Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

The dispersal and development of pastoralism during the Bronze Age profoundly influenced human livelihoods and adaptability to diverse environments in northwestern China. Although diachronic changes in the composition of animal resources have been discussed, the specific utilization form of these resources remains unclear due to the lack of age-class and sex ratio data for inferring population structure. Here, we report new zooarchaeological data from the Haizang site dated between 4000 and 3500 cal. yr BP in an oasis in northwestern China’s Hexi Corridor. The 7092 identified animal remains are dominated by sheep/goat (53.44%) and cattle (15.61%), supplemented by pig (11.96%) and wildlife (11.11%), representing the largest animal remains assemblage in this area thus far. The mortality age profiles of sheep/goat and cattle remains show that domesticated ruminants were utilized for multiple purposes, implying the introduction of livestock utilization knowledge alongside these species. During this stage, the reliance of local subsistence on ruminant pastoralism was geographically varied in and around the Hexi Corridor, although these areas shared similar Qijia cultural phenomena. We argue that ancient inhabitants of Haizang took a more ruminant-focused and multipurpose animal utilization strategy, which alleviated the survival pressure caused by colder and drier climate in the global context of ‘4.2 ka BP event’ and underpinned local social development. The acceleration of trans-regional exchange across Eurasia during the early Bronze Age provided the paramount material and knowledge for this transformation.

A collection of bronze chariot-horses was discovered in the Yang’an Han tomb in Qionglai City, Sichuan Province. These bronzes was used as burial objects, symbolizing the high status of the tomb owner during his lifetime. To analyze the samples taken from the bronze chariot-horses, various scientific techniques were employed, including metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscope energy dispersive (SEM–EDS), multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer (ICP-AES) were used to analyze samples from the bronze chariot-horses. Unlike most Han bronzes made of leaded tin-bronze, the bronze chariot-horses were crafted using copper and tin, and their metallographic structure revealed that they were cast. The origin of the copper material used for the bronze chariot-horses differed noticeably from that of bronzes excavated in the Sichuan area from the late Warring States period and Western Han period. Historical documents and archaeological findings suggested that the owners of the bronze chariot-horses were possibly vassals. As the Sichuan region was governed by the central government of the Western Han Dynasty through the establishment of prefectures and counties rather than through the enfeoffment system, the presence of the bronze chariot-horses in Yang’an Han tomb may be related to the family of Liu Yue (刘越). The analysis of the lead isotope data indicated that the copper material likely originated from the southeastern Hebei and western Shandong, providing strong evidence for the link between the bronze chariot-horses and the family of Liu yue in terms of resource circulation.

Cattle domestication and subsequent spread caused unprecedented biological, economic, ecological and social transformations in human history. Cyprus was one of the first places domestic taurine cattle were transported to outside of their core domestication region, making it a “hotspot” in which to investigate cattle acclimatisation and management practices. Accumulated archaeological, iconographic and zooarchaeological evidence has shed much light on the economic and socio-ideological significance of cattle in prehistoric Cypriot society, particularly from the Early Bronze Age onwards. However, little information exists on the mechanisms through which prehistoric cattle breeders experimented with this new, large, multifunctional and symbolically potent animal. Here, we use an integrated approach that combines zooarchaeological and stable isotopic data to reconstruct human-cattle interactions and cattle management in an island context. Stable carbon (δ¹³C) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O) isotopes were applied to a small sample (n = 16) of cattle (Bos sp.) and goat (Capra hircus) teeth from three key sites, spanning the Pre-pottery Neolithic B to the Middle Bronze Age. The results highlight discrepancies in patterns of isotopic variation between Bronze Age goat and cattle, likely reflecting differences in mobility and the more intensive management of cattle through the provision of fodder. Additionally, we observe differences in the isotope values of cattle through time (Neolithic vs. Bronze Age) and space (upland versus inland), which might be related to local resource availability as well as alterations in climate and environment. In spite of the small sample size, this current work highlights the potential of integrating zooarchaeological and stable isotopic data for addressing questions relevant to animal husbandry practices during key archaeological periods in Cyprus and beyond, inviting future research on the topic.

Abstract

The article focuses on the stratigraphy of the late Byzantine pavement of the Southwest Church, Umm el-Jimal, Jordan and the production technology of their mortars by applying thin section petrography, x-ray diffractometry (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Investigations revealed the similarity between the studied pavement and standard Roman mosaic pavements. The pavement consists of four layers (statumen, rudus, nucleus and bedding), but lacks the tessellatum layer. The statumen was constructed using large stones and then leveled by soil and pebbles, while the other three layers are composed of lime-based mortars formed by two different recipes. The white-beige non-hydraulic mortar of the bedding layer consists of a lime binder and aggregates of scoria and organic fibers, and a Binder:Aggregate (B:A) ratio of 1:2. The grey hydraulic mortars of the rudus and nucleus are mixtures of lime and silica-rich silt/clay, fine sand, volcanic rocks, ceramics, and charcoal; and B:A ratios of 1:4. The rudus and nucleus mortars have high values of hydraulic and cementation indices, reflecting their hydraulic properties, which most probably originated from the reaction between lime, ceramic and volcanic inclusions. In contrast, lack of ceramic and absence of the reactions between lime and scoria of the bedding layer probably produced a mortar with low values of hydraulic and cementation indices, but durable and resistant to weight load.

The starch grains present in the dental calculus of four Neolithic individuals of the Dehesilla Cave (Cadiz, South of Spain) were extracted and observed with light microscopy. The variant of the extraction technique used proved to be very effective. A number of Poaceae-Triticeae taxa [wheat (Triticum sp., the main crop, including Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum sp.)], Fabaceae-Fabeae-Cicereae and Fagaceae (oaks = Quercus sp., which constitute new data for the area in question) were identified. Some pollen grains and fungal spores were also identified, which helped to provide information on the ecological framework of the crops associated with the archaeological site.

The study provides a detailed investigation into several representatives of La Tène jewellery. Primarily, it deals with non-metallic decorative inlays from the Late La Tène period, particularly with their application on a metal base. Unique artefacts have been selected for the study, all coming from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. A prime representative of the finds is a torc coming from a La Tène burial site in Prague (Czech Republic, Central Europe). In this geographical context, such finds are rather exceptional. The torc examined is remarkable both in terms of its origin and the production technology utilised, namely the application of decorative inlays made of red opaque glass. Available literature classifies this decorative element as an enamel technique. The highly specific type of red soda high-lead glass applied there was examined using LA-ICP-MS. Based on the trace elements detected, it can be established that the glass is most likely related to contemporary Egyptian production. Other items of the artefact set consist of two Münsingen brooches from Moravia and an exceptional brooch from Slovakia. The latter find was found to be decorated with coral (as confirmed by Raman spectroscopy). Besides identifying the materials of the decorations, we were also able to characterize the binder between individual decorative inlays and their metal base. The analysis of the binder has revealed the presence of birch tar (determined by FTIR and GC/MS). The results obtained expand the knowledge about the production technologies applied to the jewellery from the La Tène period.

High-definition approaches are currently revolutionizing our understanding of the archaeology of urban archives. Multi-proxy studies at a high spatial resolution offer especially an opportunity to capture their high data potential. Here we present a study of complex floor layers from an occupation phase dating to c. AD 790–830 uncovered in the Viking-age emporium Ribe, Denmark (c. AD 700–900). In order to better understand stratigraphy and the use of indoor space, mapping for soil geochemistry (portable X-ray fluorescence analysis, pXRF) on a high-resolution grid (0.25 × 0.25 m, n = 1059), was combined with targeted sampling for soil micromorphology and artefact distributions. The results show that the studied occupation phase was composed of several short-lived floor phases belonging to two consecutive houses that had been sampled in conjunction, and which exhibited a complex stratigraphy. The older house phase had a primarily domestic function, where ten functional areas could be defined, and are interpreted as designated spaces for food preparation, storage, sitting or sleeping, and weaving. A younger house phase contained a metal workshop in addition to domestic functions. Methodologically, a number of new, potentially anthropogenic, elements of archaeological interest, such as arsenic, manganese and sulfur, were identified that may contribute to interpretations, while the multi-proxy approach elucidates the refined scale at which we can understand a complex stratigraphic sequence and the integrity of its units. This study shows how the various aspects of Viking-age urban life (craft production, domestic life) were integrated, and sheds light on the dynamics of urban occupation.

Ifriqiya (roughly Tunisia and eastern Algeria) is believed to have played a significant role in the diffusion of ceramic glazed technologies into other regions of the Western Mediterranean. However, due to limited analysis on North African glazed ceramics, its role in technology transfer remains poorly understood. This paper uses SEM–EDS and petrographic analyses to understand the technology employed in the production of Tunisian ceramics through the study of 30 polychrome glazed ceramics from a medieval settlement at the site of Chimtou (ancient Simitthus), Tunisia, dated to the late ninth-twelfth century. The results show that these are lead-rich glazes with varying contents of alkalis, coloured with copper, iron and manganese oxide and applied over a calcareous body. Opaque glazes were obtained using cassiterite crystals as opacifier or by adding crushed quartz. The use of lead stannate as a colourant and opacifier in one light yellow glaze raises questions about the mechanisms of introduction of tin opacification technology in North Africa. Scrap metal seems to have been used as a source of lead for the glazes; while iron slag was probably used as a source of iron to colour the glaze in one sample, pointing to a cross-craft interaction between glazemaking and metallurgy.

The paper presents the results of an interim analytical approach to the Late Roman shipwreck of Ses Fontanelles recently found in the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). The excellent state of preservation of the hull and the cargo, including amphorae with painted inscriptions (tituli picti), and its location in shallow waters offshore of one of the main touristic beaches of the island makes this a unique finding in the Mediterranean. A first season of excavations and study of the cargo triggered an analytical approach to solve some of the problems pose by archaeological research, mainly related to the possible origin of the vessel. The analytical strategy combines petrographic analysis for the study of the provenance of the amphorae, archaeozoology and residue analysis to identify their content, and analysis of the wood and plant remains to understand the use of vegetal resources in shipbuilding and in the stow of the cargo. The results of the combination of the petrographic analysis, the study of the ichthyofauna and the organic residue analysis suggest that the boat probably departed from the area of Cartagena in the southeastern part of the Iberian Peninsula, carrying a cargo of fish sauce (liquaminis flos), oil, and wine (probably also some olives preserved in grape derivatives), transported in three main types of amphorae. The analysis of the wood shows, as known in Roman shipbuilding, a clear selection of forest resources. The shipbuilders used pine for longitudinal parts of the hull, while for the small pieces related to the assemblage system (pegged, mortise and tenons) and subjected to a great stress they selected harder woods mainly Cupressaceae, Olea europaea, and Laurus nobilis. In addition, the study reveals that mainly branches of Vitis vinifera, but also other herbaceous plants were used as dunnage protecting the cargo during the journey. The results help to shed some light into different aspects of this unique vessel sunk in Mallorcan waters and contributes to show the benefit of applying archaeological sciences in maritime archaeology.

The founding of Qart-Hadasht, or ‘New Carthage’, in 228/227 BC reaffirmed the Carthaginian presence on the Iberian Peninsula. The city would serve as its main political base and military port in the Western Mediterranean before being lost to Rome in the Second Punic War. Although the conquest was led on the ground by the Barcid family, the town’s flourishing also led to an increase in the metropolis’s economic and commercial activities. In this study, a total of 37 amphorae of Central Mediterranean typology and located in different Punic contexts of the town were analysed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), thermogravimetry (TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and thin-section petrography (OM). The analyses reveal that a significant number of them originated in North Africa, mainly in the area of Tunisia, though some originated from other production centres on the island of Sicily and probably Algeria. The results also confirm the existence of shared amphora types produced in different Punic production areas and workshops. Thus, the central argument here is that the arrival of containers from such diverse provenances allows us to identify the economic opportunity that this foundation represented for the metropolis as a whole and to explore how this new trade relationship was structured.