International Journal of Osteoarchaeology最新文献

{"title":"A life course study of the Beixin culture residents from the Neolithic site of Xiaheqiadong, Shandong Province, China","authors":"Wen Zeng,&nbsp;Li He,&nbsp;Wenhui Cheng,&nbsp;Hua Wang,&nbsp;Quan Zhang,&nbsp;Meiling Song,&nbsp;Zhangqiaochu Yang,&nbsp;Yongsheng Zhao","doi":"10.1002/oa.3360","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3360","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Xiaheqiadong site located in Zhangqiu district, Jinan city, Shandong province, China, was excavated in 2016 by the Jinan Institute of Archaeology, which revealed six single burials dating to the Beixin culture period (ca. 5,300–4,500 BC to ca. 4,100–3,600 BC). This paper used bioarchaeological methods to study the human skeletal remains to reconstruct the life course of the residents of the Beixin culture at the Xiaheqiadong site, focusing on stable isotope analysis, evaluation of stress, tooth ablation, and intentional skull modification. Based on stable isotope analysis of carbon, it is evident that the dietary structure of the ancient residents of Xiaheqiadong was mainly dependent on C₄ plants or animals that ate mainly C₄ plants. The stable isotope analysis of nitrogen indicated that the ancient residents of the Xiaheqiadong site exhibited a relatively sufficient consumption of animal protein. Furthermore, this result also reveals that a subsistence economic model was established consisting of farming, gathering, and hunting. Observations of the stress indicators (including cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis, and linear enamel hypoplasia) revealed that they experienced poor health conditions and were under high levels of stress during infancy and early childhood. However, this situation improved with increasing age, suggesting that residents from the Xiaheqiadong site had the capacity to withstand severe living conditions and adapt after experiencing stress events. The tooth ablation and occipital modification cases from the Xiaheqiadong site are the earliest cases among the individuals with accurate dating results found in China.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142759881","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological study of the bony labyrinth of the last hunter-gatherers in Portugal: Insights from the Moita do Sebastião shell midden","authors":"Marina Pujol Arbona,&nbsp;Cláudia Umbelino,&nbsp;Dany Coutinho-Nogueira","doi":"10.1002/oa.3356","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3356","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The bony labyrinth is often studied in paleoanthropology for the taxonomic identification of hominins with a special focus on the differentiation between Neanderthals and modern humans. Although the variability of Pleistocene populations is now well studied, the variability of Early and Middle Holocene modern human hunter-gatherers is still poorly known. Thus, this study focuses on the analysis of the bony labyrinth morphology of nine Late Mesolithic individuals from Moita do Sebastião in the Tagus Valley (Portugal). The results show a significant intra-site variability in the Middle Holocene sample, confirming previous studies on the variability of early modern humans. The analysis also revealed morphological differences in the inner ear structures between European individuals associated with an Upper Paleolithic context (Gravettian) from the Vézère Valley and the Mesolithic individuals from Moita do Sebastião. Interestingly, the only Late Pleistocene individual from Portugal shows some similarities with the Middle Holocene ones, posing the possibility of an eventual local biological continuity.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142758744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating cross-sectional geometry-based methodologies on an archaeological and historical sample","authors":"Nefeli Garoufi,&nbsp;Vasileios Rovinas,&nbsp;Vasileios Pierros,&nbsp;Maria-Eleni Chovalopoulou","doi":"10.1002/oa.3359","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3359","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The construction of a complete biological profile for unknown individuals from skeletal remains plays a key role in the holistic study of archaeological sites. However, the presence of commingled elements, as in the case of mass graves, hinders this process. This work aims to evaluate the diaphyseal cross-sectional geometric properties of the long bones for pair-matching and for sex estimation based on the femur, tibia, and humerus bones on archaeological and historical samples. The sample consisted of 3D virtual bone models of 95 individuals (46 males, 39 females, 10 of unknown sex) from both Greek and English assemblages, utilizing the dedicated “csg-toolkit” GNU Octave package for variable extraction. The pair-matching sorting algorithm performed adequately in all three assemblages, excluding over 97% of the true mismatched pairs. The accuracy rate for certain pair detection was close to 50% for the lower limbs, and 41% for the humerus, with the algorithm deeming a significant amount of the missed pairs as plausible, resulting in 70% to 80% of total pairs to be detected in some capacity for all bone assemblages. The sex estimation classifiers performed sufficiently in all cases, yielding moderately high accuracy rates in the majority of examined samples, with values consistently higher than 70%. However, the application of contemporary methods on archaeological or historical material needs to be performed with caution, as secular changes and population-specific trends can affect the applicability of the methods. As such, the utilization of different techniques before reaching a conclusion is vital and should be encouraged.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3359","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sheep Ahoy: Exploring sheep management and its role in Viking Age economy through multiproxy analyses at Löddeköpinge, Sweden","authors":"Stella Macheridis,&nbsp;Katie Faillace,&nbsp;Meredith Hood,&nbsp;Kerry L. Sayle,&nbsp;Edward Inglis,&nbsp;Richard Madgwick","doi":"10.1002/oa.3355","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3355","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sheep and their wool were paramount to Viking Age economies. The importance of wool cannot be underestimated, especially as the woollen sail was implemented on ships in general during this period. This paper investigates sheep management and landscape use in Viking Age Löddeköpinge in Scania, southern Sweden, through a multiproxy approach, integrating multi-isotope methods with zooarchaeological analysis. Using the marketplace at Löddeköpinge as a case study, 18 sheep mandibles were analyzed through zooarchaeological methods and isotope analyses of δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N, δ³⁴S, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. The results show that the sheep represent a composite deadflock, meaning they probably derive from different liveflocks. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values demonstrate likely origins north and east of Löddeköpinge. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values indicate a terrestrial diet with variation in δ¹⁵N, meaning that some may have grazed on manured fields. The δ¹⁵N, in conjunction with δ³⁴S, values show a possible limnic influence, implying grazing on pastures close to freshwater systems; however, this requires further investigation. The results illuminate the marketplace function of Löddeköpinge, as sheep bred north and east of the site were transported and exchanged there. This shows the degree and extent of control of the re-distributional system held by the local elite. This control may be instigated by the increased textile production, especially concerning sailcloth, at the site. If so, sheep management may have been specialized towards the production of optimal wool for sailcloth, besides other essential cloth.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3355","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From the wetlands to the farmyard: Osteometric approach to the presence of domestic geese and ducks in Zuid Holland, 150–1700 AD","authors":"Noé de Segovia de Kraker,&nbsp;Laura Llorente-Rodríguez","doi":"10.1002/oa.3357","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3357","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The history of domestic ducks (<i>Anas platyrhynchos domesticus</i>) and domestic greylag geese (<i>Anser anser domesticus</i>) remains poorly understood. This is mainly caused by the difficulty of identifying archaeological bones as domestic due to the existing overlap in sizes. A recently published osteometrical methodology is applied that successfully allows to identify domestic forms and distinguish between anatid species with more confidence. Four archaeological assemblages from the Zuid Holland province in the Netherlands are reanalyzed, ranging from the Roman period to the 17th century AD.</p><p>It is determined that domestic geese were present in the Netherlands since at least 160–230 AD and domestic ducks since at least 585–725 AD. The latter might also be present in the Roman assemblage, but the evidence is inconclusive. Domestic species constitute only a small percentage of the total consumed anatids and do not surpass 15%–20% in any case, which is mainly caused by the weight of wildfowling in the Netherlands. Chickens (<i>Gallus gallus domesticus</i>) were therefore much more prevalent than domestic anatids in all assemblages. Taphonomical analysis did not show substantial differences between wild and domestic anatids. The sample size considered in this project is likely too small and biased to accurately detect any kind of evolution through time.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3357","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The fate of bones after grave reopening: Bone taphonomy and preservation in Sarmatian sites in Serbia","authors":"Tamara Šarkić,&nbsp;Marija Djurić","doi":"10.1002/oa.3354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3354","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The skeletal material from Sarmatian cemeteries in the Pannonian Plain (Hungary, Romania, Serbia), dating from the first to the fifth century <span>ce</span>, has exhibited poor preservation. This has been attributed to historical grave robbery, although no analysis of the skeletal remains or taphonomic processes has been conducted. A recent study focused on statistically assessing skeletal preservation and taphonomic examinations of skeletal remains from 152 graves in the Vojvodina territory (Serbia), utilizing interdisciplinary methodologies. The study found that grave reopening in the past contributed to bone fragmentation in two ways: first, by directly damaging and scattering the bones and, second, by leaving the skeletal material exposed to surface and weathering conditions for an extended period. Additionally, the Sarmatian burial practice of placing the dead in solid tree trunk coffins has also resulted in poor skeletal preservation, as indicated by coffin wear modifications on the bones. This research has provided new insights into the various anthropogenic and natural processes that affect skeletal remains from reopened graves, thereby supporting the reconstruction of Sarmatian funerary archeology.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social interaction between the coast and the highlands of Chile's arid north (20°S) during the mid-Holocene: The case of Vicugna vicugna (Molina, 1782) and Hippocamelus antisensis (d'Orbigny, 1834)","authors":"Patricio López,&nbsp;Lucio González,&nbsp;Ximena Power,&nbsp;Sebastián Ibacache","doi":"10.1002/oa.3358","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3358","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This article discusses the archaeological implications of the discovery of the highland species <i>Hippocamelus antisensis</i> (Cervidae) and <i>Vicugna vicugna</i> (Camelidae) in two coastal contexts in the Atacama Desert (20°S, Chile). <i>H. antisensis</i> is currently distributed throughout the Peruvian Andes, northern Chile, western Bolivia and northwestern Argentina, between 1800 and 5500 m above sea level. <i>V. vicugna</i> is distributed throughout northern Peru and northwestern Argentina, in environments that exceed 3200 m above sea level. The archaeological record of deer antlers on the Atacama coast has previously been documented at the Caleta Huelén-42 site (21°S). In the case of <i>V. vicugna</i>, fibers have been recovered only at the coastal site of Camarones-14 (19°S). A dating of 4180 ± 20 year BP obtained from <i>V. vicugna</i> bone and indirect dating of the antlers suggest an early social exchange between groups from coastal regions and those from the Atacama Desert Mountain range, as well as encourage to the potential record of remains/products of these animals in areas far from their natural habitats.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transformation processes in the osteoarchaeological record between the Iron Age and the Roman times with reference to the civitas Treverorum","authors":"Wolf-Rüdiger Teegen","doi":"10.1002/oa.3353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3353","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This paper discusses transformations in human behavior between the Iron Age and the Roman times in the tribal territory of the <i>Treveri</i>, later <i>civitas Treverorum</i>, located between the Rhine and the Ardennes. This aspect has been examined from two perspectives: first, from an anthropological point of view vis-a-vis the historical inhabitants, and second, from an archaeozoological perspective regarding domestic animals. Due to small sample sizes and/or difficulty in dating, both regarding humans and domestic animals, transformations in living conditions and animal-keeping could mostly be outlined only for the La Tène and Roman times. Only the Celtic-Roman cemetery of Wederath-Belginum with continued use from middle La Tène to late antiquity offers a more complex insight into human mortality and animal offerings. People lived longer in the Roman times but had more pathologies compared with the previous La Tène period. Body height remained similar in the La Tène and Roman times. However, differences existed within specific human groups (for example, warriors and craftsmen), compared to the normal population. Sex differences in mortality persisted from La Tène to Roman times. The faunal composition in the burials, settlements, and sanctuaries also shows changes. Since the middle La Tène period, chickens have been present. The first oysters can be found in Augustean times, whereas exotic birds such as crested fowls and peacocks are found only in later Roman times and are quite rare. A new direction in animal-keeping is demonstrated via an increasing logarithmic size index (LSI) in cattle and sheep. The multivariate methods applied in this study offer further insights into the domain and can serve as helpful tools for osteoarchaeological data analysis.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3353","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of TV documentaries to disseminate osteoarchaeology more widely: The good, the bad, and the ugly","authors":"Piers D. Mitchell","doi":"10.1002/oa.3339","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3339","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;There is clearly merit in undertaking quality osteoarchaeological research and then publishing it in a peer reviewed scientific journal. This is a tried and tested method that results in an academic resource that is generally regarded as more trustworthy than forms of publication that have not passed through the peer review process (Alberts et al., &lt;span&gt;2008&lt;/span&gt;). However, if such articles are to only be read by other experts in the field, then the breadth of audience who can appreciate the work will be restricted to a select number. As universities in different parts of the world are commonly funded by governments using taxes, by students paying fees, and by donations and sponsorship (Johnstone &amp; Marcucci, &lt;span&gt;2010&lt;/span&gt;), it is only fair that we share the science undertaken in those universities with the general public who are the ultimate source of that finance. That way, they will benefit educationally from the research and also understand that their taxes or fees are well spent.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;One option available to us to disseminate our discoveries to a wider audience is a press release. If the research is a topic with a clear public interest, putting out a press release through a university media office to coincide with the publication of the journal article is a very efficient approach (Bartram, &lt;span&gt;2006&lt;/span&gt;). This is because it can result in journalists publishing their stories online, in print media, and sometimes interviews on the radio and TV news. It can lead to the number of people hearing about our discoveries being numbered in the hundreds of thousands or even in the millions. However, not all universities have a media office and only a proportion of osteoarchaeologists work in universities. Therefore, it will not be a viable approach for everyone.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Another option to disseminate osteoarchaeology more widely is for researchers to invite a TV company to film a documentary about their research project (Hollyn, &lt;span&gt;2009&lt;/span&gt;). The osteoarchaeologist can browse the websites of TV documentary companies that have previously worked on archaeological and historical topics and contact those who have made good quality programs in the past. If the excavation site is of sufficient public interest to make a promising documentary whatever is found during the dig, then the actual excavation might be filmed. However, often, it is only during the laboratory analysis that the significant discoveries are made that would make the topic worthy of a documentary. In such a scenario, the documentary team may need to focus their filming on the laboratory stage of the research process. Timing the first broadcast of documentaries to match the date of peer reviewed publication, or for broadcast to be after the academic publication, can greatly increase the confidence academics and other viewers will have regarding the accuracy of the content of that program. The way in which TV documentaries can be sold on to a range of networks so they ar","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/oa.3339","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142435796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Synthesis of human isotopic data (8000–5000 BP) reveals subsistence strategies and social complexity at the southeast edge of the Loess Plateau, China","authors":"Sha Lei,&nbsp;Yaowu Hu","doi":"10.1002/oa.3345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/oa.3345","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The southeast edge of the Loess Plateau (SELP) is a crucial area for studying subsistence strategies and social complexity in prehistoric China. Currently, no systematic isotopic study has been conducted to reveal shifts in subsistence strategies and their link to the trajectory of social complexity. This paper compiles previously published isotopic data from human and fauna bones at 24 sites dating from 8000 to 5000 BP, aiming to uncover diachronic changes in subsistence strategies and their relationship with social complexity. The results indicate a gradual increase in millet consumption by humans and an increasing utilization of millet-based byproducts as feed for domestic animals (pigs and dogs) over time. The isotopic data of humans and animals demonstrate the establishment of millet agriculture during the Early Yangshao period (7000–6000 BP). Millet agriculture creates a crucial material foundation for population growth and cultural prosperity. Two modes of millet cultivation, intensive and extensive, are proposed to explain the continuous development of millet agriculture since the Early Yangshao period. Finally, significant dietary heterogeneity among the human population during the Late Yangshao period strongly suggests the emergence of social differentiation and complexity, supported by other archaeological evidence such as settlement hierarchies and the presence of exquisite objects in burials.</p>","PeriodicalId":14179,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Osteoarchaeology","volume":"34 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2024-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}