Pub Date : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106424
Xu Han , Nihanxue Jia , Shihua Hu , Lianfang Feng , Zhengquan Gu , Xiaoyan Yang
Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) extracted from archaeological depositions is an emerging approach in archaeology. Compared to traditional macro- and micro-remain morphological identification-based methods, sedaDNA provides richer information, higher sensitivity, and finer taxonomic resolution. However, the complicated processes of post-depositional disturbances of DNA in archaeological settings, especially DNA translocation, in DNA molecules moving across different cultural layers along with matrices, pose a potential issue that challenges the reliability of sedaDNA applications in archaeological depositions. Here, we summarize the preservation and translocation mechanisms of DNA in sediments, analyze how to face and assess the impact of the translocation problem when applying sedaDNA to archaeological cultural deposits, and propose: 1) to develop appropriate sampling strategies based on site-specific conditions; 2) to apply soil micromorphological and stratigraphic analysis to sedaDNA studies; 3) to conduct systematic comparisons between layers; 4) to conduct more translocation and adsorption simulation experiments; and 5) to carefully interpret results combining other traditional approaches. These need interdisciplinary collaboration among experts in molecular biology, archaeology, soil science, and related fields across multiple stages, including methodological design, sampling, laboratory procedures, and data interpretation. We believe that if the DNA translocations are controlled or avoided, the employ of the sedaDNA method can provide us with unprecedented insights into archaeological science.
{"title":"Translocation of sedimentary ancient DNA in archaeological cultural deposits: Mechanism and prospects","authors":"Xu Han , Nihanxue Jia , Shihua Hu , Lianfang Feng , Zhengquan Gu , Xiaoyan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106424","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106424","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) extracted from archaeological depositions is an emerging approach in archaeology. Compared to traditional macro- and micro-remain morphological identification-based methods, sedaDNA provides richer information, higher sensitivity, and finer taxonomic resolution. However, the complicated processes of post-depositional disturbances of DNA in archaeological settings, especially DNA translocation, in DNA molecules moving across different cultural layers along with matrices, pose a potential issue that challenges the reliability of sedaDNA applications in archaeological depositions. Here, we summarize the preservation and translocation mechanisms of DNA in sediments, analyze how to face and assess the impact of the translocation problem when applying sedaDNA to archaeological cultural deposits, and propose: 1) to develop appropriate sampling strategies based on site-specific conditions; 2) to apply soil micromorphological and stratigraphic analysis to sedaDNA studies; 3) to conduct systematic comparisons between layers; 4) to conduct more translocation and adsorption simulation experiments; and 5) to carefully interpret results combining other traditional approaches. These need interdisciplinary collaboration among experts in molecular biology, archaeology, soil science, and related fields across multiple stages, including methodological design, sampling, laboratory procedures, and data interpretation. We believe that if the DNA translocations are controlled or avoided, the employ of the sedaDNA method can provide us with unprecedented insights into archaeological science.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106424"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145434364","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 : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106412
Alla A. Movsesian
The Material Culture Scaffold Hypothesis (MCSH) proposes that durable tool traditions acted as external scaffolds for cognition, creating reciprocal feedbacks between technological elaboration and brain evolution. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed lithic procedural-unit (PU) data from 13 Paleolithic assemblages (2.35 Ma–32 ka) alongside taxon-level mean endocranial volumes (ECV). Procedural depth was distinguished into conservative units (PU_C), indexing routine, reversible steps, and non-conservative units (PU_NC), indexing irreversible, dependency-laden operations with higher executive demands. Ordinary least squares and cluster-robust regressions reveal positive associations between both PU measures and ECV, with PU_NC providing the more consistent predictor (R2 ≈ 0.50). Temporal analyses show gradual increases in PU_C, PU_NC, and ECV over ∼2.4 million years, with steep acceleration of PU_NC and brain volume in the Late Pleistocene. Taxonomic contrasts clarify this trajectory: early Homo and Mid-Pleistocene Homo (s.l.) remain confined to low-complexity, small-volume ranges; Neanderthals reach high PU values but with limited recurrence; Homo sapiens repeatedly generated and stabilized deep procedural chains across multiple contexts. These results support the hypothesis that toolmaking elaboration and encephalization were mutually reinforcing, with externalized technological routines structuring developmental and selective environments. Independent experimental and neuroimaging research further supports this interpretation, showing that complex knapping engages frontal executive networks and increases working-memory and planning demands. Although constrained by sample size and proxy measures, the findings highlight procedural depth as a useful bridge between archaeological evidence and cognitive evolution, consistent with broader models of gene–culture co-evolution.
{"title":"Scaffolding minds? Toolmaking complexity and brain evolution in the hominin record","authors":"Alla A. Movsesian","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106412","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106412","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Material Culture Scaffold Hypothesis (MCSH) proposes that durable tool traditions acted as external scaffolds for cognition, creating reciprocal feedbacks between technological elaboration and brain evolution. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed lithic procedural-unit (PU) data from 13 Paleolithic assemblages (2.35 Ma–32 ka) alongside taxon-level mean endocranial volumes (ECV). Procedural depth was distinguished into conservative units (PU_C), indexing routine, reversible steps, and non-conservative units (PU_NC), indexing irreversible, dependency-laden operations with higher executive demands. Ordinary least squares and cluster-robust regressions reveal positive associations between both PU measures and ECV, with PU_NC providing the more consistent predictor (R<sup>2</sup> ≈ 0.50). Temporal analyses show gradual increases in PU_C, PU_NC, and ECV over ∼2.4 million years, with steep acceleration of PU_NC and brain volume in the Late Pleistocene. Taxonomic contrasts clarify this trajectory: early Homo and Mid-Pleistocene Homo (s.l.) remain confined to low-complexity, small-volume ranges; Neanderthals reach high PU values but with limited recurrence; <em>Homo sapiens</em> repeatedly generated and stabilized deep procedural chains across multiple contexts. These results support the hypothesis that toolmaking elaboration and encephalization were mutually reinforcing, with externalized technological routines structuring developmental and selective environments. Independent experimental and neuroimaging research further supports this interpretation, showing that complex knapping engages frontal executive networks and increases working-memory and planning demands. Although constrained by sample size and proxy measures, the findings highlight procedural depth as a useful bridge between archaeological evidence and cognitive evolution, consistent with broader models of gene–culture co-evolution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106412"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145435092","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 : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106420
Leigh Bettenay, James Ross
This paper provides the first quantitative estimates of the profitability (in the sense of reward for effort) of gold mining in Antiquity. We have developed and assessed four models for New Kingdom gold mining in Nubia, during this period of peak gold production. These are: mining from oxidised lodes (OLM), proximal alluvial placer deposits in desert wadis (PAP), alluvial placer deposits along the Nile (NAP), and alluvial clast mining (ACM). The last refers to selective extraction of gold-bearing clasts (“quartz chunks”) from wadi alluvium and has become an archaeological focus in Nubia. We examine two variants: proximal to the source lodes (ACM-P) and distal in larger catchments (ACM-D).
Daily worker productivity has been estimated for each step in the chaîne opératoire using parameters drawn from: records of 19th century miners in isolated locations and reliant on simple technologies; modern artisanal miners; recent observations in Nubia and along the Nile; and limited experimentation. Gold production in each model is standardized to a 50-day expedition of 50 people.
Under our base-case parameters all models, except for distal clast mining (ACM-D), are profitable: they produce more gold than required to pay the workers. The main factor is the low cost of labour in New Kingdom Egypt, when priced in gold. However, only the placer models (PAP and NAP) can generate large returns within realistic modelling parameters, because their free gold particles can be simply recovered by screening and washing. In contrast, lode and clast mining methods (OLM and ACM) must allocate most of the workforce to crushing and grinding ore to liberate gold before recovery. Clast mining is further disadvantaged by barren sediment dilution and is only viable in small catchments close to source lodes.
New Kingdom Egypt expanded into previously unmined areas of Nubia and along the Nile and therefore enjoyed “first-mover” status over large areas of richly endowed goldfields. By analogy with virgin goldfields in Australia and California, where substantial placer gold dominated earliest production, they had access to numerous unworked deposits with grades perhaps significantly higher than assumed in our models. A surge in New Kingdom gold production was likely, followed by an inevitable decline after depletion of best resources.
本文首次对古代黄金开采的盈利能力（在努力回报的意义上）进行了定量估计。在这个黄金生产高峰时期，我们为努比亚的新王国金矿开采开发并评估了四种模型。这些方法包括：氧化矿脉（OLM）开采、沙漠河谷（PAP）近端冲积砂矿开采、尼罗河沿岸冲积砂矿开采（NAP）和冲积碎屑开采（ACM）。最后一种是指从瓦迪冲积层中选择性提取含金碎屑（“石英块”），已成为努比亚考古的焦点。我们研究了两种变体：近端到源脉（ACM-P）和远端在较大的集水区（ACM-D）。根据以下参数估算了cha ne opsamatire中每个步骤的日常工人生产率：19世纪偏远地区依赖简单技术的矿工的记录；现代手工矿工；最近在努比亚和尼罗河沿岸的观察；实验也很有限。每个模型的黄金产量都被标准化为50人的50天探险。在我们的基本情况参数下，除了远端碎屑采矿（ACM-D），所有模型都是有利可图的：它们生产的黄金比支付工人所需的要多。主要因素是新王国埃及的劳动力成本较低（以黄金计价）。然而，只有砂矿模型（PAP和NAP）可以在现实的建模参数范围内产生大的回报，因为它们的游离金颗粒可以通过筛选和洗涤简单地回收。相比之下，矿脉和碎屑开采方法（OLM和ACM）必须将大部分劳动力分配给破碎和研磨矿石，以便在回收之前释放黄金。由于贫瘠沉积物的稀释，碎屑开采进一步处于不利地位，只能在靠近源矿脉的小集水区进行。新王国时期的埃及扩张到以前未开矿的努比亚地区和尼罗河沿岸，因此在拥有丰富金矿的大片地区享有“先行者”地位。与澳大利亚和加利福尼亚的原始金矿类似，在那里大量的砂金主导了最早的生产，他们可以获得大量未开采的矿床，其品位可能远远高于我们模型中的假设。新王国的黄金产量可能会激增，但在最佳资源枯竭后，随之而来的是不可避免的下降。
{"title":"The economics of Late Bronze age gold mining by the Egyptian New Kingdom in Nubia","authors":"Leigh Bettenay, James Ross","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106420","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106420","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper provides the first quantitative estimates of the profitability (in the sense of reward for effort) of gold mining in Antiquity. We have developed and assessed four models for New Kingdom gold mining in Nubia, during this period of peak gold production. These are: mining from oxidised lodes (OLM), proximal alluvial placer deposits in desert wadis (PAP), alluvial placer deposits along the Nile (NAP), and alluvial clast mining (ACM). The last refers to selective extraction of gold-bearing clasts (“quartz chunks”) from wadi alluvium and has become an archaeological focus in Nubia. We examine two variants: proximal to the source lodes (ACM-P) and distal in larger catchments (ACM-D).</div><div>Daily worker productivity has been estimated for each step in the <em>chaîne opératoire</em> using parameters drawn from: records of 19th century miners in isolated locations and reliant on simple technologies; modern artisanal miners; recent observations in Nubia and along the Nile; and limited experimentation. Gold production in each model is standardized to a 50-day expedition of 50 people.</div><div>Under our base-case parameters all models, except for distal clast mining (ACM-D), are profitable: they produce more gold than required to pay the workers. The main factor is the low cost of labour in New Kingdom Egypt, when priced in gold. However, only the placer models (PAP and NAP) can generate large returns within realistic modelling parameters, because their free gold particles can be simply recovered by screening and washing. In contrast, lode and clast mining methods (OLM and ACM) must allocate most of the workforce to crushing and grinding ore to liberate gold before recovery. Clast mining is further disadvantaged by barren sediment dilution and is only viable in small catchments close to source lodes.</div><div>New Kingdom Egypt expanded into previously unmined areas of Nubia and along the Nile and therefore enjoyed “first-mover” status over large areas of richly endowed goldfields. By analogy with virgin goldfields in Australia and California, where substantial placer gold dominated earliest production, they had access to numerous unworked deposits with grades perhaps significantly higher than assumed in our models. A surge in New Kingdom gold production was likely, followed by an inevitable decline after depletion of best resources.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106420"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145434363","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 : 2025-11-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106418
Baptiste Pradier , Argyro Nafplioti , Alexandra V. Turchyn , Harold J. Bradbury , Matthew J. Cooper , Daw Kay Htwe Oo , U Saw Naing Oo , Anna Willis , Frédérique Valentin , T.O. Pryce
This study examines patterns of human mobility between two archaeological sites in north-central Myanmar during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (late 2nd to early 1st millennium BC). By analysing strontium isotope ratios in an interindividual as well as an intraindividual approach, we reveal that individual mobility was more pronounced during the Neolithic period (larger range of strontium isotope ratios), likely linked to the exploitation of a broader subsistence area. In contrast, the Bronze Age shows a shift towards smaller mobility, with the majority of individuals exhibiting local strontium isotopic compositions. Notably, a small number of individuals with distinct strontium isotopic signatures were associated with unique funerary practices. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to subsistence strategies and cultural transformations between the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. This research offers valuable insights into mobility, subsistence, and social dynamics in late prehistoric Myanmar, contributing to broader discussions within the contexts of Mainland Southeast Asia and southern China.
{"title":"Mobility patterning during the Neolithic and the Bronze Age in north-central Myanmar","authors":"Baptiste Pradier , Argyro Nafplioti , Alexandra V. Turchyn , Harold J. Bradbury , Matthew J. Cooper , Daw Kay Htwe Oo , U Saw Naing Oo , Anna Willis , Frédérique Valentin , T.O. Pryce","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106418","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106418","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines patterns of human mobility between two archaeological sites in north-central Myanmar during the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age (late 2nd to early 1st millennium BC). By analysing strontium isotope ratios in an interindividual as well as an intraindividual approach, we reveal that individual mobility was more pronounced during the Neolithic period (larger range of strontium isotope ratios), likely linked to the exploitation of a broader subsistence area. In contrast, the Bronze Age shows a shift towards smaller mobility, with the majority of individuals exhibiting local strontium isotopic compositions. Notably, a small number of individuals with distinct strontium isotopic signatures were associated with unique funerary practices. We discuss the implications of these findings in relation to subsistence strategies and cultural transformations between the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age. This research offers valuable insights into mobility, subsistence, and social dynamics in late prehistoric Myanmar, contributing to broader discussions within the contexts of Mainland Southeast Asia and southern China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106418"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145434365","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 : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106414
Christopher Nuttall , Jovan Kovačević
This study evaluates multiple methodologies and their variants for Least Cost Path (LCP) modelling, applied in combination with different Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), to explore the broader applicability of the Movecost package, using the Mycenaean Road networks of the Peloponnese (Greece) as case studies. Using a geographic information system (GIS) and the R programming environment, this paper employs the Movecost package for the R statistical package to simulate ancient routes based on existing road segments. By integrating a variety of functions and parameters, this study evaluates their effectiveness across different DEMs, including both Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DEM (SRTM-DEM) and Copernicus DEM (COP-DEM) at 30 m spatial resolution. The study also examines how varying these parameters can lead to different modelling outcomes, underscoring the necessity of calibrating least-cost analysis to specific regional contexts. The road segments around Nichoria (Messenia), Ayios Ioannis Kazarma (Argolis), and in the Berbati Valley (Argolis), provide a historical canvas against which these methodological innovations are tested with the ultimate aim of exploring the capabilities of the Movecost package and how different combinations of DEM, function, parameter, and path points can effectively model the route through the existing road remains, highlighting the variability and context-specific nature of LCP modelling. The results suggest that the 'Wheeled-vehicle critical cost function' (WCS) was effective in modelling the roads through the extant remains based on start and endpoints suggested by previous research and posited by this paper. These results further suggest that Mycenaean roads likely served as key infrastructure links between major centres and ports or harbours, underscoring their role in facilitating regional trade and communication. However, this outcome represents one of several possible results, as the appropriateness of functions and the parameters tested depend on the specific landscape and archaeological context. This underscores the importance of careful parameter selection, providing insights into the economic and social landscapes of Mycenaean Greece, while also highlighting the potential of integrating spatial data with robust computational tools to enhance our understanding of ancient infrastructure.
本研究评估了最低成本路径（LCP）建模的多种方法及其变化，结合不同的数字高程模型（dem），以伯罗奔尼撒半岛（希腊）迈锡尼道路网络为案例研究，探索Movecost包的更广泛适用性。本文利用地理信息系统（GIS）和R编程环境，利用Movecost包对R统计包进行基于现有路段的古代路线模拟。通过整合各种功能和参数，本研究评估了它们在不同DEM中的有效性，包括30 m空间分辨率的航天飞机雷达地形任务DEM （SRTM-DEM）和哥白尼DEM （COP-DEM）。该研究还考察了这些参数的变化如何导致不同的建模结果，强调了根据特定区域背景校准最低成本分析的必要性。Nichoria （Messenia）、Ayios Ioannis Kazarma （Argolis）和Berbati Valley （Argolis）周围的路段提供了一个历史背景，这些方法创新将在此基础上进行测试，最终目的是探索Movecost包的功能，以及DEM、功能、参数和路径点的不同组合如何有效地通过现有的道路遗迹对路线进行建模，突出LCP建模的可变性和特定环境的性质。结果表明，“车轮车辆临界成本函数”（WCS）可以有效地模拟现有遗迹的道路，该模型基于先前研究提出的起点和终点，并由本文提出。这些结果进一步表明，迈锡尼道路可能是连接主要中心和港口或港口的关键基础设施，强调了它们在促进区域贸易和交流方面的作用。然而，这个结果代表了几种可能的结果之一，因为功能的适当性和测试参数取决于具体的景观和考古背景。这强调了仔细选择参数的重要性，提供了对迈锡尼希腊经济和社会景观的见解，同时也强调了将空间数据与强大的计算工具相结合的潜力，以增强我们对古代基础设施的理解。
{"title":"Mycenaean roads in the Peloponnese, Greece: Least-cost path modelling using R and Movecost","authors":"Christopher Nuttall , Jovan Kovačević","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106414","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106414","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates multiple methodologies and their variants for Least Cost Path (LCP) modelling, applied in combination with different Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), to explore the broader applicability of the Movecost package, using the Mycenaean Road networks of the Peloponnese (Greece) as case studies. Using a geographic information system (GIS) and the R programming environment, this paper employs the Movecost package for the R statistical package to simulate ancient routes based on existing road segments. By integrating a variety of functions and parameters, this study evaluates their effectiveness across different DEMs, including both Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DEM (SRTM-DEM) and Copernicus DEM (COP-DEM) at 30 m spatial resolution. The study also examines how varying these parameters can lead to different modelling outcomes, underscoring the necessity of calibrating least-cost analysis to specific regional contexts. The road segments around Nichoria (Messenia), Ayios Ioannis Kazarma (Argolis), and in the Berbati Valley (Argolis), provide a historical canvas against which these methodological innovations are tested with the ultimate aim of exploring the capabilities of the Movecost package and how different combinations of DEM, function, parameter, and path points can effectively model the route through the existing road remains, highlighting the variability and context-specific nature of LCP modelling. The results suggest that the 'Wheeled-vehicle critical cost function' (WCS) was effective in modelling the roads through the extant remains based on start and endpoints suggested by previous research and posited by this paper. These results further suggest that Mycenaean roads likely served as key infrastructure links between major centres and ports or harbours, underscoring their role in facilitating regional trade and communication. However, this outcome represents one of several possible results, as the appropriateness of functions and the parameters tested depend on the specific landscape and archaeological context. This underscores the importance of careful parameter selection, providing insights into the economic and social landscapes of Mycenaean Greece, while also highlighting the potential of integrating spatial data with robust computational tools to enhance our understanding of ancient infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106414"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424203","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 : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106417
Megan Bieraugle , Brian Vivian , Abbey E. Wilson , Naima Jutha , H. Dean Cluff , Robert J. Losey
Evidence for relationships between people, dogs, and wolves can be found across much of the world. Methods for studying archaeological canid remains, particularly where sex or age is concerned, are limited. Reliable estimations of age at death could provide insights into the long and complex relationships people had with canids, including how they vary geographically, temporally, and by species. This study uses X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) to examine mandibular 1st molar root cross-sections for age estimation. Cementum is a reliable indicator of age in canids because it accumulates incrementally and resists remodelling. The proportion of cross-sectional area comprised of cementum (%C) is assessed for its correlation with age in 13 cementum aged modern wolves and 11 known-aged modern dogs. This study demonstrates that %C, visualized using μ-CT techniques, is an effective tool for determining the age at death for dogs and wolves (combined as a single group), with an error margin of 1.65 years. Taxon-specific %C regressions offer higher resolution, with error margins of 1.68 years for dogs and 1.45 years for wolves; however, sample sizes are small. The method is then applied to archaeological canids from the Junction site (DkPi-2) in Alberta, Canada. These techniques indicate that a few dogs and many wolves of all ages were present at the site, including juvenile/young adult, prime-age adults, and senescent individuals. Explaining this pattern is challenging, but it likely involved a combination of natural deaths, culling, predation, and some wolf-human conflict.
{"title":"Ageing dogs and wolves using x-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT): an application to canid remains from the Junction Site, Alberta, Canada","authors":"Megan Bieraugle , Brian Vivian , Abbey E. Wilson , Naima Jutha , H. Dean Cluff , Robert J. Losey","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106417","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106417","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evidence for relationships between people, dogs, and wolves can be found across much of the world. Methods for studying archaeological canid remains, particularly where sex or age is concerned, are limited. Reliable estimations of age at death could provide insights into the long and complex relationships people had with canids, including how they vary geographically, temporally, and by species. This study uses X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) to examine mandibular 1st molar root cross-sections for age estimation. Cementum is a reliable indicator of age in canids because it accumulates incrementally and resists remodelling. The proportion of cross-sectional area comprised of cementum (%C) is assessed for its correlation with age in 13 cementum aged modern wolves and 11 known-aged modern dogs. This study demonstrates that %C, visualized using μ-CT techniques, is an effective tool for determining the age at death for dogs and wolves (combined as a single group), with an error margin of 1.65 years. Taxon-specific %C regressions offer higher resolution, with error margins of 1.68 years for dogs and 1.45 years for wolves; however, sample sizes are small. The method is then applied to archaeological canids from the Junction site (DkPi-2) in Alberta, Canada. These techniques indicate that a few dogs and many wolves of all ages were present at the site, including juvenile/young adult, prime-age adults, and senescent individuals. Explaining this pattern is challenging, but it likely involved a combination of natural deaths, culling, predation, and some wolf-human conflict.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106417"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145424218","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 : 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106415
Junxian Jing , Yongqiang Li , Xiaoying Wu , Kai Wang , Qi Liu , Yaowu Hu
Chemical analysis of organic residues absorbed in pottery can provide valuable information on culinary practices in the past. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is routine for identifying the organic compositions and biomarkers. In recent years, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been increasingly applied to discern metabolites with more precision. However, the combination of these two techniques has never been reported in organic residue analysis to date. In this study, we, for the first time, introduce a new method to detect organic residues absorbed in pottery at the Peiligang site (Henan, China) during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The results show that compared to traditional methods (GC-MS), the metabolomic analysis (DPMA), combined with on GC-MS and UPLC-HRMS, enables rapid and comprehensive characterization of significant organic compounds in pottery. GC-MS analysis shows the lower content of lipids (0.5–40 μg/g) in all samples, including fatty acids, fatty alcohols, monoacylglycerols, while DPMA analysis indicates the presence of more lipids including fatty acyls, sterols and their derivatives, prenol lipids, polyketides among which fatty acyls are dominant. Both methods suggest that terrestrial animal and plant resources were utilized by humans, but DPMA provides more evidence on the categories of animal and plant resources. Neither method detected the cereal biomarkers (e.g. miliacin), although they were shown in archaeobotanical and dental calculus analyses. This could have been attributed to the timeline of the development of agriculture or the inertness of extraction to plant biomarkers. It is most striking that DPMA analysis finds the secondary metabolites of aromatic plants (13-tetradecanolide, tephrosol, and coumarin A, etc.), might indicating the intentional addition of herbal plants to enhance the flavour during food processing. The universal presence of organic acids in all pottery (cooking and non-cooking) in DPMA analysis supports the previously reported claim that they are not unreliable biomarkers related to alcohol-making activities. Furthermore, the discriminating analysis of metabolites among all pottery indicates the functional difference between cooking and non-cooking pottery and emphasizes the possible importance of Ding among pottery assemblages. Overall, DPMA has been proven as a novel method to look through culinary practices with highly sensitive resolution and has great potential in expanding our knowledge of ancient culinary practices. At last, the advantages and disadvantages of applying DPMA analysis are also discussed.
{"title":"Dual-platform (GC-MS & UPLC-HRMS) metabolomics analysis as a novel method to detect organic residues absorbed in pottery: a preliminary study at the Peiligang site, China","authors":"Junxian Jing , Yongqiang Li , Xiaoying Wu , Kai Wang , Qi Liu , Yaowu Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106415","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106415","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Chemical analysis of organic residues absorbed in pottery can provide valuable information on culinary practices in the past. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is routine for identifying the organic compositions and biomarkers. In recent years, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been increasingly applied to discern metabolites with more precision. However, the combination of these two techniques has never been reported in organic residue analysis to date. In this study, we, for the first time, introduce a new method to detect organic residues absorbed in pottery at the Peiligang site (Henan, China) during the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. The results show that compared to traditional methods (GC-MS), the metabolomic analysis (DPMA), combined with on GC-MS and UPLC-HRMS, enables rapid and comprehensive characterization of significant organic compounds in pottery. GC-MS analysis shows the lower content of lipids (0.5–40 μg/g) in all samples, including fatty acids, fatty alcohols, monoacylglycerols, while DPMA analysis indicates the presence of more lipids including fatty acyls, sterols and their derivatives, prenol lipids, polyketides among which fatty acyls are dominant. Both methods suggest that terrestrial animal and plant resources were utilized by humans, but DPMA provides more evidence on the categories of animal and plant resources. Neither method detected the cereal biomarkers (e.g. miliacin), although they were shown in archaeobotanical and dental calculus analyses. This could have been attributed to the timeline of the development of agriculture or the inertness of extraction to plant biomarkers. It is most striking that DPMA analysis finds the secondary metabolites of aromatic plants (13-tetradecanolide, tephrosol, and coumarin A, etc.), might indicating the intentional addition of herbal plants to enhance the flavour during food processing. The universal presence of organic acids in all pottery (cooking and non-cooking) in DPMA analysis supports the previously reported claim that they are not unreliable biomarkers related to alcohol-making activities. Furthermore, the discriminating analysis of metabolites among all pottery indicates the functional difference between cooking and non-cooking pottery and emphasizes the possible importance of <em>Ding</em> among pottery assemblages. Overall, DPMA has been proven as a novel method to look through culinary practices with highly sensitive resolution and has great potential in expanding our knowledge of ancient culinary practices. At last, the advantages and disadvantages of applying DPMA analysis are also discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106415"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145425277","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 : 2025-10-29DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106386
Clara Boulanger , Rintaro Ono , Michiko Intoh , Michael Buckley
<div><div>The capture of fast-moving marine predators, such as sharks and scombrids, played a crucial role in human subsistence and cultural evolution, with advanced fishing techniques emerging alongside the maritime expansions of Neolithic populations across the Pacific. However, challenges in identifying their remains in the archaeological record have constrained our understanding of their significance. Fais, a raised coral island in Micronesia, has been inhabited for 1800 years, with archaeological evidence revealing a reliance on fishing strategies targeting inshore taxa but also pelagic taxa including some species of sharks and scombrids. Using ZooMS, this study analysed archaeological bones, mostly vertebrae, from the Powa (FSPO) archaeological site, Fais, with 100 % and 93 % success rates of retrieving collagen fingerprints in scombrids (<em>n</em> = 77) and sharks (<em>n</em> = 54) respectively. The scombrids were overwhelmingly dominated (97 %; <em>n</em> = 75) by skipjack tuna (<em>Katsuwonus pelamis</em>), with the remaining specimens deriving from two distinct species, yellowfin tuna (<em>Thunnus albacares</em>) and wahoo (<em>Acanthocybium solandri</em>). In contrast, the shark remains were more taxonomically diverse and evenly balanced, with at least five distinct taxa across much fewer samples. Although lacking a complete enough reference database to make confident assignments to species, we could infer that at least more than one half of the identifications were to groups that closely match the silky shark (<em>Carcharhinus falciformis; n = 20</em>), and the Galapagos shark (<em>C</em>. <em>galapagensis; n = 11</em>); these two sharks have well-known associations with tuna and their identifications are consistent with some of the dominant species inferred through morphology. A third relatively abundant type (<em>n</em> = 17) yielded spectra that could not be matched to our reference material, though plausibly of the only other relatively abundant tuna-associated taxon, the silvertip shark (C. <em>albimarginatus</em>). A further two species were represented by one sample each, one of which was a good match for the whitetip reef shark (<em>Triaenodon obesus</em><strong>)</strong>, but the other also not close to any of the reference material included in this study. Nonetheless, the categorization of the shark remains in this study using ZooMS disagrees with the categorization by morphology reported elsewhere, where multiple ‘types’ are found in previously identified morphological types and <em>vice versa</em>. From a methodological viewpoint, this study clearly demonstrates the substantial difference in confidence that can be assigned to a taxonomic identification that well-curated ZooMS databases can offer, particularly when supported by genomic sequence information. By improving the taxonomic resolution of archaeological fish identifications these findings enhance our understanding of ancient fishing practices while suggesting a n
{"title":"ZooMS as a tool for understanding prehistoric pelagic fishing: Insights from archaeological shark and scombrid remains on Fais Island, Micronesia, over the last two millennia","authors":"Clara Boulanger , Rintaro Ono , Michiko Intoh , Michael Buckley","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The capture of fast-moving marine predators, such as sharks and scombrids, played a crucial role in human subsistence and cultural evolution, with advanced fishing techniques emerging alongside the maritime expansions of Neolithic populations across the Pacific. However, challenges in identifying their remains in the archaeological record have constrained our understanding of their significance. Fais, a raised coral island in Micronesia, has been inhabited for 1800 years, with archaeological evidence revealing a reliance on fishing strategies targeting inshore taxa but also pelagic taxa including some species of sharks and scombrids. Using ZooMS, this study analysed archaeological bones, mostly vertebrae, from the Powa (FSPO) archaeological site, Fais, with 100 % and 93 % success rates of retrieving collagen fingerprints in scombrids (<em>n</em> = 77) and sharks (<em>n</em> = 54) respectively. The scombrids were overwhelmingly dominated (97 %; <em>n</em> = 75) by skipjack tuna (<em>Katsuwonus pelamis</em>), with the remaining specimens deriving from two distinct species, yellowfin tuna (<em>Thunnus albacares</em>) and wahoo (<em>Acanthocybium solandri</em>). In contrast, the shark remains were more taxonomically diverse and evenly balanced, with at least five distinct taxa across much fewer samples. Although lacking a complete enough reference database to make confident assignments to species, we could infer that at least more than one half of the identifications were to groups that closely match the silky shark (<em>Carcharhinus falciformis; n = 20</em>), and the Galapagos shark (<em>C</em>. <em>galapagensis; n = 11</em>); these two sharks have well-known associations with tuna and their identifications are consistent with some of the dominant species inferred through morphology. A third relatively abundant type (<em>n</em> = 17) yielded spectra that could not be matched to our reference material, though plausibly of the only other relatively abundant tuna-associated taxon, the silvertip shark (C. <em>albimarginatus</em>). A further two species were represented by one sample each, one of which was a good match for the whitetip reef shark (<em>Triaenodon obesus</em><strong>)</strong>, but the other also not close to any of the reference material included in this study. Nonetheless, the categorization of the shark remains in this study using ZooMS disagrees with the categorization by morphology reported elsewhere, where multiple ‘types’ are found in previously identified morphological types and <em>vice versa</em>. From a methodological viewpoint, this study clearly demonstrates the substantial difference in confidence that can be assigned to a taxonomic identification that well-curated ZooMS databases can offer, particularly when supported by genomic sequence information. By improving the taxonomic resolution of archaeological fish identifications these findings enhance our understanding of ancient fishing practices while suggesting a n","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106386"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145397369","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 : 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106397
Federico L. Scartascini , Alhue Bay Gavuzzo
This paper presents a LCA model of human mobility in mixed landscapes (land and water) for the north Patagonian Andes. For this, we combined participatory mapping and least cost analysis using open-source software. Four scenarios are presented in which the comparative costs of transiting aquatic environments change in an increasing order of difficulty. The results highlight the importance of aquatic transit and navigation for the human occupation of small-scale groups in this sector of Patagonia. The cost routes were validated through hiking and kayaking routes currently in use in the area and show a good fit with the developed model. Path density analysis further enabled the identification of key sectors, sites and preferential trails or corridors within the model. Finally, we discuss and highlight the versatility and robustness of the model by considering human movement strategies and the navigation impact in a regional scale.
{"title":"Least cost path analysis and fluvial navigation of Patagonian hunter-gatherers","authors":"Federico L. Scartascini , Alhue Bay Gavuzzo","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a LCA model of human mobility in mixed landscapes (land and water) for the north Patagonian Andes. For this, we combined participatory mapping and least cost analysis using open-source software. Four scenarios are presented in which the comparative costs of transiting aquatic environments change in an increasing order of difficulty. The results highlight the importance of aquatic transit and navigation for the human occupation of small-scale groups in this sector of Patagonia. The cost routes were validated through hiking and kayaking routes currently in use in the area and show a good fit with the developed model. Path density analysis further enabled the identification of key sectors, sites and preferential trails or corridors within the model. Finally, we discuss and highlight the versatility and robustness of the model by considering human movement strategies and the navigation impact in a regional scale.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145382599","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 : 2025-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106398
Jianxuan Hong, Shengqian Chen
Liangzhu culture, a pivotal prehistoric archaeological culture in the Taihu Basin, offers critical insights into the origins of Chinese civilization. A thorough understanding of the relationships between three central sites—Liangzhu Ancient City(良渚古城), Fuquanshan(福泉山), and Sidun(寺墩)—is essential for deepening our comprehension of the evolution of social organization within Liangzhu. Renowned for its jade culture, Liangzhu's jade artifacts, including their types and combinations, constitute key features of the civilization's material culture. This study presents an innovative approach by utilizing jade artifacts as a conduit to establish three distinct networks: a network of within Liangzhu society, a network of jade artifacts symbolizing power and status, and a jade cong (琮) network. These networks provide novel perspectives on the interrelations among the three sites. The findings reveal that Liangzhu society did not remain under the dominance of a single central power, but instead underwent a shift from a centralized to a multi-centered structure. Liangzhu Ancient City dominated the early phases, while Fuquanshan began to emerge as a central node in the third phase, and Sidun exhibited distinct local features in the fourth phase. The jade cong network elucidates a stepwise shift in political power—from the early dominance of the Liangzhu Ancient City, to the emergence of Fuquanshan in the later phases, and the subsequent prominence of Sidun.
{"title":"Network analysis of jade artifacts in Liangzhu: Exploring the relationships between Liangzhu Ancient City, Fuquanshan, and Sidun","authors":"Jianxuan Hong, Shengqian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106398","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106398","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Liangzhu culture, a pivotal prehistoric archaeological culture in the Taihu Basin, offers critical insights into the origins of Chinese civilization. A thorough understanding of the relationships between three central sites—Liangzhu Ancient City(良渚古城), Fuquanshan(福泉山), and Sidun(寺墩)—is essential for deepening our comprehension of the evolution of social organization within Liangzhu. Renowned for its jade culture, Liangzhu's jade artifacts, including their types and combinations, constitute key features of the civilization's material culture. This study presents an innovative approach by utilizing jade artifacts as a conduit to establish three distinct networks: a network of within Liangzhu society, a network of jade artifacts symbolizing power and status, and a jade <em>cong</em> (琮) network. These networks provide novel perspectives on the interrelations among the three sites. The findings reveal that Liangzhu society did not remain under the dominance of a single central power, but instead underwent a shift from a centralized to a multi-centered structure. Liangzhu Ancient City dominated the early phases, while Fuquanshan began to emerge as a central node in the third phase, and Sidun exhibited distinct local features in the fourth phase. The jade <em>cong</em> network elucidates a stepwise shift in political power—from the early dominance of the Liangzhu Ancient City, to the emergence of Fuquanshan in the later phases, and the subsequent prominence of Sidun.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106398"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145365039","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}
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