Pub Date : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100660
Yury N. Esin , Andrey V. Poliakov
This paper studies the role of cattle in the rituals and beliefs of early pastoralists in the eastern Eurasian steppe belt. It presents and analyses two types of materials associated with the Okunev culture of the Minusinsk Basin during the middle of the third – early second millennium BCEE: 1) images of cattle heads and complete animal figures on rocks, stelae, and slabs; and 2) cattle skulls in ritual pits discovered mostly within the Okunev cemeteries. The paper demonstrates that both materials represent different manifestations of the same sacrificial ritual, in which the removal and burial of the animal's head was an essential part. Their combined study allows the reconstruction of the components and stages of this ritual practice. The animal's head buried in a pit near the graves of people symbolises the whole animal which, it was believed, would accompany them to the other world. The closest parallel to this ritual in form and chronology is found in the Catacomb culture from the northwestern Caspian region, which can be considered as a direct or indirect source for the introduction of this ritual into the eastern steppes. With the economic and social transformations of the early second millennium BCEE, cattle were gradually supplanted by the horse in herders' ritual practices.
{"title":"Heads without bodies: Evidence of cattle sacrifice in the rock art and burials of the Okunev culture in southern Siberia","authors":"Yury N. Esin , Andrey V. Poliakov","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100660","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100660","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper studies the role of cattle in the rituals and beliefs of early pastoralists in the eastern Eurasian steppe belt. It presents and analyses two types of materials associated with the Okunev culture of the Minusinsk Basin during the middle of the third – early second millennium BCEE: 1) images of cattle heads and complete animal figures on rocks, stelae, and slabs; and 2) cattle skulls in ritual pits discovered mostly within the Okunev cemeteries. The paper demonstrates that both materials represent different manifestations of the same sacrificial ritual, in which the removal and burial of the animal's head was an essential part. Their combined study allows the reconstruction of the components and stages of this ritual practice. The animal's head buried in a pit near the graves of people symbolises the whole animal which, it was believed, would accompany them to the other world. The closest parallel to this ritual in form and chronology is found in the Catacomb culture from the northwestern Caspian region, which can be considered as a direct or indirect source for the introduction of this ritual into the eastern steppes. With the economic and social transformations of the early second millennium BCEE, cattle were gradually supplanted by the horse in herders' ritual practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100660"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466091","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 : 2025-11-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100665
Shuhan Zhang , Yu Zhang , Xu Liu , Rubi Wu , Haohong Cai , Qingzhu Wang , Jun Gao , Hui Fang , Gary M. Feinman , Linda M. Nicholas , Jixi Gao , Xuexiang Chen
Understanding shifts in agricultural regimes and crop choices is central to archaeological research. This study examines macrobotanical remains from the Qianzhongzitou site in Shandong, eastern China (5000–2200 cal. BP), to explore how communities in a coastal–inland transition zone adapted their agricultural practices to shifting ecological conditions and patterns of social interaction. The results reveal a fluctuating sequence of crop choices. During the late Dawenkou to Longshan periods (5000–4000 cal. BP), a stable climate and macroregional exchange supported a mixed farming system dominated by foxtail millet (Setaria italica), supplemented by rice (Oryza sativa). In the Yueshi period (4000–3000 cal. BP), agricultural practices shifted toward intensified dryland farming of drought-tolerant broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum) and soybean (Glycine max), likely in response to hydrological changes associated with the 4.2 ka climate event, while small-scale rice cultivation persisted in favorable microenvironments. By the Zhou period (3000–2200 cal. BP), a cooler, drier climate combined with the political consolidation of the Qi State promoted renewed reliance on foxtail millet-based agriculture, with limited adoption of wheat (Triticum aestivum). At Qianzhongzitou, agricultural strategies evolved in close alignment with broader regional developments, political policies, technological innovations, and population movements. These findings highlight how farming communities in a transitional landscape continuously adapted their agrarian practices to address both climatic and political considerations and constraints.
{"title":"Shifting crop choices in a transition zone: Macrobotanical insights from Shandong, Eastern China (5000–2200 cal. BP)","authors":"Shuhan Zhang , Yu Zhang , Xu Liu , Rubi Wu , Haohong Cai , Qingzhu Wang , Jun Gao , Hui Fang , Gary M. Feinman , Linda M. Nicholas , Jixi Gao , Xuexiang Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100665","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100665","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding shifts in agricultural regimes and crop choices is central to archaeological research. This study examines macrobotanical remains from the Qianzhongzitou site in Shandong, eastern China (5000–2200 cal. BP), to explore how communities in a coastal–inland transition zone adapted their agricultural practices to shifting ecological conditions and patterns of social interaction. The results reveal a fluctuating sequence of crop choices. During the late Dawenkou to Longshan periods (5000–4000 cal. BP), a stable climate and macroregional exchange supported a mixed farming system dominated by foxtail millet (<em>Setaria italica</em>), supplemented by rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em>). In the Yueshi period (4000–3000 cal. BP), agricultural practices shifted toward intensified dryland farming of drought-tolerant broomcorn millet (<em>Panicum miliaceum</em>) and soybean (<em>Glycine</em> max), likely in response to hydrological changes associated with the 4.2 ka climate event, while small-scale rice cultivation persisted in favorable microenvironments. By the Zhou period (3000–2200 cal. BP), a cooler, drier climate combined with the political consolidation of the Qi State promoted renewed reliance on foxtail millet-based agriculture, with limited adoption of wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em>). At Qianzhongzitou, agricultural strategies evolved in close alignment with broader regional developments, political policies, technological innovations, and population movements. These findings highlight how farming communities in a transitional landscape continuously adapted their agrarian practices to address both climatic and political considerations and constraints.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100665"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466093","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 : 2025-11-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100664
Tianxing Cui , Minzhe Zhao , Zhihui Yao , Kai Sun , Wanquan Zheng , Yanpeng Cao , Jian Zhang , Song'an Jin
The Qujialing Culture represents a significant shift in the process of civilization in the middle Yangtze River Valley. The bronze artefacts excavated from the Gouwan site, belong to late Qujialing Culture, approximately 4500 BP. This study employed metallographic analysis, element analysis, and lead isotope analysis to explore the composition and technique of the bronzes. The results show that both bronze artefacts contain over 8 % lead and complex elemental compositions, indicating smelting from polymetallic ores. Lead isotope analysis shows that both artefacts were made of common lead. Studying these bronze objects provides fresh evidence for discerning the timeline, area and diffusion routes of the emergence of early bronzes in prehistoric China.
{"title":"Early bronze artefacts of Qujialing Culture (4500 BP) in the middle Yangtze River Valley of China","authors":"Tianxing Cui , Minzhe Zhao , Zhihui Yao , Kai Sun , Wanquan Zheng , Yanpeng Cao , Jian Zhang , Song'an Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100664","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100664","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Qujialing Culture represents a significant shift in the process of civilization in the middle Yangtze River Valley. The bronze artefacts excavated from the Gouwan site, belong to late Qujialing Culture, approximately 4500 BP. This study employed metallographic analysis, element analysis, and lead isotope analysis to explore the composition and technique of the bronzes. The results show that both bronze artefacts contain over 8 % lead and complex elemental compositions, indicating smelting from polymetallic ores. Lead isotope analysis shows that both artefacts were made of common lead. Studying these bronze objects provides fresh evidence for discerning the timeline, area and diffusion routes of the emergence of early bronzes in prehistoric China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100664"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466094","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 : 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100661
Yue Zhang
This study synthesizes data from Neolithic to Iron Age Vietnam (4000–1900 BP) through the lens of the customary practice of tooth ablation. Its emergence, localization, and eventual transformation—whether into other forms of dental modification or into complete abandonment—closely correspond with successive cycles of interregional interaction and social transition. This local trajectory is then compared with neighboring regions, including Cambodia and Taiwan, revealing comparable yet contextually nuanced adaptations. The findings highlight tooth ablation as both a persistent marker of group affiliation and a flexible medium for negotiating identity. As such, it offers a powerful case through which to examine how embodied practices responded to, and were shaped by, broader dynamics of sociocultural change across prehistoric Southeast Asia. The results bring more attention to the roles of individual adornment choices and bodily expressions within the evolving environment of Southeast Asia since the Neolithic period.
{"title":"Bodies in transition: Tooth ablation from Neolithic to Iron Age in Vietnam and Southeast Asia","authors":"Yue Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100661","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100661","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study synthesizes data from Neolithic to Iron Age Vietnam (4000–1900 BP) through the lens of the customary practice of tooth ablation. Its emergence, localization, and eventual transformation—whether into other forms of dental modification or into complete abandonment—closely correspond with successive cycles of interregional interaction and social transition. This local trajectory is then compared with neighboring regions, including Cambodia and Taiwan, revealing comparable yet contextually nuanced adaptations. The findings highlight tooth ablation as both a persistent marker of group affiliation and a flexible medium for negotiating identity. As such, it offers a powerful case through which to examine how embodied practices responded to, and were shaped by, broader dynamics of sociocultural change across prehistoric Southeast Asia. The results bring more attention to the roles of individual adornment choices and bodily expressions within the evolving environment of Southeast Asia since the Neolithic period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100661"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145268664","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 : 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100643
Tuvshinjargal Tumurbaatar , Cheryl A. Makarewicz
Cattle are essential in pastoralist steppe societies, not only for their milk and meat but also for their labor carrying material and people. The Xiongnu polity (300 BCE – 100 CE) was a confederation of pastoral nomads who assembled a powerful empire that commanded the Mongolian steppe and beyond through military prowess and statecraft. Supported by local livestock production, exchange, trade, and tribute, the Xiongnu empire moved goods, people, and livestock. Despite the potentially important role of cattle traction in everyday pastoralist herding activities and long-distance transport of goods and materials mobilized for elite consumption, little is known about the use of this technology beyond scattered images of cattle carts depicted on rock. Here, we investigate the ubiquity and intensity of traction applied to cattle through paleopathological analyses of cattle extremities interred in the graves of Xiongnu intermediate elites. A comparative morphological framework documenting the expression of strain-related pathologies in modern cattle and yaks indicates animals herded in the mountainous forest-steppe express a higher incidence of traction pathologies compared to cattle husbanded in the flatter terrains of the steppe-desert. Yak bulls also yield higher PI values despite not undertaking traction nor carrying loads, a pattern likely due to their weight and musculature. Severe pathologies identified in some Xiongnu cattle point to their regular use in traction, perhaps transporting agricultural products and trade goods, but most cattle display surprisingly little evidence for traction pointing to their primary use for pastoral production, daily low-impact traction tasks, and seasonal moves.
{"title":"Cattle traction in the Xiongnu empire: Zooarchaeological evidence from the Mongolian steppe","authors":"Tuvshinjargal Tumurbaatar , Cheryl A. Makarewicz","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100643","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cattle are essential in pastoralist steppe societies, not only for their milk and meat but also for their labor carrying material and people. The Xiongnu polity (300 BCE – 100 CE) was a confederation of pastoral nomads who assembled a powerful empire that commanded the Mongolian steppe and beyond through military prowess and statecraft. Supported by local livestock production, exchange, trade, and tribute, the Xiongnu empire moved goods, people, and livestock. Despite the potentially important role of cattle traction in everyday pastoralist herding activities and long-distance transport of goods and materials mobilized for elite consumption, little is known about the use of this technology beyond scattered images of cattle carts depicted on rock. Here, we investigate the ubiquity and intensity of traction applied to cattle through paleopathological analyses of cattle extremities interred in the graves of Xiongnu intermediate elites. A comparative morphological framework documenting the expression of strain-related pathologies in modern cattle and yaks indicates animals herded in the mountainous forest-steppe express a higher incidence of traction pathologies compared to cattle husbanded in the flatter terrains of the steppe-desert. Yak bulls also yield higher PI values despite not undertaking traction nor carrying loads, a pattern likely due to their weight and musculature. Severe pathologies identified in some Xiongnu cattle point to their regular use in traction, perhaps transporting agricultural products and trade goods, but most cattle display surprisingly little evidence for traction pointing to their primary use for pastoral production, daily low-impact traction tasks, and seasonal moves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100643"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222480","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 : 2025-09-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100659
Leore Grosman, Hadas Goldgeier
This paper presents an introduction to the special issue, “New Insights into the Earliest Architecture of the First Sedentary Communities in Western Asia.” It summarizes the key insights and perspectives offered in the various articles. In addition, we share reflections that emerged from an interdisciplinary dialogue held between archaeologists, architects and building engineers during the workshop with particular focus on early round structures.
{"title":"Early beginnings: Naissance of architecture in the Levant – Special issue in honor of Anna Belfer-Cohen","authors":"Leore Grosman, Hadas Goldgeier","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100659","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100659","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents an introduction to the special issue, “New Insights into the Earliest Architecture of the First Sedentary Communities in Western Asia.” It summarizes the key insights and perspectives offered in the various articles. In addition, we share reflections that emerged from an interdisciplinary dialogue held between archaeologists, architects and building engineers during the workshop with particular focus on early round structures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100659"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145222479","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 : 2025-09-18DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100657
Roberto Dan , Artur Petrosyan , Priscilla Vitolo , Andrea Cesaretti , Elena Fausti , Onofrio Gasparro , Boris Gasparyan
This article is dedicated to presenting to the scientific community a significant new fortified complex located in the Amasia Depression, in the Shirak Region of modern Armenia. The site, locally referred to as the “Bandivan fortress,” is situated near the contemporary village of Bandivan, on an extensive plateau naturally protected by valleys carved by the courses of two rivers. The site showcases remarkable architectural evidence that can be classified as megalithic, with its initial phase of occupation dating back to the Early Bronze Age. It later emerged as an important centre during late Protohistory until it was conquered and reoccupied by the Urartians, who established it as their northernmost fortified outpost currently known. Subsequently, the site was reoccupied by a medieval village, which later included a cemetery located outside the fortified area. The site was explored as part of a joint Armenian-Italian archaeological mission, and this article discusses its architecture and the materials collected from the surface. Additionally, the site is contextualized historically within the period of Urartian expansion into the north-eastern Armenian Highlands and is connected to the issue of defining the northern limits of Bia/Urartu or the Van Kingdom.
{"title":"Controlling the north. The Bandivan fortress, a protohistoric (Kura-Araxes), Urartian, Orontid and medieval site in the Amasia Depression, Shirak Region, Armenia","authors":"Roberto Dan , Artur Petrosyan , Priscilla Vitolo , Andrea Cesaretti , Elena Fausti , Onofrio Gasparro , Boris Gasparyan","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article is dedicated to presenting to the scientific community a significant new fortified complex located in the Amasia Depression, in the Shirak Region of modern Armenia. The site, locally referred to as the “Bandivan fortress,” is situated near the contemporary village of Bandivan, on an extensive plateau naturally protected by valleys carved by the courses of two rivers. The site showcases remarkable architectural evidence that can be classified as megalithic, with its initial phase of occupation dating back to the Early Bronze Age. It later emerged as an important centre during late Protohistory until it was conquered and reoccupied by the Urartians, who established it as their northernmost fortified outpost currently known. Subsequently, the site was reoccupied by a medieval village, which later included a cemetery located outside the fortified area. The site was explored as part of a joint Armenian-Italian archaeological mission, and this article discusses its architecture and the materials collected from the surface. Additionally, the site is contextualized historically within the period of Urartian expansion into the north-eastern Armenian Highlands and is connected to the issue of defining the northern limits of Bia/Urartu or the Van Kingdom.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100657"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097978","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 : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100658
Chengbang An (安成邦) , Lei Tang
Despite extensive research on Eurasian agricultural diffusion, the spatiotemporal dynamics of millet agriculture in Northwest China remain contested due to fragmented datasets. This study integrates plant remains, human isotopes (δ13C), and organic residues from 358 sites to reconstruct dispersal trajectories through K-means clustering, IDW interpolation, and Kernel Density Estimation. Results reveal four phases of millet agriculture in Northwest China: (1) rapid establishment in the Loess Plateau (7650–5750 cal a BP) with C4-dominated diets (δ13C > −13.8 ‰); (2) northwestward expansion (5750–4550 cal a BP) marked by tripled site density and millet agriculture altitudinal reach to 2500 m; (3) penetration into Xinjiang (4550–3350 cal a BP) via mountain-oasis corridors, despite wheat's rising prominence in few sites; (4) Late Holocene decline (3350–2200 cal a BP) with mixed C3/C4 diets (δ13C = −16.8 ‰), reflecting wheat's dominance in arid zones. Crucially, field management innovations (ash fertilization, crop rotation) and mid-Holocene climatic optima (30 % higher precipitation) enabled millet's resilience, contrasting with wheat's reliance on westerly moisture surges. We suggested three dispersal pathways—Hexi-Altai, Tianshan oasis, and Kunlun piedmont—underscoring millet's role in bridging Eurasian agropastoral systems. This multi-proxy framework advances understanding of crop-climate-culture interplay in arid landscapes.
尽管对欧亚大陆农业扩散的研究非常广泛，但由于数据集的碎片化，中国西北谷子农业的时空动态仍然存在争议。本研究通过K-means聚类、IDW插值和核密度估计，整合了358个站点的植物遗骸、人类同位素（δ13C）和有机残留物，重建了扩散轨迹。结果表明：①黄土高原谷子农业快速建立（7650 ~ 5750 cal a BP），以c4为主（δ13C >−13.8‰）；(2)向西北扩展（5750 ~ 4550 cal a BP），立地密度增加3倍，海拔高度达到2500 m；(3)通过山地-绿洲走廊进入新疆（4550-3350 cal / BP），尽管小麦在少数地点日益突出；(4)晚全新世C3/C4混合饲料（δ13C = - 16.8‰）下降（3350 ~ 2200 cal a BP），反映了小麦在干旱区的优势地位。至关重要的是，田间管理创新（灰施肥、作物轮作）和全新世中期的最佳气候条件（降水量增加30%）使小米具有了适应能力，而小麦则依赖西风潮气。我们提出了河西-阿尔泰、天山绿洲和昆仑山前3条谷子传播路径，强调了谷子在欧亚农牧系统中的桥梁作用。这种多代理框架促进了对干旱景观中作物-气候-文化相互作用的理解。
{"title":"Spatiotemporal dynamics of prehistoric millet agriculture dispersal in Northwest China","authors":"Chengbang An (安成邦) , Lei Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100658","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100658","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite extensive research on Eurasian agricultural diffusion, the spatiotemporal dynamics of millet agriculture in Northwest China remain contested due to fragmented datasets. This study integrates plant remains, human isotopes (δ<sup>13</sup>C), and organic residues from 358 sites to reconstruct dispersal trajectories through K-means clustering, IDW interpolation, and Kernel Density Estimation. Results reveal four phases of millet agriculture in Northwest China: (1) rapid establishment in the Loess Plateau (7650–5750 cal a BP) with C<sub>4</sub>-dominated diets (δ<sup>13</sup>C > −13.8 ‰); (2) northwestward expansion (5750–4550 cal a BP) marked by tripled site density and millet agriculture altitudinal reach to 2500 m; (3) penetration into Xinjiang (4550–3350 cal a BP) via mountain-oasis corridors, despite wheat's rising prominence in few sites; (4) Late Holocene decline (3350–2200 cal a BP) with mixed C<sub>3</sub>/C<sub>4</sub> diets (δ<sup>13</sup>C = −16.8 ‰), reflecting wheat's dominance in arid zones. Crucially, field management innovations (ash fertilization, crop rotation) and mid-Holocene climatic optima (30 % higher precipitation) enabled millet's resilience, contrasting with wheat's reliance on westerly moisture surges. We suggested three dispersal pathways—Hexi-Altai, Tianshan oasis, and Kunlun piedmont—underscoring millet's role in bridging Eurasian agropastoral systems. This multi-proxy framework advances understanding of crop-climate-culture interplay in arid landscapes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"44 ","pages":"Article 100658"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145050485","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 : 2025-08-13DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100648
Ladislav Damašek , Daniel Pilař , Markéta Šmolková , Kahramon Toshaliyev
This article summarises the results of excavations at the Kalai Hissor site, located in the Baysuntau piedmonts of Surxondaryo Province, southern Uzbekistan. A stratigraphic section was excavated, establishing the site's chronology. Two primary occupation phases were identified: the Early Medieval period (6th–8th century CE, designated as Phase III) and the High Medieval period (11th–early 13th century CE, designated as Phase II). Between these phases, the site remained uninhabited—a timeline corroborated by radiocarbon dating. During the Early Medieval occupation, the settlement was fortified with substantial defensive structures. Excavations yielded a variety of artifacts from both phases, including a notable assemblage of red-painted pottery and other ceramic types. Ceramic typologies for each Medieval phase were established based on these materials.
{"title":"Kalai Hissor - Medieval site in Baysuntau piedmonts. Stratigraphic analysis","authors":"Ladislav Damašek , Daniel Pilař , Markéta Šmolková , Kahramon Toshaliyev","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100648","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100648","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article summarises the results of excavations at the Kalai Hissor site, located in the Baysuntau piedmonts of Surxondaryo Province, southern Uzbekistan. A stratigraphic section was excavated, establishing the site's chronology. Two primary occupation phases were identified: the Early Medieval period (6th–8th century CE, designated as Phase III) and the High Medieval period (11th–early 13th century CE, designated as Phase II). Between these phases, the site remained uninhabited—a timeline corroborated by radiocarbon dating. During the Early Medieval occupation, the settlement was fortified with substantial defensive structures. Excavations yielded a variety of artifacts from both phases, including a notable assemblage of red-painted pottery and other ceramic types. Ceramic typologies for each Medieval phase were established based on these materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100648"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2025-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144828914","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 : 2025-07-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100647
Patcharaporn Ngernkerd, Rasmi Shoocongdej, Saritpong Khunsong
This paper examines the nature of the political boundary between the Dvāravatī and Ancient Khmer kingdoms in eastern Thailand between the 7th and 11th centuries CE. Using a theoretical framework based on the Mandala model, this frontier is examined via spatial analyses between the large, rectilinear towns such as Si Mahosot and Muang Phai and smaller, surrounding communities. The combination of settlement layout, epigraphy and sculptural remains shows a fluidity of cultural influence and power of Khmer kings in this peripheral region. The boundary between the two kingdoms is perhaps viewed as being a gap in settlement in the central plain of the region, but it shifted to the western part of eastern Thailand around the early 11th century CE. Such fluctuations in territorial boundaries are a common occurrence in the history of other ancient states.
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