Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports最新文献

{"title":"Reconstructing health on the Danube limes: Evidence from eastern Austria","authors":"Sammuel Sammut","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104888","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104888","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Danube <em>Limes</em> functioned as a crucial border for the Roman Empire, which saw the establishment of numerous settlements along its length. The present study examines skeletal populations from three such sites located in modern day eastern Austria. It aims to identify differences in levels of physiological stress between the samples through the statistical analysis of the demographic and epidemiological profile of each site. In doing so, it demonstrates that the Albertina sample, associated with the Roman legionary fort of Vindobona, evidenced lower levels of survivorship and increased skeletal lesion prevalence and severity compared to the other sites included in this analysis. By contextualising these results with available historical and archaeological sources, this study suggests that the decreased levels of health observed within the Albertina sample may be attributable to an increase in urban density at Vindobona. Ultimately, through the results it achieves, this study provides further evidence to support the hypothesis that increasing levels of urban or population density may have resulted in detrimental impacts to ancient human populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104888"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ecomorphological analysis of bovid remains from the Plio-Pleistocene hominin-bearing deposit of Unit P at Kromdraai, South Africa","authors":"Recognise Sambo ,&nbsp;Raphaël Hanon ,&nbsp;Nompumelelo Maringa ,&nbsp;Christine Steininger ,&nbsp;Bernhard Zipfel ,&nbsp;José Braga ,&nbsp;Pierre Linchamps","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The site of Kromdraai is known for the first discovery of <em>Paranthropus robustus</em> remains. Research conducted at Kromdraai shows its rich fossiliferous deposits, geological complexity and potential to highlight the evolutionary history of Plio-Pleistocene hominin lineages in a dynamic and changing environment. Here, we provide the results of the first application of ecomorphology to bovid postcranial specimens from the newly excavated deposit of Kromdraai Unit P (KW-Unit P). Four anatomical elements of the bovid skeleton were measured and examined as they represent locomotion and substrate interaction: the astragalus and the proximal, intermediate and distal phalanges. Four discriminant function analyses (DFA) were conducted to determine each element’s ability to predict habitat affiliation accurately. This was done by comparing the morphologies of the fossil specimens to modern bovids found in broadly defined habitats (open, light cover, heavy cover, and forest). For the modern assemblage, the DFA cross-validation tests correctly returned classifications ranging from 58.8% to 72.0% in a four-habitat system for the four bone elements. Fossil results revealed that bovids from KW-Unit P had varied morphological adaptations to open and light cover habitats (91.7% combined) with few forest (4.7%) and heavy cover (2.3%) adaptations. This indicates that during the deposition of KW-Unit P, the environment was open with savanna grasslands, tall grasses and light bushes. Forest which is a continuous tree canopy and heavy cover environments represented by dense woodlands and bushes were also present to a lesser degree. Overall, KW-Unit P is characterized as a mosaic with more open and light cover habitats indicating open savanna and grasslands, a riparian forest, woodlands and bushes.These reconstructions are consistent with previous palaeoenvironmental interpretations for KW-Unit P and Kromdraai B (KB) as a whole. Since our results are not entirely limited to KW-Unit P, we, therefore, argue that <em>Paranthropus robustus</em> found at Kromdraai thrived in mosaic environmental settings around the time when open habitats were dominant.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104871"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142704303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Kaliska II hoard: Interconnections and metal trade between Pomerania and the Nordic zone during the North European Bronze Age","authors":"Grzegorz Szczurek ,&nbsp;Łukasz Kowalski ,&nbsp;Zofia Anna Stos-Gale ,&nbsp;Maciej Kaczmarek ,&nbsp;Roland Maas ,&nbsp;Jon Woodhead","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104877","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104877","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper discusses the results of a provenance study of nine phalerae from the recently discovered Kaliska II metal hoard, to examine the role of the Pomerania region (northern Poland) in metal exchange networks of the North European Bronze Age. We relate Pb isotope and chemical data, supported by archaeological and typological information, to patterns of metalwork movement and consumption in the region. Our results suggest the metal used in making the domes of the phalerae could be sourced from copper mines in Great Orme, Cornwall, the Italian Alps and South Tyrol. This suggests that the region of northern Poland was involved in a metal trading network that connected much of Europe in the 8th century BCE, providing further evidence for interconnections between Pomerania and the Nordic zone in the North European Bronze Age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104877"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142704302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paleodietary reconstruction of the past populations at Jiayi cemetery from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age in Turpan, Xinjiang, China","authors":"Yuze Sun ,&nbsp;Rongyu Fu ,&nbsp;Long Wang ,&nbsp;Liangliang Hou ,&nbsp;Quanchao Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104878","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104878","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Turpan Basin in Xinjiang, China, serves as a crucial nexus connecting the Eurasian continent. Reconstructing the dietary structure and economic livelihood of local ancestors from the Bronze Age to the Early Iron Age contributes to the elucidation of the historical processes of food globalization and cultural exchange between East and West. This study investigates the impact of prehistoric food globalization on the Xinjiang region, particularly the role and significance of millet and Triticeae crops in the local economy. To achieve this, 43 individuals aged over 14 from the Jiayi cemetery in the Turpan Basin were selected to elucidate their dietary sources and economic activities. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis results of the Jiayi individuals (<em>δ</em>¹³C: −15.8 ± 1.3 ‰; <em>δ</em>¹⁵N: 11.8 ± 0.7 ‰, n = 43) indicate that they predominantly consumed mixed C₃/C₄-based foods with a notable intake of animal protein. Specifically, adolescents consumed more C₄-based foods, while the dietary patterns of young adults and middle-aged adults were more similar. No significant differences were observed in the diets of individuals concerning sex or socioeconomic status. The diet of the Jiayi people likely included C₃ plants such as naked barley (<em>Hordeum vulgare</em> var. <em>coeleste</em>) and C₄ plants such as broomcorn millet, along with a significant proportion of animal products such as meat and dairy. The Jiayi cemetery provides evidence of the sustained impact of prehistoric food globalization on the local economic livelihood. Millet and Triticeae crops, which originated from both the East and the West, became crucial food sources for Xinjiang ancestors from the Bronze Age to the early Iron Age, enhancing and diversifying their economic endeavors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104878"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142704301","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optically dating of a Paleolithic site in coastal regions of South China and its correlation with the late Pleistocene environment evolution","authors":"Jianhui Jin ,&nbsp;Junjie Wei ,&nbsp;Zhiyong Ling ,&nbsp;Chenyang Hou ,&nbsp;Daiyu Xu ,&nbsp;Zhizhong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104887","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104887","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The coastal regions of South China are crucial for the emergence and migration of early Austronesian hominids to Taiwan Island and the Pacific islands, but most Paleolithic sites in this area remain unexplored wilderness areas without clear archaeological stratigraphy or formal excavation. The research on archaeological chronology faces challenges due to the absence of direct evidence for determining site ages; instead, it relies on indirect methods such as comparing lithology, knapping techniques, and other usage characteristics with regional stratigraphic ages based on recovered stone tools. This presents a challenge when studying prehistoric human-land relationships in the region. However, the Kuahaicun site located on coastal islands along the southeastern coast offers valuable materials for investigating activities of Paleolithic populations along both South China’s coast and its islands since the late Pleistocene period. This study employs a comprehensive investigation and sampling approach, utilizing optically stimulated luminescence dating to determine burial age. Furthermore, by integrating regional aeolian landform characteristics and trends in sea level changes, we examine the influence of geomorphic environmental evolution during the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic periods on ancient human migration and diffusion patterns. 1) The findings suggest that the stratigraphy primarily consists of sedimentary layers dating back to 25–10 ka, representing the transition from Late Paleolithic to Early Neolithic. The luminescence sensitivity of quartz grains indicates diverse sediment sources in this area, including aeolian deposits with efficient long-distance transportation due to thorough and repeated bleaching, as well as alluvium and colluvium deposits with limited bleaching. 2) By comparing the developmental process of coastal aeolian sand with regional sea level changes, it becomes evident that the main period of Austronesian ancestor activity in South China, as evidenced by this site, significantly aligns with a crucial phase of aeolian deposition. Moreover, this correlation coincides with three low sea level phases during the late Pleistocene Fujian marine transgression. 3) Commencing from the Middle Paleolithic period onwards, Austronesian ancestors gradually migrated downstream along the Minjiang River and Jiulong River towards their respective estuaries. The presence of a transient land bridge during the Late Pleistocene Fujian marine transgression (18–15 ka) potentially facilitated the migratory movements and territorial expansions of ancient populations along China’s southern coastline, enabling their transition from mainland coastal regions to nearby islands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104887"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring use-wear striations on quartz. First results from an ongoing study","authors":"Jon Lundin ,&nbsp;Sebastian Boström ,&nbsp;Rolf Sundberg","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104873","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104873","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inspired by earlier observations of use-wear on quartz, a pilot study has been undertaken, in which characteristics of microscopic striations have been linked to the properties of contact materials. Through a series of experiments, un-hafted and un-modified quartz flakes were used to cut different raw materials. Striations produced in the experiments were then studied via microscope using a high powered method. By comparing striations between the different experimental flakes, effects of the worked material could be observed. The results were then further tested by studying the collected joint length and width data through a statistical analysis. This analysis indicates how such data may distinguish different worked materials, and in particular are related to the relative hardness of the material. Though the role of environmental variation is not yet fully realized, the study has made evident that length and width of the use-wear striations should be considered important as they together have the potential to distinguish between different contact materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104873"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703208","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On the border, across empires: A diachronic study of health, stress, and diet in Roman and Early Byzantine period individuals from Oymaağaç, Turkiye","authors":"Kathryn E. Marklein ,&nbsp;Sara M. Deurell","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104866","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104866","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rise and fall of empires throughout history oftentimes are reconstructed through the lens of geopolitically central nations and peoples. While these narratives are crucial to understanding historical transitions and transformations, they create a monolithic depiction of otherwise variegated and heterogeneous peoples and experiences. The decline of the Roman Empire remains a focus for scholars across disciplines, yet despite the growing corpus of archaeological research into post-Roman populations within the Western provinces, the transition of the Eastern Roman Empire into the Byzantine Empire is underexamined in material culture and physical remains. In addition to political transitions, Early Byzantine populations were also subjected to epidemic conditions and climatic changes that impacted urban and rural economy and health. In this study, age-at-death distributions, dietary proxies, and markers of physiological stress were compared between Roman (2nd-4th c. CE) (MNI = 206) and Byzantine period (7th-9th c. CE) (MNI = 71) adult individuals at Oymaağaç Höyük (northern Turkiye). This diachronic comparison of age demographics and disease rates provides information about a rural community’s response to a “post-Roman” world and the potential impacts this had on quality of life and longevity. While no differences in age-at-death were observed between periods, higher rates of some dentoalveolar lesions and lower rates of antemortem fracture and joint disease relative to the Roman period individuals show how the Byzantine community adapted to and transformed within broader political, economic, and climate changes in Anatolia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104866"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703206","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Life cycles of Early and Late Neolithic pottery in the Central Balkans: Use and secondary use vs. typology","authors":"Marija Svilar ,&nbsp;Jasna Vuković","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104865","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104865","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Central Balkans, the Early Neolithic is characterized by the Starčevo culture, which emerged around 6200 BC. The subsequent Vinča culture followed around 5300 BC and persisted until 4600/4500 BC, marking the transition into the Late Neolithic. Over recent decades, a large number of Early and Late Neolithic sites have been excavated, yielding extensive collections of pottery that have been repeatedly examined through various theoretical perspectives and methodological approaches. This paper highlights the results of a focused evaluation of pottery from several key Neolithic sites in the region, prioritizing a life-cycle analysis of ceramic vessels and offering detailed insights into the various stages of their biographies, particularly their use, reuse, and recycling practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104865"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142703207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ancient mobility in northern Jordan during the Roman and Byzantine periods using stable strontium isotope analysis of human dental enamel","authors":"Abdulla Al-Shorman ,&nbsp;Megan Perry ,&nbsp;Drew Coleman","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104879","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104879","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The 700-year stretch from the 1st century BCE until the 6th century CE marks the period of greatest population density in northern Jordan. This agriculturally fertile region contains a number of small villages likely interconnected with each other and with the larger Roman and Byzantine population centers of Jerash (Gerasa), Umm Qais (Gadara), Quailbeh (Abila), and Tabaqat Fahl (Pella). The human mobility within these villages was explored using ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values in human dental enamel, which mirrors the origin of ingested food during childhood and thus the geological region where individuals spent their early years. Thirty-four human dental enamel samples from the archaeological sites of Natfieh, Sa’ad, Ya’amun, and Yasieleh were analyzed isotopically to identify immigration into the region as a potential source of increased population density. The results indicate that the individuals within each site received varied inputs from different geological regions during childhood, either through spending their early years in a separate location, or temporal or inter-individual shifts in the location of dietary resource acquisition. The results seem to demonstrate exceptional regional continuity and resilience even through the climate crisis of the Late Byzantine period, likely due to flexibility concerning dietary resources and economic exchange. However, the lack of clear patterns of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variation in the region may limit larger interpretations of these data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104879"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between biological kinship and lifestyle in the Hellenistic-early Roman community of Menainon, Sicily","authors":"Antonio Caruso,&nbsp;Efthymia Nikita","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104870","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Greco-Roman society, the household (<em>oikos</em> or <em>domus</em>) was the central socio-economic unit, and its members were likely to have shared the same space, similar food and economic activities. Given the importance of biological kinship as a factor determining household membership, this paper explores the extent to which individuals from Hellenistic-early Roman Menainon (Sicily) who were likely biological relatives also shared a similar lifestyle (e.g., diet, mechanical and physiological stress). Biodistances (pairwise Gower coefficients) were used as a proxy for biological kinship and were estimated using dental metric and nonmetric traits on a sample of 98 individuals. The results did not support our initial hypothesis that individuals biologically related shared a similar lifestyle. Instead, a very limited association was found between biodistances and other skeletal markers, but also between biodistances and the spatial arrangement of the cemetery. This is not an unexpected finding since biological kinship was only one of the many factors determining household membership in the Greco-Roman world. Moreover, it is clear from historical sources that household members may have shared several daily experiences but they also held distinct roles, which would affect their dietary patterns, physiological and mechanical stress levels. Finally, Menainon was a rural settlement, where community members likely shared comparable burdens on an everyday basis, as also attested by previous bioarchaeological studies. Future analyses need to incorporate currently unavailable aspects of the material culture from the cemetery in conjunction with the skeletal evidence in order to explore kinship from a biosocial perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"61 ","pages":"Article 104870"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142658723","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}