Archaeometry最新文献

Written sources indicate that Alexandria in Egypt was a leading producer of Roman glass. Furthermore, archaeological finds have provided evidence for the local production of drawn glass and gold-in-glass beads, which were distributed throughout the world. In this study, we present an analysis of the chemical composition of more than two hundred glass objects from the Roman (2nd–3rd/4th century ce) and Late Antique (4th/5th–7th century ce) glass bead workshops located at Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria. This study is based on the results of portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses carried out on raw glass, bead semi-products, products and waste from both periods. Additionally, the glass chemistry of some Islamic (8th–12th century ce) beads found at the site has been analysed.

Despite the limitations of the method, the vast majority of samples exhibited compositions confirming their general dating and Egyptian origin. Remarkably, a single bead was made of high-alumina glass and appeared to be an import from India, possibly a remnant of the Indo-Pacific glass bead route that connected Red Sea ports and Europe in Late Antiquity. In addition, we offer a new analytical approach to the method that has potential to enhance the value of pXRF in the analysis of archaeological glass.

This paper attempts to verify the hierarchy of towns in Lower Silesia on the basis of population data from the second decade of the 17th century, assuming that a statistically described distribution law applies. The analysis of the city size distribution was based on Gibrat's law and Zipf's rank-size rule. This made it possible to verify the assumptions made at the outset and to estimate the population of towns of unknown size and designated rank. The research carried out suggests a revision of the estimates, especially for the largest cities in the region, which tend to be underestimated. Studies have also shown that the method can be extremely useful for verifying uncertain and incomplete historical demographic data.

Classifying cultural relics has always been a major challenge for archaeologists. Using glass artifacts as the research object, a classification model for glass artifacts was constructed using decision trees, support vector machines, and logistic regression methods based on their patterns, colors, surface weathering conditions, types, and composition ratios. Three models were used to identify the types of unknown glass artifacts. A subclassification model for high-potassium glass and lead barium glass was established using the K-means clustering method. The elbow method and average contour method were used to determine the optimal number of clusters, and the decision tree model was named based on the characteristics of the cluster center components. The research results indicate that the three models yield consistent identification results for unknown types of glass relics, and the classification results are good. Lead barium glass and high-potassium glass can be divided into three and six subclasses, respectively, and the naming of the subclass decision tree is reasonable. The identification method for ancient glass relics in this article is highly practical and can provide a reference for the classification and identification of other component data.

Archaeological campaigns carried out at the emporic sanctuary of Gravisca (Tarquinia, Italy) have revealed extraordinary evidence for ritual depositions and ceremonies linked to the divinities/guarantors of the sanctuary. The ritual of one such deposition was reconstructed using a multidisciplinary approach, comprising an in-depth analysis of the stratigraphy and archaeobotanical and lipid biomolecular techniques. This approach helped to define the possible sequence of events and human actions that occurred during the ritual, the animal and plant offerings, how these were processed, and the season during which the ceremony took place. Lipid biomolecular analysis also suggested the presence of garum, which to date is the earliest evidence for its use in the Mediterranean area.

Archaeological discoveries and historical documents show that the Chengdu Plain was the most important iron production center in the southwest region of China during the Qin and Han dynasties. However, due to the lack of archaeological evidence, the iron production technology of cities in the Chengdu Plain during the Qin and Han dynasties remains unclear. The Xindu city site is located in Qingbaijiang District, Chengdu Sichuan Province. It was an important city site in the Chengdu Plain during the Han and Jin dynasties. During excavation of the Xindu city site, archaeologists unearthed a large number of metallurgical remains such as slags and tuyeres, as well as two severely damaged hearth bases near the western city wall. Scientific analysis results suggest that the metallurgical remains are related to the steel fining process and could be dated back to the Western Han Dynasty. The metallurgical remains in the Xindu city are the earliest known artifacts associated with the steel fining process in southwest China. This discovery also marks the first identification of iron industry workshops in a Han Dynasty city in the Chengdu Plain. The findings reveal a different industrial layout pattern from previously discovered Han Dynasty metallurgical sites in the Chengdu Plain. Additionally, this discovery provides archaeometallurgical evidence for the central government's development in southwest China during the Han Dynasty.

A structure consisting of roughly spherical particles of pearlite approximately 50 μm in diameter has repeatedly been observed in iron fragments excavated from across the Mongolian steppe. This structure illustrates a treatment where molten cast iron was subjected to an isothermal solidification reaction driven by the lowering of its carbon level through rapid decarburization. A simplified diffusion-controlled model predicts that the reaction will be completed almost instantly once the cast iron reaches the fully molten state in an oxidizing environment. The technique apparently served as an effective process for small-scale steelmaking, particularly in marginal steppe environments.

This study aims to characterize the phase composition and chemistry of the speiss/matte sample from the Metallurgist's Burial at Castillo de Huarmey and to use the information derived from these analyses to infer the temperatures, furnace conditions, and ores associated with the smelting processes, which created the speiss/matte sample. For this purpose, a number of geochemical analyses were performed on the spies/matte fragment: analysis of the general chemical composition (handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometry [hhXRF], X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy [XPS]), analysis of the chemical composition in the micro area (field emission scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectroscopy detector [FE-SEM-EDS], field emission electron probe microanalysis [FE-EPMA]), analysis of the mineral composition (X-ray diffraction [XRD]), and analysis of the phase composition (Raman spectroscopy). Chemical and mineralogical analyses of the speiss/matte specimen determined that the specimen is composed of distinct arsenide, arsenate, sulfide, and glass phases. During the smelting process, the charge material consisted mainly of Cu, Fe, and As sulfides. Arsenopyrite is the most likely candidate as the mineral source of arsenic. In addition, temperatures of at least 1200°C were achieved during the smelting process, with smelting occurring over a relatively short timeframe given that effective density separation of speiss and matte phases was not achieved.

This research investigates the correlation between colour perception and the circulation of silver in China during the Ming (1368–1644 CE) and Qing (1644–1911 CE) dynasties. The primary aim is to deepen our understanding of how silver alloys were perceived and experienced in this historical context while also situating our study within the broader context of the global silver trade. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, silver possessed immense historical significance as a precious commodity. We argue that copper had a more substantial influence on the final colour of silver alloys compared to lead. Furthermore, employing a colourimetric model, our Monte-Carlo simulation demonstrates that over 70% of silver from Mesoamerica to China could be discerned by nonexperts using only their unaided vision, largely due to the elevated copper content. Crucially, our simulation experiment reveals differing effects of copper and lead on the colour of silver alloys. The latter demonstrates minimal change until reaching a threshold of 15%, signifying that lead is a suitable and cost-effective substitute for silver. These findings suggest that the detection of silver purity was less demanding than previously assumed, opening up opportunities for arbitrage.

The black pigments used in Late Period (11th–17th centuries) painted pottery in the Yocavil Valley were characterized. Changes and continuities in the composition of this material over an extended span were evaluated. A regional sample of 47 potsherds from the Loma Rica, San José, and Santa María styles was collected, and for the first time micro wide-angle X-ray scattering was used in these ceramic styles. The results indicate the simultaneous presence of iron oxides (hematite) and solid solutions of manganese and iron oxides (jacobsite–magnetite). Besides, the paints were prepared by mixing the pigments with clay-based binding materials.