the landscape and protect it against inappropriate changes.
Interactions between plants and microorganisms can significantly affect plant health and productivity as well as ecosystem functioning. Detailed knowledge of the tripartite relationships between ...plants, fungi, and bacteria, and their environment is still limited. In the present study, the soils adjacent to three plant species (Cruciata laevipes, Mentha piperita, Equisetum arvense) in the Ljubljana Marsh and the bulk, plant-free soil were analyzed for their bacterial community structure in June and October 2006. The terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis indicated a different bacterial community structure in the rhizosphere and in bulk soil, however, with almost no seasonal changes between late spring and autumn samples and no apparent impact of the three plant species. In addition, root colonization of the three plant species by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE) was microscopically assessed monthly from May until October 2006. A presumably accidental correlation between monthly precipitation and the degree of arbuscule formation, with the latter lagging 1 month, was noted for M. piperita, the most heavily colonized of the three plant species. With all three plants, the phosphorus content in roots correlated positively with most AMF structures. Microsclerotia of DSE were mainly abundant in autumn samples. Fungal diversity in roots was estimated using temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis separation of the fungal polymerase chain reaction products obtained for both 18S-rDNA and the 5.8S-ITS2-28S rDNA segments. No specific effects of either plant species or seasonal changes on mycorrhizal community structure were discernible.
Natural disasters have been part of people’s lives throughout history. As a discipline that plans people’s dwellings and designs their living environment, architecture has managed to cope with ...natural disasters and their impacts relatively successfully over the millennia. Certain disasters can be expected throughout the world, and the safety measures connected with them are similar. Nonetheless, the geographical conditions linked to natural disasters most influence the architectural style of buildings and the entire urban landscape through various factors. This paper discusses the impact of specific disasters or threats on changes in the architectural style of buildings and settlements. Special emphasis is placed on dangers or disasters that threaten the buildings in the Ljubljana Marsh. This region has long been considered inappropriate for settlement. However, because it is close to Ljubljana, it has attracted settlement, despite demanding a special construction method. The Slovenian architect Jože Plečnik, who designed the Church of St. Michael in Črna Vas in the Ljubljana Marsh, also had to deal with these issues. An analysis of the church shows that Plečnik, who lived in the nearby suburb of Trnovo, was familiar with major threats to settlements in the Ljubljana Marsh and took them into account. Unfortunately, the economic situation did not allow him to protect this building from fire as well.
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