Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"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 ,&nbsp;Yongqiang Li ,&nbsp;Xiaoying Wu ,&nbsp;Kai Wang ,&nbsp;Qi Liu ,&nbsp;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}

{"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 ,&nbsp;Rintaro Ono ,&nbsp;Michiko Intoh ,&nbsp;Michael Buckley","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106386","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;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 (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; = 77) and sharks (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; = 54) respectively. The scombrids were overwhelmingly dominated (97 %; &lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; = 75) by skipjack tuna (&lt;em&gt;Katsuwonus pelamis&lt;/em&gt;), with the remaining specimens deriving from two distinct species, yellowfin tuna (&lt;em&gt;Thunnus albacares&lt;/em&gt;) and wahoo (&lt;em&gt;Acanthocybium solandri&lt;/em&gt;). 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 (&lt;em&gt;Carcharhinus falciformis; n = 20&lt;/em&gt;), and the Galapagos shark (&lt;em&gt;C&lt;/em&gt;. &lt;em&gt;galapagensis; n = 11&lt;/em&gt;); 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 (&lt;em&gt;n&lt;/em&gt; = 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. &lt;em&gt;albimarginatus&lt;/em&gt;). A further two species were represented by one sample each, one of which was a good match for the whitetip reef shark (&lt;em&gt;Triaenodon obesus&lt;/em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;)&lt;/strong&gt;, 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 &lt;em&gt;vice versa&lt;/em&gt;. 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}

{"title":"Least cost path analysis and fluvial navigation of Patagonian hunter-gatherers","authors":"Federico L. Scartascini ,&nbsp;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}

{"title":"Network analysis of jade artifacts in Liangzhu: Exploring the relationships between Liangzhu Ancient City, Fuquanshan, and Sidun","authors":"Jianxuan Hong,&nbsp;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}

{"title":"Modelling of the Mid–Late Holocene coastline variations of the Ras al-Jinz site (Sultanate of Oman) using UAV technology photogrammetry, electromagnetic survey, and sedimentary archives","authors":"Jérôme Lejot ,&nbsp;Jean-François Berger ,&nbsp;Adrien Barra ,&nbsp;Guillaume Bruniaux ,&nbsp;Alexandre Patrick De Rorre ,&nbsp;Olivia Munoz ,&nbsp;Hervé Guy ,&nbsp;Franck Bassinot ,&nbsp;Valentina Maria Azzara","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106408","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The <em>Neoarabia</em> project aimed to investigate the interactions between the ancient populations of the eastern coast of Oman and the dynamic coastal landscapes of the Holocene, shaped by the complex interplay of marine influences, glacio-hydro-isostatic processes, and regional climatic and hydrological changes. Using morphological, electromagnetic, litho- and chrono-stratigraphic, as well as archaeological data, this study combines geomorphological analysis with very high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) imagery and structure-from-motion photogrammetry to reconstruct coastal environmental conditions throughout the different periods of the Middle and Late Holocene. It takes advantage of the presence of intercalated archaeological sites at Ras al-Jinz 3 within a coastal sequence to refine the chronology of marine fluctuations during a period of instability marked by rapid changes. Field data illustrate that, after the stabilization of eustatic sea levels in the Middle Holocene, several marine oscillations altered the configuration of the coastlines—sometimes rapidly—with varying degrees of impact on fishing and hunter-gatherer populations. Through dating and 3D spatial analysis using a geographic information system (GIS), we accurately reconstructed paleo-sea levels over three distinct periods, each with an average sea level approximately +3 m above the present mean sea level, occurring at 0.95–0.75, 4.4–4.2, and 6.5–6.4 ka BP. Their 3D palaeogeographic reconstruction helps explain the distribution of archaeological sites within Ras al-Jinz Bay.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106408"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145364931","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":"Reassessing the role of Polynesian rats (Rattus exulans) in Rapa Nui (Easter Island) deforestation: Faunal evidence and ecological modeling","authors":"Terry L. Hunt ,&nbsp;Carl P. Lipo","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The role of introduced Polynesian rats (<em>Rattus exulans</em>) in the deforestation of Rapa Nui remains a contentious issue. Several critics, including Mieth and Bork (2010), argue that rats played a negligible role compared to human impacts. We address the role of rats through three lines of evidence: (1) a response to rats-are-negligible arguments, including problematic continental analogies and misunderstandings of seed predation impacts; (2) analysis of rat remains from Anakena excavations (1986–2005) showing that rats decreased over time, contradicting claims they served as a “fallback food” following resource depletion; and (3) ecological modeling demonstrating that introduced rats could reach populations of 11.2 million within 47 years, with 95 % seed predation sufficient to prevent palm regeneration. Our integrated evidence supports rats as a keystone invasive species that, through synergistic interactions with human forest clearing, drove one of the most complete ecological transformations documented in human history. These findings challenge narratives of simple anthropogenic “ecocide” and highlight the critical role of invasive species in island environmental change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"184 ","pages":"Article 106388"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145290005","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":"The methodological centrality of geo-archaeological surveys in ceramic provenance analysis: A re-assessment of El Argar pottery production and circulation","authors":"Carla Garrido-García ,&nbsp;David Gómez-Gras ,&nbsp;Marta Roigé ,&nbsp;Adrià Moreno Gil ,&nbsp;Roberto Risch","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The abundance and variety of clay sources found in many parts of the world make the issue of prehistoric pottery provenance and circulation more complex than what purely petrographic characterisation studies often suggest. In this study we use a specific combination of petrographic analysis, geoarchaeological survey, and spatial analysis to determine the origin of the clays used in pottery production. Specifically, we focus on pottery production within the core area of El Argar, an archaeological entity that developed during the Early Bronze Age (2200-1550 BCE) in the southeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Following the analysis of the natural conditions under which the identified El Argar clays had formed, an archaeological survey was conducted, locating the raw materials within geographically confined sedimentary deposits of the Inner Betic mountain range. By examining the distance between clay deposits and Early Bronze Age settlements, we conclude that the majority of El Argar ceramics were not produced locally. The spatial analysis strongly supports the idea of a specialized production, likely concentrated around specific clay deposits, with a high degree of productive standardisation. These patterns align more with regional and supra-regional political systems and exchange networks, than with a domestic mode of production. The proposed investigation shows how the combination of petrographic optical microscope analysis, systematic geological and geomorphological survey, and spatial modeling aided by GIS provides a powerful tool for identifying forms of economic and political organization of pottery manufacture and circulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268635","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":"Determination of burning environment and temperature by colour and magnetic susceptibility based on heating simulation experiments and its application in Sanxingdui site in Sichuan, China","authors":"Qian Wu ,&nbsp;Fang Xiang ,&nbsp;Yuming Guo ,&nbsp;Ming Huang ,&nbsp;Jiancheng Liu ,&nbsp;Xin Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106399","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106399","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Magnetic susceptibility and colour are essential physical indicators for identifying traces of ancient fire use and are widely applied in archaeological research to reconstruct fire-related activities. The Sanxingdui site (4.8–2.8 ka) in Southwest China stands as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. In this study, heating simulation experiments were conducted on Guanghan clay–widely distributed across the site–under both air and argon atmospheres, to investigate how its colour and magnetic parameters changed with temperature. Burnt soil from Pit K4 was used as a case study to infer the burning temperature and environment. The results indicated that changes in magnetic susceptibility and colour were closely tied to the phase transitions of magnetic minerals. Elevated magnetic susceptibility results from the formation of ferromagnetic minerals during high-temperature heating, whereas increased redness was attributed to the formation of hematite. The bluish-gray colour observed in an anaerobic environment was associated with the abundant formation of ferrous oxide. By comparing the colour and magnetic data of burnt soil from Pit K4 with those of Guanghan clay, combined with magnetic analysis and previous research, we inferred that fire rituals at the Sanxingdui site reached temperatures of approximately 850 °C and were likely conducted in open, well-ventilated settings. The method developed in this study, based on heating simulation experiments, for determining burning temperatures and environments using colour and magnetic susceptibility, can provide a reference for preliminary estimation of firing temperature ranges of burnt soil formed by human fire use or wildfires at numerous ancient Shu sites distributed on the Guanghan clay layer. It also provides insights into studying ancient fire-related behaviours at other archaeological sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106399"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268632","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":"Why is it so difficult to work on geochemical composition? Supervised geochemical composition data processing to study colouring iron oxide-rich rocks in archaeological contexts","authors":"Claire Chanteraud ,&nbsp;Hélène Salomon ,&nbsp;Emilie Chalmin ,&nbsp;Quentin Lemasson ,&nbsp;Claire Pacheco ,&nbsp;Laurent Pichon ,&nbsp;Eric Goemaere ,&nbsp;Camille Noûs ,&nbsp;Brandi L. MacDonald","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106277","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106277","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iron oxide-rich colouring materials exhibit substantial diversity across various contexts, encompassing a wide range of physical, chemical, petrographic, and mechanical characteristics. The identification of these materials holds the key to understanding exploited mineral resources and the criteria of selections in Palaeolithic societies. Geochemical methods delve into the intrinsic properties of rocks, offering insights into their historical records, including their formation, weathering transformation, and technical applications.</div><div>To support the comprehensive collection and analysis of geochemical data pertaining to such archaeological materials, this paper establishes a foundation based on a diverse iron oxide-rich reference rocks. The objective of this study is to ensure a consistent basis for comparison by 1) formulating measurement procedures tailored to the unique physical attributes of iron oxide-rich materials, 2) elucidating the geological formation and context in relation to material composition, and 3) facilitating comparisons between geochemical analyses conducted on archaeological specimens and compatible geological references, whether local, regional, or extra-regional.</div><div>This paper presents a comprehensive investigation of the geochemical composition of seven selected iron oxide-rich reference rocks. By integrating petrographic and mineralogical insights with a careful consideration of analytical and statistical constraints, it contributes a coherent and critically assessed framework for conducting geochemical analyses and statistical data processing on archaeological specimens and relevant reference rocks, leveraging non-invasive Proton-Induced X-ray Emission Spectroscopy (PIXE) data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106277"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268634","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":"Mitochondrial DNA diversity in northeast Iberians during the Iron Age","authors":"Daniel R. Cuesta-Aguirre ,&nbsp;M. Rosa Campoy-Caballero ,&nbsp;Carolina Sandoval-Ávila ,&nbsp;Cesc Busquets i Costa ,&nbsp;Marta Fàbregas i Espadaler ,&nbsp;Alejandro G. Sinner ,&nbsp;Gabriel de Prado ,&nbsp;Nuria Molist Capella ,&nbsp;Montserrat Duran i Caixal ,&nbsp;Imma Mestres Santacreu ,&nbsp;Natalia Alonso ,&nbsp;Maria Pilar Aluja ,&nbsp;Assumpció Malgosa ,&nbsp;Cristina Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iberian culture emerged along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula between the 8th and 6th century BCE, flourishing during the 5th-3rd BCE until the Roman conquest. Iberians engaged in metallurgy, agriculture, and livestock, and actively participated in Mediterranean commercial trade networks. Despite cremation being the predominant funerary practice, advances in ancient DNA techniques have enabled the recovery of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from an increasing number of Iberian individuals. Here, we analyzed the remains of 31 newborns, successfully obtaining mtDNA profiles for 21 individuals (20 Iberians and 1 Late Roman). These data were merged with 41 previously published mtDNA profiles from unrelated Iberians across different tribes of the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula. Additional prehistoric data were compiled to contextualize Iberian haplogroups. We investigated maternal lineage diversity between tribes, temporal shifts in haplogroup composition, and signatures of long-distance female mobility. Our results revealed subtle differences in mtDNA haplogroup frequencies between groups, although genetic differentiation was not statistically significant. Mitochondrial diversity remained relatively high across all tribes, consistent with patrilocal mating systems and small-distance female migration that may have prevented strong matrilineal differentiation among tribes. A predominance of haplogroups H, J, K, HV0, and U was observed, most of which were already present in the Iberian Peninsula before the Iron Age. Haplogroup diversity remained stable over time, without population differentiation, suggesting maternal genetic continuity from the Bronze Age. However, the presence of some haplogroups pointed to occasional female-mediated gene flow from North Africa, the Near East, and Central Europe. Overall, this study provides the most comprehensive NGS-based assessment of maternal ancestry in Iron Age Iberians to date, revealing a genetic landscape shaped by local continuity alongside some long-distance female mobility linked to commercial trade and cultural interaction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106390"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268633","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}