Yaniv Darvasi, Alexander Fantalkin, Paul Brindza, Amotz Agnon
{"title":"An early Byzantine ecclesiastical complex at Ashdod-Yam: correlating geophysical prospection with excavated remains","authors":"Yaniv Darvasi, Alexander Fantalkin, Paul Brindza, Amotz Agnon","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2024.2360337","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2024.2360337","url":null,"abstract":"In this study we show the successful deployment of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) together with Electrical Resistivity Surveys (ERS) in guiding the archeological excavations at Ashdod-Yam (southern...","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141608569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Color analysis and classification of earthenware from Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan temple in southern Thailand using machine learning","authors":"Chitnarong Sirisathitkul, Yaowarat Sirisathitkul, Wannasan Noonsuk","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2024.2359275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2024.2359275","url":null,"abstract":"Potsherds from Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, a revered Buddhist temple in Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat Province, were studied in the context of maritime Southeast Asia and local craftsmanship duri...","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141608513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"GPR Mapping of buried monumental retaining walls at biblical Kiriath-Yearim near Jerusalem","authors":"Darvasi Yaniv, Agnon Amotz, Finkelstein Israel","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2022.2089470","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2022.2089470","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT In 2019 a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) investigation was conducted at Kiriath-Yearim near Jerusalem, one of the largest Bronze and Iron Ages mounds in the highlands of the southern Levant. The main objective was to test an archaeological hypothesis regarding the existence of an Iron Age summit compound which was supported by monumental stone retaining walls. We used a wheeled GPR with simultaneous central frequencies of 200, 400, and 800 MHz. Despite attenuation in the topsoil, scattering by distributed rock fragments, and asphalt pavement, we were able to penetrate almost a meter and detect anomalies. Some of the GPR anomalies are consistent with the above-mentioned theory, meaning that their locations agree with data retrieved in nearby control trenches and with the plan of the site. The excavation findings, jointly with the GPR interpretation, indeed imply the existence of a rectangular monumental summit compound that dates to the 8th century BCE.","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2022-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85811735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
G. Higginbottom, A. C. González-García, Miguel Carrero-Pazos, Benito Vilas-Estévez, V. Lopez-Lopez
{"title":"Landscapes of the “Coast of Death”: dolmen topographies of NW Iberia","authors":"G. Higginbottom, A. C. González-García, Miguel Carrero-Pazos, Benito Vilas-Estévez, V. Lopez-Lopez","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2022.2078029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2022.2078029","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper investigates the landscapes of Neolithic communities found within Costa da Morte (Coast of Death), Galicia. Its goal is to uncover whether or not the megalithic monuments of a particular and coherent area of the south-eastern side of the Atlantic Façade are situated in relation to complex locational variables. In particular, in this paper, we explore the entirety of their surrounding horizon. For the very first time, we were able to demonstrate that very specific natural landscapes surrounding the dolmens of this region in Iberia were likely selectively drawn upon, expanding our understanding of the Neolithic of this area and the people's relationship with their natural world. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83681463","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pottery production in salt workshops: petrographic and XRF analyses of pottery from Nueva Esperanza, El Salvador","authors":"Akira Ichikawa, Kenji Kanegae, K. Nanamura","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2021.1927349","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2021.1927349","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Crystallized salt can be extracted by boiling brine in pottery over fire. This technique was implemented in many ancient civilizations throughout the world and is used even today. We identified the raw materials and technological aspects of potteries used in salt workshops from the Early Classic period (AD 250–550) of Nueva Esperanza (Pacific coast of El Salvador) by subjecting 19 samples to a petrographic analysis and wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence. Previous research suggests salt pots were local, but decorated pots were transported from inland communities through markets. However, all 19 samples were made from similar main raw materials, indicating that a variety of techniques and processes were used to manufacture different types of potteries in the associated salt workshops. In sum, this study’s approach should enhance understanding of ancient salt workshops, particularly regarding related pottery production systems and the nature of trade. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88044912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
P. McGovern, M. Callahan, Gretchen R. Hall, W. C. Petersen, D. Cavalieri, D. Hartl, O. Jáuregui, Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventós
{"title":"A Response to Léa Drieu et al., 2020, “Is It Possible to Identify Ancient Wine Production Using Biomolecular Approaches?” (STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research, DOI:10.1080/20548923.2020.1738728)","authors":"P. McGovern, M. Callahan, Gretchen R. Hall, W. C. Petersen, D. Cavalieri, D. Hartl, O. Jáuregui, Rosa Maria Lamuela-Raventós","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2021.1921934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2021.1921934","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Comparable to Drieu et al.’s viewpoint, we argue that it is possible to identify ancient Eurasian grape wine by current biomolecular methods, but only in conjunction with the relevant archaeological, archaeobotanical, and other natural and social scientific data. Additionally, we advocate an inductive–deductive working hypothesis model, which is appropriate for the “historical science” of archaeology. We focus on two key deficiencies of Drieu et al.’s argumentation: (1) the assumption that Guasch-Jané et al. (2004) extracted their ancient samples with potassium hydroxide before testing for tartaric acid/tartrate, and (2) the supposition that 5000-year-old yeast DNA would not be preserved in the hot climate of Egypt but rather represents modern contamination.","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89778361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
S. Doherty, Michelle M. Alexander, Jiří Vnouček, J. Newton, M. Collins
{"title":"Measuring the impact of parchment production on skin collagen stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) values","authors":"S. Doherty, Michelle M. Alexander, Jiří Vnouček, J. Newton, M. Collins","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2020.1868132","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2020.1868132","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Parchment is one of the most abundant resources in archives across the world and is a unique time-sensitive material through which centuries of livestock economies, trade and craft can be explored. We examine the impact of structural and chemical modifications during production to δ13C and δ15N values in the skin, particularly the removal of cutaneous keratins and lipids and the conversion of amide functional groups into carboxyl groups via alkaline hydrolysis. Through the manufacture of 51 parchment skins (sheep, goat, calf and pig) using both historic and modern manufacturing techniques, we found production resulted in a small enrichment in 13C (average +0.12‰) and 15N (+0.26‰). Our results pave the way for the isotopic analysis of parchment in paleodietary and paleoenvironmental studies for the historic period and establish the acceptable C:N ratios in deamidated collagenous tissues.","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91439707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Starch grain extraction in lime-plastered archaeological floors","authors":"M. Zimmermann","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2021.1920155","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2021.1920155","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the recovery of archaeological starch grains from building interiors at pre-Columbian Maya sites in southern Mexico. In an effort to render analytical protocols more effective, it examines the performance of chemical residue tests as prospective tools, proposes a customized extraction procedure for lime-plaster floors, and compares the efficacy of two mounting techniques. While the alleged predictive power of proxies like phosphate and carbohydrate tests could not be confirmed, the customized plaster processing protocol not only simplifies the extraction process but also results in the recovery of dense assemblages of individual starches as well as grain clusters. However, despite increases in protocol efficacy, architectural context and building history continue to be factors of utmost importance for microbotanical analyses. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86664167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Advancing and refining archaeological dental calculus research using multiomic frameworks","authors":"Sterling L. Wright, K. Dobney, L. Weyrich","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2021.1882122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2021.1882122","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Dental calculus (calcified dental plaque) is a cross-cultural biological matrix that is emerging as a critical source of information for anthropologists and oral health professionals. It contains a multitude of diverse biomolecules, providing information about an individual’s culture, diet, ancestry, and health. Most researchers who study archaeological dental calculus use genomic or proteomic approaches, although a wide range of other techniques are now available. However, few studies have utilized efficient multiomic protocols. This lack of integration is problematic, as such approaches in other fields have proven to improve results and strengthen interpretations. Our review discusses three multiomic approaches: (1) interactions between the metaproteome and metagenome; (2) relationships between the host genome and oral metagenome; and, (3) associations between the epigenome and metagenome. We draw from multiomic studies on soil, plant, gut, and modern oral microbiomes to demonstrate how such integration can provide insights that are not attainable with single-omic approaches.","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76624455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Geochemical analyses result of prehistoric pottery from the site of Tol-e Kamin (Fars, Iran) by pXRF","authors":"M. Eslami, Dirk Wicke, N. Rajabi","doi":"10.1080/20548923.2020.1759912","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/20548923.2020.1759912","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A series of pottery samples from the Iranian site Tol-e Kamin, ranging from pre-historical period to the New Elamite, were analyzed in order to study the geochemical variability of the pottery assemblage. A total amount of 168 measurements were obtained using a portable XRF device and were statistically handled. The results could successfully distinguish the geochemical composition of potteries from the chalcolithic to the New Elamite periods in the Kur River Basin. A major shift in the use of different clay sources could be detected since the Proto Elamite period and afterward, in which the carbonated and marl content clays represented by Ca, Ba and Sr shifted to clay sources with a tendency to non-carbonate silty clay Al, Ti, and Fe from a different geological background. The results stress the importance of further provenance studies to address issues of trade and exchange possibilities in southwestern Iran. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT","PeriodicalId":21858,"journal":{"name":"STAR: Science & Technology of Archaeological Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91211167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}