Archaeometry最新文献

Cave pearls are spherical concentric speleothems growing radially around nuclei in shallow pools saturated with calcite. They are very rare in the Southern Levant. We present a unique assemblage of 50 cave pearls found in the Iron Age Joweizeh artificial spring tunnel in the Jerusalem Hills of Israel. Some of these deposits represent the first global evidence of formation on archaeological artefacts: pottery sherds and ancient plaster. Multi-analyses were conducted to date and characterize the different nuclei and pearls. Charcoal samples extracted from the plaster nuclei of two pearls were ¹⁴C dated to the Hellenistic period. Two pearls were formed on sherds of Hellenistic lamps. XPS found Co colour remains, suggesting both had been imported. The Hellenistic date is also supported by archaeomagnetic dates of seven other pottery nuclei. Most Hellenistic remains are probably the outcome of a renovation campaign in the tunnel. Four pearls were sampled for stable isotopes (δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O). The range of δ¹⁸O values from the Joweizeh pearls is compatible with the Holocene Soreq and Jerusalem caves’ records. The δ¹³C differences between Joweizeh and Soreq indicate local changes in the overlying vegetation throughout history. The various lines of evidence enabled us to characterize the pearls’ formation process, reconstruct the Joweizeh spring tunnel's hydraulic environment and detect changes that occurred in its water flow regime throughout history.

Ancient Chinese beads provide important evidence of cultural exchanges. This study used a scanning electron microscope with an energy-dispersive spectrometer to analyse the microstructure and chemical composition of faience beads excavated from Laolongtou cemetery in Yanyuan county, China. Based on the analysis results, two glazing methods (efflorescence and cementation) and two bead types (high-Pb and high-K beads) were identified. A comparison of the chemical compositions of samples unearthed at the Laolongtou cemetery and samples from north-western China indicated close regional contact. Bronze wares and burial customs in Laolongtou cemetery also revealed that the Yanyuan region might be a significant node in the Southern Silk Road between the south-western and north-western parts of China and even in Southeast Asia.

Rapid acquisition of millimeter-resolution subterranean images can significantly improve the efficiency of archaeological excavation and facilitate the preservation of artifacts. For excavation sites with limited space, small and portable imaging equipment is necessary. Compton backscatter imaging (CBI) is a single-sided non-destructive testing technique, which typically requires a short scan time to obtain high-resolution images. It has great potential in archaeological excavation, supporting archaeologists to make quick judgments. This research utilized a compact, easy-to-carry handheld backscatter system, making it particularly suitable and beneficial for on-site archaeological excavation. Tests were performed in the framework of the excavation of a chariot pit at Dajuan Han Tomb in Xi'an (Shaanxi Province, China) to validate the applicability of this technique in imaging soil structure changes and detecting cultural artifacts. The experimental results show that CBI can clearly image bronze artifacts buried underground, which means practical value in archaeological excavation.

Chinese purple (CP), an ancient traditional pigment, represents the rich cultural and scientific heritage of an ancient civilization. To achieve high-purity CP pigment in a more economical and efficient manner, we synthesized CP using a low-temperature hydrothermal route. Interestingly, we observed the emergence of an emission peak at 894 nm in CP under irradiation at λ_ex = 650 nm. Additionally, it was noted that the CP powder exhibited a significant photothermal effect when exposed to near-infrared light irradiation. A photothermal conversion efficiency of 19% was achieved in the CP pigment. This study not only sheds light on the enigmatic nature of this ancient pigment but also highlights its potential as a critical photothermal conversion material.

China was one of the earliest domestication centres for pigs in the Old World. Since their domestication, pigs have been significantly involved in human societies from both economic and ceremonial perspectives, so the investigation of pig domestication is key to understand the development process of ancient communities. However, the pig domestication process has not been fully explored in Shandong, one of the earliest regions for exploiting pig resources, such as canine teeth, in China. We use geometric morphometry to analyse the second lower molars of pigs associated with diverse periods, including the Longshan, Yueshi, and Shang and Zhou, at Dinggong, China. The results show that while there was a relatively consistent pig phenotype in this region from the Longshan to the Shang and Zhou periods, the centroid sizes of pigs experienced a moderate decrease over time. A certain number of wild boars were harvested by humans, but their proportions declined chronologically along with the gradually intensification of pig management. Apart from household refuse, fodders similar to the staple plants for humans were provisioned to those managed pigs, suggesting a close relationship between humans and pigs. In spite of more time and energy required for managing pigs, human societies could have benefited from this investment with a better secured meat supply and more ceremonial materials, which helped strengthen the human–pig bond from the Neolithic period to today.

Large amounts of iron slag were discovered during archaeological excavations in the late medieval harbour of Hoeke (Municipality of Damme, Belgium), one of the main outer harbours of Bruges. This waste product indicates the presence of 13th- to 14th-century pre-industrial metalworking activities, such as blacksmithing, which involved the production of iron objects and the repair of ships, as historically documented on this site. Besides the waste products from iron working, fragments of coal were also discovered within the same deposits, both as separate pieces and included in the slags, suggesting that coal was used as a fuel during these activities. This discovery resulted in a multidisciplinary study applying geochemical, palaeontological, and historical analyses that allowed to identify the provenance of the coal (Northumberland-Durham Coalfield) as well as to provide new insights into maritime coal trade during this period. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of pre-industrial craft practices in the Bruges harbour system and expands the knowledge of the fuel sources used in the late medieval harbour's iron-working activities.

Glass beads from two Islamic archaeological sites in the Tagus valley in central Spain were selected and analysed by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), and a subset of samples (n = 6) was analysed for Pb isotopes by multicollector thermal ionization mass spectrometry (MC-TIMS). The analytical and isotopic data of the beads from Ciudad de Vascos (Toledo) and Albalat (Cáceres) demonstrate beyond reasonable doubt that glass beads were produced in the Iberian Peninsula during the Islamic period using local Pb-silica and soda-rich plant-ash glass. The bead workshops in al-Andalus were evidently part of an efficient system of glass collection and recycling, and used only relatively simple bead-making techniques such as winding and folding. At present it is unclear to what extent the Islamic bead-makers in the Iberian Peninsula were involved in the international trade in glass beads or whether their products were mainly destined for a regional market. Despite local production, some samples show compositional and typological features that suggest the import of finished glass beads, perhaps from Central Asia.

The study of the raw materials used in the production of ceramic objects involves studying the materiality of the objects themselves while providing insights into the factors that guided the choice of a particular resource over another. Simultaneously, this article focuses on the social contexts in which these objects were produced. We present the results obtained through an instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of ceramics from the Corral Alto site (Antofagasta de la Sierra, Catamarca) of Argentina. The results suggest that most ceramic pieces were locally manufactured, contrasting with earlier periods and coinciding with the emergence of new ways of dwelling in the Southern Argentine Puna.

As the royal Taoist buildings of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644 CE), the Huilongguan temple site of Wudang Mountain represents the highest level of art and architecture of that era. Thanks at least in part to the quality and durability of building mortar materials, the part buildings of the Huilongguan temple site are still well preserved after 500 years of erosion by wind and rain. The present study conducted muti-analytical techniques to explore the characterization of eight mortars from the Huilongguan temple site. The results indicate that the material formulae of these mortars from construction phases I–IV of the Ming dynasty were all sticky rice as the organic additive incorporated into the magnesian lime base, which originated from the calcination of dolomitic limestone. The contents of Ca carbonate in the studied mortar samples are about 39–66%; the design of mortar groundmass presents differences due to various building purposes. Different from sharp-edged rhombohedral calcite crystals of pure lime mortar, irregular nano-scale calcite crystals were found in the studied samples due to sticky rice slurry regulating the growth of Ca carbonate as an inhibitor and template, which formed more compact organic–inorganic composite microstructures.

The paper presents the lithologies used in the stone products of Neviodunum (modern Drnovo in Slovenia), a Roman municipium in south-western Pannonia. For this purpose, 95 stone monuments were assessed. Petrographic and biostratigraphic analyses were carried out on 56 archaeological and 57 geological samples. Our research shows that, besides some rare exceptions, most stone products refer to three lithostratigraphic units: the Middle Miocene ‘Lithothamnium’ Limestone Member of the Laško Formation, the Upper Cretaceous Krško Formation and the Early Jurassic Krka Limestone Member of the Podbukovje Formation.