Pub Date : 2024-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106108
Xintian Zhang, Yazheng Wang, Yifan Liang, Quanyu Wang
Although ceramic piece-mould casting was the dominant metalworking technique in the Chinese Bronze Age (c. 2100-221 BCE), the forging technique was also employed by craftsmen to pursue lightweight bronzes with thin walls and high hardness. However, compared to the ceramic piece-mould casting technique, research on forging technology is relatively limited. In this research, 48 sheet metal fragments of Chinese bronzes from different regions and periods (from the Zhou to Han dynasties) across China were analyzed by metallography, SEM-EDS, and hardness testing. The results show that craftsmen had a profound understanding of copper alloy properties and were able to produce thin-walled, functional artifacts by forging cast blanks with appropriate alloy compositions. With the development of forging technology and political changes, the types of forged thin-walled bronzes became more diverse, and their consumers expanded from the elite to civilians. This study not only reveals the material characterization of forged bronzes, but also elucidates the historical trajectories of forging technology and the multifaceted interplay between cultural influence, aesthetic pursuits and technological advancement in the development of forging techniques in ancient China.
{"title":"Material characterization of forged bronzes from ancient China (c. 11th-2nd century BCE) reveals development of the non-mainstream metalworking technique in Chinese bronze production","authors":"Xintian Zhang, Yazheng Wang, Yifan Liang, Quanyu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although ceramic piece-mould casting was the dominant metalworking technique in the Chinese Bronze Age (c. 2100-221 BCE), the forging technique was also employed by craftsmen to pursue lightweight bronzes with thin walls and high hardness. However, compared to the ceramic piece-mould casting technique, research on forging technology is relatively limited. In this research, 48 sheet metal fragments of Chinese bronzes from different regions and periods (from the Zhou to Han dynasties) across China were analyzed by metallography, SEM-EDS, and hardness testing. The results show that craftsmen had a profound understanding of copper alloy properties and were able to produce thin-walled, functional artifacts by forging cast blanks with appropriate alloy compositions. With the development of forging technology and political changes, the types of forged thin-walled bronzes became more diverse, and their consumers expanded from the elite to civilians. This study not only reveals the material characterization of forged bronzes, but also elucidates the historical trajectories of forging technology and the multifaceted interplay between cultural influence, aesthetic pursuits and technological advancement in the development of forging techniques in ancient China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106108"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142586066","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-31DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106107
Yafit Kedar , Gil Kedar , Seiji Kadowaki , Ran Barkai
Paleolithic rock shelters often include several hearths located in different parts of the site. In this paper, we analyze relevant data from Middle Paleolithic Tor Faraj rock shelter as a case study of smoke density in correlation with hearth location and functionality. Since one of the major negative fire products is smoke, which has an immediate effect on human health, we used computer simulations to analyze the effect of various parallel hypothetical hearth configurations on smoke density in the shelter, as categorized by the average smoke exposure recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The simulations enable us to investigate various hearth activation possibilities affecting smoke density in all the site areas, thus enhancing the understanding of hearth location and functionality in Paleolithic rock shelter sites. The results correspond with ethnographic studies of sites where hearths for sleeping are located at the back wall of the shelter and explain, for the first time, the reason for this placement. The number of parallel active hearths was found to be limited by smoke density factors, despite the ventilation afforded by the rock shelter's high, wide opening, which also left it vulnerable to the effects of wind. The distance between the hearths also influenced smoke density, especially between the drip line up to the rock shelter center. Thus, these areas were probably more suitable for short-duration activities such as cooking. We further concluded that the hearths at Tor Faraj were most probably activated at the time of need and not necessarily simultaneously. By correlating wind statistics from the Meteoblue website with our smoke density simulation results, we could deduce that intensive occupations at Tor Faraj in the middle of winter (January) would have been problematic due to wind affecting smoke dispersal at the site.
旧石器时代的岩石掩蔽所通常包括位于遗址不同位置的多个炉灶。在本文中，我们分析了旧石器时代中期 Tor Faraj 岩石避难所的相关数据，以此作为烟雾密度与炉膛位置和功能相关性的案例研究。由于烟雾是火灾的主要负面产物之一，会对人类健康产生直接影响，我们利用计算机模拟分析了各种平行的假设炉膛配置对避难所烟雾密度的影响，并根据世界卫生组织（WHO）和美国环境保护局（EPA）提出的平均烟雾暴露建议进行了分类。通过模拟，我们可以研究影响所有遗址区域烟雾密度的各种炉灶启动可能性，从而加深对旧石器时代岩洞遗址中炉灶位置和功能的理解。研究结果与人种学研究中睡眠炉位于避难所后墙的遗址相符，并首次解释了这种布置的原因。研究发现，尽管岩洞高而宽的洞口提供了通风条件，但平行活动炉灶的数量受到烟密度因素的限制，这也使其容易受到风的影响。炉膛之间的距离也会影响烟密度，尤其是滴水线到岩洞中心之间的距离。因此，这些区域可能更适合烹饪等短时间活动。我们进一步得出结论，托尔-法拉杰的炉灶很可能是在需要时才启动的，而不一定是同时启动的。通过将 Meteoblue 网站的风力统计数据与我们的烟雾密度模拟结果联系起来，我们可以推断出，由于风力会影响遗址的烟雾扩散，因此在隆冬季节（1 月）在 Tor Faraj 进行密集活动会很成问题。
{"title":"Hearth management at a middle Paleolithic rock shelter site: Smoke density analysis at Tor Faraj, Jordan","authors":"Yafit Kedar , Gil Kedar , Seiji Kadowaki , Ran Barkai","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106107","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106107","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Paleolithic rock shelters often include several hearths located in different parts of the site. In this paper, we analyze relevant data from Middle Paleolithic Tor Faraj rock shelter as a case study of smoke density in correlation with hearth location and functionality. Since one of the major negative fire products is smoke, which has an immediate effect on human health, we used computer simulations to analyze the effect of various parallel hypothetical hearth configurations on smoke density in the shelter, as categorized by the average smoke exposure recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The simulations enable us to investigate various hearth activation possibilities affecting smoke density in all the site areas, thus enhancing the understanding of hearth location and functionality in Paleolithic rock shelter sites. The results correspond with ethnographic studies of sites where hearths for sleeping are located at the back wall of the shelter and explain, for the first time, the reason for this placement. The number of parallel active hearths was found to be limited by smoke density factors, despite the ventilation afforded by the rock shelter's high, wide opening, which also left it vulnerable to the effects of wind. The distance between the hearths also influenced smoke density, especially between the drip line up to the rock shelter center. Thus, these areas were probably more suitable for short-duration activities such as cooking. We further concluded that the hearths at Tor Faraj were most probably activated at the time of need and not necessarily simultaneously. By correlating wind statistics from the Meteoblue website with our smoke density simulation results, we could deduce that intensive occupations at Tor Faraj in the middle of winter (January) would have been problematic due to wind affecting smoke dispersal at the site.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106107"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142561466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106103
Melinda A. Zeder
Sex-specific demographic profiles of archaeological animal bone assemblages are key to being able to reconstruct the varied strategies used by ancient hunters and herders to harvest animals from both wild and managed herds. Nearly 25 years ago Zeder developed a method for constructing these profiles based on the study of a large collection of modern wild and domestic caprines that combined metric data and a refined system for determining age of death of archaeological caprine bones (Zeder, 2001, 2006a, 2008; Zeder and Hesse, 2000). The utility of this method was limited, however, by its reliance on individual dimensions from single elements, subjecting the method to sample size limitations. This paper presents a new method for constructing demographic profiles for assemblages of goat remains from archaeological sites drawing on a method developed by Zeder and Lemoine for Sus scrofa (Zeder and Lemoine, 2020a). The method uses normalized metric data following the Logarithm Size Index (LSI) scaling technique designed to address sample size issues. LSI values of post-crania metric data are shown to reflect the strong sexual dimorphism in body size in modern wild goats which is evident in the post-crania of animals over one year of age. Once adjusted for regional body size differences, as well as differences in the scaling of different post-cranial elements, the mid-point of the range of LSI values is shown to be a reliable and highly accurate way of distinguishing between the elements of females and males and for constructing sex-specific age profiles based on these identifications. This method is applied to metric data of goat assemblages from four archaeological sites in the Zagros — two representing hunted animals (Yafteh Cave and Asiab) and two representing early managed herds (Ganj Dareh and Ali Kosh). The paper concludes by offering recommendations, and caveats, for the use of this method in building sex-specific demographic profiles of ancient goat assemblages.
{"title":"A method for constructing demographic profiles of Capra aegagrus/C. hircus using logarithm size index scaling","authors":"Melinda A. Zeder","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106103","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106103","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sex-specific demographic profiles of archaeological animal bone assemblages are key to being able to reconstruct the varied strategies used by ancient hunters and herders to harvest animals from both wild and managed herds. Nearly 25 years ago Zeder developed a method for constructing these profiles based on the study of a large collection of modern wild and domestic caprines that combined metric data and a refined system for determining age of death of archaeological caprine bones (Zeder, 2001, 2006a, 2008; Zeder and Hesse, 2000). The utility of this method was limited, however, by its reliance on individual dimensions from single elements, subjecting the method to sample size limitations. This paper presents a new method for constructing demographic profiles for assemblages of goat remains from archaeological sites drawing on a method developed by Zeder and Lemoine for <em>Sus</em> scrofa (Zeder and Lemoine, 2020a). The method uses normalized metric data following the Logarithm Size Index (LSI) scaling technique designed to address sample size issues. LSI values of post-crania metric data are shown to reflect the strong sexual dimorphism in body size in modern wild goats which is evident in the post-crania of animals over one year of age. Once adjusted for regional body size differences, as well as differences in the scaling of different post-cranial elements, the mid-point of the range of LSI values is shown to be a reliable and highly accurate way of distinguishing between the elements of females and males and for constructing sex-specific age profiles based on these identifications. This method is applied to metric data of goat assemblages from four archaeological sites in the Zagros — two representing hunted animals (Yafteh Cave and Asiab) and two representing early managed herds (Ganj Dareh and Ali Kosh). The paper concludes by offering recommendations, and caveats, for the use of this method in building sex-specific demographic profiles of ancient goat assemblages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106103"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106105
SE Jones , P Gleeson , O. López-Costas , A Martínez-Cortizas , T Mighall , G Noble
Lagore, Co. Meath, has long been a type-site for artificial lake dwellings known as crannogs since excavation in the 1930s by the Harvard Expedition. Renowned for rich finds and documented as the seat of the kings of Southern Brega (8th and 10th centuries AD), alongside the high-status and royal functions of the site, it is now widely recognised that Lagore had a long history of activity stretching back into later prehistory with evidence of deposition of human and animal remains, and metalwork of the Bronze and Iron Ages, and early medieval period. Nonetheless, a poor stratigraphic and archival record has engendered much debate about the timings and tempos of its origins, and the longer-term settlement history of the lough. This paper utilises multi-proxy analysis (Palynology, Geochemistry, Loss-on-Ignition (LOI), Colour, Fourier-transform-infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR) and Attenuated-total-reflectance (ATR)) to provide a deeper chronological understanding of land-use and occupation at Lagore. The most significant findings include the likelihood of local settlement (strong farming and parasite signals) well before the main phases of crannog construction, from at least ∼470 BC; a significant lull in population during the early-mid 5th century AD; a gradual economic recovery from ∼AD 555–620, which coincides with the main phase of crannog construction (based on geochemical and other lithological results); and a slightly later transition into a Royal residence from AD 620, marked by both intensification and diversification of agriculture (wheat/oats, rye, flax and cannabis) and a potential ironworking signal.
{"title":"Life, death and environment at Lagore Crannog: Parasites, land-use and a royal residence in later prehistoric and early medieval Ireland","authors":"SE Jones , P Gleeson , O. López-Costas , A Martínez-Cortizas , T Mighall , G Noble","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lagore, Co. Meath, has long been a type-site for artificial lake dwellings known as crannogs since excavation in the 1930s by the Harvard Expedition. Renowned for rich finds and documented as the seat of the kings of Southern Brega (8th and 10th centuries AD), alongside the high-status and royal functions of the site, it is now widely recognised that Lagore had a long history of activity stretching back into later prehistory with evidence of deposition of human and animal remains, and metalwork of the Bronze and Iron Ages, and early medieval period. Nonetheless, a poor stratigraphic and archival record has engendered much debate about the timings and tempos of its origins, and the longer-term settlement history of the lough. This paper utilises multi-proxy analysis (Palynology, Geochemistry, Loss-on-Ignition (LOI), Colour, Fourier-transform-infrared-spectroscopy (FTIR) and Attenuated-total-reflectance (ATR)) to provide a deeper chronological understanding of land-use and occupation at Lagore. The most significant findings include the likelihood of local settlement (strong farming and parasite signals) well before the main phases of crannog construction, from at least ∼470 BC; a significant lull in population during the early-mid 5th century AD; a gradual economic recovery from ∼AD 555–620, which coincides with the main phase of crannog construction (based on geochemical and other lithological results); and a slightly later transition into a Royal residence from AD 620, marked by both intensification and diversification of agriculture (wheat/oats, rye, flax and cannabis) and a potential ironworking signal.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554197","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-25DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106104
Wim Van Neer , Bea De Cupere , Renée Friedman
Archaeozoological evidence for the modification of sheep horns during Egypt's Predynastic period was uncovered at Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt. At HK6, the site's so-called elite cemetery, a grave, which was part of a larger mortuary complex dated to around 3700 BC, contained at least 6 large, castrated male sheep. One individual was polled, while four others were of the corkscrew-horn type, but their horns were not oriented in the natural, lateral direction. Instead, the horns had been intentionally manipulated to grow upwards and in three cases this resulted in upright, parallel horns. While comparable practices are well documented in Africa in cattle through both modern ethnographic observations and archaeozoological studies of material from third millennium BC Nubia (in Kerma, Sudan), the Hierakonpolis sheep provide the oldest evidence for horn modification of livestock, and the first demonstration of the practice applied to sheep. When describing the skulls particular attention is paid to the pathological traces and deformities, i.e. constrictions on the horn cores, holes at the horn core bases, and deformations of the frontals. In order to assess the possible methods used in Predynastic Hierakonpolis to redirect the horns, these observations are compared with ethnographic and archaeozoological data from the literature. Finally, the possible reasons why these sheep were modified are also discussed. This study indicates that Predynastic Egyptians were already familiar with horn modelling techniques and confirms that this practice has a long history in the Nile Valley.
{"title":"The earliest evidence for deformation of livestock horns: The case of Predynastic sheep from Hierakonpolis, Egypt","authors":"Wim Van Neer , Bea De Cupere , Renée Friedman","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Archaeozoological evidence for the modification of sheep horns during Egypt's Predynastic period was uncovered at Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt. At HK6, the site's so-called elite cemetery, a grave, which was part of a larger mortuary complex dated to around 3700 BC, contained at least 6 large, castrated male sheep. One individual was polled, while four others were of the corkscrew-horn type, but their horns were not oriented in the natural, lateral direction. Instead, the horns had been intentionally manipulated to grow upwards and in three cases this resulted in upright, parallel horns. While comparable practices are well documented in Africa in cattle through both modern ethnographic observations and archaeozoological studies of material from third millennium BC Nubia (in Kerma, Sudan), the Hierakonpolis sheep provide the oldest evidence for horn modification of livestock, and the first demonstration of the practice applied to sheep. When describing the skulls particular attention is paid to the pathological traces and deformities, i.e. constrictions on the horn cores, holes at the horn core bases, and deformations of the frontals. In order to assess the possible methods used in Predynastic Hierakonpolis to redirect the horns, these observations are compared with ethnographic and archaeozoological data from the literature. Finally, the possible reasons why these sheep were modified are also discussed. This study indicates that Predynastic Egyptians were already familiar with horn modelling techniques and confirms that this practice has a long history in the Nile Valley.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106104"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106094
J. Ryan Kennedy , Thomas C.A. Royle , Luke S. Jackman , Cathy Ngọc Hân Tran , Dongya Y. Yang
{"title":"Zooarchaeological and ancient DNA identification of a non-local gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA","authors":"J. Ryan Kennedy , Thomas C.A. Royle , Luke S. Jackman , Cathy Ngọc Hân Tran , Dongya Y. Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106094","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106094","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106094"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142527211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-22DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106102
M. Buckley , F. Pigière , M. Pal Chowdhury , A.C. Kitchener , J. Smyth
Although proteomic techniques have been increasingly used to improve our understanding of the human past, few have focussed on the study of tooth enamel for sexing in archaeofaunal remains, despite initial studies over a decade ago investigating human teeth. Here we explore the use of LC-orbitrap-MS/MS for identifying the sex of archaeological domestic cattle remains from the Neolithic enclosure at Kilshane, Ireland (c. 3600 cal. BC), in addition to modern reference materials. Although several individuals could be confidently identified as male, and some less confidently as female, there were also some inconsistencies with predictions based on morphology, albeit such estimations based largely on size. Through comparison with osteometric analyses, the proteomic analyses estimated 14 consistent identifications and six discrepancies, with one of the two speculative males confirmed through the use of proteomics. The male/female proportions for the osteometric analysis based on the metacarpals, the most sexually dimorphic skeletal element, showed that slightly over 50% of the bones were from females and slightly under 50% from males, whereas in the case of proteomics, depending on what level of caution we place on biomarker usage, this is much lower for the identification of males, ranging from 12.5 to 46% (3–11 specimens of 24 successful proteome samples with estimated sex based on their molars). Unexpectedly, our results show evidence of clear differences between modern reference materials and archaeological materials, likely reflecting preservation biases relating to the protein sequences.
{"title":"Proteomic sexing of archaeological cattle remains at Neolithic Kilshane","authors":"M. Buckley , F. Pigière , M. Pal Chowdhury , A.C. Kitchener , J. Smyth","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106102","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106102","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although proteomic techniques have been increasingly used to improve our understanding of the human past, few have focussed on the study of tooth enamel for sexing in archaeofaunal remains, despite initial studies over a decade ago investigating human teeth. Here we explore the use of LC-orbitrap-MS/MS for identifying the sex of archaeological domestic cattle remains from the Neolithic enclosure at Kilshane, Ireland (c. 3600 cal. BC), in addition to modern reference materials. Although several individuals could be confidently identified as male, and some less confidently as female, there were also some inconsistencies with predictions based on morphology, albeit such estimations based largely on size. Through comparison with osteometric analyses, the proteomic analyses estimated 14 consistent identifications and six discrepancies, with one of the two speculative males confirmed through the use of proteomics. The male/female proportions for the osteometric analysis based on the metacarpals, the most sexually dimorphic skeletal element, showed that slightly over 50% of the bones were from females and slightly under 50% from males, whereas in the case of proteomics, depending on what level of caution we place on biomarker usage, this is much lower for the identification of males, ranging from 12.5 to 46% (3–11 specimens of 24 successful proteome samples with estimated sex based on their molars). Unexpectedly, our results show evidence of clear differences between modern reference materials and archaeological materials, likely reflecting preservation biases relating to the protein sequences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106102"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142527209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-21DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106091
Nicole Leoni Sherwood , Tim Forssman
Ostrich eggshell beads (OES) are commonly found in forager sites across sub-Saharan Africa. Although they have received a reasonable amount of investigation, the drilling technology used to perforate OES beads has received little attention. As a result, not much is known about this technology. Providing a basic tool form for these drills could be useful for future researchers to identify such tools in assemblages, or to prompt revisiting older assemblages to identify these types of tools, which might have been overlooked or misidentified. This study made use of experimentation and use-wear to determine the types and shapes of materials most effective for perforating OES. It was determined that early foragers most likely used micro-lithic drills made from small, but thick, flake blanks that were retouched along the laterals to create a near symmetrical point with a tetrahedral tip. At Little Muck Shelter the base of the flake was also shaped to resemble a tang that likely aided hafting. This tool form can act as a basis to help researchers identify similar technology which can be studied and help broaden our understanding of the complexity of forager technology.
{"title":"Ostrich eggshell beads: Hole drilling technology at Little Muck Shelter, South Africa","authors":"Nicole Leoni Sherwood , Tim Forssman","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106091","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106091","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ostrich eggshell beads (OES) are commonly found in forager sites across sub-Saharan Africa. Although they have received a reasonable amount of investigation, the drilling technology used to perforate OES beads has received little attention. As a result, not much is known about this technology. Providing a basic tool form for these drills could be useful for future researchers to identify such tools in assemblages, or to prompt revisiting older assemblages to identify these types of tools, which might have been overlooked or misidentified. This study made use of experimentation and use-wear to determine the types and shapes of materials most effective for perforating OES. It was determined that early foragers most likely used micro-lithic drills made from small, but thick, flake blanks that were retouched along the laterals to create a near symmetrical point with a tetrahedral tip. At Little Muck Shelter the base of the flake was also shaped to resemble a tang that likely aided hafting. This tool form can act as a basis to help researchers identify similar technology which can be studied and help broaden our understanding of the complexity of forager technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 106091"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142527210","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-19DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106093
Jack Longman , Daniel Veres , Vasile Ersek , Calin G. Tamas , Aritina Haliuc , Eniko Magyari , Florin Gogaltan , Sampson Panajiotidis , Maria Papadopoulou
Central-eastern to southeastern Europe, from Bohemia to Greece is home to some of the richest ore deposits on earth, with archaeological evidence suggesting a long history of metal use. However, the exact timing and extent of past metal processing activities remains unclear. The Middle Ages and Early Modern period (c. 500–1800 common era (CE)) in Europe, saw the expansion of metal use at an unprecedented scale, continent-wide. Here we analysed rates of past atmospheric lead (Pb) deposition in six peat bogs from Romania, Serbia and Greece. We show that after 1000 CE, the redevelopment of central European mining industry was synchronous with Pb pollution in southeastern Europe, with the onset of metal pollution occurring in the area prior to central Europe. Therefore, southeastern Europe may have led regional mining developments, with technological advances rapidly shifting from east to west through the Middle Ages. This indicates how southeastern Europe should be included in future discussions of Middle Age metallurgy not simply as a contributor, but at times as a leader in metal production.
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Pub Date : 2024-10-16DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2024.106090
A.J. Williams , A. Mesoudi
The emergence of social complexity in human societies is a long-debated topic in archaeology, with competing hypotheses proposed and argued for using archaeological evidence. However, formal testing of these hypotheses is generally lacking. Here, we present and analyse an agent-based model to test the effect of environmental, resource, and social barriers to population movement – collectively known as ‘circumscription’ – on the rate of hierarchy formation. The results show that social circumscription is the largest driver of social complexity by increasing proximity between settlements. Environmental and resource circumscription can negatively impact the emergence of social complexity when the conditions separate the population spatially but can amplify social complexity when the conditions increase proximity between settlements. In providing a detailed test of the assumptions and predictions of circumscription theory, our abstract model provides insight into the conditions that are most likely to result in the emergence of social complexity in the real world.
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