Archaeology, Geology, and Science %%

This short visual film about the geology of the beautiful Dolomites mountain range is created by Italian photographer/filmmaker Rolando Menardi. These unspoiled mountains straddle the territory of five provinces in northeastern Italy, forming part of the Southern Limestone Alps. One of its provinces, South Tyrol, is home to the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology, where one can visit the ancient 5,000-year-old preserved Otzi, the Iceman.

“The surface of the earth is far more beautiful and far more intricate than any lifeless world. Our planet is graced by life and one quality that sets life apart is its complexity.” –Carl Sagan

The stratigraphy of the Dolomites includes Permian to Cretaceous terrains which sit on top of a Paleozoic Basement. Although the sedimentary succession ranges through these periods, the landscape is dominated by the majestic Triassic carbonates. The birth of the Dolomites can be traced back to the womb of Tethys Sea, germinating from its sediments and calcareous deposits. The Dolomites entered UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 2009.

This is a separate video below, depicting the scenic rich Dolomites from the South Tyrol province:

Spring Lake is located near San Marcos, Texas – an area that is rich with freshwater springs that bubble up from the Edwards Aquifer. These freshwater springs data back to the last ice age. Past archaeological efforts yielded artifacts from each time period that marks the area as one of the “longest and continually inhabited locations in the United States.” Clovis points and Mastodon remains have been found in the area, including recent human remains.

Researchers from the Center For Archaeological Studies and The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment conducted the first underwater geoarchaeology survey at Spring Lake, utilizing a sub bottom profiler along with coring sediment samples. This area was dammed over a century ago, which created an underwater archaeological preserve.

Core samples from the sediments of the lake bed will be used to gather data and peek back into paleoenvironment and cultural history of the springs.

Short video from NGEO below.

The Geology of the Dolomites

Underwater Geoarchaeology at a Texan ancient springs site.

Archaeology, Geology, and Science