Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

The trajectory for the southward diffusion of cultural elements originated from north China, such as millet crops, painted pottery, and sarcophagus burial, along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau (EMTP) during the Neolithic and Bronze Age, is a hot issue across multiple disciplines. Painted pottery and millet had spread into the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau during the early fifth millennium BP, while sarcophagus burials emerged in the same area before ~ 3000 BP. However, the timeline for the southward diffusion of sarcophagus burial remains unclear due to the absence of reliable dates of sarcophagus burials in the northeast Tibetan Plateau (NETP). To solve this problem, we investigated prehistoric sites in the Bailong River valley of NETP and sampled bones from a site and five sarcophagus burials for radiocarbon dating. Most dates span between ~ 4500–3500 BP, which are the earliest direct dates of sarcophagus burials distributed along the EMTP. In comparison to updated results of archaeological studies and radiocarbon dating, we argue that the southward diffusion of sarcophagus burials along the EMTP occurred between ~ 4500–3000 BP, much later than the southward dispersal of painted pottery. This provides a new perspective to understand multiple waves of southward culture diffusion along the EMTP before the dawn of the Imperial Age in China.

Biodistance analysis identifies groups that exhibit biological affinity based on phenotypic data. This study proposes and evaluates the performance of algorithms for biodistance analysis based on various squared Euclidean and generalized Mahalanobis distances by combining them with probabilistic hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) and multidimensional scaling (MDS). Four archaeological datasets of human dental metrics and/or non-metric traits were used. To analyze the data, we integrated our previous work on biodistances and developed algorithms that calculate various types of squared Euclidean and generalized Mahalanobis distances, estimate various parameters, apply modified MDS and HCA methods to compute all possible cluster probabilities, and provide MDS confidence ellipses and dendrograms with cluster probabilities. All algorithms are implemented in R. From the data analysis, we found that all distances studied are simulated very satisfactorily by the Monte-Carlo method, resulting in the estimation of accurate cluster probabilities. Examining the probabilities of expected cluster formation, we found that these probabilities are higher when calculated using generalized Mahalanobis distances than the corresponding Euclidean distances. Therefore, the cluster probabilities supported that the generalized Mahalanobis distances are better than the corresponding Euclidean distances in cluster analysis. From a methodological point of view, clustering information concerning population affinities should not be based on a single dendrogram but instead be extracted from the list of the most frequent clusters obtained from all simulated dendrograms.

In the present work we carry out a study of all the Late Bronze Age swords recorded in the Balearic Islands. They represent a set of local practices and traditions alongside foreign ideas and archetypes. To carry out the study, we employ a strategy that joins technological and archaeometric analyses with approaches that consider isotopes and typologies. Of note among the data considered is the importance of metal coming from deposits in Linares, followed by Menorca and Mallorca, and finally, more marginally, Sardinia. A technological analysis of the manufacturing processes provides evidence, in a local context, of the use of the lost-wax casting technique, compound objects, and ternary bronzes, all technologies foreign to the Balearic Islands. Finally, we reflect on the local practices in which these objects were embroiled. All of this allows us to provide an in-depth examination of the interaction networks as well as the changes that took place in local metallurgical practices as the result of the circulation of ideas and knowledge.

Birch tar was the first substance made by humans that is otherwise not available in nature. The oldest artefacts date to ~ 200 thousand years ago in Europe but birch tar becomes more frequent around 45 thousand years ago and even more so from the Mesolithic onwards. Their study has important implication for our understanding of evolutionary processes such as cognitive capacity and cultural evolution. What remains unknown is the overall molecular composition of birch tar. Several approaches based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry have shown the potential of studying solvent soluble molecules to understand the botanical origin of different tars, their manufacturing techniques and their post-depositional alteration mechanisms. However, birch tar’s soluble fraction cannot shed light on its mechanical properties. In this study, we conduct gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and spectroscopic analysis of seven bulk birch tar samples, including infrared band assignment and structural refinement of organic molecules in the insoluble fraction. We find that the overall proportion that cannot be analysed by gas chromatography accounts for 85–90% in birch tar. This phase consists of polymerised molecules with a structure analogous to asphaltenes but containing a significantly greater amount of oxygen-related functional groups. Our findings have implications for understanding the viscosity, adhesiveness and stiffness of birch tar and they call for caution in applying analytical techniques that only target soluble molecules in birch tar.

Insects play a crucial role in cadaveric decomposition, yet their contribution to taphonomic alterations on bones is often overlooked. This study investigates insect activity's impact on bone surface modifications under different environmental conditions. Five unfleshed pig heads were subjected to varied settings—buried and exposed—across coastal and inland contexts. Nine insect taxa were identified, including flies (Sarcophagidae, Calliphoridae [Chrysomia albiceps], Fanniidae, Muscidae), beetles (Dermestidae [Dermestes maculatus], Cleridae [Necrobia rufipes], Hydrophilidae [Cercyon cf. arenarius]), ants (Formicidae [Tetramorium depressum]), and termites (Kalotermitidae [Cryptotermes brevis]). Taphonomic changes observed on bone surfaces varied between buried and exposed specimens, with greater insect diversity and more pronounced modifications in exposed samples. Striations, linear marks, perforations, and bone destruction were linked to specific insect taxa, revealing novel osteophagic behavior in certain species. Termite activity, identified by faecal pellets, occasionally resulted in bone damage. Notably, beetle-induced alterations were absent in coastal environments, suggesting post-decomposition transport when these modifications appear on bone elements from coastal sites. This is the first experimental study in archaeoentomology, providing critical insights into insect-driven taphonomic processes in coastal and inland archaeological sites, with implications for forensic and archaeological interpretations of bone alterations.

Zhaili Kiln is considered one of the earliest kilns to produce northern celadon, but there is currently little comprehensive research on its celadon production. Thirty pieces of typical Zhaili celadon wares dating to the sixth and seventh centuries have been studied in this work. The chemical compositions and microstructures of the ceramic bodies and glazes of these wares have been determined to suggest the possible raw materials and relevant techniques used to make the Zhaili celadon wares. The scientific results indicate that the Zhaili celadon bodies were made using local coal-based clay with high Fe₂O₃ and TiO₂ contents. Besides, additional quartz may be added to the body paste due to its high SiO₂ content and the observable angular quartz particles, which might be ascribed to reducing the firing temperature of coal clay. Unlike typical Chinese glaze recipes, the Zhaili celadon glazes might be produced by three components, coal clay, vegetal ash, and an additional siliceous component, probably loess. This ternary glaze formula at least lasted to the Jin Dynasty in the Zibo kilns. The possible reason for adding loess is to improve the SiO₂/Al₂O₃ in the glaze and effectively form an amorphous glass matrix. The Zhaili kiln potters appear to have developed a suitable celadon making formula to adapt to the available raw materials in the local area. The production of celadon bodies and glazes in the Zhaili kiln varies between its initial and mature stages.

The lava used to make saddle-querns recovered from the prehistoric megalithic temple complex of Tarxien (Malta), cannot have originated in the Maltese Archipelago because it consists entirely of sedimentary rocks. The National Museum of Archaeology (Malta) permitted the sampling of three damaged querns which were recognized among those reported from the site by the excavator, Themistocles Zammit in the early twentieth century. The volcanic samples were studied according to the igneous petrology methodology and belong to two different rock types and magmatic series, namely alkaline basalt (one quern) and calc-alkaline basaltic andesites (two querns). The petrographic classification of these millstones thus suggests a provenance from volcanoes which are represented by extrusives with a magmatic and plate tectonics geodynamic fingerprint of both ocean island basalts (OIB) and subduction zone-related volcanic rocks (SZVR). The provenance areas for the volcanic querns studied are the island of Linosa or the Hyblean Mountains (Sicily) for the alkaline basalt and the Aeolian Archipelago for the two calc-alkaline basaltic andesites. Accordingly, all the investigated grinding stones from Malta come from the neighbouring areas of the Central Mediterranean, thus confirming the existence of a strong exchange network between the Maltese Archipelago and the eastern Sicilian areas in the Late Neolithic (early to mid-3rd millennium BCE) and the Early Bronze Age (Tarxien Cemetery Phase ca. 2100 − 1500 BCE).

This study investigates lead provenance and circulation patterns in Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD) China through the analysis of lead glazed pottery. Four objects were studied using a combination of typological study, elemental chemistry and lead isotope ratio analysis. The results for each object were compared with databases of ‘lead mining districts’ (lead deposits) and ‘lead usage districts’ (lead-containing artifacts unearthed in different spatial and temporal ranges) to assess the lead sources used for each sample and offers a spatial-temporal range of the use of these lead resources. Three distinct groups of lead and their possible circulating spatial-temporal scales are identified across six samples in this study. A possible change in lead supply networks between the Western Han Dynasty (202BC-9AD) and the Eastern Han Dynasty (25AD-220AD) is proposed. This study also highlights the probable changes in the movement of lead resources from the Western Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty (618AD-690AD), suggesting improvements in long-distance transport capabilities, and the development of economic divisions and exchange connections in ancient Chinese society. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the economic and political dynamics during the Han Dynasty and emphasize the significance of lead isotope analysis of glazed pottery in exploring resource movement.

Missing data is a prevalent problem in bioarchaeological research and imputation could provide a promising solution. This work simulated missingness on a control dataset (481 samples × 41 variables) in order to explore imputation methods for mixed data (qualitative and quantitative data). The tested methods included Random Forest (RF), PCA/MCA, factorial analysis for mixed data (FAMD), hotdeck, predictive mean matching (PMM), random samples from observed values (RSOV), and a multi-method (MM) approach for the three missingness mechanisms (MCAR, MAR, and MNAR) at levels of 5%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% missingness. This study also compared single imputation with an adapted multiple imputation method derived from the R package “mice”. The results showed that the adapted multiple imputation technique always outperformed single imputation for the same method. The best performing methods were most often RF and MM, and other commonly successful methods were PCA/MCA and PMM multiple imputation. Across all criteria, the amount of missingness was the most important parameter for imputation accuracy. While this study found that some imputation methods performed better than others for the control dataset, each imputation method has advantages and disadvantages. Imputation remains a promising solution for datasets containing missingness; however when making a decision it is essential to consider dataset structure and research goals.