Hermione Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder if we're in Maltese cart-ruts territory
>
> From the archives (apologies for formatting):
> [www.maatforum.com]
>
> And
> [en.wikipedia.org]

I would say "yes." The key observation is that the local bedrock
consists of "rocky tuffaceous deposits." Tuff, like the limestone of
the Malta cart-ruts, typically has a low technical strength and is
very friable. It would be prone to mechanical breakdwon amd
rutting by constant cart use.

A similar, but lager scale feature is the sunken roads (lanes) of
Louisiana and Europe. They form the mechanical breakdown of
friable sediments (often loess) and rock byh foot and cart traffic
and subsequent erosion by wind and water aided by the lack of
vegetation cover.

Deckers, B., Becker, P.D., Honnay, O., Hermy, M. and Muys, B., 2005.
Sunken roads as habitats for forest plant species in a dynamic
agricultural landscape: effects of age and isolation. Journal of
Biogeography, 32(1), pp.99-109.

PDF file: [citeseerx.ist.psu.edu]

Newton Jr, M.B. and Raphael, C.N., 1971. Relic Roads of East
Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Geographical Review, pp.250-264.

Zglobicki, W., Poesen, J., De Geeter, S., Boardman, J., Gawrysiak,
L., Golosov, V., Ionita, I., Niacsu, L., Rodzik, J., Stankoviansky, M.
and Stolz, C., 2021. Sunken lanes-Development and functions in
landscapes. Earth-Science Reviews, 221, no.103757.

Tsoar, H. and Yekutieli, Y., 1993. Geomorphological identification
of ancient roads and paths on the loess of the northern Negev.
Israel Journal of Earth Sciences, 41, pp.209-16.

PDF file: [www.researchgate.net]

Yours,

Paul H.

"The past is never dead. It's not even past."
William Faulkner, Act 1, Scene III, Requiem for a Nun (1951)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/15/2022 09:55PM by Paul H..