Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"Sedimentary ancient DNA from an artificial water feature in a regional city of the Tang Dynasty reveals the use of plant and animal resources by urban residents in the Central Plains, China","authors":"Xu Han ,&nbsp;Lianfang Feng ,&nbsp;Shihua Hu ,&nbsp;Nihanxue Jia ,&nbsp;Qi Yang ,&nbsp;Ting You ,&nbsp;Xiaohu Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhengquan Gu ,&nbsp;Yu Gao ,&nbsp;Yucheng Wang ,&nbsp;Shugang Yang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106453","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106453","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The China Central Plains in the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE) was the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, characterized by a long and developed agricultural civilization. It also supported the world's most prosperous city network centered on Chang'an and Luoyang. The use of plant and animal resources by urban residents here offers significant insights into the empire's economy and global interactions. However, direct, quantifiable, and arguably less biased archaeobotanical and zooarchaeological studies are scarce, due to excavation challenges in modern urban areas and inherent limitations in the preservation and identification of macro-remains. Historical documents also tend to record elite groups or accidental events and thus show bias. Here, we analyzed sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) from an artificial water feature in Zhengzhou Shang Site in a regional city, Guan City (modern-day Zhengzhou), in the Central Plains during the Tang Dynasty. The results show that urban residents used diverse staple food crops, industrial crops, vegetables, fruits and nuts, and cultivated trees and aquatic plants. The staple food crops comprised foxtail millet (<em>Setaria italica</em>) and broomcorn millet (<em>Panicum miliaceum</em>), food legumes, barley (<em>Hordeum vulgare</em>), and wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>); animal resources were mainly for labor, including horses (<em>Equus caballus</em>) and/or donkeys (<em>Equus asinus</em>), dogs (<em>Canis lupus familiaris</em>), and cattle (<em>Bos taurus</em>), with meat consumption minimal or absent. We report the first archaeological evidence for some non-staple crops in the Tang Dynasty, including tea (<em>Camellia sinensis</em>), goji berry (<em>Lycium barbarum</em>), and lotus (<em>Nelumbo nucifera</em>), and others which were introduced into China via the Silk Road, such as spinach (<em>Spinacia oleracea</em>), sesame (<em>Sesamum indicum</em>), pistachio (<em>Pistacia vera</em>), and pomegranate (<em>Punica granatum</em>). Our study provides direct evidence of industrial crop cultivation and non-native crop introduction as mentioned in historical documents, revealing these previously hidden crop cultivation histories and underscoring Tang agriculture's diversity and global connections. Furthermore, DNA translocation in archaeological deposits receives much attention. In this case, comparison between layers and stratigraphic analysis confirmed negligible translocation effects in the upper sediments, although underlying earlier layers show some translocation signals. The sedaDNA provided more taxonomic data than the archaeobotanical macro-remains. The study shows how sedaDNA retrieved from archaeological deposits is beneficial for comprehending the past use of plant and animal resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106453"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145736539","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}

{"title":"Diachronic change in imperial-era waterproof lining technology: Evidence from Pompeii, the Bay of Naples and Rome","authors":"Rory McLennan ,&nbsp;Duncan Keenan-Jones ,&nbsp;Glenys McGowan ,&nbsp;Gianluca Zanzi ,&nbsp;MariaLetizia Buonfiglio","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106433","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106433","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The monumental water features of ancient Rome and the Bay of Naples represent the largest Imperial-era investment in public hydraulic infrastructure known from the ancient Mediterranean. Underlying and enabling all these works were highly specialised waterproof linings, the composition of which reflect the know-how and intentions of ancient builders. To investigate if and how waterproof lining technology changed through time, and what broader factors motivated their development, 14 mortar specimens dating between the 1st century BCE – 4th century CE were collected from water features found across Pompeii, the Bay of Naples and Rome. Each specimen was analysed using established archaeological and instrumental techniques, including ultra-high resolution mosaic scans of thin sections and polarised light microscopy (PLM). This was paired with a novel use of Micro-X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy (μXFM), which allowed the elemental composition of whole thin sections to be rapidly and accurately visualised and compared. These analyses produced several data sets that were combined to identify clear change in the composition of Imperial-era waterproof linings. These findings were then contextualised to explore how contemporary socio-economic and political factors may have directed technological change in Imperial-era waterproofing technology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106433"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145693626","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}

{"title":"Lead isotope analysis of lead-tin-glaze via on-site portable laser ablation sampling of 17-18th century Delftware (earthenware)","authors":"Paolo D'Imporzano ,&nbsp;Haske M. Reiling ,&nbsp;Stephen Merkel ,&nbsp;Jolanda M. van Iperen ,&nbsp;Isabelle Garachon ,&nbsp;Katrien Keune ,&nbsp;Gareth R. Davies","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106443","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106443","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the application of portable laser ablation sampling followed by multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to determine lead isotope ratios (LIR) of thirteen 17–18th century Delftware earthenware objects. A method was developed to minimize invasiveness while obtaining sufficient material for accurate isotopic analysis. The method is applicable to all Pb-rich glazes. The white glaze of individual Delftware objects has homogeneous LIR within objects. Seventeen to18^th century Delftware were made with lead derived from English lead deposits. The study shows that is possible to use LIR to characterise later repairs. Finally, the research demonstrates that LIR in Delftware objects are comparable to contemporaneous lead-bearing objects, expanding knowledge on the use and trade of lead and its products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106443"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145657228","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}

{"title":"Mercury treatment in late medieval European leprosaria? New data from human dental calculus","authors":"Elena Fiorin ,&nbsp;Vincent Perrot ,&nbsp;Charlotte A. Roberts ,&nbsp;Cécile Chapelain de Seréville-Niel ,&nbsp;Yue Gao ,&nbsp;Christophe Snoeck ,&nbsp;Emanuela Cristiani","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106444","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106444","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the potential use of mercury-based treatments for leprosy during the late medieval period through the analysis of mercury concentrations in human dental calculus. Calculus samples were obtained from individuals buried at St Leonard's (Peterborough, England) and St Thomas's (Aizier, France) leprosaria, with comparative samples collected from non-leprosaria burial sites where individuals showed no osteological evidence of leprosy. Mercury levels were measured in soil (N = 45) from the burial grounds using atomic absorption spectrometry and in dental calculus (N = 76) using cold vapour fluorescence adsorption spectroscopy. The findings reveal significant variability in mercury concentrations within and between sites, with the dental calculus values ranging from 0.11 to 9.7 mg kg⁻¹. Notably, individuals from leprosaria cemeteries exhibited significantly higher mercury concentrations in their calculus than those from non-leprosaria cemeteries (t(70) = 3.22, p = 0.002). Although mercury levels in the burial soils associated with the individuals sampled in leprosaria cemeteries were elevated compared to the natural geochemical background, the analysis suggests that contamination is probably due to mercury accumulated in soft tissues during life, which could substantially increase the surrounding soil's mercury content during decomposition. Thus, contamination from the surrounding soil was ruled out as the source of mercury in the dental calculus. Integrated with historical and archaeological evidence, these findings may suggest the intentional use of mercury-based treatments for leprosy. This study highlights the role of bioarchaeology in uncovering medieval therapeutic practices and provides the first evidence of mercury linked to medical treatment detected in dental calculus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106444"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145657229","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}

{"title":"Social and emotional cognition in Pleistocene hominin evolution: The role of biocultural processes","authors":"Agustín Fuentes ,&nbsp;Jennifer C. French ,&nbsp;John Hawks ,&nbsp;Marc Kissel ,&nbsp;Penny Spikins","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106441","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106441","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Patterns and processes of social cognition underlie much of the behavioral and ecological flexibility and adaptive capacity that characterizes the primate order. The hominin lineage emerged from a branch of primates, hominoids, particularly reliant on the navigation of complex intra and inter-group social relations as a central dynamic of their niche. Over the past few decades much research on hominin evolution has resituated focus from explaining the uniqueness of the big-brain, hyper-social, cognitively distinct <em>Homo sapiens</em>, to a broader inquiry into the potential process, pathways, and dynamics of the evolution of a hominin niche, or niches, rooted in increasingly complex social cognition. In this essay we review key aspects of this current paradigm and argue for the expanded inclusion of the possibilities of socio-emotional cognition in a biocultural approach as advantageous in developing a more robust descriptive framework for theory and method in the study of human evolution. We combine several sources and examples to highlight specific theoretical approaches to assist in developing a common and more integrative framework for investigating social and emotional cognition as a key component of the biocultural niche in Pleistocene hominins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106441"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145657231","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}

{"title":"Semi-automatic detection of building stones and wall segments of archaeological ruins","authors":"Erel Uziel ,&nbsp;Motti Zohar ,&nbsp;Yitzchak Jaffe","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106430","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106430","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents a semi-automatic methodology for detecting building stones and wall segments in archaeological research, using drone imagery and deep learning algorithms. The immediate outputs of the methodology are a georeferenced stones layer, with each stone detected as a separate instance, and a site plan layer, composed of stones considered part of detected wall segments. We developed this model via nine sites of varying size with different vegetation coverage, ground color, and material composition, exemplifying the model's ability to perform successfully even in challenging conditions. The digital layers, along with additional attributes associated with each shape, provide a foundation for further analysis, such as identifying multiple construction styles and site organization patterns, with significant potential for large-scale multi-site studies. Evaluation results demonstrate good model performance under varied conditions. We also provide trained models, trained on data from multiple sites, for immediate use and further refinement.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106430"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145613713","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}

{"title":"Bronze Age copper supply in Mediterranean France: first results from lead isotope and chemical analyses of hoarded metalwork","authors":"Thibault Lachenal ,&nbsp;Sandrine Baron ,&nbsp;Cécile Le Carlier de Veslud ,&nbsp;Gaëlle Meynieux ,&nbsp;Charline Dallard ,&nbsp;Xavier Gutherz ,&nbsp;Florent Mazière","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106432","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106432","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Copper supply networks in southern France are analysed on the basis of a study of five hoards of metal objects dating from the end of the Early Bronze Age (c. 17th-16th BCE) to the end of the Late Bronze Age (c. 9th BCE). A total of 73 inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy elemental analyses were performed and 48 objects belonging to the different groups that could be identified from the elemental compositions were targeted for lead isotope analysis (multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). The results clearly show that the same source was used for the various objects in each hoard, but that copper from different origins was used depending on the period. This reveals evolving supply networks that can be linked to the cultural interactions observed during this period. Towards the end of the Early Bronze Age or the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age (c. 17th-16th BCE), axe-ingots were imported into southern France along the Rhone corridor. The origin of the copper from which they are made could potentially be the Vosges massif. On the other hand, one of the major contributions of this study is to have demonstrated the use of copper originating from the Southeastern Alps during a late phase of the Middle Bronze Age and up to the Late Bronze Age (c. 14th-11th BCE). A form of packaging for this Alpine copper was as pick-ingots, and it was probably in this form that it arrived in southern France. This network was interrupted around the 9th century BCE and the populations of southern France returned to the exploitation of local minerals (Cabrières-Péret district). This research highlights the link between trade networks and cultural dynamics, showing that the circulation of raw materials also helps strengthen relations between communities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106432"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145609075","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}

{"title":"Assessing the reliability of silicone replicas in the analysis of sickle gloss at the early Neolithic site of Cheikh Hassan (Northern Levant, 11th millennium BP)","authors":"Fiona Pichon ,&nbsp;Juan José Ibáñez Estevez ,&nbsp;Patricia Anderson ,&nbsp;Frédéric Abbès","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106446","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106446","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past decade, confocal microscopy combined with quantitative texture analysis has opened new possibilities for studying prehistoric tool use. However, a key challenge remains in identifying the extent to which different acquisition methods—direct surface measurements versus silicone moulds—influence the textural properties of the original surfaces. This study evaluates whether high-precision polyvinylsiloxane can be reliably used for the identification of plant types harvested with lithic tools during the initial phases of agriculture in Southwest Asia. We compared texture parameters from original surfaces and moulds on eight experimental tools used to cut various plants (domestic, wild and wild cultivated cereals and reeds). Our results show that textures from direct measurements and those from moulds form clearly distinct groups, indicating that the two methods are not interchangeable for harvesting tools. The differences introduced by the moulding process follow a consistent pattern, rather than resulting from random variation. Based on this, we developed a silicone-based experimental model capable of distinguishing between tools used for harvesting different plant types. Applying this model to Pre-Pottery Neolithic glossy tools from Cheikh Hassan confirms a gradual shift from green to ripe cereal harvesting in the Middle Euphrates, in line with findings from neighbouring sites based on direct surface measurements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106446"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145611692","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}

{"title":"Overlooking environmental context causes misidentification of ancient Mediterranean plant oil in organic residues","authors":"R.F. Gerdes ,&nbsp;H. Wiandt ,&nbsp;M. Abuhashim ,&nbsp;A. Williams ,&nbsp;J.M. Regenstein ,&nbsp;S.W. Manning ,&nbsp;J.L. Goldfarb","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite the monumental importance of olive oil to the Mediterranean, tracing its early history archaeologically is challenging. Biomolecular methods can recover plant oil traces from ancient pottery, but similar chemical compositions between plant oils used in the Mediterranean complicate taxonomic differentiation. Moreover, as plant oils go rancid their water soluble and volatile products are easily lost – a process that progressively degrades residues in ancient potsherds. We present experimental evidence of a key additional issue: a calcareous Mediterranean burial environment alters both the amount and composition of olive oil residue preserved in ceramics. We observed both lower yields and a preferential loss of dicarboxylic acid plant oil biomarkers in experimental ceramic samples degraded for 1 year at 50 °C in a calcareous, alkaline soil from Cyprus compared with samples buried in a mildly acidic soil from New York (USA). Our results suggest a need to adapt the biomarker criteria used to recognize plant oil residues to a site's environmental context in the Mediterranean, where calcareous soils are common. We highlight the impact of our results on efforts to trace the economic importance of plant oils in the Late Bronze Age eastern Mediterranean.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106426"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145583784","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}

{"title":"Beyond formal implements: How expedient bone tools shaped winter survival strategies at Shuidonggou Locality 12","authors":"Shuwen Ma ,&nbsp;Yue Zhang ,&nbsp;Xing Gao ,&nbsp;Fuyou Chen ,&nbsp;Huimin Wang ,&nbsp;Shuangquan Zhang ,&nbsp;Luc Doyon","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106431","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106431","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human cultural adaptations in prehistory are typically investigated through lithic and fully shaped bone technologies, leaving out the role of rudimentary bone tools in past technological systems. Yet, these unmodified or partially modified tools can provide essential and reliable evidence for reconstructing past subsistence strategies. Here, we report 46 expedient bone tools found in layers dated to 10,700–10,200 cal BP at Shuidonggou Locality 12 (SDG 12), North China. The majority of these tools derive from <em>Procapra przewalskii</em> femora, with a small proportion sourced from other skeletal elements, such as medium to small size herbivore tibiae, radii and ribs. Qualitative and quantitative use wear comparisons were undertaken between the archaeological tools and experimental replicas used in hide working, meat cutting, poaceae processing, wood working, and tuber digging. Functional attribution was further refined using bootstrap aggregating combined with flexible discriminant analysis (BagFDA), which reduces experimental noise and isolates diagnostic use wear signatures, thus improving the reliability of identifying the tools’ primary functions. Qualitative observations exclude the possibility that the SDG 12 tools were used for meat cutting and digging activities. Quantitative surface texture analysis suggests a primary use for hide working, with occasional plant and wood processing. Thus far, the cultural remains found at SDG 12 documented a diversity of subsistence activities undertaken at the site in preparation for the winter season. Our findings reveal the essential role of expedient bone tools in this complex cultural adaptation. They highlight the relevance of integrating quantitative surface texture analysis with traditional use wear methods to enhance our understanding of human adaptive strategies. Future research should explore the complementarity between fully shaped and expedient tools in relation with climatic fluctuations during the Late Pleistocene to Holocene transition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"185 ","pages":"Article 106431"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145575569","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}