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LAND DIVISION SYSTEM, AGROTECHNOLOGY AND SOIL TRANSFORMATION IN THE POST-ANTIQUE AGROLANDSCAPES OF NORTHWESTERN CRIMEA

Fedor Lisetskii

Abstract

The quality of products in regions that specialize in viticulture and horticulture depends on many environmental factors, but the importance of the concentrations of trace ele-ments in the rhizosphere is no less important than the main elements of mineral nutri-tion. Viticulture in ancient times played a different role in the economy of Tauric Cher-sonesos at the near chora (on the Herakleian Peninsula (South-West Crimea)) and at the distant chora (in North-Western (NW) Crimea). Modern climatic and soil-lithological conditions in these two regions are significantly different. The results of the study of land management practices for perennial plantations and the geochemical features of the long-term fallow soils for four regions of NW Crimea were presented. Three geograph-ical regions in NW Crimea with different soil types in terms of content of organic mat-ter, carbonates and elements of accumulation (Co, Pb, Cu, Cr, Ni, Ba, V) and dispersion (Si, Na, As, Zn, Zr, CaO) in the long-term fallow soils compared to untreated soils were determined according to the results of clusters analysis. Although the two regions on the Black Sea coast (Kalos Limen and Cape Ojrat), both now and in ancient times, had a different climate than the interior area (Ortli and Mamay?Tyup), soil conditions were a stronger factor of differentiation. The soils of Kalos Limen in plots with 2 types of per-ennial plantations of vinea (vine on stakes and trellises) and arbustum (vine on fruit trees) with a distance between the ploughing walls of 2 and 5 m, respectively, upon comparison of the content of the 13 most informative chemical elements, showed dif-ferences in Cu and Ni (accumulation) and Pb, Sr and Na (dispersion). It is assumed that in plots where the arbustum method was used, mechanical tillage was more regular due to the secondary use of the plots in grain farming. The root layer that was created during the laying out of the vineyard in the 4 c. BC, according to the integral biogeochemical assessment is inferior to the same layer of virgin soil by 20%. We determined the geo-graphical factor as the main one when comparing the geochemistry of fallow soils in individual regions of ancient viticulture of NW Crimea, which is consistent with the assessment of the role of soil in the concept of ?terroir?.

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