Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

A rapidly increasing number of bronze mirrors dated to the Chinese Han dynasty (202 BC – AD 220), known for their unique decorative patterns and highly developed alloying techniques, have been widely discovered in both China and beyond, providing fresh materials and scientific data to revisit their geological provenance, production and circulation network along the ancient Silk Road. In this paper, 47 bronze mirrors unearthed in the southeastern provinces of China, including Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian provinces, have been characterized by typo-chronology, lead isotopic analysis, compositional analysis and metallography. A much wider comparative study is also carried out through a combination of data from China, Japan, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, leading to a more updated lead isotopic database of the Han mirrors spreading out of China in various directions. Compared with the traditional ‘optimal’ model based on the Han mirrors recovered in Japan, the current study contributes several key changes in the bronze mirror production of the Han dynasty. The systematic analysis of the alloy composition, trace elements and typological studies shows that the bronze mirror industry shifted towards a more standardized production in the middle to late Western Han Dynasty. In contrast to the substantial change of non-mirror bronze productions, the similar distribution of lead isotope data in early and middle to late Western Han mirrors suggests that the ‘official monopoly of salt and iron’ policy was less effective for the management of lead involved in mirror production. Bronze mirrors dated to middle to late Western Han discovered outside Han-China, such as Japan, Thailand, Afghanistan, Xiongnu and the ancient Dian Kingdom, appear to be subjected to a more specific type of lead as a result of the state-centralized policy of the Western Han court.

The Bazman district constitutes one of the four regions of Iranshahr in the Sistan and Baluchistan province southeast of Iran. This study examines the behavior of arsenic copper alloy deterioration in chloride environments. Electrochemical methods were used to investigate the corrosion rate of some laboratory-made of Cu-As coupons versus five antique As-alloys from Spidej Cemetery in Bazman. Tafel plots (LSV) were used to determine corrosion rate, corrosion current density, and Cyclic voltammetry method for oxidation conditions. The data obtained by the (LSV) method show that the corrosion rate is variable in different concentrations. Electrochemical investigations were conducted on the pH of the soil solution in the area. The results of cyclic voltammetry data show the occurrence of pitting corrosion in the pH solution caused by the burial conditions of the Spidej over time. The behavior of chlorides on the corrosion of these alloys was investigated via soil solution sampling of Spidej Bazman at pH 10.85 with both manufactured and ancient alloys. Four types of corrosion morphology were identified in the arsenic bronze objects. To test corrosion behavior, the linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) technique was achieved. Electrochemical testing using line scan voltammetry demonstrated that the rise in chloride promotion efficiency led to greater migration of the arsenic element from the alloy. At pH 10.17 and 10.85, the minimum corrosion rate for laboratory-made alloys is similar to ancient alloys. Different percentages of the alloy showed different corrosion rates.

Hódmezővásárhely–Gorzsa is a multi-period tell settlement in South Hungary in the centre of the Great Hungarian Plain, about 15 km southwest of the city of Hódmezővásárhely. The thickest section of the settlement belongs to the Late Neolithic Tisza Culture period. In total, 1061 macrolithic artefacts were unearthed, a quarter of which was polished, and three quarter of which were ground stone tools. Half of the ground stones were made of different types of sandstone, including (1) red-, (2) grey micaceous-, (3) calcareous-, (4) white meta sandstones, and (5) other sandstones and metasandstones were identified. The red sandstones are further categorised into four subgroups based on optical microscopy. This examination is the first systematic multi-analytical investigation (i.e. optical microscopy, whole-rock geochemistry and mineral chemistry), carried out on these ground stone tool types. The goal is to identify and precisely locate the raw material types, in which heavy minerals and the tourmaline mineral chemistry play the key role. To determine the provenance of each of these subgroups, samples were collected from seven geological localities (i.e. primary outcrops and secondary presences, such as river drainages or terraces) for a comparative study. Based on our results, the alluvium of the Maros River can be considered as a possible source for the ‘Red – 3’ type of Gorzsa, while the results for the rest red sandstone types (‘Red – 1’, ‘Red − 2’ and ‘Red – 4’) are inconclusive in terms of provenance.

This study aims at establishing a historically based model of animal husbandry in urban and rural settlements, in the Southern Levant. This type of model is required in the field of zooarchaeology, to better analyze and study ancient faunal remains. It also applies a non-traditional method to study and differentiate between urban and rural economies. For this aim, we used British Mandate tax files and village statistics. These are the best available historical documents for this period, that recorded herds management statistics in all settlements of Palestine. We selected only settlements inhabited by the indigenous population and divided the data into four environmental regions. We analyzed the livestock abundance and herd demography in each region. Each urban center was considered independently, while the rural villages were classified into three groups, based on the most common livestock (cattle, sheep, or goats). Results show economic variations between urban and rural settlements as well as regional trends, such as in pastoralism and agricultural management. In addition, meat industries were common in most urban centers, being the primary difference from rural economies. We applied this model to two large zooarchaeological case studies, dating from the Early Islamic to the Ottoman period; Mount Zion, located in the urban city of Jerusalem, and Tel Beth Shemesh (East), whose size and nature were not historically recorded. We found that the economic variations reflected in the model were also present in the faunal assemblages.

The iron sword and knife industry was highly developed during the Han dynasties in Chinese history. However, there is not much clarity regarding its presence in the capital. In this paper, we analyzed fragments of seven iron swords and three iron knives excavated in Xi’an city (the capital of Han dynasties) using non-destructive neutron techniques of neutron resonance capture analysis (NRCA) and neutron diffraction (ND) for the first time in China. The results indicate that the hand guards were cast from Cu-Sn-Pb-As alloys, while one knife’s scabbard was made of pure copper. Furthermore, we obtained quantitative results for carbon content, micro-strain and texture effect in different regions of each sword or knife for the first time. This suggests that these iron blades are hypoeutectoid steel, and likely underwent intentional processing such as carburization, decarburizaition and hammering. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the archaeometallurgy related to Han iron swords and knives, which supplements the results obtained from traditional experimental methods. Additionally, it is also significant for further application of neutron techniques in China’s cultural heritage.