Pub Date : 2025-02-07DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100595
Yaxiong Liu , Siyu Sun , Liang Ma , Qinggang Geng , Zehao Dou , Kunlong Chen
The aim of this article is to contribute to a better understanding of the transition from bloomery iron to cast iron technology in the Qin state during the Warring States period. Only five iron objects were unearthed from the Xuliangpo cemetery in the southeast of Xi'an, Shaanxi province. This small assemblage, already indicative of a technology in its early stages, dates to the mid Warring States period (around the mid-4th century BCE). Of these five objects, only two were sufficiently well-preserved for metallographic and compositional analysis. Nonetheless, one object (a ring) was identified as bloomery iron, and the other (a belt-buckle) was shaped using cast iron. We propose that the mid Warring States period can be viewed as a time when both bloomery and cast iron were used in the Qin State, prior to the massive adoption of cast iron smelting from the Central Plains in the late Warring States period.
{"title":"Coexistence of bloomery iron and cast iron in a Qin state cemetery dating to the mid Warring States period","authors":"Yaxiong Liu , Siyu Sun , Liang Ma , Qinggang Geng , Zehao Dou , Kunlong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this article is to contribute to a better understanding of the transition from bloomery iron to cast iron technology in the Qin state during the Warring States period. Only five iron objects were unearthed from the Xuliangpo cemetery in the southeast of Xi'an, Shaanxi province. This small assemblage, already indicative of a technology in its early stages, dates to the mid Warring States period (around the mid-4th century BCE). Of these five objects, only two were sufficiently well-preserved for metallographic and compositional analysis. Nonetheless, one object (a ring) was identified as bloomery iron, and the other (a belt-buckle) was shaped using cast iron. We propose that the mid Warring States period can be viewed as a time when both bloomery and cast iron were used in the Qin State, prior to the massive adoption of cast iron smelting from the Central Plains in the late Warring States period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100595"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143348476","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 : 2025-02-04DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100597
Élise Luneau , Verónica Martínez Ferreras
{"title":"Ancient pottery in Central Asia. Archaeological and archaeometric approaches. Introduction to the special issue","authors":"Élise Luneau , Verónica Martínez Ferreras","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100597","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100597"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155805","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 : 2025-02-03DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100601
Suryatman , Andi Muh. Saiful , Nur Ihsan Djindar , Hasanuddin , Iwan Sumantri , Yinika L. Perston , Muh. Alif , Abdullah Abbas , Putra Hudlinas Muhammad , Imran Ilyas , Akin Duli , Adam Brumm
Archaeological research in the Maros-Pangkep karst area of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, has yielded important insight into the long history of human habitation in this region. A poorly known part of the cultural sequence is the arrival of Austronesian-speaking farming societies during the latter phase of prehistoric occupation, and the nature of Austronesian interactions with the long-established Toalean hunter-forager population. The archaeological evidence for this period is often limited and frequently complicated by taphonomic factors, including extensive post-depositional disturbances and stratigraphic reworking at many sites, making it challenging to gain a deep understanding of the various phases of cave use. In this study, we describe the results of our excavations at a new site in the Maros-Pangkep karsts, Bulu Taroa 2 cave, that has significance for our understanding of the timing and nature of interactions between early Austronesians and Toaleans. Excavations at this site uncovered culturally-rich Austronesian layers dating to around 2600–2490 cal BP, thus coinciding with the late ‘Neolithic’ period in the large-scale open settlement sites in the Karama Valley to the north. The finds recovered from Bulu Taroa 2 suggest that the early Austronesian-speaking inhabitants adapted to the nearby coastal environment by intensively exploiting estuarine shellfish. Signs of cultural interactions with Toaleans are minimal. We surmise from this site that ancient Austronesians used some local caves as burial sites during the Metal phase, resulting in the disturbance of older stratified cultural layers.
在印度尼西亚南苏拉威西的马洛斯-庞格普喀斯特地区的考古研究，对该地区人类居住的悠久历史有了重要的认识。文化序列中鲜为人知的一部分是，在史前占领的后期阶段，南岛语农业社会的到来，以及南岛人与长期存在的托亚人狩猎-觅食人口的互动性质。这一时期的考古证据通常是有限的，而且经常受到地层学因素的影响，包括在许多遗址进行的广泛的沉积后扰动和地层改造，这使得对洞穴使用的各个阶段的深入了解具有挑战性。在这项研究中，我们描述了我们在马洛斯-庞格普喀斯特（Maros-Pangkep）喀斯特的一个新遗址，布鲁塔罗亚2洞穴的挖掘结果，这对我们理解早期南岛人和托利亚人之间相互作用的时间和性质具有重要意义。在该遗址的发掘中发现了距今约2600-2490 cal BP的南岛人文化丰富的地层，因此与北部卡拉玛山谷大规模开放定居点的“新石器时代”晚期相吻合。从布鲁塔罗亚2号发现的发现表明，早期说南岛语的居民通过大量开采河口贝类来适应附近的沿海环境。与托利安人文化互动的迹象很少。我们从这个遗址推测，古南岛人在金属期使用了一些当地的洞穴作为埋葬地点，导致旧的分层文化层受到干扰。
{"title":"Early evidence of Austronesian occupation in the Maros-Pangkep karsts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia","authors":"Suryatman , Andi Muh. Saiful , Nur Ihsan Djindar , Hasanuddin , Iwan Sumantri , Yinika L. Perston , Muh. Alif , Abdullah Abbas , Putra Hudlinas Muhammad , Imran Ilyas , Akin Duli , Adam Brumm","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Archaeological research in the Maros-Pangkep karst area of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, has yielded important insight into the long history of human habitation in this region. A poorly known part of the cultural sequence is the arrival of Austronesian-speaking farming societies during the latter phase of prehistoric occupation, and the nature of Austronesian interactions with the long-established Toalean hunter-forager population. The archaeological evidence for this period is often limited and frequently complicated by taphonomic factors, including extensive post-depositional disturbances and stratigraphic reworking at many sites, making it challenging to gain a deep understanding of the various phases of cave use. In this study, we describe the results of our excavations at a new site in the Maros-Pangkep karsts, Bulu Taroa 2 cave, that has significance for our understanding of the timing and nature of interactions between early Austronesians and Toaleans. Excavations at this site uncovered culturally-rich Austronesian layers dating to around 2600–2490 cal BP, thus coinciding with the late ‘Neolithic’ period in the large-scale open settlement sites in the Karama Valley to the north. The finds recovered from Bulu Taroa 2 suggest that the early Austronesian-speaking inhabitants adapted to the nearby coastal environment by intensively exploiting estuarine shellfish. Signs of cultural interactions with Toaleans are minimal. We surmise from this site that ancient Austronesians used some local caves as burial sites during the Metal phase, resulting in the disturbance of older stratified cultural layers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100601"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155804","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 : 2025-02-01DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100600
Laure Dubreuil , Leore Grosman
In the Southern Levant, the Natufians established a long-lasting tradition of using stones, along with other materials, for construction. Initial field observations at Nahal Ein Gev II suggested that such stones are natural blocks or cobbles that frequently underwent some kind of modification. To further investigate this pattern and better understand construction techniques and design, a protocol was developed at the site to record and analyze the construction stones, labelled BL for ‘Building Stones.’ This paper presents our initial results.
Our analysis reveals that basalt and limestone were commonly used as BL, consistent with the lithology of the geological formations around the site. A large proportion of the BL are broken, perhaps as a result of intentional ‘calibration’ of the stones aimed at making them fit into the structure's walls. Consistency in modal BL size reveals some of the norms that underlie the design of the structures. The presence of several types of sheen was noted on the BL; some forms being related to the use of bonding material employed in wall construction, while other forms may indicate surface treatment. Finally, the construction traditions documented at the site are considered in the broader context of Natufian technical innovation and inter-site variability.
在黎凡特南部，纳图夫人建立了使用石头和其他材料进行建筑的长期传统。在Nahal Ein Gev II的初步实地观察表明，这些石头是天然石块或鹅卵石，经常经过某种修饰。为了进一步研究这种模式，更好地了解建筑技术和设计，在现场制定了一项协议，记录和分析建筑石材，标记为BL （Building stones）。这篇论文展示了我们的初步结果。分析表明，主要以玄武岩和灰岩为基底，与遗址周围地质构造的岩性一致。大部分的BL都被破坏了，也许是故意“校准”石头的结果，目的是使它们适合结构的墙壁。模态基础尺寸的一致性揭示了结构设计背后的一些规范。在BL上发现了几种类型的光泽；有些形式与墙体结构中使用的粘合材料有关，而其他形式可能表明表面处理。最后，在更广泛的纳图夫技术创新和场地间变化的背景下，考虑了现场记录的建筑传统。
{"title":"Natufian architecture 12,000 years ago: Analyzing ‘building stones’ at Nahal Ein Gev II","authors":"Laure Dubreuil , Leore Grosman","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100600","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100600","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Southern Levant, the Natufians established a long-lasting tradition of using stones, along with other materials, for construction. Initial field observations at Nahal Ein Gev II suggested that such stones are natural blocks or cobbles that frequently underwent some kind of modification. To further investigate this pattern and better understand construction techniques and design, a protocol was developed at the site to record and analyze the construction stones, labelled BL for ‘Building Stones.’ This paper presents our initial results.</div><div>Our analysis reveals that basalt and limestone were commonly used as BL, consistent with the lithology of the geological formations around the site. A large proportion of the BL are broken, perhaps as a result of intentional ‘calibration’ of the stones aimed at making them fit into the structure's walls. Consistency in modal BL size reveals some of the norms that underlie the design of the structures. The presence of several types of sheen was noted on the BL; some forms being related to the use of bonding material employed in wall construction, while other forms may indicate surface treatment. Finally, the construction traditions documented at the site are considered in the broader context of Natufian technical innovation and inter-site variability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100600"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155803","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 : 2025-01-31DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100603
Tobias Richter , Lisa Yeomans , Alexis Pantos
The Late Pleistocene and early Holocene inhabitants of the Qa’ Shubayqa in northeast Jordan's Harrat ash-Sham basalt desert constructed a remarkable array of buildings over the course of nearly 6000 years. We present the architectural evidence from two excavated archaeological sites in the area: Shubayqa 1 and 6 and reflect on the nature of Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic constructions, and the purpose and meaning of the uncovered buildings. The Shubayqa sites afford a rare opportunity to examine changes in architecture from the beginning of the Natufian to the end of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) in one confined area. We argue that construction at Shubayqa 1 and 6 followed different rhythms and that the materiality of stone used as a building material does not directly correlate with permanent or impermanent modes of inhabiting these places. This prompts a rethinking of how we analyse and understand architecture during the transition from the Epipalaeolithic to the Neolithic in southwest Asia.
{"title":"Making spaces amongst the rocks: The construction, purpose and meaning of Late epipalaeolithic and PPNA buildings in the Harrat ash-Sham","authors":"Tobias Richter , Lisa Yeomans , Alexis Pantos","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Late Pleistocene and early Holocene inhabitants of the Qa’ Shubayqa in northeast Jordan's Harrat ash-Sham basalt desert constructed a remarkable array of buildings over the course of nearly 6000 years. We present the architectural evidence from two excavated archaeological sites in the area: Shubayqa 1 and 6 and reflect on the nature of Epipalaeolithic and Early Neolithic constructions, and the purpose and meaning of the uncovered buildings. The Shubayqa sites afford a rare opportunity to examine changes in architecture from the beginning of the Natufian to the end of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A (PPNA) in one confined area. We argue that construction at Shubayqa 1 and 6 followed different rhythms and that the materiality of stone used as a building material does not directly correlate with permanent or impermanent modes of inhabiting these places. This prompts a rethinking of how we analyse and understand architecture during the transition from the Epipalaeolithic to the Neolithic in southwest Asia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100603"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155802","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 : 2025-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100598
Scott D. Haddow
At Neolithic Çatalhöyük (7100–6000 cal BCE), where evidence of monumental architecture and large communal spaces and structures is lacking, the house served as the focal point not only for domestic activities such as food processing and storage, but also for cyclical and periodic ritual activity including layered wall paintings, animal installations and burials. Human remains, in both primary and secondary burial contexts, are commonly found beneath the floors and platforms of houses. While intramural burials elsewhere in southwest Asia often took place in abandoned structures, most inhumations at Çatalhöyük occurred during the occupation phase of houses. The close association between human remains and the built environment can be seen in the way that bodies -whole or in part- were embedded in the fabric of houses to mark important architectural milestones. In this way, the construction, occupation, adornment, transformation and eventual abandonment of houses reflect and are entangled with the lives of the individuals buried within them. Using examples from the site, this paper presents and discusses the ways in which the “life histories” of houses are connected with the remains of individuals to form shared biographies.
在新石器时代Çatalhöyük（公元前7100-6000 cal BCE），缺乏纪念性建筑和大型公共空间和结构的证据，房子不仅是家庭活动（如食品加工和储存）的焦点，也是周期性和周期性的仪式活动（包括分层壁画，动物装置和葬礼）的焦点。人类遗骸，在初级和次级埋葬背景下，通常在房屋的地板和平台下发现。虽然西南亚其他地方的校内埋葬通常在废弃的建筑物中进行，但Çatalhöyük的大多数土葬发生在房屋占领阶段。人类遗骸和建筑环境之间的密切联系可以从整体或部分遗体嵌入房屋结构的方式中看出，以标志着重要的建筑里程碑。通过这种方式，房屋的建造、占用、装饰、改造和最终废弃反映并纠缠着埋葬在其中的个人的生活。本文以现场为例，介绍并讨论了房屋的“生活史”与个人遗骸相联系，形成共同传记的方式。
{"title":"Bodies in buildings: Human remains and the life histories of houses at Neolithic Çatalhöyük","authors":"Scott D. Haddow","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>At Neolithic Çatalhöyük (7100–6000 cal BCE), where evidence of monumental architecture and large communal spaces and structures is lacking, the house served as the focal point not only for domestic activities such as food processing and storage, but also for cyclical and periodic ritual activity including layered wall paintings, animal installations and burials. Human remains, in both primary and secondary burial contexts, are commonly found beneath the floors and platforms of houses. While intramural burials elsewhere in southwest Asia often took place in abandoned structures, most inhumations at Çatalhöyük occurred during the occupation phase of houses. The close association between human remains and the built environment can be seen in the way that bodies -whole or in part- were embedded in the fabric of houses to mark important architectural milestones. In this way, the construction, occupation, adornment, transformation and eventual abandonment of houses reflect and are entangled with the lives of the individuals buried within them. Using examples from the site, this paper presents and discusses the ways in which the “life histories” of houses are connected with the remains of individuals to form shared biographies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100598"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155801","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 : 2025-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100599
Reuven Yeshurun , Elisabetta Boaretto , Ma’ayan Lev , Meir Orbach , Catherine Ujma , Sigal Lavy-Elbaz , Linda Amos , Mina Weinstein-Evron
The earliest appearance of permanent architecture in the Levant coincided with intensified diets, starting at ca. 15,000 years ago, with the Natufian Culture. High-resolution studies of intra-Natufian change are needed for testing the intertwined effects of the novel built environment, subsistence patterns, and population dynamics. The deep Early Natufian sequence of el-Wad Terrace (Mount Carmel, Israel), provides a high-resolution record (ca. 14.8–13.1 ka) that includes an initial phase with little architecture, followed by the intensive architectural phase with ten stratified building levels, in turn capped by more ephemeral habitation levels. Using the rich zooarchaeological samples from each stage, as well as the Late Natufian layer, we test how hunting patterns and bone depositional histories changed with the mode of habitation. All of the 20 stratified samples we studied likely attest to domestic activities, differing in scale but not in type. The initial habitation at the pre-architectural stage appears as very diversified, but with weaker evidence for resource depletion. The subsequent architectural stage presents the most intensive butchery patterns and sediment build-up, together with some shifts in hunting patterns, and large gazelle body-size that may signal some overhunting. The post-architectural stage displays more specialized or seasonal hunting patterns, alongside taphonomic evidence of more frequent abandonments. We suggest that these developments correspond to at least one full demographic cycle, whereby population growth had been mediated for several generations by flexible subsistence strategies, but eventually led to a Malthusian phase and settlement reorganization. Natufian hamlets were dynamic, at times not incorporating permanent architecture. The built spaces—and the habitation dynamics they reflect—are more clearly understood when compared with the non-architectural phases.
{"title":"A Natufian demographic cycle at el-Wad Terrace, Israel: The rise and fall of the architectural compound","authors":"Reuven Yeshurun , Elisabetta Boaretto , Ma’ayan Lev , Meir Orbach , Catherine Ujma , Sigal Lavy-Elbaz , Linda Amos , Mina Weinstein-Evron","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The earliest appearance of permanent architecture in the Levant coincided with intensified diets, starting at ca. 15,000 years ago, with the Natufian Culture. High-resolution studies of intra-Natufian change are needed for testing the intertwined effects of the novel built environment, subsistence patterns, and population dynamics. The deep Early Natufian sequence of el-Wad Terrace (Mount Carmel, Israel), provides a high-resolution record (ca. 14.8–13.1 ka) that includes an initial phase with little architecture, followed by the intensive architectural phase with ten stratified building levels, in turn capped by more ephemeral habitation levels. Using the rich zooarchaeological samples from each stage, as well as the Late Natufian layer, we test how hunting patterns and bone depositional histories changed with the mode of habitation. All of the 20 stratified samples we studied likely attest to domestic activities, differing in scale but not in type. The initial habitation at the pre-architectural stage appears as very diversified, but with weaker evidence for resource depletion. The subsequent architectural stage presents the most intensive butchery patterns and sediment build-up, together with some shifts in hunting patterns, and large gazelle body-size that may signal some overhunting. The post-architectural stage displays more specialized or seasonal hunting patterns, alongside taphonomic evidence of more frequent abandonments. We suggest that these developments correspond to at least one full demographic cycle, whereby population growth had been mediated for several generations by flexible subsistence strategies, but eventually led to a Malthusian phase and settlement reorganization. Natufian hamlets were dynamic, at times not incorporating permanent architecture. The built spaces—and the habitation dynamics they reflect—are more clearly understood when compared with the non-architectural phases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100599"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155800","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 : 2025-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.ara.2025.100596
Chao Lu, Linyao Du, Bo Tan, Liyuan Zheng, Yong Zhang, Wensheng Zhang, Lai Jiang, Lei Tang, Chengbang An
The latest research shows that horses were domesticated in western Eurasian Steppes and spread through Eurasia then. However, the process of spreading domestic horses in northern China and the factors that influence it remain unclear. This study systematically collected archaeological documents and related information on horse bones unearthed in northern China. We first sort out domestic horses' emergence and spatiotemporal distribution and then analyse them in the context of the natural environment and the history of human activities. Evidence shows domestic horses first entered the Loess Plateau region from the Altai Mountains-Hexi Corridor. As the climate became humid and the human occupation enforced, domestic horses appeared on the routes eastward from the Tianshan Mountains and southward from the Mongolian Plateau. Horse-drawn chariots were introduced to northern China around 1300 BCE, they first developed in the Central Plains due to the strong social foundation of the Shang Dynasty. After 1000 BCE, the spread of horseback pastoralism played an essential role in developing the arid inland areas of northern China.
{"title":"The spread of the domestic horse in northern China during the pre-Qin period and its influencing factors","authors":"Chao Lu, Linyao Du, Bo Tan, Liyuan Zheng, Yong Zhang, Wensheng Zhang, Lai Jiang, Lei Tang, Chengbang An","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The latest research shows that horses were domesticated in western Eurasian Steppes and spread through Eurasia then. However, the process of spreading domestic horses in northern China and the factors that influence it remain unclear. This study systematically collected archaeological documents and related information on horse bones unearthed in northern China. We first sort out domestic horses' emergence and spatiotemporal distribution and then analyse them in the context of the natural environment and the history of human activities. Evidence shows domestic horses first entered the Loess Plateau region from the Altai Mountains-Hexi Corridor. As the climate became humid and the human occupation enforced, domestic horses appeared on the routes eastward from the Tianshan Mountains and southward from the Mongolian Plateau. Horse-drawn chariots were introduced to northern China around 1300 BCE, they first developed in the Central Plains due to the strong social foundation of the Shang Dynasty. After 1000 BCE, the spread of horseback pastoralism played an essential role in developing the arid inland areas of northern China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100596"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155799","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}
Kisar, a small limestone island in southeastern Indonesia, holds archaeological evidence of human habitation extending back to the Late Pleistocene. Among its significant sites, Negeri Lama Purpura stands out as the largest fortification on the island. First occupied in the 14th to 15th centuries CE, the site exemplifies the strategic use of elevated locations for coastal defense and visibility. This early occupation, preceding European colonial expansion, indicates that security concerns were already prominent before the rise of the spice and slave trade. The transition from small band societies to more complex village communities in Island Southeast Asia during the 11th to 15th centuries likely stemmed from climatic factors and the growth of regional trade networks. Kisar's historical challenges, including overpopulation, drought, and deforestation, were exacerbated by limited natural resources. Despite these constraints, its strategic location—north of Timor and between the Lesser Sunda and Maluku Islands—enabled it to flourish as a regional trade hub and center for cultural exchange. Artefacts such as pottery, ceramics, and Indo-Pacific glass beads from Negeri Lama Purpura highlight Kisar's integration into regional and global maritime trade networks.
Kisar是印度尼西亚东南部的一个石灰岩小岛，拥有人类居住的考古证据，可以追溯到晚更新世。在其重要遗址中，内格里喇嘛紫癜作为岛上最大的防御工事脱颖而出。该遗址最早于公元14至15世纪被占领，是利用高架位置进行海岸防御和提高能见度的战略例证。在欧洲殖民扩张之前的早期占领表明，在香料和奴隶贸易兴起之前，安全问题就已经很突出了。11至15世纪，东南亚岛屿从小部落社会过渡到更复杂的村庄社区，可能源于气候因素和区域贸易网络的发展。Kisar的历史挑战，包括人口过剩、干旱和森林砍伐，都因有限的自然资源而加剧。尽管存在这些限制，但它的战略位置——帝汶北部，小巽他群岛和马鲁古群岛之间——使它成为一个繁荣的区域贸易中心和文化交流中心。来自Negeri Lama Purpura的陶器、陶瓷和印太玻璃珠等文物凸显了Kisar融入区域和全球海上贸易网络的重要性。
{"title":"Formidable fortress: Historical cliff-top settlement and the role of Kisar Island in the Indo-Malaya trade network","authors":"Hendri A.F. Kaharudin , Destario Metusala , Ati Rati Hidayah , Nugroho Purwono , Hafizhuddin","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100594","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100594","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Kisar, a small limestone island in southeastern Indonesia, holds archaeological evidence of human habitation extending back to the Late Pleistocene. Among its significant sites, Negeri Lama Purpura stands out as the largest fortification on the island. First occupied in the 14th to 15th centuries CE, the site exemplifies the strategic use of elevated locations for coastal defense and visibility. This early occupation, preceding European colonial expansion, indicates that security concerns were already prominent before the rise of the spice and slave trade. The transition from small band societies to more complex village communities in Island Southeast Asia during the 11th to 15th centuries likely stemmed from climatic factors and the growth of regional trade networks. Kisar's historical challenges, including overpopulation, drought, and deforestation, were exacerbated by limited natural resources. Despite these constraints, its strategic location—north of Timor and between the Lesser Sunda and Maluku Islands—enabled it to flourish as a regional trade hub and center for cultural exchange. Artefacts such as pottery, ceramics, and Indo-Pacific glass beads from Negeri Lama Purpura highlight Kisar's integration into regional and global maritime trade networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100594"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155798","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}
The earliest finds of clay vessels fragments in Western Asia date back to the end of the 10th millennium BCEE. They have already been present at the site Ganj Dareh in the Central Zagros no later than the end of 9th millennium BCEE. The purpose of our research is to look for possible specific ways that led to the emergence of pottery technology in the Central Zagros region. For this, we carried out technological and spherulite analyzes on clay vessels and building fragments from Ganj Dareh. Our research suggests that there is a strong similarity between the methods used to produce the earliest pottery and those used in the construction of buildings in the Zagros region (and probably Western Asia as whole). Our analysis also confirmed the presence of dung in both the pottery paste of clay vessels and clay elements used in construction activities. This provides further evidence for the early onset of animal herding in this region (Zeder and Hesse, 2000; Daly et al., 2021), as well as evidence for the effective use a wide range of products related to the exploitation of animals. In general, the origin of pottery is undoubtedly a local invention and is associated with a wide range of different skills that the population of Western Asia possessed in previous periods (domestication of animals and plants, technologies associated with the construction of dwellings and economic structures, and technologies for the use of fire).
{"title":"The origins of pottery technology and its connection with house-building technology in the Zagros Mountains (Western Asia)","authors":"Natalia Petrova , Anna Babenko , Hojjat Darabi , Tobias Richter","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100588","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2024.100588","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The earliest finds of clay vessels fragments in Western Asia date back to the end of the 10th millennium BCEE. They have already been present at the site Ganj Dareh in the Central Zagros no later than the end of 9th millennium BCEE. The purpose of our research is to look for possible specific ways that led to the emergence of pottery technology in the Central Zagros region. For this, we carried out technological and spherulite analyzes on clay vessels and building fragments from Ganj Dareh. Our research suggests that there is a strong similarity between the methods used to produce the earliest pottery and those used in the construction of buildings in the Zagros region (and probably Western Asia as whole). Our analysis also confirmed the presence of dung in both the pottery paste of clay vessels and clay elements used in construction activities. This provides further evidence for the early onset of animal herding in this region (<span><span>Zeder and Hesse, 2000</span></span>; <span><span>Daly et al., 2021</span></span>), as well as evidence for the effective use a wide range of products related to the exploitation of animals. In general, the origin of pottery is undoubtedly a local invention and is associated with a wide range of different skills that the population of Western Asia possessed in previous periods (domestication of animals and plants, technologies associated with the construction of dwellings and economic structures, and technologies for the use of fire).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100588"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155806","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}
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