Forty-six glass finds, including vessel fragments, windows, one inlay and one indicator of production (moil) excavated in the dump of the Sarno Baths in Pompeii were selected for an interdisciplinary technological, typological and chemical study. The identification of the moil demonstrates that a glassblowing workshop most likely existed in Pompeii, thus putting an end to a long-standing scientific debate. The LA-ICP-MS chemical data show that Roman-Mn base glass predominates, along with few Egyptian natron-type glasses and some plant-ash glass of probable Egyptian origin as well. A large proportion of the analysed glass, including the moil, consists of recycled compositions, suggesting the existence of an efficient system of collection and recycling of glass, which was active even at a time when the city had an abundant supply of fresh glass. The demand for raw glass in Pompeii far exceeded the average demand of other Roman towns, because glass containers were essential for the flourishing perfume industry in Pompeii and Campania. The proximity of the Sarno dump to the perfume district in the south-western part of the city and to the horrea of the Sanctuary of Venus suggests the possible location of the glass workshop in this area.
{"title":"Glass working and recycling in Pompeii: new evidence from the landfill of the Sarno Baths (VIII 2, 17–23)","authors":"Cristina Boschetti, Guido Furlan, Nadine Schibille, Rubina Raja, Jacopo Bonetto","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02009-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02009-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Forty-six glass finds, including vessel fragments, windows, one inlay and one indicator of production (moil) excavated in the dump of the Sarno Baths in Pompeii were selected for an interdisciplinary technological, typological and chemical study. The identification of the moil demonstrates that a glassblowing workshop most likely existed in Pompeii, thus putting an end to a long-standing scientific debate. The LA-ICP-MS chemical data show that Roman-Mn base glass predominates, along with few Egyptian natron-type glasses and some plant-ash glass of probable Egyptian origin as well. A large proportion of the analysed glass, including the moil, consists of recycled compositions, suggesting the existence of an efficient system of collection and recycling of glass, which was active even at a time when the city had an abundant supply of fresh glass. The demand for raw glass in Pompeii far exceeded the average demand of other Roman towns, because glass containers were essential for the flourishing perfume industry in Pompeii and Campania. The proximity of the Sarno dump to the perfume district in the south-western part of the city and to the <i>horrea</i> of the Sanctuary of Venus suggests the possible location of the glass workshop in this area.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141587808","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This study introduces a collection of 33 glass samples, encompassing production indicators (blocks, fluidity tests, drops, cuts and wastes) and finished products (mainly goblets and probably a lamp) dating to the second half of the 7th century, except for a single more recent specimen (12th-14th). Additionally, a fragment was taken from a crucible bearing a thin layer of glass inside it. This new collection complements the investigation of glass materials from the Comacchio workshop previously analysed by Bertini et al. (2020).
Measurements were performed using scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy on all samples and Sr–Nd isotopic analyses on 5 blocks.
The results showed how the entire collection can be classified as natron-based silica-soda-lime glass and that the high MgO contents frequently observed are due to contamination with the steatite crucible. Contextually, the hypothesis of using plant ash-based glass mixed with natron-based glass formulated in the previous literature seems to have run out, along with the use of plant ash-based glass itself, further weakened by the very low representativeness of this latter type of glass on the site.
The technological investigation further elucidated that recycling may not singularly account for the Comacchio glass technology. Discernible correlations may suggest the introduction of different types of metals, indicating a specialised control over the production process. Notably, the preference for green–blue glass emerges as a distinctive hallmark, underscoring the deliberate pursuit of a specific aesthetic taste.
Lastly, the provenance analysis showed that over three-quarters of production was based on semi-finished products from Egypt, while only the remaining quarter came from the Levantine coast.
{"title":"New data and insights on the secondary glass workshop of Comacchio (Italy): MgO contents, steatite crucibles and alternatives to recycling","authors":"Elisabetta Gliozzo, Eleonora Braschi, Margherita Ferri","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02017-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02017-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study introduces a collection of 33 glass samples, encompassing production indicators (blocks, fluidity tests, drops, cuts and wastes) and finished products (mainly goblets and probably a lamp) dating to the second half of the 7<sup>th</sup> century, except for a single more recent specimen (12<sup>th</sup>-14<sup>th</sup>). Additionally, a fragment was taken from a crucible bearing a thin layer of glass inside it. This new collection complements the investigation of glass materials from the Comacchio workshop previously analysed by Bertini et al. (2020).</p><p>Measurements were performed using scanning electron microscopy, electron microprobe, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy on all samples and Sr–Nd isotopic analyses on 5 blocks.</p><p>The results showed how the entire collection can be classified as natron-based silica-soda-lime glass and that the high MgO contents frequently observed are due to contamination with the steatite crucible. Contextually, the hypothesis of using plant ash-based glass mixed with natron-based glass formulated in the previous literature seems to have run out, along with the use of plant ash-based glass itself, further weakened by the very low representativeness of this latter type of glass on the site.</p><p>The technological investigation further elucidated that recycling may not singularly account for the Comacchio glass technology. Discernible correlations may suggest the introduction of different types of metals, indicating a specialised control over the production process. Notably, the preference for green–blue glass emerges as a distinctive hallmark, underscoring the deliberate pursuit of a specific aesthetic taste.</p><p>Lastly, the provenance analysis showed that over three-quarters of production was based on semi-finished products from Egypt, while only the remaining quarter came from the Levantine coast.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573368","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-09DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02018-0
Abel Gallego-Valle, Lídia Colominas, Josep Maria Palet
In recent years, the dental microwear analysis technique has been proven as an approach for contributing to animal husbandry research. It has been tested with good results on providing information related to the animal feeding strategies of bygone agri-livestock societies. In this paper, we present the first dental microwear study from the northeast of Tarraconensis province –the administrative region covering the northeastern Iberian Peninsula in Late Antiquity (4th – 8th c. CE) – in order to provide first order information about the different systems that may have been used to nourish sheep flocks. A total of 146 lower sheep (Ovis aries) molars from five archaeological sites were analysed. The results allow us to propose that different livestock practices were conducted, and various natural resources were exploited by the region’s inhabitants during Late Antiquity, with fodder being particularly important as a feeding system to nourish the flock.
{"title":"Ewes of a leather flock together. Feeding management systems during Late Antiquity in the northeast of the Iberian Peninsula (4th c. – 8th c. AD): a dental microwear approach","authors":"Abel Gallego-Valle, Lídia Colominas, Josep Maria Palet","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02018-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02018-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In recent years, the dental microwear analysis technique has been proven as an approach for contributing to animal husbandry research. It has been tested with good results on providing information related to the animal feeding strategies of bygone agri-livestock societies. In this paper, we present the first dental microwear study from the northeast of Tarraconensis province –the administrative region covering the northeastern Iberian Peninsula in Late Antiquity (4th – 8th c. CE) – in order to provide first order information about the different systems that may have been used to nourish sheep flocks. A total of 146 lower sheep (<i>Ovis aries</i>) molars from five archaeological sites were analysed. The results allow us to propose that different livestock practices were conducted, and various natural resources were exploited by the region’s inhabitants during Late Antiquity, with fodder being particularly important as a feeding system to nourish the flock.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141573369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-05DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02013-5
Lucas Proctor, Alexia Smith, Timothy Matney
This study presents the results of a combined dendrological, macrobotanical, and dung spherulite analysis of flotation samples collected from Bronze Age, Late Assyrian, and post-Assyrian contexts at the site of Ziyaret Tepe, located on the southern bank of the Tigris River in southeastern Anatolia. The results of this study show shifting fuel resource exploitation between pre-urbanized phases of the site (ca. 3000–1600 BCE), the urbanized Late Assyrian occupation (882–611 BCE), and the ruralized post-Assyrian (ca. 611 BCE–1500 CE) re-occupations of the site. During the Late Assyrian period, Ziyaret Tepe is thought to have been the location of the city of Tušhan, an important provincial capital of the Neo-Assyrian empire. Evidence for local deforestation near the Tigris River and expanding reliance on dung fuel use during this period indicate overexploitation of fuel resources as larger populations and extractive imperial economic policies placed heavier pressure on local land use. Qualitative dendrological data provides evidence for the intensification of fuelwood harvesting during this period, while textual evidence documented an expansive program of timbering to the north of the site intended to fuel imperial construction projects in the Assyrian heartland. Following the abandonment of Tušhan and the collapse of the Neo-Assyrian empire, local fuel resource exploitation during subsequent occupations of the site shifted towards the direct management of wood fuel resources and increasing reliance on rural pastoralism.
本研究介绍了对从安纳托利亚东南部底格里斯河南岸的 Ziyaret Tepe 遗址的青铜时代、亚述晚期和亚述后期背景中采集的浮选样本进行的树木学、大型植物学和粪便球粒岩综合分析的结果。研究结果表明,在该遗址的城市化前阶段(约公元前 3000-1600 年)、城市化的亚述晚期占领时期(公元前 882-611 年)和农村化的亚述后时期(约公元前 611-1500 年)重新占领该遗址期间,燃料资源的开采发生了变化。在亚述晚期,Ziyaret Tepe 被认为是 Tušhan 城的所在地,Tušhan 城是新亚述帝国的一个重要省会。在这一时期,底格里斯河附近的森林被砍伐,对粪便燃料使用的依赖程度不断提高,这些证据表明,随着人口的增加和帝国的采掘经济政策给当地的土地使用带来了更大的压力,燃料资源被过度开发。定性的树木学数据为这一时期薪材采伐的加强提供了证据,而文字证据则记录了在遗址北部进行的大规模伐木计划,目的是为亚述中心地带的帝国建设项目提供燃料。在图什汉被遗弃和新亚述帝国崩溃之后,在该遗址后来的占领期间,当地的燃料资源开发转向直接管理木材燃料资源,并越来越依赖于农村牧业。
{"title":"Examining long-term fuel and land use patterns at Ziyaret Tepe, Türkiye using an integrated analysis of seeds, wood charcoal, and dung spherulites","authors":"Lucas Proctor, Alexia Smith, Timothy Matney","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02013-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02013-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study presents the results of a combined dendrological, macrobotanical, and dung spherulite analysis of flotation samples collected from Bronze Age, Late Assyrian, and post-Assyrian contexts at the site of Ziyaret Tepe, located on the southern bank of the Tigris River in southeastern Anatolia. The results of this study show shifting fuel resource exploitation between pre-urbanized phases of the site (ca. 3000–1600 BCE), the urbanized Late Assyrian occupation (882–611 BCE), and the ruralized post-Assyrian (ca. 611 BCE–1500 CE) re-occupations of the site. During the Late Assyrian period, Ziyaret Tepe is thought to have been the location of the city of Tušhan, an important provincial capital of the Neo-Assyrian empire. Evidence for local deforestation near the Tigris River and expanding reliance on dung fuel use during this period indicate overexploitation of fuel resources as larger populations and extractive imperial economic policies placed heavier pressure on local land use. Qualitative dendrological data provides evidence for the intensification of fuelwood harvesting during this period, while textual evidence documented an expansive program of timbering to the north of the site intended to fuel imperial construction projects in the Assyrian heartland. Following the abandonment of Tušhan and the collapse of the Neo-Assyrian empire, local fuel resource exploitation during subsequent occupations of the site shifted towards the direct management of wood fuel resources and increasing reliance on rural pastoralism.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141552176","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-04DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02006-4
Andrey V. Epimakhov, Maksim N. Ankushev, Polina S. Ankusheva, Dmitry A. Artemyev, Ivan A. Blinov, Daria V. Kiseleva, Egor P. Kitov, Igor V. Chechushkov, Nikolay B. Vinogradov
Diagnosing the mobility of individuals involved in metal production helps to understand practices of metallurgy and related social processes in the southern Trans-Urals during the Late Bronze Age. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of a unique Sintashta culture grave of an elderly male individual, dated to the early 2nd millennium BCE. The grave is notable for evidence of craft specialization in metal production, as indicated by a specific set of artifacts, while the deceased individual possessed unusual physical appearance, which apparently did not cause his social marginalization. The individual’s lifetime mobility is suggested by 87Sr/86Sr values in his tissues that differ from those typical for the cemetery locus and the presence of non-local copper ore indicates long-distance exchange or import. We assume that craft specialization in metal production could be a factor in individual mobility related to the ore procurement and metal exchange.
{"title":"Were metalworkers itinerant? Interdisciplinary analysis of a metalworker’s burial at the Krivoe Ozero late Bronze Age cemetery (southern Trans-Urals, Russia)","authors":"Andrey V. Epimakhov, Maksim N. Ankushev, Polina S. Ankusheva, Dmitry A. Artemyev, Ivan A. Blinov, Daria V. Kiseleva, Egor P. Kitov, Igor V. Chechushkov, Nikolay B. Vinogradov","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02006-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02006-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Diagnosing the mobility of individuals involved in metal production helps to understand practices of metallurgy and related social processes in the southern Trans-Urals during the Late Bronze Age. In this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis of a unique Sintashta culture grave of an elderly male individual, dated to the early 2nd millennium BCE. The grave is notable for evidence of craft specialization in metal production, as indicated by a specific set of artifacts, while the deceased individual possessed unusual physical appearance, which apparently did not cause his social marginalization. The individual’s lifetime mobility is suggested by <sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr values in his tissues that differ from those typical for the cemetery locus and the presence of non-local copper ore indicates long-distance exchange or import. We assume that craft specialization in metal production could be a factor in individual mobility related to the ore procurement and metal exchange.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141553144","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-02DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02016-2
Xiang Wang, Ruiliang Liu, Jun Gao, A. Mark Pollard, Anchuan Fan, Fang Huang, Ruiliang Li, Shixuan Zhang, Fenglin Hua, Zhengyao Jin
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.
{"title":"Reconstructing the trade history: provenance study of Han bronze mirrors in and out of Han China","authors":"Xiang Wang, Ruiliang Liu, Jun Gao, A. Mark Pollard, Anchuan Fan, Fang Huang, Ruiliang Li, Shixuan Zhang, Fenglin Hua, Zhengyao Jin","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02016-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02016-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141523115","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-07-01DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02014-4
Hamidreza Bakhshandehfard, Vahid Pourzarghan, Mohammadamin Emami
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.
{"title":"Application of electrochemical methods to assess the stability and investigation of factors influencing the ancient copper-arsenic artefacts from 3rd Millennium BC","authors":"Hamidreza Bakhshandehfard, Vahid Pourzarghan, Mohammadamin Emami","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02014-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02014-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502232","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-26DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-01998-3
Dóra Georgina Miklós, Sándor Józsa, Zsolt Kasztovszky, Ildikó Harsányi, Katalin Gméling, Zoltán Kovács, Elisabetta Starnini, Ferenc Horváth, György Szakmány
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.
{"title":"Provenance analysis of red sandstone ground stone tools from the tell site of Hódmezővásárhely-Gorzsa (SE Hungary)","authors":"Dóra Georgina Miklós, Sándor Józsa, Zsolt Kasztovszky, Ildikó Harsányi, Katalin Gméling, Zoltán Kovács, Elisabetta Starnini, Ferenc Horváth, György Szakmány","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-01998-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-01998-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502233","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-21DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02012-6
Linoy Namdar, Yuval Gadot, Lidar Sapir-Hen
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.
本研究旨在建立一个基于历史的南黎凡特城乡居住区畜牧业模型。动物考古学领域需要这种模式,以便更好地分析和研究古代动物遗骸。它还采用了一种非传统的方法来研究和区分城市和农村经济。为此,我们使用了英国委任统治时期的税收档案和村庄统计资料。这些都是这一时期最好的历史文献,记录了巴勒斯坦所有定居点的畜群管理统计数据。我们只选择了原住民居住的定居点,并将数据分为四个环境区域。我们分析了每个区域的牲畜数量和畜群结构。每个城市中心被独立考虑,而农村则根据最常见的牲畜(牛、绵羊或山羊)分为三组。研究结果显示了城市和农村居民点之间的经济差异以及地区趋势,如畜牧业和农业管理。此外,肉类产业在大多数城市中心都很普遍,这是与农村经济的主要区别。我们将这一模型应用于两个大型动物考古案例研究,其年代可追溯到伊斯兰早期至奥斯曼帝国时期;锡安山(位于耶路撒冷市区)和 Tel Beth Shemesh(东部),其规模和性质没有历史记录。我们发现,该模型所反映的经济变化也存在于动物群中。
{"title":"Between cities and villages: the livestock economy in historical Palestine","authors":"Linoy Namdar, Yuval Gadot, Lidar Sapir-Hen","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02012-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02012-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502235","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-06-21DOI: 10.1007/s12520-024-02015-3
Fengyan Zhao, Manli Sun, Peixun Li, Antonella Scherillo, Francesco Grazzi, Fei Guo, Xiaoli Zhang, Chen Wu, Lianhua Zhu, Yi Chai
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.
{"title":"Archaeometallurgical investigation on the Han iron swords and knives unearthed from Xi’an, China","authors":"Fengyan Zhao, Manli Sun, Peixun Li, Antonella Scherillo, Francesco Grazzi, Fei Guo, Xiaoli Zhang, Chen Wu, Lianhua Zhu, Yi Chai","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02015-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s12520-024-02015-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141502234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}