Geoarchaeology-An International Journal最新文献

Agropastoralism has been a widespread subsistence strategy in Central Asia from prehistory to the present. While significant research has aimed at understanding past agropastoral communities in the region, reconstructing a generalized economic model remains challenging due to the complex topographic and ecological conditions, as well as its social and political variability. It is likely that subsistence strategies were flexible and adapted to local conditions. Most of what we know about these communities comes from burial sites, with comparatively less information derived from temporary encampments or occupation contexts. Caves and rockshelters have been readily used by pastoralists for millennia. In this study, we present the results of a multi-proxy study of a Holocene sequence from one of the most archeologically significant cave sites in Central Asia: the Sel'Ungur Cave of Kyrgyzstan. We combined chronometric dating with phytolith, carpological, and fecal-spherulite concentration analyses, as well as micromorphological, micro-XRF, and micro-FTIR studies. The deposits are primarily composed of charred materials and ash, forming the fumier facies. Micromorphological and micro-analytical methods have enabled us to identify penning activities and periodic burning as the dominant site formation processes. High-temperature burning destroyed diagnostic features necessary for more precise identification of herd animals. Notably, “vitrified” dung fragments were observed and inferred through micromorphology and micro-XRF. Through phytolith and archaeobotanical analyses, we were able to infer that livestock mainly grazed locally. The low abundance of domesticated plants—wheat, millet, and barley—as well as fruit seeds, such as grape, pistachio, and walnut, points toward the use of these as a supplement to the herder's diet. The presence of local and allochthonous domesticated plant species alongside evidence for herding suggests the implementation of a mixed economic strategy, likely combining transhumance and agropastoralism. Chronological analysis of the fumier deposits indicates that Sel'Ungur Cave was used as a pen between the 12th and 15th centuries.

The Sadd al-Bint is one of the largest known ancient dams in Saudi Arabia, and yet, its construction date, function and collapse remained uncertain. This study presents the first numerical chronology for the dam, integrating radiocarbon dating, Bayesian modelling, geomorphological analysis and hydrological modelling to reconstruct its history. Results indicate a multiphase construction, with initial building between 596 and 686 CE, followed by repairs or extensions between 725 and 907 CE, and a final maintenance phase between 947 and 1015 CE. Structural and sedimentological evidence suggests that the dam's collapse was not due to poor engineering but rather prolonged lack of maintenance, leading to progressive infiltration until a sudden hydrological event triggered failure. Hydrological reconstructions confirm a maximum reservoir capacity of 12 million m³, potentially supporting extensive irrigation at nearby al-Thamad oasis. The study brings new insights on the dating of Arabian dams, perhaps its most challenging issue, demonstrating a major hydraulic investment during the Rashidun and Umayyad periods and its continuity into the Abbasid period. The dam's strategic location and its role in regional water management suggest a broader state-driven infrastructure policy in early Islamic Arabia. These findings enhance our understanding of long-term water management strategies in northwestern Arabia and their socio-political implications.

Over the past century, archaeological investigations at the ancient city of Bubastis (Tell Basta) have revealed a complex urban landscape featuring temples, a palace, and cemeteries. However, the eastern part of the city remains poorly understood. According to Herodotus—the only historical textual source—and supported by surface finds, this area likely functioned as the main living quarter from at least the Late Period through the Roman Period. This study presents the first area-wide geoarchaeological reconstruction of the Holocene landscape and settlement history in eastern Bubastis. Using coring, electrical resistivity tomography, and direct current resistivity soundings, we identified several Pleistocene sand mounds (‘Geziras’) that provided flood-safe locations for key buildings and housing. Surrounding low-lying floodplain areas, regularly inundated by the Nile, were likely used for agriculture. The thickest anthropogenic deposits—up to 9.5 m—were documented in settlement area S1, reflecting dense occupation during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods. In contrast, area S2 was sparsely settled and likely used for farming, benefiting from nutrient-rich floodplain sediments deposited by a nearby Nile branch. These findings highlight long-term human–environment interactions and demonstrate the value of integrated geoarchaeological approaches for reconstructing landscape and settlement dynamics in the Nile Delta.

WITHDRAWAL: M. J. Bojanowski, S. Mandera, I. Zych, “Provenance Study of Marble Artifacts From the Berenike (Egypt) Archaeological Site Based on Petrographic and Isotopic Data,” Geoarchaeology: An International Journal 39, 6 (2024): 576–593, https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.22015.

The above article, published on 15th June 2024, on Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), has been withdrawn, at the request of the authors, Maciej J. Bojanowski, Sara Mandera, Iwona Zych, and by agreement between the authors, the Editors-in-Chief, Sarah C. Sherwood, and Lisa-Marie Shillito, and Wiley Periodicals LLC. The authors asked for the article to be withdrawn as the artefacts discussed in the article had been used without the authorisation of the Egyptian authorities. Iwona Zych takes responsibility for this mistake.

High-resolution remote sensing, magnetometry, and trench stratigraphy identify a significant flood event at Lagash (modern Tell al-Hiba) during the late Early Dynastic period (ca. 2400–2350 BC). Satellite imagery and magnetometry reveal a 90-meter-wide meander belt—3–15 times broader than documented canals—adjacent to primary temple districts. Test trenches further exposed over one meter of flood-deposited silt covering existing architecture. Optically stimulated luminescence dating (central age: 2390 ± 220 BC) aligns closely with radiocarbon dates obtained from contemporaneous burn layers elsewhere on the site. Displaced artifacts, including an inscribed foundation nail from the reign of King Enannatum I (ca. 2425 BC) and diagnostic ceramics, confirm that the flood occurred after his rule but before Akkadian occupation. Integrating geomorphic, sedimentological, and textual evidence, we propose that the flooding was triggered when Lugalzagesi of Uruk-Umma (reigned ca. 2350 BC) intentionally breached or precipitated the failure of Lagash's principal canal embankments during or immediately following his documented attack on the city. This event illustrates how critical infrastructure for irrigation and transportation could be deliberately exploited to exacerbate the environmental and economic impacts of warfare. By closely associating the flood, the military siege, and subsequent demographic decline within a single generational timeframe, our study refines third-millennium BC Mesopotamian chronology and underscores the interconnected roles of hydrology, conflict, and urban resilience in early urban societies.

Kirch, P. V., Swift, J. A., Lyman, K., et al. 2025. “A Newly Identified Basalt Adze Quarry at Honoko'i Gulch, East Moloka'i, Hawaiian Islands.” Geoarchaeology 40: e70018. https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.70018.

In the originally published version of this article, the name of the Scientific Editor was incorrectly listed. The correct name is Prof. Patrick Nunn.

We apologize for this error.