Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

Cave burial has been prevalent in southern China for thousands of years since the Shang and Zhou Dynasties (3600 − 2200 BP). The population history and the genetic contribution of cave burial groups to the formation of present-day southern minorities are largely unknown due to the lack of ancient genomic data. Here, we present the genomic data from four ancient individuals from cave burial sites Baitaishan and Huatudong from the Late Yuan to Ming Dynasties (650 − 300 BP) in Guangxi. We observed a close genetic affinity between the four individuals and published contemporaneous cave burial samples. However, our studied individuals received gene flows from northern East Asians compared to the cave burial groups around 1600 − 1400 years ago. We identified a strong genetic link between these ancient cave burial groups and present-day Hmong-Mien-speaking populations, particularly the geographically adjacent Baiku Yao population, indicating population stability in the mountainous region of southern China over the past few centuries.

Southwest China was characterized by its ethnic, cultural, and linguistic diversity, but the genetic profile and dynamic history of past populations in this region are not well attested. Here, we present genome-wide ancient DNA data from seven Ming Dynasty (1368 CE–1644 CE) individuals from the heart of southwest China, Guizhou province. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first ancient genomic data from the region. We found that compared to other published historical genomes from southwest China, the Ming Dynasty Dasongshan individuals in Guizhou share more affinity with northern Chinese, and were genetically admixed by ancient populations from southern China and northern China agriculturalists from the Yellow River region. Analysis of short runs of homozygosity fragments suggests that the Dasongshan people constituted a small-sized population with probable exogamous customs. Furthermore, present-day Tibeto-Burman, Tai-Kadai, and Hmong-Mien groups in southwest China carry additional ancestry associated with ancient Yellow River agriculturists, indicating a genetic influx from northern China within recent centuries.

There is a long-standing view of Chinese Palaeolithic that lithic industries with pebble-tools and simple core-and-flakes are prevalent, without innovations and technological changes until the advent of the Upper Palaeolithic. However, with new discoveries and reassessments of previous archaeological materials, many doubts have been raised on the tenableness of this view. Preceding reports of the Levallois concept at Guanyindong revealed the presence of an early prepared core technology in East Asia. To further contribute to this issue, here we present a comprehensive study of the whole Guanyindong assemblage. Our results found that Levallois stone-tool technology is not the only skill acquired by Guanyindong knappers. Instead, systematic Middle Palaeolithic techno-complexes, including multiple flaking strategies, diverse tool types, and formal tool manufacture, suggest that Guanyindong industry is indeed a Middle Palaeolithic technological complex that is comparable with West Eurasia and Africa, challenging the previous understanding of Palaeolithic industries pre-40 ka in China as static and conventional.

Mesolithic groups in Mediterranean Iberia lived during a period of bioclimatic and cultural changes. Thus, their economic behaviour and the availability of plant and animal resources show some interesting variation compared to previous periods that indicate changes in mobility patterns and social connectivity networks. This paper presents information on patterns of animal exploitation of the last hunter-gatherers in this region through zooarchaeological and taphonomic analyses of faunal remains from one of the key sites of the Iberian Peninsular Mesolithic, Cocina cave. This site is located in a mountainous woodland region with a rich Late Mesolithic archaeological record. Results indicate that Iberian ibex, red deer, and rabbits were the most hunted species, but that a diversity of other taxa were also present. The comparison to other Mediterranean sites suggests that Late Mesolithic foragers had common animal exploitation patterns with an increased taxonomic diversification and a clear connection to coastal areas. We suggest these foragers practiced a logistic pattern of food procurement, combining long-term with short-term camps including hunting spots, and in some cases evidence for broad scale social interactions. We hypothesize that Cocina cave may have served as a nexus of social and subsistence activities.

While lead isotopes serve to determine potential ore provenance, silver isotopes help evaluate if a specific ore flagged by Pb isotopes has actually been exploited as a silver source of bullion in antiquity. The combination of Ag and Pb isotopes thus constitutes a powerful tool to address provenance and identify potential ore sources. It has recently been observed that the vast majority of silver isotopic abundances in hundreds of silver coins from different historical periods (pre-Roman and Roman, Middle Ages, early modern times) and different localities (Persia, Greece, Rome, Western Europe, England, Spanish Americas) falls in a remarkably narrow interval (± 0.1 permil, or ± 1 on the epsilon scale used by geochemists to enhance the visibility of small isotopic differences, group 1). Five Greek coins and some pieces from Levantine hacksilber hoards dated to the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages have isotopic abundances somewhat below the range of group 1 (–0.2 to –0.1 permil, or -2 to -1 on the epsilon scale, group 2).

The coverage of Ag isotopes in ores from the western Mediterranean, with the exception of Iberia, is inexistant. Here the above-mentioned approach is illustrated with new Pb and Ag isotopic analyses of samples from southern Sardinia and southern France. The majority of Ag isotope compositions of galena samples from Sardinia belongs to group 2 and none to group 1. While scholarly works imply that Sardinia may have provided silver to the Levant during the Iron Age, the exact location of the Sardinian ores that contributed to classical and archaic Greek coins is still unknown. Galena samples from southern France (the Pyrenees, Montagne Noire, Cévennes) are characterized by Ag isotope compositions from both groups 1 and 2, indicating that silver-bearing ore deposits in Gaul could be considered a potential source for silver bullion, both before and during the Roman era.

The paleodiet evolution in a human community of Venetian Lagoon between the eighth and twelfth centuries has been reconstructed by the stable isotopes analysis of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N found in collagen of teeth and bones from St. Mauro archaeological site (Jesolo, Venice). A total of 52 individuals of various ages, sex, chronologies, and pathological condition were included in this study. Our findings revealed the presence of two distinct dietary patterns influenced only by chronology. We observed that a more fish-based diet (30–60% of the overall diet) prevailed between the eighth and tenth centuries. However, between the tenth and twelfth centuries, fish consumption decreased (10–30% of the overall diet), and there was a shift towards a diet rich in terrestrial protein sources. We link this change in dietary habits to economic development also evidenced by the transformations of the site and increased trade with the hinterland. Furthermore, it was observed significantly higher δ¹⁵N values in individuals from 8th-10th compared to those from tenth-twelfth centuries. We proposed two potential explanations: a shift in child-rearing practices, such as delayed weaning during early middle age compared to late middle age, or a change in diet of breast feeders.

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.

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^th century, except for a single more recent specimen (12^th-14^th). 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.

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.

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.