Pub Date : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106188
Hans Huisman , Hans Peeters , Jan-Willem de Kort , Jap Smits
Crombé and Langohr (2025) criticize our interpretation (Huisman et al., 2024) that morphological and micromorphological differences between modern ant nest remains and Mesolithic “pit hearth“ features support an anthropogenic origin of the latter. In this response to the main points of their response, we argue that podzols were present during the Mesolithic and could be humus-cemented. Furthermore, the lack of tunnelling features in Mesolithic hearth features cannot be explained by archaeologists not digging deep enough, as such tunnels also extend laterally from an ant nest. The biological features observed in the Doel excavations do not match the morphology of ant tunnels. Moreover, the charred material we observed in a burnt nest does not match that of Mesolithic hearth features. We agree that further research on ant nests as well as on the Mesolithic features would strengthen our case, but this is difficult because of ethical and practical considerations.
{"title":"Reply to “Burnt ant nests and their parallels with Mesolithic charcoal-rich pits: A comment on Huisman et al. (2024)” By Philippe Crombé and Roger Langohr","authors":"Hans Huisman , Hans Peeters , Jan-Willem de Kort , Jap Smits","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106188","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106188","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Crombé and Langohr (2025) criticize our interpretation (Huisman et al., 2024) that morphological and micromorphological differences between modern ant nest remains and Mesolithic “pit hearth“ features support an anthropogenic origin of the latter. In this response to the main points of their response, we argue that podzols were present during the Mesolithic and could be humus-cemented. Furthermore, the lack of tunnelling features in Mesolithic hearth features cannot be explained by archaeologists not digging deep enough, as such tunnels also extend laterally from an ant nest. The biological features observed in the Doel excavations do not match the morphology of ant tunnels. Moreover, the charred material we observed in a burnt nest does not match that of Mesolithic hearth features. We agree that further research on ant nests as well as on the Mesolithic features would strengthen our case, but this is difficult because of ethical and practical considerations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106188"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143550891","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 : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106180
Wuyang Shui , Guangmao Xie , Letian He , Qiang Lin , Minghui Yu , Jieying Lu , Mingquan Zhou , Xiujie Wu
An almost complete human cranium, alongside a partial mandible dating to approximately 16,000 BP, was discovered in the Yahuai (YH) Cave in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. The estimation of facial appearance has captivated both the academic community and the general public, potentially influencing perceptions of the characteristics and evolutionary history of Homo sapiens. The aim of this research was to explore a computerized method integrating geometric morphometrics and three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics to: 1) examine the morphological variations of the YH skull in comparison to contemporary humans; 2) estimate 3D facial appearance using various facial soft tissue thickness depths and the facial morphology of contemporary humans; and 3) capture morphological variations in the approximated face to provide insights into the facial traits of the Late Pleistocene individual. The results indicate that the YH skull is relatively distinct from contemporary human skulls, and this is reflected in morphological dissimilarities in the approximated face. We discuss the methods involved in computerized facial approximation, which has the potential to contribute to estimating the facial appearances of other Late Pleistocene human skulls.
{"title":"Facial approximation of a Late Pleistocene human fossil in the Yahuai Cave, southern China","authors":"Wuyang Shui , Guangmao Xie , Letian He , Qiang Lin , Minghui Yu , Jieying Lu , Mingquan Zhou , Xiujie Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106180","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106180","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An almost complete human cranium, alongside a partial mandible dating to approximately 16,000 BP, was discovered in the Yahuai (YH) Cave in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. The estimation of facial appearance has captivated both the academic community and the general public, potentially influencing perceptions of the characteristics and evolutionary history of <em>Homo sapiens</em>. The aim of this research was to explore a computerized method integrating geometric morphometrics and three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics to: 1) examine the morphological variations of the YH skull in comparison to contemporary humans; 2) estimate 3D facial appearance using various facial soft tissue thickness depths and the facial morphology of contemporary humans; and 3) capture morphological variations in the approximated face to provide insights into the facial traits of the Late Pleistocene individual. The results indicate that the YH skull is relatively distinct from contemporary human skulls, and this is reflected in morphological dissimilarities in the approximated face. We discuss the methods involved in computerized facial approximation, which has the potential to contribute to estimating the facial appearances of other Late Pleistocene human skulls.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106180"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509012","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 : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106189
Olga Spaey , Martin Arriolabengoa , Iñaki Intxaurbe , Sergio Salazar , Antonio Torres , Aritz Irurtzun , Diego Garate
We propose a comprehensive approach for the reconstruction of the prehistoric state of El Castillo Cave (Puente Viesgo, Cantabria) that allows a precise spatial analysis of the distribution of its parietal motifs.
The cave has undergone numerous changes over time due to both geological and anthropic processes, which have altered its original appearance. In the aim of understanding how Palaeolithic societies used the space for creating rock art, we combined the study of historical archival data of different types with modern scanning and 3D modelling techniques.
We began carrying out field data recollection, as well as archival research, including historical photographs, maps, excavation records and written and oral sources, supplemented by geomorphological analyses to assess natural and anthropic alterations of the cavity. In a second phase, using a 3D modelling software, we developed a three-dimensional model where we virtually removed modern modifications (e.g., staircases and lighting) and restored ancient soil levels, to reconstruct the cave as it likely appeared during the Upper Palaeolithic period. This work served as a basis for spatial analyses of the hand stencil motifs through Geographic Information Systems. This approach provides promising results in terms of interpretation of different types of space by suggesting they are a motif particularly easily accessible for a large viewership, therefore bringing us closer to the apprehension of prehistoric human behaviour and symbolic practices.
{"title":"From archival historiography to 3D modelling: An accurate reconstruction of the Palaeolithic landscape in El Castillo Cave to explore the spatial dynamics of hand stencil dispersion","authors":"Olga Spaey , Martin Arriolabengoa , Iñaki Intxaurbe , Sergio Salazar , Antonio Torres , Aritz Irurtzun , Diego Garate","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106189","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106189","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We propose a comprehensive approach for the reconstruction of the prehistoric state of El Castillo Cave (Puente Viesgo, Cantabria) that allows a precise spatial analysis of the distribution of its parietal motifs.</div><div>The cave has undergone numerous changes over time due to both geological and anthropic processes, which have altered its original appearance. In the aim of understanding how Palaeolithic societies used the space for creating rock art, we combined the study of historical archival data of different types with modern scanning and 3D modelling techniques.</div><div>We began carrying out field data recollection, as well as archival research, including historical photographs, maps, excavation records and written and oral sources, supplemented by geomorphological analyses to assess natural and anthropic alterations of the cavity. In a second phase, using a 3D modelling software, we developed a three-dimensional model where we virtually removed modern modifications (e.g., staircases and lighting) and restored ancient soil levels, to reconstruct the cave as it likely appeared during the Upper Palaeolithic period. This work served as a basis for spatial analyses of the hand stencil motifs through <em>Geographic Information Systems</em>. This approach provides promising results in terms of interpretation of different types of space by suggesting they are a motif particularly easily accessible for a large viewership, therefore bringing us closer to the apprehension of prehistoric human behaviour and symbolic practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106189"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509013","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 : 2025-02-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106187
María Fernanda Martínez-Polanco , Thomas Ingicco , Anneke H. van Heteren , Gertrud E. Rössner , Iván Rey-Rodríguez , Sergio Andrés Castro Méndez , Máximo Jiménez-Acosta , Juan Guillermo Martín
This study investigates the evolutionary and morphological divergence of Neotropical cervids across mainland and island populations, integrating size, shape, and ecological data. Three extant cervid species were analyzed: Mazama temama, Odocoileus virginianus, and Passalites nemorivagus, San José Island cervids, alongside extinct archaeological samples from Playa don Bernardo (PdB) on Pedro Gonzalez Island from Pearl Island Archipelago (Central Pacific, Panama). Morphometric analyses of lower third molars (m3) revealed distinct evolutionary trajectories shaped by geographic and ecological isolation. Centroid size analyses reveal significant interspecies differences, with O. virginianus being generally larger than other groups, while PdB cervids exhibit reduced sizes potentially linked to insular dwarfism. Shape analyses, including PCA and Procrustes ANOVA, demonstrate distinct morphological patterns among species, with P. nemorivagus showing unique traits, while PdB cervids cluster closely with O. virginianus and San José Island cervids. Canonical variate analysis (CVA) and phenotypic trees corroborate these relationships, highlighting evolutionary divergence influenced by ecological pressures. Statistical tests reveal significant species-level effects on size and shape, with minimal contributions from sex or species-sex interactions. Procrustes distance comparisons emphasize substantial morphological divergence between P. nemorivagus and other groups, while PdB cervids share closer morphological affinities with San José Island cervids and O. virginianus. These findings suggest a complex evolutionary history shaped by environmental constraints and isolation, underscoring the role of insular environments in driving morphological diversity among Neotropical cervids.
{"title":"Unravelling the past of cervid populations on the Pearl Island Archipelago (Panama) through a two dimensional geometric morphometric analysis of the lower third molar","authors":"María Fernanda Martínez-Polanco , Thomas Ingicco , Anneke H. van Heteren , Gertrud E. Rössner , Iván Rey-Rodríguez , Sergio Andrés Castro Méndez , Máximo Jiménez-Acosta , Juan Guillermo Martín","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106187","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106187","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the evolutionary and morphological divergence of Neotropical cervids across mainland and island populations, integrating size, shape, and ecological data. Three extant cervid species were analyzed: <em>Mazama temama</em>, <em>Odocoileus virginianus</em>, and <em>Passalites nemorivagus</em>, San José Island cervids, alongside extinct archaeological samples from Playa don Bernardo (PdB) on Pedro Gonzalez Island from Pearl Island Archipelago (Central Pacific, Panama). Morphometric analyses of lower third molars (m3) revealed distinct evolutionary trajectories shaped by geographic and ecological isolation. Centroid size analyses reveal significant interspecies differences, with <em>O. virginianus</em> being generally larger than other groups, while PdB cervids exhibit reduced sizes potentially linked to insular dwarfism. Shape analyses, including PCA and Procrustes ANOVA, demonstrate distinct morphological patterns among species, with <em>P. nemorivagus</em> showing unique traits, while PdB cervids cluster closely with <em>O. virginianus</em> and San José Island cervids. Canonical variate analysis (CVA) and phenotypic trees corroborate these relationships, highlighting evolutionary divergence influenced by ecological pressures. Statistical tests reveal significant species-level effects on size and shape, with minimal contributions from sex or species-sex interactions. Procrustes distance comparisons emphasize substantial morphological divergence between <em>P. nemorivagus</em> and other groups, while PdB cervids share closer morphological affinities with San José Island cervids and <em>O. virginianus</em>. These findings suggest a complex evolutionary history shaped by environmental constraints and isolation, underscoring the role of insular environments in driving morphological diversity among Neotropical cervids.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106187"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509011","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 : 2025-02-23DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106181
Christopher M. Stevenson , Mary Gurnick , Oleksandr Misiats , David Hurst Thomas , Anna M. Semon
We provide a new approach to the method of ceramic dating by tracking the dehydroxylation and rehydroxylation of water species using infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Water bands at 3655 cm−1 (OH/H2O), 4550 cm−1 (OH), and 5160 cm−1(H2O) were used to determine the various forms of water absorbed or released from the ceramic surface and the interior, which permitted the calculation of prehistoric hydroxyl gain since the time of manufacture. Ramped temperature rehydroxylation experiments (30–500 °C) were used to establish the activation energy (E) of OH diffusion. This was followed by an isothermal diffusion experiment, which provided a high temperature (240 °C) diffusion coefficient that was extrapolated to archaeological temperature. This new variant of the dating method is an alternative to the conventional mass gain experiments that have been applied in the past. Our ceramic dates are in agreement with associated radiocarbon dates within shell midden deposits created by the 17th century Native Americans on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, USA.
{"title":"Ceramic rehydroxylation dating by infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy","authors":"Christopher M. Stevenson , Mary Gurnick , Oleksandr Misiats , David Hurst Thomas , Anna M. Semon","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106181","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106181","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We provide a new approach to the method of ceramic dating by tracking the dehydroxylation and rehydroxylation of water species using infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Water bands at 3655 cm<sup>−1</sup> (OH/H<sub>2</sub>O), 4550 cm<sup>−1</sup> (OH), and 5160 cm<sup>−1</sup>(H<sub>2</sub>O) were used to determine the various forms of water absorbed or released from the ceramic surface and the interior, which permitted the calculation of prehistoric hydroxyl gain since the time of manufacture. Ramped temperature rehydroxylation experiments (30–500 °C) were used to establish the activation energy (<em>E</em>) of OH diffusion. This was followed by an isothermal diffusion experiment, which provided a high temperature (240 °C) diffusion coefficient that was extrapolated to archaeological temperature. This new variant of the dating method is an alternative to the conventional mass gain experiments that have been applied in the past. Our ceramic dates are in agreement with associated radiocarbon dates within shell midden deposits created by the 17th century Native Americans on St. Catherines Island, Georgia, USA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106181"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143474651","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 : 2025-02-22DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106179
A. Cortell-Nicolau , S. Carrignon , I. Rodíguez-Palomo , D. Hromada , R. Kahlenberg , A. Mes , D. Priss , P. Yaworsky , X. Zhang , L. Brainerd , J. Lewis , D. Redhouse , C. Simmons , M. Coto-Sarmiento , D. Daems , A. Deb , D. Lawrence , M. O'Brien , F. Riede , X. Rubio-Campillo , E. Crema
Compared to what is found in many other scientific disciplines, archaeological data are typically scarce, biased and fragmented. This, coupled with the fact that archaeologists can rarely test their hypotheses using experimental design, makes archaeological inference and our ability to assess the robustness of quantitative methods used to make such inferences challenging.
Archaeoriddle is a project that was born as an attempt to compare archaeological methods in an artificial scenario where the behaviour to be reconstructed was known. In this project we organised an experiment where a virtual archaeological record generated from a simulated interaction between hunter–gatherers and early farmers in a fictional landscape was shared with interested participants. Three archaeological questions were posed and the participants were challenged to answer them with the data that the developer team made available. The model and the generative processes behind the virtual record were known to the developers of the virtual world (Rabbithole) but not to the participants. Additionally, players were allowed to sample only a subset of the data from Rabbithole, mimicking real-life archaeological research and sampling efforts.
The long-term aim of the project is to assess how different methods performed under a controlled environment since, in this case, we knew the correct answers to the questions posed. This experience provided us with some insights into (1) how efficient various archaeological methods are in answering complex questions; (2) the degree of interest from archaeologists in improving their analytical techniques; and (3) the potential of archaeological method when free from external constraints (e.g. budget, fieldwork, etc.).
{"title":"Assessing quantitative methods in archaeology via simulated datasets: The Archaeoriddle challenge. Concept, project and motivations","authors":"A. Cortell-Nicolau , S. Carrignon , I. Rodíguez-Palomo , D. Hromada , R. Kahlenberg , A. Mes , D. Priss , P. Yaworsky , X. Zhang , L. Brainerd , J. Lewis , D. Redhouse , C. Simmons , M. Coto-Sarmiento , D. Daems , A. Deb , D. Lawrence , M. O'Brien , F. Riede , X. Rubio-Campillo , E. Crema","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106179","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106179","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compared to what is found in many other scientific disciplines, archaeological data are typically scarce, biased and fragmented. This, coupled with the fact that archaeologists can rarely test their hypotheses using experimental design, makes archaeological inference and our ability to assess the robustness of quantitative methods used to make such inferences challenging.</div><div>Archaeoriddle is a project that was born as an attempt to compare archaeological methods in an artificial scenario where the behaviour to be reconstructed was known. In this project we organised an experiment where a virtual archaeological record generated from a simulated interaction between hunter–gatherers and early farmers in a fictional landscape was shared with interested participants. Three archaeological questions were posed and the participants were challenged to answer them with the data that the developer team made available. The model and the generative processes behind the virtual record were known to the developers of the virtual world (<em>Rabbithole</em>) but not to the participants. Additionally, players were allowed to sample only a subset of the data from <em>Rabbithole</em>, mimicking real-life archaeological research and sampling efforts.</div><div>The long-term aim of the project is to assess how different methods performed under a controlled environment since, in this case, we knew the correct answers to the questions posed. This experience provided us with some insights into (1) how efficient various archaeological methods are in answering complex questions; (2) the degree of interest from archaeologists in improving their analytical techniques; and (3) the potential of archaeological method when free from external constraints (e.g. budget, fieldwork, etc.).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"177 ","pages":"Article 106179"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143463675","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 : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106178
Hao Ma , Jizhong Hu , Rui Wang , Yu Qiao , Panming Yang , Xiaoyang Qiao , Youwei Pu , Yawei Zhou , Yu Xu , Haodong Chen , Chuan-Chao Wang , Zhaohui Yang
The Yellow River (YR) Basin is a pivotal region for understanding the origins and evolution of Chinese civilization. Previous genomic data here suggest a temporal shift in population genetics towards southern Chinese profiles, possibly due to the introduction of rice agriculture and climatic shifts in the Holocene. Here, we report the ancient genomes of two individuals from the Dahecun site during the Yangshao and transitional Yangshao-Longshan (Longshanization) periods. We found a genetic homogeneity in the Middle Neolithic YR basin, but we have not detected a southern-related ancestry among YR farmers in our sample of the Longshanization period compared with the Middle Neolithic YR farmers. Our results indicate a genomic substructure in YR Basin farmers during the transitional Yangshao-Longshan periods. The initial introduction of rice farming into the Central Plain might not be always accompanied by demic diffusion. The Neolithic Yellow River farmers were suggested to significantly contribute to the formation of modern Han Chinese.
{"title":"Genomic substructure in Yellow River Basin farmers during the transitional Yangshao-Longshan period","authors":"Hao Ma , Jizhong Hu , Rui Wang , Yu Qiao , Panming Yang , Xiaoyang Qiao , Youwei Pu , Yawei Zhou , Yu Xu , Haodong Chen , Chuan-Chao Wang , Zhaohui Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106178","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106178","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Yellow River (YR) Basin is a pivotal region for understanding the origins and evolution of Chinese civilization. Previous genomic data here suggest a temporal shift in population genetics towards southern Chinese profiles, possibly due to the introduction of rice agriculture and climatic shifts in the Holocene. Here, we report the ancient genomes of two individuals from the Dahecun site during the Yangshao and transitional Yangshao-Longshan (Longshanization) periods. We found a genetic homogeneity in the Middle Neolithic YR basin, but we have not detected a southern-related ancestry among YR farmers in our sample of the Longshanization period compared with the Middle Neolithic YR farmers. Our results indicate a genomic substructure in YR Basin farmers during the transitional Yangshao-Longshan periods. The initial introduction of rice farming into the Central Plain might not be always accompanied by demic diffusion. The Neolithic Yellow River farmers were suggested to significantly contribute to the formation of modern Han Chinese.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106178"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143465258","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 : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106186
Philippe Crombé , Roger Langohr
This short paper provides arguments against Huisman et al.’s (2024) conclusion that Mesolithic “pit-hearths” are definitely anthropogenic in origin. We believe that this conclusion is insufficiently supported by the presented data and the size of the study, which is limited to two recent ant nests. The main problem resides in the assumption that Humus-iron Podzols pre-date the construction of “pit-hearths” and ant nests contain only little organic remains that are vulnerable to forest fires. In this comment paper we present arguments to the contrary.
{"title":"Burnt ant nests and their parallels with Mesolithic charcoal-rich pits: A comment on Huisman et al. (2024)","authors":"Philippe Crombé , Roger Langohr","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106186","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106186","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This short paper provides arguments against Huisman et al.’s (2024) conclusion that Mesolithic “pit-hearths” are definitely anthropogenic in origin. We believe that this conclusion is insufficiently supported by the presented data and the size of the study, which is limited to two recent ant nests. The main problem resides in the assumption that Humus-iron Podzols pre-date the construction of “pit-hearths” and ant nests contain only little organic remains that are vulnerable to forest fires. In this comment paper we present arguments to the contrary.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106186"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143550889","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 : 2025-02-21DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106166
Patrick Degryse
Specific chemical compositions of glass indicate certain raw materials, sources, technical processes and chronologies. A decade ago, Journal of Archaeological Science published a perspective into future glass research, emphasizing the need to further characterize glass compositional groups with their production location and long-distance movement, next to determining the timing and location of inventions and innovations in glass technologies and their spreading in and between ancient societies. While many of the previously suggested lines for future research are very much still valid today, this paper revisits those prospects and offers some thoughts for the decade to come. As different technologies of glass making and more and more areas of production become known through chemical analysis, the prime challenge of glass research in the near future will be to unravel the ‘why’ of these technical developments and innovations. Glass making will need to be studied in its societal and environmental context to come to answers on scales of production, resource management and processes such as recycling. Additionally, cross-craft interactions between glass making and other industries remain understudied and deserve further work.
{"title":"Ancient glass: From crystal ball to seeing clear","authors":"Patrick Degryse","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106166","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106166","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Specific chemical compositions of glass indicate certain raw materials, sources, technical processes and chronologies. A decade ago, Journal of Archaeological Science published a perspective into future glass research, emphasizing the need to further characterize glass compositional groups with their production location and long-distance movement, next to determining the timing and location of inventions and innovations in glass technologies and their spreading in and between ancient societies. While many of the previously suggested lines for future research are very much still valid today, this paper revisits those prospects and offers some thoughts for the decade to come. As different technologies of glass making and more and more areas of production become known through chemical analysis, the prime challenge of glass research in the near future will be to unravel the ‘why’ of these technical developments and innovations. Glass making will need to be studied in its societal and environmental context to come to answers on scales of production, resource management and processes such as recycling. Additionally, cross-craft interactions between glass making and other industries remain understudied and deserve further work.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"176 ","pages":"Article 106166"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453848","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 : 2025-02-20DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106183
Linying Wang , Ting Li , Qing Wang , Yan Tong , Songtao Chen , Sijia Yuan , Yu Gao , Ruxue Liao , Shargan Wangdue , Xiaoyan Yang
Bone tools are an important component of human material culture and contain rich information about ancient cultures and technologies. The selection strategies of prehistoric humans for bone-tool materials in ultra-high-elevation regions represent a cultural adaptation to extreme environments characterized by cold and hypoxia. Current research on bone tools predominantly emphasizes artifact description, typological analysis, and processing methods, while study on the source of the bone-tool materials is less due to the method limited. The Mabu Co site (4420–4465 m a.s.l.) is the world's highest site with sedentary lifestyle supported by fishing and hunting in the high-elevation interior of the Tibetan Plateau more than 4000 years ago. Commonly excavated bone tools at this site include bipoints, ornaments, bone awls, needles. This study selected several fragmented bone tools from the site and used ancient DNA technology to identify the species to learn the humans' selection strategies for materials. The results show that the long bones of argali (Ovis ammon) and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur) were used to make bone awls. The limb bones of animals with thin-walled bones such as Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) were used to make bone needles. For bone bipoints, which were likely used for fishing and bird hunting and were in high daily demand at this lakeside village, species of water birds, including the abundant cormorant (Phalacrocorax carbo) and the occasional crane (Grus sp.), were used. Our study reveals that the ancient people living on the Tibetan Plateau 4000 years ago strategically selected bone-tool material from local animal resources, demonstrating a preference and consideration of different types of bone to suit the tool. By using ancient DNA technology to analyze the source material of the bone tools excavated from archaeological sites, our understanding of the organic artifacts is enhanced.
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