Articles | Volume 19, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1135-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1135-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
23 Feb 2022
Research article |
| 23 Feb 2022
| 23 Feb 2022
Human and livestock faecal biomarkers at the prehistorical encampment site of Ullafelsen in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria – potential and limitations
Marcel Lerch
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Heisenberg Chair of Physical Geography with Focus on
Paleoenvironmental Research, Institute of Geography, Technische
Universität Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Soil Biogeochemistry Group, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional
Sciences, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz
3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Tobias Bromm
Soil Biogeochemistry Group, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional
Sciences, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz
3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Clemens Geitner
Institute of Geography, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, 6020
Innsbruck, Austria
Jean Nicolas Haas
Institute of Botany, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestraße
15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
Dieter Schäfer
Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, 6020
Innsbruck, Austria
Bruno Glaser
Soil Biogeochemistry Group, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional
Sciences, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz
3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
Michael Zech
Heisenberg Chair of Physical Geography with Focus on
Paleoenvironmental Research, Institute of Geography, Technische
Universität Dresden, Helmholtzstraße 10, 01069 Dresden, Germany
Soil Biogeochemistry Group, Institute of Agricultural and Nutritional
Sciences, Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz
3, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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Cited
11 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A matter of extraction – Extraction yields and ratios of faecal lipid biomarker from archaeological soils using Soxhlet, microwave-assisted and accelerated-solvent extraction S. Scherer et al. 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2024.104863
- Phosphatic crusts as macroscopic and microscopic proxies for identifying archaeological animal penning areas F. Polisca et al. 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106207
- A 2000-year record of fecal biomarkers reveals past herbivore presence and impacts in a catchment in northern Yellowstone National Park, USA J. Wendt et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0311950
- Fecal lipid markers in tandem with ancient sedimentary DNA as a tool for tracing past livestock farming from soils and sediments S. Fiedler et al. 10.3389/fearc.2025.1544307
- Tracking pollution from fur farms using forensic paleolimnology J. Kissinger et al. 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122307
- Paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and human impact over the last 400 years based on lipid biomarkers from Lake Höglwörth, Germany S. Acharya et al. 10.1016/j.qsa.2024.100231
- Holocene landscape evolution, palaeoclimate and human impact in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria: Interrogating biomarkers, stable isotopes, macrofossils and palynological indicators from a subalpine mire archive M. Lerch et al. 10.1177/09596836231176485
- A Holocene history of climate, fire, landscape evolution, and human activity in northeastern Iceland N. Ardenghi et al. 10.5194/cp-20-1087-2024
- Pit without finds = worthless pit? Investigating a Roman military camp from Caesar’s Gallic Wars (58 – 51 BC) near Hermeskeil (Germany) S. Fiedler et al. 10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105070
- Archaeological Evidence for the Dietary Practices and Lifestyle of 18th Century Lisbon, Portugal—Combined Steroidal Biomarker and Microparticle Analysis of the Carbonized Faecal Remains A. Fundurulic et al. 10.3390/separations10020085
- Applying sterols and bile acids as biomarkers for identifying human versus wild animals' faecal traces in cave sediments at archaeological sites N. Gryczewska et al. 10.1111/arcm.13067
10 citations as recorded by crossref.
- A matter of extraction – Extraction yields and ratios of faecal lipid biomarker from archaeological soils using Soxhlet, microwave-assisted and accelerated-solvent extraction S. Scherer et al. 10.1016/j.orggeochem.2024.104863
- Phosphatic crusts as macroscopic and microscopic proxies for identifying archaeological animal penning areas F. Polisca et al. 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106207
- A 2000-year record of fecal biomarkers reveals past herbivore presence and impacts in a catchment in northern Yellowstone National Park, USA J. Wendt et al. 10.1371/journal.pone.0311950
- Fecal lipid markers in tandem with ancient sedimentary DNA as a tool for tracing past livestock farming from soils and sediments S. Fiedler et al. 10.3389/fearc.2025.1544307
- Tracking pollution from fur farms using forensic paleolimnology J. Kissinger et al. 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122307
- Paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and human impact over the last 400 years based on lipid biomarkers from Lake Höglwörth, Germany S. Acharya et al. 10.1016/j.qsa.2024.100231
- Holocene landscape evolution, palaeoclimate and human impact in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria: Interrogating biomarkers, stable isotopes, macrofossils and palynological indicators from a subalpine mire archive M. Lerch et al. 10.1177/09596836231176485
- A Holocene history of climate, fire, landscape evolution, and human activity in northeastern Iceland N. Ardenghi et al. 10.5194/cp-20-1087-2024
- Pit without finds = worthless pit? Investigating a Roman military camp from Caesar’s Gallic Wars (58 – 51 BC) near Hermeskeil (Germany) S. Fiedler et al. 10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105070
- Archaeological Evidence for the Dietary Practices and Lifestyle of 18th Century Lisbon, Portugal—Combined Steroidal Biomarker and Microparticle Analysis of the Carbonized Faecal Remains A. Fundurulic et al. 10.3390/separations10020085
Latest update: 23 Apr 2025
Short summary
Faecal biomarker analyses present a useful tool in geoarcheological research. For a better understanding of the lives of our ancestors in alpine regions, we investigated modern livestock faeces and Holocene soils at the prehistorical encampment site of Ullafelsen in the Fotsch Valley, Stubai Alps, Austria. Initial results show a high input of livestock faeces and a negligible input of human faeces for this archeological site. Future studies will focus on mire archives in the Fotsch Valley.
Faecal biomarker analyses present a useful tool in geoarcheological research. For a better...
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