Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

One of the main interests in the interpretation of the archaeological record and its variability within and through time and space is the production and use of past human stone tool technologies. Tool design and function are inevitably intertwined and strongly related to tool use. Understanding tool design provides information about early human technological adaptations and reflects human behaviour in the sense of conscious or unconscious decision-making. Nevertheless, the reason for major changes (including novelties, innovations, and loss) in past human stone tool technology is still poorly understood. A comprehensive approach focusing on tool function (What was the tool meant for?) and use (What was the tool used for?) can help to overcome this gap. While tool function (including performance) can be investigated experimentally, tool use can be addressed with use-wear analyses. These questions can be best investigated on technological systems showing little tool variability but strong evidence of maintenance and long-term use, such as Middle Palaeolithic industries.

The Late Middle Palaeolithic record of Central and Eastern Europe is marked by the emergence of an asymmetric tool-type called Keilmesser (bifacial backed knives). Due to their sophisticated morphology, Keilmesser as a case study offer the potential to address aspects of raw material selection, tool production, maintenance, and reworking.

This paper presents the results of an experiment designed to study the tool performance of Keilmesser from three archaeological sites, namely Balver Höhle, the Upper site of Buhlen and Grotte de Ramioul by testing raw material, edge angle and movement as independent variables. A highly controlled, sequential experiment was conducted using a mechanical device performing unidirectional cutting and carving movements on hard contact material. Results demonstrate the possibility to perform the mentioned task with 35° and 45° edge angles, maintaining function, albeit at differing levels of efficiency. The data has a direct impact on the interpretation of the archaeological assemblages regarding aspects such as stone tool morphology and resharpening. At the same time, the study highlights the importance of raw material analysis to understand the variability in the archaeological record and the implications on past human decision-making strategies.

Due to methodological advances in the archaeological sciences, an increasing number of archaeological specimens undergo destructive sampling. However, the preservation of cultural heritage is a primary concern. This leads to a dilemma between accessing sample material and obtaining sufficient information for a meaningful analytical outcome. Ideally, sampling a specimen would preserve the object for further macro, micro, and molecular analyses. For palaeoproteomics, a number of minimally invasive sampling approaches have been proposed, representing different benefits and limitations. There have been studies comparing a selection of these protocols, however, these have focused on specimens from a homogenous preservation environment using Zooarchaeology by Mass Spectrometry (ZooMS). Here we expand on earlier work by extending the comparison to specimens from two highly different preservation environments through both ZooMS and liquid-chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). We compare five sampling approaches and seven extraction protocols in total, on 10 Bos sp. humeri from the Early Neolithic site of La Draga, Spain, utilising MALDI-ToF MS and LC-MS/MS to generate proteomic output, while assessing protocol invasiveness using microscopy and 3D imaging. Five humeri originate from Sector A, which is mostly related to dry, terrestrial preservation conditions, while the other five humeri stem from Sector B, which is characterised by its phreatic/aquatic preservation conditions. We show that there is a significant difference in protein recovery and taxonomic specificity between the sampling techniques applied, as well as between burial conditions. Additionally, various surface modifications were observed depending on the specific sampling technique applied. It is therefore essential to assess protein preservation for each sedimentological context within an archaeological site before performing extensive sampling, as protein preservation can be highly inter- and intra-site-specific.

Landraces are described as genetically diverse, dynamic populations of unimproved crops. However, studying the development of a landrace population over longer periods of time has rarely been done due to a lack of suitable archaeological materials. The indigenous grain silos of Gran Canaria provide a unique opportunity for genetically analysing multiple specimens from the same time period as well as sampling the same population at multiple time points. Here we report a genetic study of a landrace barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) sampled repeatedly over a period of 1400 years. We successfully enriched extracted aDNA for the barley exome using capture techniques and present sequencing data from ten archaeological and six extant samples. The results show that the landrace barley population of Gran Canaria has not undergone any dramatic genetic turnover or influx of new genetic material since the 7th century CE, but that the scale of cultivation seems to have varied. We detect smaller temporal changes of the genetic composition during the studied period and suggest that these changes reflect natural selection for adaptation to a changing climate and a dynamic agricultural society.

In stone artefact studies, researchers often rely on qualitative classifications to describe flake scar arrangements on cores. While this approach provides a broad overview of core reduction patterns, its application can be ambiguous due to the three-dimensional complexities of core geometry and the subjective nature of qualitative classifications, making it challenging to objectively compare flake scar patterning across different analytical settings. In this study, we present a new approach to quantify one aspect of flake scar arrangement on cores: the three-dimensional orientation of core scar negatives. Using standardised digital and experimentally flintknapped cores, we demonstrate that statistical techniques from fabric analysis can quantitatively characterise the scar orientation profile of cores. Importantly, this method is able to reveal variations in the flake scar arrangements of informal cores, such as multiplatform cores. When applied to a sample of multiplatform cores from the Homo floresiensis type-site of Liang Bua in Indonesia, we identify differences in flake scar orientation between cores made by Homo floresiensis and those manufactured by modern humans who utilised the site after the disappearance of the extinct hominin. This finding suggests a possible divergence in stone knapping practices between the two hominin taxa at Liang Bua. Overall, our research provides a new quantitative approach to gain new insights into hominin technological behaviour through stone artefact analysis. It also highlights the potential of 3D analysis for advancing the field of archaeological lithic research.

Evidence of different compound resin-based adhesives is present in South Africa from at least 77000 years ago. Ancient glue production is considered one of the oldest known highly complex technologies, requiring advanced technological and mental abilities. However, our current knowledge of adhesive materials, recipes, and uses in South Africa is limited by the lack of in-depth analysis and molecular characterization of residues. To deepen our knowledge of past adhesive technology, we performed a detailed multi-analytical analysis (use-wear, XRD, μ-CT, IR spectroscopy, GC-MS) of 30 Later Stone Age tools with adhesive remains from Steenbokfontein Cave, South Africa. At the site, tools made of various rocks were hafted with compound adhesives, and we identified three recipes: 1) resin/tar of Widdringtonia or Podocarpus species combined with hematite; 2) resin/tar of Widdringtonia or Podocarpus species mixed with hematite and another plant exudate; 3) resin/tar without hematite. The studied scrapers were used in hide-working activities, and the studied cutting tools were used to work animal and soft plant matters. All scrapers display evidence of intense resharpening and were discarded when no longer useable. The combination of different methods for residue analysis reveals the flexibility of adhesive technology at Steenbokfontein. Despite the consistent use of conifer resin/tar throughout the sequence, we observed that other ingredients were added or excluded independently of the tools’ raw materials and functions. Our results highlight the long-lasting tradition of using adhesive material from conifer species but also the adaptability and flexibility of adhesive traditions. The systematic application of this multi-analytical approach to Pleistocene adhesives will be useful to better characterise adhesive traditions and enhance the debate on the technological, cognitive, and behavioural implications of this technology.

Building the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site of Liangzhu City and its hinterlands was an enormous undertaking that required an unprecedented level of architectural innovations, clever logistic planning, and sophisticated labour organisation. We draw on environmental, archaeological and experimental data on the preparation and construction of grass-wrapped clay blocks at the Liangzhu City and investigate the importance of technological innovations to understand architectural energetics and labour organisation behind the unprecedented urbanisation at Liangzhu and beyond in prehistoric Yangtze Delta region. We estimate that each clay block took only around 5 min to prepare by 2–4 workers. Considering digging and other tasks, a small group of 3–4 workers would have been the most efficient arrangement in the preparation of grass-wrapped clay blocks. We reproduced different types of clay blocks, classified their sizes, and identified the standard sized (45x15 × 15cm) clay blocks that match with archaeological finds. Our results also show that standard-sized clay blocks had a more optimal grass-earth ratio which increased the drainage efficiency of the built clay-blocked structures and their resistance to weathering in wet conditions. The different architectural technologies applied by the Liangzhu builders constituted the Liangzhu builders’ earth-building toolkit. To maximize the efficiency, labour was divided and organised according to different construction tasks. The clay-blocked structures and stone beddings were mostly built by smaller groups, who were responsible for the preparation, transportation and construction tasks. Mobilization and division of labour during these construction activities might not follow the classical top-down process. Instead, the need to apply different architectural technologies, each restrained by availability of resources, convenience of transportation, and/or intrinsic engineering properties, at construction sites in a predominantly aquatic environment, prompted a creative form of labour organisation. Our study therefore provides fresh insights into understanding labour organisation, social structure and power relations at the Liangzhu Civilisation.

The archaeological analysis of Historical mobility is an increasingly studied topic thanks to new geographic information technologies. This paper proposes a modelling exercise of the spatial behaviour of a Second Iron Age community in the Middle Tagus Valley: the hillfort of Villasviejas del Tamuja (Botija, Cáceres). Based on our knowledge of the configuration of the site and the surrounding settlements, we propose a heuristic use of a series of GIS tools to understand how the spatial relationship between both elements was structured. More specifically, we compare the results obtained with different calculation methods that combine two essential variables to address this issue: mobility and visibility relations. On the one hand, we evaluate the results with the application of an already developed methodology: the MADO analysis. On the other hand, we present a complementary procedure for the calculation of Least Cost Paths (LCP), considering the visibility as a key element in the mobility. The methodology uses the same data, in a paradigmatic case study for comparing results. The differences obtained through the use of different tools are thus evaluated in order to weigh up the additional or complementary knowledge that they can provide us with to investigate archaeological research questions such as the defensive architecture of the hillfort or the distribution of other nearby settlements.

The bleeding phenomenon, a persistent and widespread issue in the application of cobalt-bearing pigment during porcelain decoration, has spurred different civilisations to develop various response strategies to alleviate this problem. In this study, we challenge the prevailing hypotheses concerning the role of composition and viscosity in determining the bleeding effect on blue-and-white wares, proposing a novel physical model framing it as a diffusion process that occurs within vitreous silicate, where the severity can be qualitatively expressed using the diffusion distance. Drawing upon the phenomenological Fick's law and microscopic diffusion mechanism, we quantitatively discuss the primary physical parameters that influence the diffusion behaviour for the first time, clarifying that the diffusion of cobalt ions is not related to the medium viscosity. Moreover, compared with the microstructural features of blue decors with and without the bleeding effect, we reveal that domestic cobalt particles are all encapsulated by anorthite crystals, acting as a passivation shell to hinder the dissolution of cobalt particles. Significantly, our reinterpretation has broader archaeological implications for the bleeding effect associated with cobalt pigment in ceramics, elucidating the historical trajectories of responsive practices and the multifaceted interplay between resource form, artistic expression and technological advancement across varying environmental and cultural contexts. Overall, these responses to the bleeding effect exemplify the complexities of technological evolution, highlighting that technology is not merely an extension of technical knowledge but also functions as a form of social construction deeply intertwined with its local context. This comprehensive understanding contributes to our understanding of historical narratives in ceramics and the diversity of human ingenuity in ancient societies, with potential implications for contemporary pigment manufacture.

Human population growth and the technological advancements of the 20th and 21st centuries have significantly altered human-environment interactions and led to unprecedented anthropogenic footprints on coastal and ocean systems. Despite thousands of years of exploitation for subsistence and, later, commercial purposes, the ecology of mangrove fisheries along the Brazilian coast and the consequences of these activities remain poorly understood. This is largely due to a pervasive lack of historical baselines, and highlights the conservation crises affecting some of the world's biodiversity hotspots. In this study, we used otolith metrics and stable isotope analysis to investigate changes in the body length and trophic ecology of several demersal species recovered from pre-colonial (4500 cal BP to 1500 AD) and historical (late 19th and early 20th centuries AD) archaeological sites in Babitonga Bay, the largest mangrove system in southern Brazil. Our results revealed that pre-colonial and historical fisheries exploited a wide range of mangrove habitats, encompassing brackish to marine systems. Pre-colonial subsistence fisheries, however, targeted predominantly small and juvenile individuals in nursery areas, while early commercial fisheries targeted larger adult specimens, likely due to their higher commercial value. Our study shows that some drivers of stock overexploitation, such as the preferential capture of large and adult individuals, were found to be occurring more than 150 years ago along the southern Brazilian coast. Given the deep roots of human footprints in Brazil, our findings underscore the significance of incorporating historical data into the formulation of fisheries management strategies in subtropical and tropical regions.

Teeth from the Family Bovidae that are associated with our early humans ancestors are important for reconstructing paleoenvironments. However, age, degree of attrition, and taphonomic factors often make fossil identification difficult. A recent technique for classifying these teeth uses the size-and-shape of the occlusal surface as a summary of the surface, deriving features from this, and then using these features in machine learning classification algorithms. Bovid teeth have previously been classified using this method with features derived from coefficients of elliptical Fourier analysis (EFA). This study assesses the utility of using other shape representations for feature generation, specifically elastics shape analysis. Features were derived using this frame work for both shape only and size-and-shape (i.e. size is not considered a nuisance parameter), and those features were used as input for machine learning algorithms. We demonstrate that features derived elastic shape analysis generally outperform features derived from EFA in terms of cross validation classification accuracy. Finally, an application of the classification methods studied here was applied to fossils recovered from the deroofed Gladysvale External deposit (GVED), Gauteng Province, South Africa. Previous analyses of GVED identified a group of bovids as medium sized alcelaphines (Lacruz et al., 2002). Specifically, this study reclassified 32 unbroken, medium sized alcelaphines looking at shape and size-and-shape. The reclassifications increased the number of individuals and diversity of bovids recovered from the site. The results were used to generate a more precise paleoenvironmental reconstruction.