Modeling archaeological excavation-induced soil erosion in cultural heritage landscapes: A QGeoWEPP-based assessment at the Resuloğlu Mound, Türkiye

This study investigates how archaeological excavations influence runoff processes and soil erosion in a rangeland-dominated cultural landscape in North Central Anatolia, Türkiye. The Resuloğlu Mound, an archaeological settlement dating to the Early Bronze Age III period (c. 2300–2100 BCE), underwent excavations between 2003 and 2019. The site's current morphology indicates that soil erosion has significantly shaped the landscape throughout both ancient and modern periods. Assessing these landscape changes is essential for evaluating the long-term sustainability of archaeological sites, as soil erosion not only compromises the integrity of cultural heritage but also influences surrounding ecosystems and agricultural productivity. This research employs an interdisciplinary approach to analyze natural hazards, including climate and weather pattern variability, and anthropogenic disturbances, within the context of immovable cultural heritage preservation and soil and water conservation in an agricultural rangeland landscape. Using a spatially explicit modeling framework, we investigate the interactions among land use, climate and weather pattern variability, and the complex dynamics of natural and human-induced processes within an agricultural rangeland and crop management setting. The study utilized the QGIS-based geospatial interface for the Water Erosion Prediction Project (QGeoWEPP) to simulate soil erosion rates before and after archaeological excavation. In addition, the study explores proactive strategies to immovable cultural heritage, as well as the adjacent grazing rangelands and agricultural fields, to develop an integrated protection plan for these vulnerable sites and their stakeholders. The QGeoWEPP model is applied to eight hillslopes two undisturbed reference slopes and six disturbed—along with fields of major crops, where harvest yields are used to parameterize hydrology and plant growth within the model. The findings indicate that archaeological excavation disrupts slope stability, leading to elevated erosion rates immediately after disturbance, followed by a gradual decline over time. This study contributes to the scientific foundation of conservation policies aimed at preserving both natural and cultural landscapes through collaboration with local governments.