Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports最新文献

Understanding the appearance and evolution of prehistoric weaponry is a key topic in archaeological research. While stone or osseous projectile points are identified archaeologically based on damage patterns and other wear traces, identifying how these weapons were propelled requires a more thorough understanding of the ballistic behaviour of each weapon system. Even if the spear-thrower and dart is a commonly known weapon system that is often used in projectile experiments, its functioning is still not yet fully understood. In this article, we contribute to its understanding with a detailed analysis of the propulsion phase of the dart. We use high-speed video recordings and show that the propulsion of a dart has a complexity that goes beyond a simple lever effect or an arm extender provided by the spear-thrower. We argue that the focus should not only lie on the rotation of the spear-thrower but also on the displacement of the spear-thrower hook and the dart’s butt during the entire propulsion phase. We demonstrate that the gestures of the user and the specific characteristics of both the spear-thrower and the dart represent three inseparable elements that determine a dart’s flight and its ballistic behaviour. Knowledge on the propulsion phase of the dart is therefore a prerequisite for insights into the impact phenomenon, for an adequate understanding of impact fractures on projectile points, and for the recognition of weapon propulsion modes on an archaeological level.

The daily life of non-elite people from the past is usually hard to evaluate, since historical sources largely concentrate on the upper classes. This knowledge can be gained by archaeological excavations and use of geo- and bioarchaeological methods. In 2021, geophysical prospections in Enez (Türkiye) revealed a circular stone structure. The excavators identified a latrine probably used from 17th until the 19th century. Palynological, palaeoparasitological and archaeobotanical methods have been applied for understanding the diet, hygiene and diseases of the people using the latrine. The cesspit was a closed round structure with walls made of stones. It had no contamination from outside and was filled with liquid or semi-liquid content with dissolved salts and organic matter derived from urine, faeces, kitchen waste, dung and other rubbish. Results show a broad diet including wheat, chili peppers, olives, spices, a wide range of fruits, meat, fish and oysters. This sanitation did not protect the inhabitants of the house from intestinal parasites in the forms of helminths whipworm, roundworm and the protozoan Giardia duodenalis that causes diarrhoea. The data highlight the special role played by the harbour of Ainos in the establishment and possible expansion of new food products from the New World.

Non-invasive modalities are being developed as the computer tools and industrial non-destructive testing capabilities become more widespread. Using the same investigation methods as those applied to modern objects, we seek to study ancient funerary urns containing human bones. The exploration of ancient urns is key to increasing our understanding of the practices of burial and cremation in archaeo-anthropology. But those urns present at archaeological sites are exposed to diversified environments (wet, temperate or dry environment), and can be subjected to chemical or mechanical destructive actions over time. As ancient funeral urns containers are sometimes made of lead, stone or ceramic, the use of X-ray scanners is difficult or even impossible for in situ control. In this work, we propose an engineering technique based on ultrasonic non-destructive testing and wave propagation in urns. An analytical parametric model is developed using mathematical signal processing tools and validated by means of laboratory experiments under controlled conditions of propagation through reproductions of ancient urns for two ultrasonic frequencies (500 kHz and 1 MHz). The aim is to characterise an ancient urn by creating an analytical model, and to use a parametric identification algorithm to determine the presence or absence of bone fragments. The parametric identification algorithm based on the Levenberg–Marquardt method makes it possible to determine the geometrical (thickness) and physical (wave velocity and attenuation, mass density) parameters when the urn is filled with water, with water and bones, and with water, bones and sand. We show that the model makes it readily (processing time $\approx 15$ sec) possible to find the different times of flight between the transducer and the different walls of the urn and the parameters with an accuracy less than 10$\%$.

Archaeometallurgy of Han Dynasty bronzes is a hot topic of current research and has made great achievements. However, the archaeometallurgical features of the Han bronzes in the Xiajiang area are yet to be understood. In the present study, bronzes recovered from Fengxiangbei tomb, Xiajiang area were analysed using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), and multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) to study the techniques and provenance of raw materials. Metallographic analysis showed that all the bronzes were cast, and only one sample showed signs of post-casting heating, probably due to heating during daily use. Comparison with the available data from different sites and mines reveals that the lead ore used for bronzes in the mid-to-late Western Han Dynasty came from multiple lead sources, and that there may have been an extensive network of metal resources circulating. The Xiajiang area has been included in this network.

Animal husbandry was an important economic strategy for early Neolithic communities. Sheep were among the first animals to be reared and were of significant importance in the Mediterranean area. Cattle also played a crucial role in some open-air sites, such as the settlement of La Draga in the north-eastern Iberian Peninsula. The settlement was occupied successively, dating from 5300-4700 BCE. By analysing the cattle remains, including taphonomic conditions, age and sex estimation, and biometric and microstructural analysis, we can characterise the composition characteristics of one of the earliest cattle herds in the Western Mediterranean. This takes into account both the demographic and productive structure. The results reveal a high level of expertise in managing this species and demonstrate intensive but multi-purpose use, with a significant neonatal mortality rate.

The discovery of Ancrum Old Bridge (River Teviot, Scotland) in 2018 was a significant archaeological finding for Scotland. Wiggle match radiocarbon dating placed construction of the bridge to around 1340–1360 Cal. AD (95.4 %); a period of political and social instability in the region. Oxygen isotope dendrochronology was applied to refine this date range and to provide a precise felling date for the bridge timbers. Somewhat unexpectedly, a felling date of winter AD 1428/29 was identified. This date was obtained using a reference chronology for the southern United Kingdom and independently verified against a new local isotope chronology developed from native Scottish oak. This new date falls within a more stable period in Scotland’s history which may have been more suited to major construction projects such as Ancrum Old Bridge. These results highlight the importance for radiocarbon end users to consider the nature of dating uncertainty when interpreting results, especially when the probability distribution is multi-modal.

During the Formative Period (ca.2400–950 years BP), pre-Hispanic farmers in Pampa del Tamarugal developed a complex agricultural system in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert in Tarapacá, northern Chile. This system involved numerous agricultural fields congregated near the Tarapacá Valley’s perennial stream and the Guatacondo ravine’s ephemeral stream. Well-established villages such as Caserones, Pircas, Ramaditas, and Guatacondo accompanied these developments. However, the importance of understanding the water sources has been neglected despite the efforts to understand the relationships between pre-Hispanic agriculture and their living environment. Thus, we presumed the use of local water sources without a clear understanding of their exploitation methods or the associated technological implications. Furthermore, there is limited research on groundwater use in Tarapacá. This research aims to understand water sources used in the cultivation of maize (Zea mays) using δ¹⁸O isotope values obtained from pre-Hispanic maize kernels in Tarapacá. We compared these values with published δ¹⁸O values of water sources and applied a generalized linear model (GLM) with a Gaussian distribution, performing a Tukey’s post hoc test for multiple comparisons of means with heteroscedasticity-consistent covariance estimation. The best-fit model was identified using a stepwise model selection procedure based on the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Our results indicate that mean δ¹⁸O values of organic matter from maize kernels range from 24.73 ‰ to 31.65 ‰. The best performing model on δ¹⁸O only included Group (BIC=298.2) as the explanatory variable as Period, Site, and Weight had no effects. These findings point towards a significant statistical relationship between the δ¹⁸O values of organic matter derived from maize kernels and the specific geographic regions they originate from. These values also show an enrichment of δ¹⁸O isotope in Tarapacá samples, except for Pica 8. These results indicate diverse agricultural strategies that utilized different water sources including perennial flow in the Tarapacá River, ephemeral runoff at Guatacondo, and groundwater in the Pampa del Tamarugal. Also, due to the enrichment of δ¹⁸O, we suggest that the circular structures found among the fields were used as water reservoirs leading to the observed enrichment of δ¹⁸O isotope values. We discuss the role of ancient agriculture technology in water management, the role of maize, cultural strategies, and the relationships with their environment. In conclusion, pre-Hispanic farmers managed limited water sources successfully despite intermittent drought for hundreds of years until the 1970 s, when agriculture was abandoned due to multiple factors.

A large number of decorative sheet metals were unearthed from elite tombs of the Eastern Zhou period (770–221 BCE), especially in the Zeng state. However, the technological analysis and comparison between sheet metals unearthed from different states and regions in this context remain limited. In this paper, 16 samples of sheet metals excavated from the tomb of the Marquis of Zeng in Hubei province, dated to the middle Spring and Autumn period (664–559 BCE), were studied. Elemental analysis shows that these sheet metals are made of gold-copper, gold-silver, copper–gold and copper-tin alloys. It appeared that the craftsmen of the Zeng state had the knowledge to adjust the gold-copper alloy compositions to obtain different colours, creating the earliest rosy gold reported to date used in ancient China. The use of bronze sheets reflects a continuation of the Zhou cultural tradition in the Zeng state. Furthermore, a variety of bonding techniques were mastered by the craftsmen: the mixture of clay and some sorts of binding materials such as lacquer was used for bonding copper sheets and rosy gold sheets, while gold-mercury amalgam was used to bond multiple layers of rosy gold sheets. The appearance of these sheet metals on a large scale and the use of rosy gold as a new colour may reflect the aesthetic trends and cultural choices during the middle Spring and Autumn period.

Tree-ring chronologies around the Northern Hemisphere have revealed the formation of extremely narrow growth rings during the mid-sixth century due to drastic climate changes caused by two or more large volcanic eruptions in AD 536 and AD 539/540. We explored the influence of these climate changes on tree-ring growth and felling activity of Danish oak trees (Quercus sp.) between AD 300 and AD 800. In total, 654 wooden samples from archaeological excavations were used to create a solid tree-ring chronology on a national and regional level (eastern and western Denmark). Tree-ring data from The International Tree-Ring Data Bank were used for comparison of growth patterns. Furthermore, felling dates from all samples were pooled into ten-year intervals to reveal changes in felling activity over time; a factor which reflects human activity in relation to climate changes.

The national tree-ring chronology revealed a pronounced decrease in growth in AD 536 and AD 539 (33% and 53% growth reduction relative to the level of AD 535). Regionally, the same results were found for western Denmark, while trees from eastern Denmark showed the largest growth reduction in AD 540. Furthermore, tree-ring chronologies from four sample sites did not show a conspicuous growth decrease. This regional and local variation may be due to differences in soil characteristics between eastern and western Denmark and/or local differences in climate change impacts. Other tree-ring chronologies from the Northern Hemisphere showed growth reduction in AD 536 and the years between AD 539 and AD 543 indicating regional differences in growth and climate conditions as well.

A gradual decrease in felling activity was found from AD 430 and between AD 470 and AD 550 it was almost absent. The low amount dendrochronological material from the fifth century very likely affected our results and no effect of climate changes on felling activity i.e. changes in human activity could be linked to this event.

Strontium (Sr) isotope analyses were performed on a number of individual charred grains of barley recovered from two selected Norse middens (Ø35; Ø49) in southwestern Greenland. The two middens were chosen because remnants of barley had been found in them in a previous project. Here we investigate whether barley was grown locally by the Norse or whether it was imported from Europe. While the Sr isotope signatures in each of the middens are in themselves homogenous through their depth profiles, they are distinctly different in each of their location (site Ø35 with an average ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.70728 +/- 0.00058 (n = 5; 2σ).; site Ø49 with an average ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.70978 +/- 0.00018 (n = 5; 2σ)). These compositions likely represent the homogenized signatures impacted by foodstuffs, mainly bones of domestic animals, fish, whales and seals as major dietary constituents. There is an additional contribution of local bioavailable strontium from the immediate surroundings, as emphasized by the strontium isotope signatures of soil extracts, plants and surface waters that are different from seawater strontium. Strong hydrochloric acid leaching of the barley grains, despite removal of > 90 % of the labile strontium, only led to insignificant isotopic changes in the first residuals attacked by aqua regia. A second aqua regia attack however was successful in recovering systematically more radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signatures in both sites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.711 to 0.718) than those characterizing the respective midden signatures. At Ø49 these are compatible with the environmental soil extracts and plants, while at Ø35 the barley signatures resemble those recovered from site Ø49 and most likely imply local cultivation of barley in the nearby elevated terrains around the sites which are dominated by granitoid basement rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Ketilidian Province. Import of barley from Norway can however not be excluded as bioavailable strontium from some areas along the western coast and inner fjords has the same signature. Our results imply an effective adsorption of strontium from the midden onto the charred grains, making it difficult to fully extract the original strontium isotope biosignature of the barley.

The ¹⁴C dating of the middens show that they had been extensively disturbed and reworked during their period of use, making it impossible to establish a reliable chronological stratigraphy. However, overall, the dates indicate that Ø35 was established in the early 1000 s and operated for at least a couple of centuries. The midden at Ø49 was likely established in the mid-1000 s and operated at least until the mid-1200 s.