Recent archaeological research on the Tibetan Plateau has greatly increased our understanding of the subsistent lifeways of Neolithic populations. The chronology and material culture in Neolithic central Tibet, however, is less clear compared to other parts of the Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we summarized the analytical results of a recent excavation at Qugong, one of the earliest Neolithic sites in the heartland of Tibet to date. We provided a new radiocarbon Bayesian chronology that dates the early phase of Qugong around 1400–1300 cal BC, which is shorter and later than previously assumed. In light of the new dates and the materials unearthed, our comparison of the materials between Qugong and the Neolithic sites in northwestern South Asia indicates that some cultural elements moved from the western Himalayan region eastward to central Tibet in the late second millennium BCE.
{"title":"The new chronology and material culture of a second millennium BC neolithic site in the heartland of the Tibetan Plateau: Qugong re-excavated","authors":"Xinzhou Chen , Hailun Xu , Linhui Li , Hongliang Lü","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100569","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100569","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent archaeological research on the Tibetan Plateau has greatly increased our understanding of the subsistent lifeways of Neolithic populations. The chronology and material culture in Neolithic central Tibet, however, is less clear compared to other parts of the Tibetan Plateau. In this paper, we summarized the analytical results of a recent excavation at Qugong, one of the earliest Neolithic sites in the heartland of Tibet to date. We provided a new radiocarbon Bayesian chronology that dates the early phase of Qugong around 1400–1300 cal BC, which is shorter and later than previously assumed. In light of the new dates and the materials unearthed, our comparison of the materials between Qugong and the Neolithic sites in northwestern South Asia indicates that some cultural elements moved from the western Himalayan region eastward to central Tibet in the late second millennium BCE.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100569"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142560971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study presents new archaeological evidence from the Liang Sumpang Karoro 1 site in the Maros Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, contributing to our understanding of Toalean cultural practices during the Holocene period. Radiocarbon dating reveals a chronological sequence spanning the Middle Holocene (7424–7260 cal BP) to the Late Holocene (3725–3565 cal BP). A well-preserved secondary human burial dated to the Middle Holocene was discovered, providing insights into Toalean mortuary practices. The burial, associated with Maros points and ochre deposits, adds to the growing evidence of complex funerary rituals in Holocene Southeast Asia. The lithic assemblage, dominated by debitage and micro-debitage, includes Maros points and backed microliths, offering a window into Toalean lithic technology and raw material preferences. Notably, the high proportion of volcanic materials used for lithic production at this site contrasts with patterns observed at other Toalean sites, suggesting localized adaptations. Faunal remains indicate diverse subsistence strategies, including the exploitation of endemic species such as the Celebes warty pig and anoa, with a notable decline in large mammal representation over time. The co-occurrence of Toalean lithic traditions and Austronesian pottery in the Late Holocene layer suggests cultural interactions, though the nature and extent of these interactions require further investigation. While many of our findings align with existing knowledge of Toalean culture, the secondary burial practice and shifts in faunal exploitation offer new insights into Toalean lifeways. This study contributes to our understanding of cultural practices, technological adaptations, and potential long-distance interactions in Holocene Southeast Asia, while also highlighting the need for further comparative research to elucidate patterns of cultural transmission in the region.
{"title":"Middle holocene burial and cultural dynamics at the liang sumpang Karoro 1 site, Maros, Indonesia","authors":"Hasanuddin , Suryatman , Supriadi , A.M. Saiful , Rustan Lebe , Bernadeta AKW , Nur Ihsan D. , Iwan Sumantri","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100565","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100565","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents new archaeological evidence from the Liang Sumpang Karoro 1 site in the Maros Regency of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, contributing to our understanding of Toalean cultural practices during the Holocene period. Radiocarbon dating reveals a chronological sequence spanning the Middle Holocene (7424–7260 cal BP) to the Late Holocene (3725–3565 cal BP). A well-preserved secondary human burial dated to the Middle Holocene was discovered, providing insights into Toalean mortuary practices. The burial, associated with Maros points and ochre deposits, adds to the growing evidence of complex funerary rituals in Holocene Southeast Asia. The lithic assemblage, dominated by debitage and micro-debitage, includes Maros points and backed microliths, offering a window into Toalean lithic technology and raw material preferences. Notably, the high proportion of volcanic materials used for lithic production at this site contrasts with patterns observed at other Toalean sites, suggesting localized adaptations. Faunal remains indicate diverse subsistence strategies, including the exploitation of endemic species such as the Celebes warty pig and anoa, with a notable decline in large mammal representation over time. The co-occurrence of Toalean lithic traditions and Austronesian pottery in the Late Holocene layer suggests cultural interactions, though the nature and extent of these interactions require further investigation. While many of our findings align with existing knowledge of Toalean culture, the secondary burial practice and shifts in faunal exploitation offer new insights into Toalean lifeways. This study contributes to our understanding of cultural practices, technological adaptations, and potential long-distance interactions in Holocene Southeast Asia, while also highlighting the need for further comparative research to elucidate patterns of cultural transmission in the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100565"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2024.100566
Jang-Sik Park , William Gardner , Jargalan Burentogtokh , Aspen Greaves , William Honeychurch
Hinterland communities on the Mongolian plateau during the time of the Mongol Empire (13th–14th century CE) have not been extensively studied by archaeologists. Pedestrian survey and excavation in the Tarvagatai Valley of north-central Mongolia has recently located an important central place settlement known as Tsagaan Ereg, dated to the Mongol period, and having a number of pit-houses as well as evidence for local agriculture and craft production. Discovered in one pit-house was an attached metallurgical work area from which numerous pieces of slag and iron were recovered in addition to a small number of bronze pieces. Here we report on ten small bronze fragments from the Tsagaan Ereg workshop that were analyzed metallographically. These objects were made of copper-based alloys with tin serving as the primary alloying element, generally including lead as well. We review these analytical results with reference to alloy methods implemented in Mongolia and its neighboring regions over time and observe that their consistently high tin level was quite unique, suggesting that they were carefully curated and selected according to their tin content. Along with previously published metallurgical results on steelmaking activities at this same workshop, we argue for a high level of metalworking expertise within the region. Two other centers may have had contact with the Tsagaan Ereg community and these center-hinterland networks perhaps sustained the different roles and functions of these three sites.
{"title":"Recycled metal fragments and small-scale bronze acquisition in northern hinterland communities of the Mongol Empire","authors":"Jang-Sik Park , William Gardner , Jargalan Burentogtokh , Aspen Greaves , William Honeychurch","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100566","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100566","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hinterland communities on the Mongolian plateau during the time of the Mongol Empire (13th–14th century CE) have not been extensively studied by archaeologists. Pedestrian survey and excavation in the Tarvagatai Valley of north-central Mongolia has recently located an important central place settlement known as Tsagaan Ereg, dated to the Mongol period, and having a number of pit-houses as well as evidence for local agriculture and craft production. Discovered in one pit-house was an attached metallurgical work area from which numerous pieces of slag and iron were recovered in addition to a small number of bronze pieces. Here we report on ten small bronze fragments from the Tsagaan Ereg workshop that were analyzed metallographically. These objects were made of copper-based alloys with tin serving as the primary alloying element, generally including lead as well. We review these analytical results with reference to alloy methods implemented in Mongolia and its neighboring regions over time and observe that their consistently high tin level was quite unique, suggesting that they were carefully curated and selected according to their tin content. Along with previously published metallurgical results on steelmaking activities at this same workshop, we argue for a high level of metalworking expertise within the region. Two other centers may have had contact with the Tsagaan Ereg community and these center-hinterland networks perhaps sustained the different roles and functions of these three sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100566"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142554777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2024.100564
Bing Yi , Jiujiang Bai , Yubiao Dai , Quyi Jiang , Haibing Yuan , Yaowu Hu
The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, with its deep canyons, abundant freshwater resources, and unique geographic location at the crossroads in the spread of rice-millet agriculture in the Middle Neolithic, is of great significance for understanding the interaction between fishing-hunting-gathering and farming in inland freshwater environments. However, few direct evidence for human subsistence strategies had been published in this region. This study presents results of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses on human bones, animal and millet remains from the Dashuitian site (c. 6000–5500 BP) in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China, to investigate the diet and subsistence and intrapopulation dietary variations in this region. The results indicate that the humans at the site consumed mostly freshwater fish foods and supplemented by terrestrial animals, with no discernable input from millets. They had consistently relied on a fishing, hunting, and gathering economy during the occupation of the site in the Middle Neolithic (c. 6000–5500 BP), differing from humans in other areas especially along the rivers and coasts of the lower Yangtze River valley for the roughly same period, further showing the extensive utilization of and adaptation to the available environmental resources. In addition, intrapopulation dietary variations based on burial style and sex provide evidence that differentiation and inequality, at least regarding to food consumption, existed at the Three Gorges region during the Middle Neolithic. Here, our findings provide isotopic evidence about the Middle Neolithic human subsistence strategies in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, providing a glimpse into the complexity related to inequality in food access among fisher-hunter-gatherers in inland areas, and new insights into understanding past human-environment interactions.
{"title":"Fishing or farming? Isotopic evidence of human subsistence strategies at the Dashuitian site during the middle Neolithic in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China","authors":"Bing Yi , Jiujiang Bai , Yubiao Dai , Quyi Jiang , Haibing Yuan , Yaowu Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100564","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100564","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, with its deep canyons, abundant freshwater resources, and unique geographic location at the crossroads in the spread of rice-millet agriculture in the Middle Neolithic, is of great significance for understanding the interaction between fishing-hunting-gathering and farming in inland freshwater environments. However, few direct evidence for human subsistence strategies had been published in this region. This study presents results of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analyses on human bones, animal and millet remains from the Dashuitian site (c. 6000–5500 BP) in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, China, to investigate the diet and subsistence and intrapopulation dietary variations in this region. The results indicate that the humans at the site consumed mostly freshwater fish foods and supplemented by terrestrial animals, with no discernable input from millets. They had consistently relied on a fishing, hunting, and gathering economy during the occupation of the site in the Middle Neolithic (c. 6000–5500 BP), differing from humans in other areas especially along the rivers and coasts of the lower Yangtze River valley for the roughly same period, further showing the extensive utilization of and adaptation to the available environmental resources. In addition, intrapopulation dietary variations based on burial style and sex provide evidence that differentiation and inequality, at least regarding to food consumption, existed at the Three Gorges region during the Middle Neolithic. Here, our findings provide isotopic evidence about the Middle Neolithic human subsistence strategies in the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River, providing a glimpse into the complexity related to inequality in food access among fisher-hunter-gatherers in inland areas, and new insights into understanding past human-environment interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100564"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526181","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The rise of the kingdom of Hormuz during the 13th–15th c. CE led to the development of harbour cities such as Qalhât (Sultanate of Oman), considered as the kingdom's second capital. However, although some textual sources are available, a lack of bioarchaeological analysis means that the food-processing activities and subsistence strategies set up to feed this urban population are still largely unknown. Multi-proxy analyses, including zoological, ichthyological, and botanical, have therefore been undertaken on the twin house building (B94) at the site of Qalhât. Cross-referencing these data allowed for the identification of several food processing activities and the function of some rooms due to their spatial distribution. In addition, these data give new insights into fishing practices (intensively exploited pelagic zone) and the composition and management of agropastoral systems (in the form of oasis date palm gardens, using a combination of crops, weeds and livestock), as well as food acquiring strategies that relied on the importation of plant products via the long-distance maritime trade networks of the western Indian Ocean. The study of building (B94) has provided major data to understand the way of life of the inhabitants of this region for this period, still too little studied.
{"title":"Rice, lamb and tuna. Food processing and acquiring strategies in the medieval harbour city of Qalhât (Oman): Bioarchaeological evidence from the twin houses' building (B94)","authors":"Vladimir Dabrowski , Anaïs Marrast , Hervé Monchot , Axelle Rougeulle","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100561","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100561","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rise of the kingdom of Hormuz during the 13th–15th c. CE led to the development of harbour cities such as Qalhât (Sultanate of Oman), considered as the kingdom's second capital. However, although some textual sources are available, a lack of bioarchaeological analysis means that the food-processing activities and subsistence strategies set up to feed this urban population are still largely unknown. Multi-proxy analyses, including zoological, ichthyological, and botanical, have therefore been undertaken on the twin house building (B94) at the site of Qalhât. Cross-referencing these data allowed for the identification of several food processing activities and the function of some rooms due to their spatial distribution. In addition, these data give new insights into fishing practices (intensively exploited pelagic zone) and the composition and management of agropastoral systems (in the form of oasis date palm gardens, using a combination of crops, weeds and livestock), as well as food acquiring strategies that relied on the importation of plant products via the long-distance maritime trade networks of the western Indian Ocean. The study of building (B94) has provided major data to understand the way of life of the inhabitants of this region for this period, still too little studied.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100561"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526180","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2024.100562
Giampiero Tursi , Francesco Genchi
The Udjat or “Eye of Horus” is universally known as one of the most powerful and popular Egyptian amulets. Its protective and regenerative properties made it an amulet that was widely used in funerary settings, but also worn by the living in daily life. The use of such amulets spread from Egypt to the whole of the Levant and, in later times, it also reached the Western Mediterranean and ancient Persia. Despite this widespread use, Udjat eye attestations in the Arabian Peninsula are extremely scarce, and have been limited so far to Saudi Arabia only. This paper discusses the first Udjat amulet discovered in the Sultanate of Oman, which was excavated in a Late Pre-Islamic tomb at Dibbā al-Bayah, whose funerary paraphernalia are as a whole outstanding in their variety and manufacture, testifying to the international nature of trades linked to the port of Dibbā.
{"title":"An Udjat-eye amulet discovered at Dibbā al-Bayah (Sultanate of Oman): Long-distance trade relations in the Late Pre-Islamic burial chamber of the LCG-2 tomb","authors":"Giampiero Tursi , Francesco Genchi","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100562","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100562","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The <em>Udjat</em> or “Eye of Horus” is universally known as one of the most powerful and popular Egyptian amulets. Its protective and regenerative properties made it an amulet that was widely used in funerary settings, but also worn by the living in daily life. The use of such amulets spread from Egypt to the whole of the Levant and, in later times, it also reached the Western Mediterranean and ancient Persia. Despite this widespread use, <em>Udjat</em> eye attestations in the Arabian Peninsula are extremely scarce, and have been limited so far to Saudi Arabia only. This paper discusses the first <em>Udjat</em> amulet discovered in the Sultanate of Oman, which was excavated in a Late Pre-Islamic tomb at Dibbā al-Bayah, whose funerary paraphernalia are as a whole outstanding in their variety and manufacture, testifying to the international nature of trades linked to the port of Dibbā.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100562"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526179","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-10-19DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2024.100560
Moritz Kinzel
Neolithic societies were inherently vulnerable. In addition to the challenges of a changing climate and evolving subsistence strategies and social identities, Neolithic societies were also confronted with a range of natural hazards, including extreme weather events, unstable building grounds, and earthquakes. In particular, earthquakes appear to have had a significant impact on early Neolithic communities and their settlements across the Middle East. This contribution presents the findings of recent combined building archaeological and archaeoseismological research in relation to the various damage patterns observed in the built environment at Göbekli Tepe, Türkiye. Of particular interest here are the damages and anthropogenic reactions that can be linked to seismic activities during the Neolithic.
新石器时代的社会本质上是脆弱的。除了不断变化的气候、不断演变的生存策略和社会身份的挑战之外，新石器时代社会还面临着一系列自然灾害，包括极端天气事件、不稳定的建筑地基和地震。其中，地震似乎对整个中东地区的新石器时代早期社区及其定居点产生了重大影响。本文介绍了最近在图尔基耶 Göbekli Tepe 的建筑环境中观察到的各种破坏模式方面进行的建筑考古学和考古地震学综合研究的结果。其中特别值得关注的是与新石器时代地震活动有关的破坏和人为反应。
{"title":"Shaking up the Neolithic - Tracing seismic impact at Neolithic Göbekli Tepe/Southeast-Türkiye","authors":"Moritz Kinzel","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neolithic societies were inherently vulnerable. In addition to the challenges of a changing climate and evolving subsistence strategies and social identities, Neolithic societies were also confronted with a range of natural hazards, including extreme weather events, unstable building grounds, and earthquakes. In particular, earthquakes appear to have had a significant impact on early Neolithic communities and their settlements across the Middle East. This contribution presents the findings of recent combined building archaeological and archaeoseismological research in relation to the various damage patterns observed in the built environment at Göbekli Tepe, Türkiye. Of particular interest here are the damages and anthropogenic reactions that can be linked to seismic activities during the Neolithic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100560"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142526285","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-24DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2024.100559
Akash Srinivas
Morpani is a recently discovered Palaeolithic complex in the central Narmada Basin (Madhya Pradesh, India), discovered during the course of field investigations carried out by the Narmada Basin Palaeoanthropology Project. This site is situated in a region of the Gondwana Supergroup formations, south of the Narmada River. Regions to the north of the river, dominated by rock outcrops of the Vindhyan Supergroup formation present a multitude of Palaeolithic sites, in stark contrast to the southern region, dominated by the Gondwana Supergroup and Deccan Trap formations. This site is one of the few Palaeolithic sites in this southern region, and this paper reports on the recent Palaeolithic investigations undertaken at the site and the results of the lithic analyses of the recovered lithic assemblage. These investigations were carried out to qualify the nature of the Palaeolithic occupation in this region, as well as probe into the possible factors for the underrepresentation of the archaeological record here, especially when juxtaposed to the rich archaeological context noted to the north of the river. Lithic analyses indicates that Morpani represents an expedient lithic assemblage, located along the banks and bed of an ephemeral stream channel, and in regions where suitable raw material clasts are available. More work and collections are needed to securely characterise and attribute the technological features of this Palaeolithic site.
{"title":"Palaeolithic investigations at Morpani, Central Narmada Basin, India","authors":"Akash Srinivas","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100559","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100559","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Morpani is a recently discovered Palaeolithic complex in the central Narmada Basin (Madhya Pradesh, India), discovered during the course of field investigations carried out by the Narmada Basin Palaeoanthropology Project. This site is situated in a region of the Gondwana Supergroup formations, south of the Narmada River. Regions to the north of the river, dominated by rock outcrops of the Vindhyan Supergroup formation present a multitude of Palaeolithic sites, in stark contrast to the southern region, dominated by the Gondwana Supergroup and Deccan Trap formations. This site is one of the few Palaeolithic sites in this southern region, and this paper reports on the recent Palaeolithic investigations undertaken at the site and the results of the lithic analyses of the recovered lithic assemblage. These investigations were carried out to qualify the nature of the Palaeolithic occupation in this region, as well as probe into the possible factors for the underrepresentation of the archaeological record here, especially when juxtaposed to the rich archaeological context noted to the north of the river. Lithic analyses indicates that Morpani represents an expedient lithic assemblage, located along the banks and bed of an ephemeral stream channel, and in regions where suitable raw material clasts are available. More work and collections are needed to securely characterise and attribute the technological features of this Palaeolithic site.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100559"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142314904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Morphologically composite caves constitute a unique spatial sphere for social activity, remote and different from everyday landscapes. As in numerous regions with carbonate rocks worldwide, the southern Levant houses a plethora of complex caves, reaching hundreds and thousands of meters in total length. Yet, despite occasional archaeological discoveries, comparative analysis of complex cave use patterns over the longue durée has not been attempted for this region. This article presents a comprehensive investigation of temporal and spatial trends in the use of composite underground systems in the southern Levant during the late prehistoric sequence, between the seventh and third millennia BCE. Based on the observable regional and chronological shifts, as well as the material-cultural remains deposited in the caves, it is suggested that the frequency and distribution of complex cave use may be employed as a sensitive recorder of cultural dynamics. Since the activity in the deep underground is commonly associated with symbolic behavior, the cultural preference to operate in or avoid the use of complex caves should be viewed as socially structured, reflecting deep social identity and ideology.
{"title":"Spatio-temporal trends in complex caves use in the later prehistory of the southern Levant","authors":"Micka Ullman , Amos Frumkin , Boaz Langford , Uri Davidovich","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100558","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100558","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Morphologically composite caves constitute a unique spatial sphere for social activity, remote and different from everyday landscapes. As in numerous regions with carbonate rocks worldwide, the southern Levant houses a plethora of complex caves, reaching hundreds and thousands of meters in total length. Yet, despite occasional archaeological discoveries, comparative analysis of complex cave use patterns over the <em>longue durée</em> has not been attempted for this region. This article presents a comprehensive investigation of temporal and spatial trends in the use of composite underground systems in the southern Levant during the late prehistoric sequence, between the seventh and third millennia BCE. Based on the observable regional and chronological shifts, as well as the material-cultural remains deposited in the caves, it is suggested that the frequency and distribution of complex cave use may be employed as a sensitive recorder of cultural dynamics. Since the activity in the deep underground is commonly associated with symbolic behavior, the cultural preference to operate in or avoid the use of complex caves should be viewed as socially structured, reflecting deep social identity and ideology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"40 ","pages":"Article 100558"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142314905","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-09-10DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2024.100545
Jakub Havlík , Shapulat Shaydullaev
Archaeological evidence on the occurrence of kurgan mounds (i.e., stone- or earthen-made mounds of various dimensions) in the Surkhandarya province of southern Uzbekistan was until recently particularly scarce. Although these characteristic features of the archaeological landscape of Central Asia have been frequently recorded and studied in the neighbouring regions, the very southern part of Uzbekistan has been an exception in this respect. A surface survey conducted by the Czech-Uzbekistani Archaeological Expedition has recently changed this picture. More than four hundred kurgan mounds have been identified, revealing their occurrence in every river valley in the studied area (the central part of the eastern Kugitang piedmonts, covering approximately 1055 km2) surveyed so far. As a result of the three seasons of a targeted surface survey following a unified methodology, this study provides the reader with the first assessment of the kurgan mounds' occurrence in the Kugitang piedmonts. The dating of the kurgan mounds in the studied area stretches between the Early Iron Age and the Pre-Islamic Middle Ages. However, in the case of the overwhelming majority, a particular dating is uncertain, which severely impacts the chronological sensitivity of the proposed study. Although kurgans are commonly associated with sepulchral use, in the eastern Kugitang piedmonts such evidence is still missing, motivating an investigation seeking to clarify their (ritual, symbolic?) purpose. By means of location analysis, this study sheds light on the distributional patterns of kurgan mounds in relation to selected topographical variables (altitude, slope, aspect, landform, water sources, pathways) and attempts to explain the role they played for past communities that exploited the foothills.
The analysis indicates a specific choice of the location of the kurgan mounds, giving a clear preference for flat river terraces at middle altitudes, usually in the vicinity of the main pathways recorded in the Soviet period. Next to a certain preference for the proximity to water streams, this study argues for a relationship to mobility as a determinative factor for location choice. In accordance with known examples from throughout central Eurasia, the kurgan mounds in the studied area may be seen as landmarks following the persistent routes through the landscape, materializing them and probably also laying a territorial claim of local communities. Taking into account an ecological model described for central Eurasian mountains, the study attempts to contribute from the point of view of southern Uzbekistan to a better understanding of the landscape use of foothills in a longue durée perspective.
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