Pub Date : 2025-10-08DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106389
Mari Carmen Arriaza , Julia Aramendi , Ronald Clarke , Miguel Ángel Maté-González , José Yravedra , Paloma de la Peña , Dominic Stratford
Taphonomic studies aim to discern the origin of bone assemblages at archaeological and palaeontological sites, determining whether (or the degree to which) carnivores, humans or natural processes were involved in the accumulation and modification of such assemblages. The StW 53 Australopithecus cranium from Sterkfontein (South Africa) exhibits striations on the antero-medial face of the zygomatic arch. Previous taphonomic analyses suggested that these bone surface modifications were cut marks. However, subsequent research argued that the linear marks were produced through contact with an autogenic clast from the cave. An accurate taphonomic interpretation is crucial because, if the StW 53 striations are cut marks, it could represent the earliest evidence of tool-assisted modification of a hominin bone. New neotaphonomic experiments have been conducted to test both hypotheses. Additionally, geometric morphometric analysis and machine learning algorithms have been used to characterize the morphology of both cut marks and natural marks. Results indicate that the more plausible hypothesis for the origin of the StW 53 striations is a natural taphonomic process involving an autogenic clast from the cave.
{"title":"Is the StW 53 cranium (Sterkfontein, South Africa) the earliest evidence of tool-assisted hominin modification? New data from a neotaphonomic experiment and the virtual reconstruction of its linear marks","authors":"Mari Carmen Arriaza , Julia Aramendi , Ronald Clarke , Miguel Ángel Maté-González , José Yravedra , Paloma de la Peña , Dominic Stratford","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Taphonomic studies aim to discern the origin of bone assemblages at archaeological and palaeontological sites, determining whether (or the degree to which) carnivores, humans or natural processes were involved in the accumulation and modification of such assemblages. The StW 53 <em>Australopithecus</em> cranium from Sterkfontein (South Africa) exhibits striations on the antero-medial face of the zygomatic arch. Previous taphonomic analyses suggested that these bone surface modifications were cut marks. However, subsequent research argued that the linear marks were produced through contact with an autogenic clast from the cave. An accurate taphonomic interpretation is crucial because, if the StW 53 striations are cut marks, it could represent the earliest evidence of tool-assisted modification of a hominin bone. New neotaphonomic experiments have been conducted to test both hypotheses. Additionally, geometric morphometric analysis and machine learning algorithms have been used to characterize the morphology of both cut marks and natural marks. Results indicate that the more plausible hypothesis for the origin of the StW 53 striations is a natural taphonomic process involving an autogenic clast from the cave.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106389"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268638","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 : 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106395
Litong Liu , Caihui Wang , Yutian Yang, Yue Zhou, Jie Yang, Xue Ling, Ming Zhang
As one of the earliest domestication centers of plants and animals globally, zooarchaeological studies in China provide key insights into the relationship between domestication processes and socioeconomic development. Despite recent growth in Chinese zooarchaeological research, a comprehensive synthesis is lacking. To address this gap, we systematically compiled a dataset of 2,913 zooarchaeological records from published literature and archaeological reports across China, covering the early Neolithic to the Han Dynasty (approximately 12-1.8 thousand years before present). The dataset reveals significant spatial disparities in the distribution of six key domesticated species (pigs, dogs, cattle, sheep, goats, and horses), with 87.68 % of the total faunal remains concentrated in Northern China and 12.32 % in Southern China. Pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), both native to East Asia, constituted the most abundant species. This dataset provides a comprehensive overview of Chinese zooarchaeological research, enhances its international visibility, and establishes a foundation for future integrated studies.
{"title":"A comprehensive dataset of key domesticated faunal remains from China spanning the early Neolithic to the Han Dynasty","authors":"Litong Liu , Caihui Wang , Yutian Yang, Yue Zhou, Jie Yang, Xue Ling, Ming Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106395","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106395","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As one of the earliest domestication centers of plants and animals globally, zooarchaeological studies in China provide key insights into the relationship between domestication processes and socioeconomic development. Despite recent growth in Chinese zooarchaeological research, a comprehensive synthesis is lacking. To address this gap, we systematically compiled a dataset of 2,913 zooarchaeological records from published literature and archaeological reports across China, covering the early Neolithic to the Han Dynasty (approximately 12-1.8 thousand years before present). The dataset reveals significant spatial disparities in the distribution of six key domesticated species (pigs, dogs, cattle, sheep, goats, and horses), with 87.68 % of the total faunal remains concentrated in Northern China and 12.32 % in Southern China. Pigs (<em>Sus scrofa domesticus</em>) and dogs (<em>Canis lupus familiaris</em>), both native to East Asia, constituted the most abundant species. This dataset provides a comprehensive overview of Chinese zooarchaeological research, enhances its international visibility, and establishes a foundation for future integrated studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106395"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268637","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 : 2025-10-04DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106383
Carl P. Lipo , Terry L. Hunt
The transport of Rapa Nui's (Easter Island) monumental moai statues has been debated for over a century. Based on a systematic analysis of 962 moai, with a focus on 62 road statues, combined with 3D modeling and experimental trials, we demonstrate that these multi-ton megaliths were designed for transport vertically in a controlled "walking" motion facilitated by their carved shapes. Our evidence includes distinctive morphological features of road moai (wide, D-shaped bases and forward lean), archaeological road characteristics (4.5m wide, concave cross-sections), non-random breakage patterns, and successful experimental validation using a precisely-scaled 4.35 metric ton replica based on road moai morphology. Our experiments revealed that the forward-leaning design enabled efficient transport, covering 100 m in 40 min with a team of 18 people—a significant improvement over earlier vertical transport attempts that used incorrectly proportioned ahu moai forms. Statistical analysis of the road moai distribution reveals patterns that are strongly consistent with transport failure: 51.6 % concentrate within 2 km of the Rano Raraku quarry, following an exponential decay pattern expected from mechanical failure processes rather than deliberate ceremonial placement. Despite empirical support, several scholars have challenged the walking hypothesis. We systematically address critiques regarding terrain constraints, rope availability, weathering patterns, and alternative transport mechanisms, demonstrating how objections fail to account for the comprehensive archaeological evidence supporting vertical transport. The walking method required minimal resources and labor compared to horizontal transport hypotheses, revealing sophisticated engineering rather than environmental destruction, and aligning with Rapa Nui oral traditions that describe moai "walking" from the quarry.
{"title":"The walking moai hypothesis: Archaeological evidence, experimental validation, and response to critics","authors":"Carl P. Lipo , Terry L. Hunt","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The transport of Rapa Nui's (Easter Island) monumental <em>moai</em> statues has been debated for over a century. Based on a systematic analysis of 962 <em>moai</em>, with a focus on 62 road statues, combined with 3D modeling and experimental trials, we demonstrate that these multi-ton megaliths were designed for transport vertically in a controlled \"walking\" motion facilitated by their carved shapes. Our evidence includes distinctive morphological features of road <em>moai</em> (wide, D-shaped bases and forward lean), archaeological road characteristics (4.5m wide, concave cross-sections), non-random breakage patterns, and successful experimental validation using a precisely-scaled 4.35 metric ton replica based on road <em>moai</em> morphology. Our experiments revealed that the forward-leaning design enabled efficient transport, covering 100 m in 40 min with a team of 18 people—a significant improvement over earlier vertical transport attempts that used incorrectly proportioned <em>ahu moai</em> forms. Statistical analysis of the road <em>moai</em> distribution reveals patterns that are strongly consistent with transport failure: 51.6 % concentrate within 2 km of the Rano Raraku quarry, following an exponential decay pattern expected from mechanical failure processes rather than deliberate ceremonial placement. Despite empirical support, several scholars have challenged the walking hypothesis. We systematically address critiques regarding terrain constraints, rope availability, weathering patterns, and alternative transport mechanisms, demonstrating how objections fail to account for the comprehensive archaeological evidence supporting vertical transport. The walking method required minimal resources and labor compared to horizontal transport hypotheses, revealing sophisticated engineering rather than environmental destruction, and aligning with Rapa Nui oral traditions that describe <em>moai</em> \"walking\" from the quarry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106383"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145242025","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 : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106396
Alexandra L. Norwood , Benjamin Davies , Julie Luyt , David R. Braun , J. Tyler Faith
Isotopic analysis of serially-sampled dental enamel from fossil faunal assemblages is a popular paleoenvironmental proxy for its ability to inform on changes in seasonality and vegetation structure in the past. However, multiple factors contribute to patterning observed in isotope data from these enamel samples, including growth rate changes over the course of tooth development; variation in the amount of dental wear; seasonal variation in births that affect the timing of recorded environmental signals; and intra-annual variation in the isotopic composition of ingested water and plant foods. Here, we model tooth growth and wear in zebra (Equus spp.) to generate simulated assemblages of teeth to characterize how the signal of an idealized oxygen isotope sine wave input is modulated by these sources of variation. In the model, a death assemblage of individual animals is generated using data from known populations. For each animal, a third molar (m3) is grown to a specified height, during which time it accumulates an isotopic signal, and then is worn based on empirically-observed rates of wear to its age at death. Simulated teeth are then sampled serially at designated intervals down the length of the tooth, generating an enamel isotope profile for each tooth. In a series of simulated experiments, we complexify the model by layering changing growth patterns and population demography and compare the resultant enamel isotope profiles. Our results demonstrate the dramatic impact these factors have on how isotopic signals are accumulated within teeth and within assemblages. To operationalize these results, we also compare our model output to measured oxygen isotope data from mid-Pleistocene zebra from the Elandsfontein dunefield in the southwestern Cape of South Africa. These comparisons indicate Elandsfontein may have experienced similar precipitation seasonality during the mid-Pleistocene to the southwestern Cape today.
{"title":"Simulating the formation of herbivore tooth death assemblages to improve expectations for paleoenvironmental reconstruction from intra-tooth isotopic analysis","authors":"Alexandra L. Norwood , Benjamin Davies , Julie Luyt , David R. Braun , J. Tyler Faith","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106396","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Isotopic analysis of serially-sampled dental enamel from fossil faunal assemblages is a popular paleoenvironmental proxy for its ability to inform on changes in seasonality and vegetation structure in the past. However, multiple factors contribute to patterning observed in isotope data from these enamel samples, including growth rate changes over the course of tooth development; variation in the amount of dental wear; seasonal variation in births that affect the timing of recorded environmental signals; and intra-annual variation in the isotopic composition of ingested water and plant foods. Here, we model tooth growth and wear in zebra (<em>Equus</em> spp.) to generate simulated assemblages of teeth to characterize how the signal of an idealized oxygen isotope sine wave input is modulated by these sources of variation. In the model, a death assemblage of individual animals is generated using data from known populations. For each animal, a third molar (m3) is grown to a specified height, during which time it accumulates an isotopic signal, and then is worn based on empirically-observed rates of wear to its age at death. Simulated teeth are then sampled serially at designated intervals down the length of the tooth, generating an enamel isotope profile for each tooth. In a series of simulated experiments, we complexify the model by layering changing growth patterns and population demography and compare the resultant enamel isotope profiles. Our results demonstrate the dramatic impact these factors have on how isotopic signals are accumulated within teeth and within assemblages. To operationalize these results, we also compare our model output to measured oxygen isotope data from mid-Pleistocene zebra from the Elandsfontein dunefield in the southwestern Cape of South Africa. These comparisons indicate Elandsfontein may have experienced similar precipitation seasonality during the mid-Pleistocene to the southwestern Cape today.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106396"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221825","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 : 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106393
McKenzie R. Bentley , Lorena Becerra-Valdivia , Thiago Kater , Laura Pereira Furquim , Jennifer Watling , Fernando Almeida , Kelly Brandão , David Chivall , Natálya Cristiana Pereira Pinheiro , Bethan Linscott , Qian Ma , Guilherme Mongeló , Myrtle P. Shock , André Oliveira Sawakuchi , Francis Mayle , Eduardo Góes Neves , Christopher Bronk Ramsey
Teotônio is a pre-Columbian riverine archaeological site located in southwestern Amazonia, in a region with diverse cultural traditions and linguistic variety, and an archaeological record marking one of the oldest occupations in the Amazon. The site has a long history of nearly continuous human occupation spanning most of the Holocene, predicated by a stratigraphic sequence containing important pre-ceramic and ceramic traditions. As such, Teotônio offers a valuable opportunity to improve our understanding of the human landscape in southwestern Amazonia during the late Holocene. This work aims to provide a reliable chronology for Teotônio by producing new radiocarbon measurements and building a revised chronology using Bayesian chronological modelling. Through organic residue analysis (ORA), we run a pilot study to discern pottery vessel function according to ceramic tradition by characterising preserved lipid residues using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Bayesian modelling estimates the start and end of the cultural sequence at Teotônio to 10540–9425 cal BP and 625–395 cal BP (or CE 1325–1555), respectively, with a total duration between 8840 and 9980 years. ORA results for the ceramics show the presence of palmitic and stearic acids and resinous diterpenoids in most samples. These preliminary findings align with ethnographic traditions observed in the region, whereby resins from local flora are used for ceramic surface treatment, fuel, and/or medicinal purposes—although more work is required for validation. Together, the updated chronology and pilot study results contribute to our understanding of cultural practices and their maintenance through time, as well as specific human-environment interactions in southwestern Amazonia.
Teotônio是一个前哥伦布时代的河流考古遗址，位于亚马逊西南部，在一个文化传统和语言多样性丰富的地区，考古记录标志着亚马逊最古老的职业之一。该遗址有着悠久的历史，人类在整个全新世的大部分时间里几乎连续不断地居住，这是由包含重要的前陶瓷和陶瓷传统的地层序列所预示的。因此，Teotônio提供了一个宝贵的机会来提高我们对全新世晚期亚马逊西南地区人类景观的理解。这项工作旨在通过产生新的放射性碳测量和使用贝叶斯时间模型建立修订的年表，为Teotônio提供可靠的年表。通过有机残留物分析（ORA），我们利用超临界流体萃取和气相色谱-质谱联用技术对保存的脂质残留物进行表征，以识别陶瓷传统的陶瓷容器功能。贝叶斯模型估计，该文化序列的开始和结束时间分别为Teotônio至10540-9425 cal BP和625-395 cal BP（或CE 1325-1555），总持续时间为8840年至9980年。陶瓷的ORA结果显示，在大多数样品中存在棕榈酸、硬脂酸和树脂二萜。这些初步发现与在该地区观察到的民族志传统一致，即从当地植物中提取的树脂用于陶瓷表面处理、燃料和/或药用目的——尽管需要更多的工作来验证。总之，最新的年表和初步研究结果有助于我们理解亚马逊西南部的文化习俗及其随时间的维持，以及特定的人类与环境的相互作用。
{"title":"Redefining SW Amazonian chronologies and pottery use at the Teotônio site","authors":"McKenzie R. Bentley , Lorena Becerra-Valdivia , Thiago Kater , Laura Pereira Furquim , Jennifer Watling , Fernando Almeida , Kelly Brandão , David Chivall , Natálya Cristiana Pereira Pinheiro , Bethan Linscott , Qian Ma , Guilherme Mongeló , Myrtle P. Shock , André Oliveira Sawakuchi , Francis Mayle , Eduardo Góes Neves , Christopher Bronk Ramsey","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Teotônio is a pre-Columbian riverine archaeological site located in southwestern Amazonia, in a region with diverse cultural traditions and linguistic variety, and an archaeological record marking one of the oldest occupations in the Amazon. The site has a long history of nearly continuous human occupation spanning most of the Holocene, predicated by a stratigraphic sequence containing important pre-ceramic and ceramic traditions. As such, Teotônio offers a valuable opportunity to improve our understanding of the human landscape in southwestern Amazonia during the late Holocene. This work aims to provide a reliable chronology for Teotônio by producing new radiocarbon measurements and building a revised chronology using Bayesian chronological modelling. Through organic residue analysis (ORA), we run a pilot study to discern pottery vessel function according to ceramic tradition by characterising preserved lipid residues using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Bayesian modelling estimates the start and end of the cultural sequence at Teotônio to 10540–9425 cal BP and 625–395 cal BP (or CE 1325–1555), respectively, with a total duration between 8840 and 9980 years. ORA results for the ceramics show the presence of palmitic and stearic acids and resinous diterpenoids in most samples. These preliminary findings align with ethnographic traditions observed in the region, whereby resins from local flora are used for ceramic surface treatment, fuel, and/or medicinal purposes—although more work is required for validation. Together, the updated chronology and pilot study results contribute to our understanding of cultural practices and their maintenance through time, as well as specific human-environment interactions in southwestern Amazonia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221829","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 : 2025-10-02DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106392
Aimée Barlow , Elizabeth Craig-Atkins , Emilia Barker , Aileen Crawford , Daniela Cacciabue , Katie A. Hemer
The sex steroid hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have never been detected in modern or archaeological human skeletal tissues using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis, and there are no standard protocols for their extraction. As progesterone is a biomarker of pregnancy in living individuals, its detection in skeletal remains would substantially improve the visibility of pregnant individuals in the archaeological record and furnish a novel means of exploring female life histories in the past. The present study demonstrates that oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can be detected in the hard tissues of ten individuals of known sex dating from the 1st to 19th centuries CE and evaluates their potential as biomarkers of pregnancy. The cohort comprised seven females of varied parity status and three males. A novel ELISA methodology was developed for hormone extraction from prepared tissue samples of bone, dentine, enamel, root from second and third permanent molars, and dental calculus (n = 74). Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone concentrations were measurable in bone, dentine, enamel, and root samples, whereas only progesterone and testosterone were detected in dental calculus. Elevated progesterone concentrations were detected in the bone and tooth structures of one pregnant female, all individuals with in utero pregnancies had undetectable testosterone, and those associated with fetal remains presented elevated progesterone levels in dental calculus. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and significant potential of the ELISA method for the detection of sex hormones in human skeletal remains to examine the reproductive histories of past populations.
{"title":"First successful detection of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone in multiple human hard tissues, and their use as potential biomarkers of pregnancy","authors":"Aimée Barlow , Elizabeth Craig-Atkins , Emilia Barker , Aileen Crawford , Daniela Cacciabue , Katie A. Hemer","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106392","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106392","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sex steroid hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have never been detected in modern or archaeological human skeletal tissues using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis, and there are no standard protocols for their extraction. As progesterone is a biomarker of pregnancy in living individuals, its detection in skeletal remains would substantially improve the visibility of pregnant individuals in the archaeological record and furnish a novel means of exploring female life histories in the past. The present study demonstrates that oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can be detected in the hard tissues of ten individuals of known sex dating from the 1st to 19th centuries CE and evaluates their potential as biomarkers of pregnancy. The cohort comprised seven females of varied parity status and three males. A novel ELISA methodology was developed for hormone extraction from prepared tissue samples of bone, dentine, enamel, root from second and third permanent molars, and dental calculus (n = 74). Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone concentrations were measurable in bone, dentine, enamel, and root samples, whereas only progesterone and testosterone were detected in dental calculus. Elevated progesterone concentrations were detected in the bone and tooth structures of one pregnant female, all individuals with <em>in utero</em> pregnancies had undetectable testosterone, and those associated with fetal remains presented elevated progesterone levels in dental calculus. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and significant potential of the ELISA method for the detection of sex hormones in human skeletal remains to examine the reproductive histories of past populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106392"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221826","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106387
Hyunkyung Choi , Myeong-Kyu Kang , Hyun Ho An , Seoeun Jang , Gwang-Min Sun , Dong Hyeok Moon , Sung Baek Kim , Young Rang Uhm , Chul Sung Kim
Understanding the relationship between the coloration and firing conditions of ancient ceramic provides crucial insights into historical firing technologies. In this study, roof tiles from the Gwanbuk-ri archaeological site, dating to the Baekje Sabi period (538–660 CE), were analyzed to identify the firing technologies and origin of surface color variation and investigate the characteristics of black and non-black roof tiles. Analytical methods included chromaticity measurements, X-ray diffraction, Carbon–Hydrogen elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. While non-black roof tiles displayed expected correlations between iron oxide phases and color, black roof tiles presented a negative correlation: black coloration was linked to carbon deposition from incomplete combustion at low firing temperatures, rather than iron phase transformations. Additional evidence from the phosphorus and calcium distributions supports the influence of organic fuel ash. The magnetic properties and Mössbauer data enabled the estimation of the firing atmosphere inside the kiln. These findings demonstrate that visual color alone cannot reliably indicate the firing conditions. By integrating chemical, mineralogical, and magnetic data, this study offers a refined interpretive framework for ancient tile technologies and contributes to a broader understanding of the production practices of the Baekje Sabi period.
{"title":"Ceramic color as an unreliable proxy for firing conditions: new approaches from Gwanbuk-ri site, Korea","authors":"Hyunkyung Choi , Myeong-Kyu Kang , Hyun Ho An , Seoeun Jang , Gwang-Min Sun , Dong Hyeok Moon , Sung Baek Kim , Young Rang Uhm , Chul Sung Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the relationship between the coloration and firing conditions of ancient ceramic provides crucial insights into historical firing technologies. In this study, roof tiles from the Gwanbuk-ri archaeological site, dating to the Baekje Sabi period (538–660 CE), were analyzed to identify the firing technologies and origin of surface color variation and investigate the characteristics of black and non-black roof tiles. Analytical methods included chromaticity measurements, X-ray diffraction, Carbon–Hydrogen elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. While non-black roof tiles displayed expected correlations between iron oxide phases and color, black roof tiles presented a negative correlation: black coloration was linked to carbon deposition from incomplete combustion at low firing temperatures, rather than iron phase transformations. Additional evidence from the phosphorus and calcium distributions supports the influence of organic fuel ash. The magnetic properties and Mössbauer data enabled the estimation of the firing atmosphere inside the kiln. These findings demonstrate that visual color alone cannot reliably indicate the firing conditions. By integrating chemical, mineralogical, and magnetic data, this study offers a refined interpretive framework for ancient tile technologies and contributes to a broader understanding of the production practices of the Baekje Sabi period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106387"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221827","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 : 2025-09-26DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106338
Nathaniel L. Erb-Satullo, Bobbi W. Klymchuk
Despite enormous interest in the origins of the iron, the world's quintessential industrial metal, the technological foundations of the invention and innovation of extractive iron metallurgy remain unclear. While fundamental aspects of geology and thermodynamics favor a model for the invention of iron by copper smelters, empirical archaeological evidence to support this model is lacking. Reanalysis of the smelting workshop at Kvemo Bolnisi, originally published as an iron smelting site in the 1960s and dated to the late 2nd millennium BC, offers insights by which copper smelters recognized and experimented with iron oxides. Chemical and microscopic analysis of slags and minerals samples via optical microscopy and SEM-EDS conclusively shows that metalworkers at the site were smelting copper rather than iron. However, our analyses, coupled with a reassessment of the excavation report, show that iron oxides were deliberately stockpiled and added to the furnace as a separate component of the charge to flux the silica-rich host rock. These discoveries make Kvemo Bolnisi arguably the earliest unequivocal example of the deliberate use iron oxide fluxes in copper metallurgy. The knowledge and behaviors reflected in the Kvemo Bolnisi copper smelting technology have important implications for theories about the invention of iron metallurgy by copper smelters.
{"title":"Iron in copper metallurgy at the dawn of the Iron Age: Insights on iron invention from a mining and smelting site in the Caucasus","authors":"Nathaniel L. Erb-Satullo, Bobbi W. Klymchuk","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106338","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106338","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite enormous interest in the origins of the iron, the world's quintessential industrial metal, the technological foundations of the invention and innovation of extractive iron metallurgy remain unclear. While fundamental aspects of geology and thermodynamics favor a model for the invention of iron by copper smelters, empirical archaeological evidence to support this model is lacking. Reanalysis of the smelting workshop at Kvemo Bolnisi, originally published as an iron smelting site in the 1960s and dated to the late 2nd millennium BC, offers insights by which copper smelters recognized and experimented with iron oxides. Chemical and microscopic analysis of slags and minerals samples via optical microscopy and SEM-EDS conclusively shows that metalworkers at the site were smelting copper rather than iron. However, our analyses, coupled with a reassessment of the excavation report, show that iron oxides were deliberately stockpiled and added to the furnace as a separate component of the charge to flux the silica-rich host rock. These discoveries make Kvemo Bolnisi arguably the earliest unequivocal example of the deliberate use iron oxide fluxes in copper metallurgy. The knowledge and behaviors reflected in the Kvemo Bolnisi copper smelting technology have important implications for theories about the invention of iron metallurgy by copper smelters.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106338"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363576","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106369
Tanja Zerl , Stefan Suhrbier , Silviane Scharl , Manuel Broich , Hannah Lindemann , Nadine Nolde , Anna Schick , Astrid Stobbe , Astrid Röpke
First evidence for food production in continental Europe dates to the late 7th (Southeast Europe) and the 6th mill. BCE (Central and Western Europe). Early farming practices, however, were not static and underwent considerable changes and developments in the centuries and millennia following their arrival. Regionally varying processes of standardisation and diversification can be observed. To gain a deeper understanding of these processes on a regional scale, which also allows for a review and discussion of possible causes, we collected data on archaeobotanical macro remains from 72 sites in the Rhineland (Germany), dating from the later 6th to the early 4th mill. BCE. The Rhineland was selected due to its rich record in archaeobotanical material. As a multivariate analysis shows, a statistically significant correlation can be demonstrated between chronological development on the one hand and the crop spectrum on the other hand. Moreover, the diachronic patterns reveals a diversification of the cereal spectrum. Similarly, settlement patterns also changed, and sites were located on a greater variety of soils. As a change in environmental factors can be ruled out, we discuss risk management strategies and growing experience with agriculture as possible causes for the observed transformation. Moreover, this methodological approach makes it possible to include sites that yielded only a small number of samples which were previously considered unrepresentative. Using multivariate statistics, we can demonstrate that the sample size has no statistically significant influence on the results of our analysis.
{"title":"Dynamics of early agriculture – multivariate analysis of changes in crop cultivation and farming practices in the Rhineland (Germany) between the 6th and early 4th millennium BCE","authors":"Tanja Zerl , Stefan Suhrbier , Silviane Scharl , Manuel Broich , Hannah Lindemann , Nadine Nolde , Anna Schick , Astrid Stobbe , Astrid Röpke","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>First evidence for food production in continental Europe dates to the late 7<sup>th</sup> (Southeast Europe) and the 6<sup>th</sup> mill. BCE (Central and Western Europe). Early farming practices, however, were not static and underwent considerable changes and developments in the centuries and millennia following their arrival. Regionally varying processes of standardisation and diversification can be observed. To gain a deeper understanding of these processes on a regional scale, which also allows for a review and discussion of possible causes, we collected data on archaeobotanical macro remains from 72 sites in the Rhineland (Germany), dating from the later 6<sup>th</sup> to the early 4<sup>th</sup> mill. BCE. The Rhineland was selected due to its rich record in archaeobotanical material. As a multivariate analysis shows, a statistically significant correlation can be demonstrated between chronological development on the one hand and the crop spectrum on the other hand. Moreover, the diachronic patterns reveals a diversification of the cereal spectrum. Similarly, settlement patterns also changed, and sites were located on a greater variety of soils. As a change in environmental factors can be ruled out, we discuss risk management strategies and growing experience with agriculture as possible causes for the observed transformation. Moreover, this methodological approach makes it possible to include sites that yielded only a small number of samples which were previously considered unrepresentative. Using multivariate statistics, we can demonstrate that the sample size has no statistically significant influence on the results of our analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106369"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145159308","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 : 2025-09-25DOI: 10.1016/j.jas.2025.106384
Jingyi Shen , Chao Geng , Ruiliang Liu , Yichao Zhao , Zhigang Wu , Kui Chen , Yu Peng , Ji Zhang , Jianfeng Lang
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Bridging the crafts: lead isotopes reveal the innovation of lead-glazed pottery in Warring States China” [J. Archaeol. Sci. 182 (2025)106354]","authors":"Jingyi Shen , Chao Geng , Ruiliang Liu , Yichao Zhao , Zhigang Wu , Kui Chen , Yu Peng , Ji Zhang , Jianfeng Lang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106384","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106384","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106384"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145363575","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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