An Integrated Geoheritage and Archaeoheritage Archive Preserving Cultural Stratigraphy and Sedimentary Records in İnboğazı–Andık Cave, Northwestern Anatolia
Geoheritage, cilt.18, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 18 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s12371-026-01414-3
- Dergi Adı: Geoheritage
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, Geobase, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Earth, Atmospheric, & Aquatic Science Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Archaeoheritage, Geoheritage, Grain-Size Analysis, Karst Caves, Prehistoric Cave Occupation
- Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
Karst caves are unique geoarchaeological archives where geological processes and human activities are preserved together within the same stratigraphic record. This study examines the sedimentary sequence of İnboğazı-Andık Cave in northwestern Anatolia to reconstruct its depositional history and assess its geoheritage and archaeoheritage significance. The research combines detailed stratigraphic documentation, grain-size analysis, micromorphological observations, and archaeological data from a sediment profile within the cave. The stratigraphic sequence shows that the cave deposits formed during multiple phases, with changes in sediment transport energy, hydrological conditions, and human activity. The lower layers consist mainly of poorly sorted colluvial deposits with limestone clasts from rockfalls and gravitational sediment transport near the cave entrance. In contrast, the upper layers contain finer sediments with ash, charcoal fragments, and archaeological materials, indicating repeated prehistoric occupations and human-caused sediment accumulation. Grain-size data reveal shifts between high-energy and low-energy depositional environments, reflecting changes in sediment supply and cave hydrology. The combined sedimentological and archaeological evidence suggests that the cave deposits resulted from both natural karst processes and human activities. The İnboğazı-Andık Cave sequence, therefore, serves as a multi-layered geoarchaeological archive preserving records of both environmental change and human presence. In terms of heritage, the site is a key example of integrated geoheritage and archaeoheritage, emphasizing the significance of cave environments as joint geological and cultural records within karst landscapes.