Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports最新文献_第2页

From quarry to code: provenance investigations of white marble inventory of the villa rustica near Chatalka, Bulgaria 从采石场到代码：保加利亚查塔尔卡附近别墅rustica白色大理石库存的来源调查

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-27 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105590

Vasiliki Anevlavi , Petya Andreeva , Maria Kamisheva , Walter Prochaska , Benjamin Frerix , Micheline Welte , Karl Burkhart , Helmut Schwaiger , Pamela Fragnoli

{"title":"From quarry to code: provenance investigations of white marble inventory of the villa rustica near Chatalka, Bulgaria","authors":"Vasiliki Anevlavi , Petya Andreeva , Maria Kamisheva , Walter Prochaska , Benjamin Frerix , Micheline Welte , Karl Burkhart , Helmut Schwaiger , Pamela Fragnoli","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105590","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105590","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents the first archaeometric study of the marble inventory from the Roman villa rustica near Chatalka (Stara Zagora region, Bulgaria), one of the most extensively excavated rural estates in Roman Thrace. Through a multi-proxy approach combining petrographic, isotopic (δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>13</sup>C), and trace element analysis (ICP-MS), we examine the provenance of eleven marble artefacts—including architectural elements, votive reliefs, and statuary—to assess material supply strategies and cultural expression in the context of Roman provincial elite life. Our results indicate the use of both regional and imported marble. One frieze-architrave, decorated with garlands and bull-heads, is identified as Prokonnesian marble and likely originated from Augusta Traiana. In contrast, the remaining marble artefacts—including six votive reliefs, a sculptural head, and a dedicatory inscription—are made of Asenovgrad marble, sourced from the northern slopes of the Rhodope Mountains. The combination of these materials reflects both pragmatic resource use and elite participation in broader cultural and economic networks. The discovery of a sculptural group in alabaster gypsum further underscores the material diversity employed at the site. Situated along the road connecting Augusta Traiana to Philippopolis and proximate to the Via Diagonalis, the villa was strategically embedded in trans-provincial transport routes. The findings contribute to current debates on the regional exploitation of white marble and provide new insights into workshop organisation, distribution systems, and elite representation in Roman Thrace. All analytical data have been integrated into the open-access oeai.METRIX platform to facilitate future comparative studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105590"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Non-invasive chemical characterisation of archaeological ochres from the early 4th millennium BCE forager graves and settlements in Finland 公元前4千年早期芬兰采集者坟墓和定居点考古赭石的非侵入性化学特征

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-16 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105584

Elisabeth Holmqvist , Maria Lahtinen , Marja Ahola

{"title":"Non-invasive chemical characterisation of archaeological ochres from the early 4th millennium BCE forager graves and settlements in Finland","authors":"Elisabeth Holmqvist , Maria Lahtinen , Marja Ahola","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105584","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the early 4th millennium BCE, the region of modern-day Finland was inhabited by pottery-using foragers, the Typical Comb Ware culture (TCW) people, who lived in village-like clusters of semi-subterranean houses and buried their dead in ochre-coloured graves. Here, we report the results of the analyses of archaeological ochre samples from burial and domestic contexts at eight TCW sites across Finland using non-invasive energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (ED-XRF) and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). Our comparative characterisation of the archaeological ochres aimed to distinguish whether 1) a signature ochre composition per site/community could be chemically discriminated; 2) similar ochre chemical fingerprints are detected in both burial and domestic settings in specific regional contexts; 3) the chemical data indicates shared ochre procurement strategies or ochre exchange among the studied communities or regions; and 4) how ochre was used as part of TCW mortuary practices. Based on our study, non-invasive ED-XRF of archaeological ochre samples enables the characterisation of a limited set of elemental concentrations; however, statistical analysis of log<sub>10</sub> Fe-normalised concentration values allowed us to identify compositional groups in our dataset that correlate with the site location clusters or specific archaeological or geological phenomena. Hence, we propose that this result indicates regionalised ochre procurement and, in some cases, inter-regional, two-way transport of ochre, which may have specific, cross-regionally desired characteristics. Simultaneously, our results also highlight the deliberate use of different types of ochre within ritualized practices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105584"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145982119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

No evidence of bowhunting in Magdalenian antler points: Comment on Langley and Lombard (2025) 没有证据表明在马格达莱纳鹿角点有狩猎活动：对兰利和伦巴第的评论（2025）

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-23 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105598

Jean-Marc Pétillon , Eugénie Gauvrit Roux

{"title":"No evidence of bowhunting in Magdalenian antler points: Comment on Langley and Lombard (2025)","authors":"Jean-Marc Pétillon , Eugénie Gauvrit Roux","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105598","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105598","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the study of prehistoric projectile points, the tip cross-sectional area method (TCSA) is often used to hypothesize about projectile delivery mode. In a recent article, Langley and Lombard applied this method, combined with point mass, to Magdalenian antler points from southwest France. Their results suggest the likelihood of bowhunting at some sites, and one point subtype, the Lussac-Angles point, is particularly highlighted as possible arrow tip because of its low TCSA and mass. However, the methods used in this study underestimate TCSA and mass, particularly when composite weapon tips are considered. Experimental evidence shows that Lussac-Angles points can be used with the spearthrower, and there is also archeological and experimental evidence of use with the spearthrower for fork-based points, another type of Magdalenian antler point that has a TCSA similar to the Lussac-Angles points. These findings refute the evidence of bowhunting in Magdalenian antler points and offer another example of the problems raised by the use of the TCSA method to reconstruct past weapon systems..</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105598"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Food plants and their past circulation in Central-Western Argentinean Patagonia: Insights from microbotanical remains in human dental calculus 阿根廷巴塔哥尼亚中西部的食用植物及其过去的循环：从人类牙石中的微生物遗骸中获得的见解

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105657

Daniela Saghessi , Denise Evans , Vivian Scheinsohn

{"title":"Food plants and their past circulation in Central-Western Argentinean Patagonia: Insights from microbotanical remains in human dental calculus","authors":"Daniela Saghessi , Denise Evans , Vivian Scheinsohn","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105657","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105657","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents the results of the first analysis of plant microremains in human dental calculus from the Central-Western Argentinean Patagonia (CWAP). This study aims to assess how food plant species, along with their procurement and processing methods, were utilized in the diets of prehispanic hunter-gatherers. Two archaeological sites -one in the forest and one on the steppe- as well as a private collection, comprise the CWAP human dental sample. Diverse plant microremains related to local and non-local wild species were found in dental calculus. While on the steppe, local resources, such as grasses and underground organs, would have been obtained directly. Non-local species (<em>Neltuma</em> spp. and <em>Araucaria araucana</em>), which traveled at least 250 km, would have been acquired through exchange, enabling us to discuss the existence of Late Holocene networks that connect the CWAP with the macroregion. Additionally, the variety of damages in starches, tracheides, and fibers enables us to discuss processing practices for vegetal resources, including grinding, fermentation, and roasting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105657"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Medieval fisheries in Almada (Portugal): New data for the 13th century in West Iberia 阿尔马达（葡萄牙）的中世纪渔业：西伊比利亚13世纪的新数据

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-21 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105647

Eva Pires , Sónia Gabriel

引用次数: 0

Decoding Sumerian craft technologies: morphological image processing and mesoscopic feature analysis of archaeological bitumen-based composites 解码苏美尔工艺技术：考古沥青基复合材料的形态图像处理和细观特征分析

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-14 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105607

V. Caruso , C. Scatigno , S. Giampaolo , A. Tufari , L. Ferguson , F. Manclossi , A. Greco , L. Romano , G. Festa

{"title":"Decoding Sumerian craft technologies: morphological image processing and mesoscopic feature analysis of archaeological bitumen-based composites","authors":"V. Caruso , C. Scatigno , S. Giampaolo , A. Tufari , L. Ferguson , F. Manclossi , A. Greco , L. Romano , G. Festa","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105607","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105607","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study introduces an innovative, reproducible, non-destructive and non-invasive analytical protocol that combines two-dimensional digital microscopy with machine learning to investigate the mesostructure of archaeological bitumen-based composites from the Sumerian site of Abu Tbeirah (Iraq). A total of 59 samples were analysed, including residues on tools and ceramics, spherical objects, standardised ingots likely used for storage or trade, and unidentified fragments.</div><div>The custom image analysis protocol was developed to extract and quantify morphological and morphometric features of the bitumen-based samples, including pore structures, vegetal and inorganic additives, and inclusions, revealing details about raw material selection, recipes' composition, and working procedures. Statistical analyses, including Classical and Robust Principal Component Analysis, highlighted distinct technological patterns associated with specific functional uses, such as adhesives, coatings, waterproofing agents, and glues. The variability observed among artefacts differentiates the <em>chaînes opératoires</em> and suggests specialised knowledge in material preparation and reuse, consistent with broader evidence of craft specialisation and resource management in the late third millennium BCE southern Mesopotamia.</div><div>Parallels with modern bitumen processing techniques point to long-term continuity in material innovation and sustainable technological practices. This research demonstrates that the integration of imaging techniques, computational analysis, and archaeological interpretation can elucidate ancient technological systems, offering a methodological framework for future studies of composite materials in archaeology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105607"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

When is an owl not an owl? An analysis of Attic tetradrachms circulating in the southern Levant in the late fifth and fourth centuries BCE 什么时候猫头鹰不是猫头鹰？对公元前五世纪晚期和四世纪在黎凡特南部流传的阿提卡四角尺的分析

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-02-12 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105634

Liesel Gentelli , Gillan Davis , Francis Albarède , Janne Blichert-Toft , Haim Gitler

{"title":"When is an owl not an owl? An analysis of Attic tetradrachms circulating in the southern Levant in the late fifth and fourth centuries BCE","authors":"Liesel Gentelli , Gillan Davis , Francis Albarède , Janne Blichert-Toft , Haim Gitler","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105634","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105634","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This article, dedicated to the memory of the late Prof. John H. Kroll, focuses on late fifth century BCE Athenian-style tetradrachms found in the southern Levant, to shed new light on whether they are genuine Athenian issues or local imitations. To address this important yet vexed historical question, we analysed the Pb isotope compositions of 22 coins from ten controlled archaeological excavations in Israel and compared them against the ∼ 7,000 galena samples in the Lyon Pb isotope database. Nineteen of the coins are of the “three-quarter profile eye” variety conventionally dated mid to late fifth century BCE. We found that they match Attic or Athenian-controlled silver sources, suggesting they are authentic Athenian issues and not imitations as some of them were originally categorised. We argue that these coins likely entered the Western Asian money supply during Athens’ massive naval campaigns in the eastern Aegean in the third and final phase of the Peloponnesian War, and that the series should be refined to end with the city’s defeat and loss of silver sources in 404 BCE. The fact that three of the coins are plated supports the contention that they were part of the series minted when Athens was under extreme financial duress. The remaining two coins are of the <em>pi</em>-style series struck in the early 340 s BCE, as proposed by John H. Kroll (personal communication and cf. also <span><span>Flament, 2023</span></span>). The Pb isotope data indicate that our examples were not struck from Athenian silver casting doubt on the current theory that they were restruck Attic coins. These overall findings call for a reassessment of monetary sources, coin circulation, and local minting in the fourth century BCE in the southern Levant. This study also highlights the need for independent archaeological dating beyond reliance upon numismatic typology.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105634"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174167","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Jaguars and raptorial birds: The ancient wood carving arts of Northeastern South America (Trombetas River region, Brazil) 美洲虎和猛禽：南美洲东北部（巴西特朗贝塔斯河地区）的古代木雕艺术

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-22 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105560

Joanna Ostapkowicz , Alex C. Widenhoeft , Fiona Brock , Christophe Snoeck , Caroline Cartwright , Jeremy Uden , Claudia Baittinger , Mille Gabriel , Julie Gordon , Pascale Richardin , Catherine Lavier , Thibault Clauzel , Ronny Friedrich , Doris Döppes , Martin E. Berger , Marcony Lopes Alves , John Pouncett , Rachel Wood , Rick J. Schulting

{"title":"Jaguars and raptorial birds: The ancient wood carving arts of Northeastern South America (Trombetas River region, Brazil)","authors":"Joanna Ostapkowicz , Alex C. Widenhoeft , Fiona Brock , Christophe Snoeck , Caroline Cartwright , Jeremy Uden , Claudia Baittinger , Mille Gabriel , Julie Gordon , Pascale Richardin , Catherine Lavier , Thibault Clauzel , Ronny Friedrich , Doris Döppes , Martin E. Berger , Marcony Lopes Alves , John Pouncett , Rachel Wood , Rick J. Schulting","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents the results of the first systematic study aimed at defining the chronology, provenience and material components of 14 distinctive wood carvings featuring jaguar and raptorial bird imagery broadly attributed to northeastern South America, centred on Brazil’s Trombetas River region. These carvings, largely confined to drug-related paraphernalia and ceremonial objects (trumpets, rattles, staffs/sceptres and a hafted anchor axe), were part of antiquarian collections deposited in European museums mainly in the 19th century, with very little associated information.<sup>14</sup>C AMS dating of their wood, cotton and resins shows that they have deeper histories, spanning the 14th to late 17th/early 18th centuries. Wood identification indicates a relatively narrow range of taxa, mainly from the genera <em>Brosimum</em> and <em>Swartzia</em>, likely selected for their hardness and striking “snakeskin” or “leopard skin” patterns. Bindings of human hair are identified on a ceremonial weapon. Strontium isotope (<sup>87</sup>Sr/<sup>86</sup>Sr) analysis of the wood is used to explore the possible provenience of the carvings, with the results divided into two groups, one from a more radiogenic region consistent with the Trombetas, and the other from a less radiogenic region, possibly the Amazon floodplain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105560"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025449","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Shifting foodways in Central Anatolia: A millenium of macrolithic artefacts at Tepecik-Çiftlik (6800/6700–5800/5700 cal BCE) 安纳托利亚中部食物方式的变化：泰佩西克-Çiftlik（公元前6800/6700-5800/5700 cal BCE）一千年的宏观石器制品

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-19 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105575

Jaroslav Řídký , Daniel Pilař , Kristina Doležalová , Aleš Bajer , Yasin Gökhan Çakan

{"title":"Shifting foodways in Central Anatolia: A millenium of macrolithic artefacts at Tepecik-Çiftlik (6800/6700–5800/5700 cal BCE)","authors":"Jaroslav Řídký , Daniel Pilař , Kristina Doležalová , Aleš Bajer , Yasin Gökhan Çakan","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105575","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105575","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Central Anatolia played an important role in the process of the Neolithization of Southwest Asia and Europe. Its diverse landscape offers a wealth of natural and raw material resources, as evidenced by several long-term researched Neolithic sites. One of the key sites of this period is Tepecik-Çiftlik, where the same area was used for settlement for a thousand years. Previous results of element and isotopic analysis of numerous human bones suggest changing trends in the dietary habits of Neolithic communities on various construction-chronological levels of the site. Using morphometry, use-wear analysis and statistical methods, the aim of this study was to determine whether these trends are also reflected in the composition of macrolithic artefacts, a significant portion of which are related to food preparation. The assemblage divided into nine morphometric classes and especially into paired sets – lower and upper stones, mortars and pestles – proves considerable variability in quantity and preservation across the three best preserved levels designated as Level 2, 3, and 5/4. Improvements in the quantity and shape variability of the paired sets used for grinding-milling and pounding are most noticeable in Late Neolithic Level 3, where diverse analyses in human bones suggest an increased consumption of plants. Three other similarly rich Neolithic assemblages from the Anatolian Peninsula were compared in order to determine whether identical shapes and dimensions of ‘typical Neolithic’ food preparation tools could be confirmed during this important period, when domesticated resources began to be widely used. The results show various tool compositions at different sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105575"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Ancient DNA reveals the co-existence of domestic horses, donkeys, and their hybrids in the prehistorical northwestern China 古代DNA揭示了史前中国西北地区家养马、驴及其杂交品种的共存

IF 1.5 2区历史学

Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports Pub Date : 2026-04-01 Epub Date: 2026-01-29 DOI: 10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105603

Jie Li , LinYao Du , Qingyan Dai , Jian Xiao , Zhifan Guo , JiFan Yan , YiShi Yang , GuoKe Chen , Ya-Ping Zhang , Yan Li , GuangHui Dong

{"title":"Ancient DNA reveals the co-existence of domestic horses, donkeys, and their hybrids in the prehistorical northwestern China","authors":"Jie Li , LinYao Du , Qingyan Dai , Jian Xiao , Zhifan Guo , JiFan Yan , YiShi Yang , GuoKe Chen , Ya-Ping Zhang , Yan Li , GuangHui Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The domestication of the genus <em>Equus</em> has driven long-distance exchanges along the pre- and historical Silk Roads, but their dispersal history in China, particularly the use of hybrids between horses and donkeys, remains cloudy. Here we analyzed ancient DNA (aDNA) of ten <em>Equus</em> specimens from Mazongshan jade mining site (400–160 BCE, Northwestern China), using the published Zonkey pipeline and our developed method on sequencing coverage/depth. The identified assemblage of three horses, three donkeys, and four hinnies represents the earliest direct archaeological evidence for the presence of donkeys and their hybrids with horses in China to date. We argue that multiple <em>Equus</em> livestock were already integrated into the <em>trans</em>-regional trades between Central Plains and the Western Regions prior to the opening of the Silk Roads. Additionally, the absence of mule was quite different from ancient Roman contexts, highlighting the adaptation of livestock management strategies to environmental constraints and socioeconomic demands.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105603"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0