In this paper, a soil profile with obvious evidence of ancient human activities (cultural profile in short) was compared with a profile without ancient human disturbance (natural profile in short). The features of the particle size, magnetic susceptibility, color, total content of mineral elements and the bulk density of soils were comparatively analyzed to discover the effects of ancient human activities. The results showed that the variation ranges of physical and chemical properties of soil in cultural profile were larger than natural profile. The cultural profile was sandy, and the content of sand particle reached the highest in the ash layer. The changes of average and characteristic parameters of particle size were obvious, and reached the highest in the ash and cultural layers. χ_lfof cultural profile was higher than natural profile, and reached the highest in the ash and cultural layers. χ_fd, a*, b*, L* of cultural profile were minimum in the ash layer, and were more or less lower than natural profile. The contents of mineral elements in two profiles were close, but their variation ranges in cultural profile were larger than natural profile. The degree of allitization in cultural profile was lower than natural profile. Within cultural profile, the contents of CaO and MnO reached the highest in the ash layer. Oxides, except SiO₂, reached the highest in the cultural layer. The average bulk density of cultural profile was smaller than natural profile, and reached the lowest in cultural profile. The total phosphorus content of cultural profile was higher than natural profile, and reached the highest in the ash and cultural layers.