Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports最新文献

{"title":"Shipping olives in the Eastern Mediterranean during Antiquity: Assessing varietal diversity of olive (Olea europaea) from the Mazotos shipwreck (Cyprus, 4th c. BCE) using geometric morphometrics","authors":"Clémence Pagnoux ,&nbsp;Sarah Ivorra ,&nbsp;Stella Demesticha ,&nbsp;Vincent Bonhomme ,&nbsp;Kyriaki Tsirtsi ,&nbsp;Evi Margaritis ,&nbsp;Jean-Frédéric Terral","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A shipwreck dated to the 4th c. BCE discovered off the southern coast of Cyprus, near the modern village of Mazotos, has yielded thousands of waterlogged olive endocarps, offering us the opportunity to characterize the varietal diversity of olives cultivated in the Aegean and to explore the circulation of olives in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Classical period. The ship was likely on a route from the Aegean to the Eastern Mediterranean, carrying a cargo of Chian amphorae. Among these amphorae, some contained olive endocarps, providing valuable evidence of the transportation of agricultural products and the interconnected networks of the Classical period. This case study is not only a rare example of ship dated to the classical period, but also a unique opportunity to investigate a large assemblage of waterlogged whole, well preserved, olive endocarps using geometric morphometrics, to characterize the food products circulating by sea route. Comparison with an extended modern reference collection of 57 cultivated varieties and 15 wild populations of olive from various origins revealed that one main morphotype dominates the cargo of the Mazotos shipwreck, supplemented by other types in smaller quantities.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105620"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146174082","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}

{"title":"“From blue to red: first evidence of heat treatment in the production of Minoan serpentinite vases through non-invasive study and experimental petrology”","authors":"Killian Regnier ,&nbsp;Antoine Triantafyllou ,&nbsp;Jean-Philippe Perrillat ,&nbsp;Charlotte Langohr ,&nbsp;Gilles Montagnac ,&nbsp;Clémentine Fellah ,&nbsp;Jérôme Bascou ,&nbsp;Anne-Christine Da Silva","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105557","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105557","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intentional heat treatment of stone to alter its appearance remains a largely understudied practice in archaeology, and its identification in the archaeological record is often challenging. By combining portable and non-invasive X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and magnetic susceptibility (pMS) analyses with controlled heating experiments on local serpentinite used in Minoan (Bronze Age Crete) contexts, this study presents the first documented evidence of intentional heating in the production of stone vases. It also proposes a replicable analytical framework broadly applicable, yet particularly suited to ultramafic lithologies. It focuses on a unique assemblage from the late Protopalatial period at <em>Quartier Mu</em>, Malia (Crete, 1800–1700 BCE), where twenty-five serpentinite vases exhibit a distinct red coloration.</div><div>Macro-petrographic observations and pXRF analyses confirm that the red vases consist of serpentinite and show no trace of added pigments. pMS values are significantly lower in the red serpentinite vases than in the blueish (unheated) ones, which is consistent with the effect of heating samples of Cretan serpentinite in our experimental results. In our high-temperature heating experiments, the red coloration is driven by the natural transformation of magnetite into low-magnetic iron oxides at temperatures above 700 °C under oxidising conditions. The application of this thermal threshold, combined with contextual evidence showing no signs of large-scale burning, allows us to reject the hypothesis of accidental firing.</div><div>These findings provide new insights into Minoan stone-vase production, identifying heat treatment as a deliberate technological choice at <em>Quartier Mu</em>. More broadly, the methodology illustrates how experimental petrology and non-invasive techniques can together highlight ancient heat-related practices while preserving the artifacts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105557"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025332","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}

{"title":"First archaeobotanical evidence of bruchid beetle infestation of Vachellia seeds from the Christian site of Banganarti, Sudan","authors":"Hamad Mohamed Hamdeen ,&nbsp;Karolina Resnerová ,&nbsp;Maha A. Kordofani ,&nbsp;Michał Dzik ,&nbsp;Jakub Dušek ,&nbsp;Alena Říhová","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, we present the first archaeobotanical evidence for bruchid beetle (Chrysomelidae: Bruchinae) infestation of <em>Vachellia</em> trees from the Christian site at Banganarti, located on the right bank of the Nile in Northern Sudan. Since 2019, extensive systematic archaeobotanical sampling has been conducted in the NECH and SSCH sectors of the site. A total of 63 soil samples were collected, subjected to flotation, and sieved using 2.0 and 0.5 mm mesh sizes. Subsequent processing and identification were performed using light microscopy, multidetector computed tomography (CT), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Identification, based on anatomical and morphological comparisons with reference collections, revealed a diverse assemblage of domesticated and wild plants. In two selected <em>Vachellia</em> seed samples, BA-19 P211 and BA-19-P113, CT and SEM analyses revealed characteristic internal features indicative of bruchid beetle infestation. Infestation traces were observed in a total of eight seeds of <em>V. nilotica</em> and six seeds of <em>V. tortilis</em>. Two of the best-preserved specimens from each species were selected for SEM imaging. The scans provided evidence of larval tunnels and internal boreholes, confirming bruchid larval development within the seed coat and subsequent emergence via perforation of the seed surface. These findings extend the record of insect–plant interactions in Sub-Saharan Africa and highlight their implications for human–plant relationships during the Christian period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105591"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025460","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}

{"title":"Terrapins as a dietary resource for Bronze Age populations in the Southeast Iberian Peninsula","authors":"Iratxe Boneta Jiménez","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Iberian Peninsula extant terrapins, the European Pond Turtle (i.e. <em>Emys orbicularis</em>) and the Spanish Terrapin (i.e. <em>Mauremys leprosa</em>), are relatively frequent within Bronze Age archaeofaunal assemblages. Specifically, its remains appear to concentrate in southeastern sites, at times related to El Argar settlements. The available data and firsthand detailed study of some of the terrapin remains from twenty-two peninsular Bronze Age sites are here presented. This update on the knowledge concerning the Iberian Peninsula archaeological turtle record provides new justified taxonomic evidence regarding the Iberian turtle taxa distribution during the second millennium BC. Also, new interpretations in cultural terms that deepen into the relationship between human southeastern populations and these reptiles are discussed. Results show that terrapins were mainly captured as local freshwater food resource, depicting the dynamics between human populations and marsh, river, and other freshwater bodies ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105595"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025450","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}

{"title":"Feces, fragrance and medicine chemical evidence of ancient therapeutics in a Roman unguentarium","authors":"Cenker Atila ,&nbsp;İlker Demirbolat ,&nbsp;Rana Babaç Çelebi","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fecal-based pharmacological treatments are widely attested in Greco-Roman medical texts, yet no direct chemical evidence has until now supported their practical application. This study presents the first molecular confirmation of such practices through GC–MS/FID analysis of organic residues from a Roman glass unguentarium (artifact no. 4027) excavated in Pergamon, a major center of Roman medicine. The vessel’s contents revealed a distinctive blend of human fecal biomarkers (including coprostanol and 24-ethylcoprostanol) and aromatic compounds such as carvacrol, a major constituent of thyme oil. These results align with classical prescriptions that combined dung with odor-masking agents to enhance patient compliance −practices noted in the works of Galen, Dioscorides, and Pliny the Elder.</div><div>By integrating archaeometric analysis with historical and philological research, the study reframes Roman unguentaria as vehicles not only for cosmetics, but also for socially managed therapeutic substances. The findings contribute critical empirical support for the pharmacological use of excrement in antiquity and offer a replicable interdisciplinary model for investigating ancient medicine. In light of contemporary interest in microbiome-based therapies, this evidence also prompts a reconsideration of early traditions once dismissed as marginal or irrational.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105589"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025447","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}

{"title":"The mountain caracara (Phalcoboenus megalopterus) as an accumulator of faunal remains: neotaphonomic insights for the assessment of Andean zooarchaeological records","authors":"Nicolás M. Guardia ,&nbsp;E. Martín Pérez ,&nbsp;Guillermo Chiaradia ,&nbsp;José Manuel López","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105599","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105599","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Archaeological research in the Andes has traditionally focused on stratified sites, while the role of natural agents in the formation of faunal assemblages remains underexplored. This study presents a neotaphonomic analysis of prey remains accumulated by the mountain caracara (<em>Phalcoboenus megalopterus</em>), a facultative scavenger widely distributed across highland Andean environments. Fieldwork was conducted in the southern Puna of central-western Argentina, where pellets and non-ingested materials were collected from a caracara nest and roost located near guanaco (<em>Lama guanicoe</em>) kill sites attributed to puma (Puma concolor) predation. Laboratory analyses included taxonomic identification and taphonomic assessment, focusing on skeletal element representation, breakage patterns, chemical digestion, and mechanical modifications.</div><div>The assemblage is dominated by large-sized mammals, particularly guanaco, alongside smaller proportions of southern mountain viscachas (<em>Lagidium viscacia</em>), rodents, leporids, small birds, and reptiles. Guanaco remains were primarily represented by cervical vertebrae and basipodial elements, with cranial bones notably absent. Ingested specimens exhibited heavy to extreme digestion, while non-ingested remains showed tooth marks, crenulated edges, and helical fractures indicative of both carnivore predation and avian scavenging. The high frequency of juvenile guanaco individuals, the selective representation of skeletal elements, and the combination of mechanical and chemical modifications produced by <em>P. megalopterus</em> constitute a distinctive taphonomic signature.</div><div>These findings demonstrate that mountain caracaras can significantly contribute to the formation and alteration of bone assemblages in Andean environments. By highlighting the interplay between carnivore hunting and raptor scavenging, this study provides a comparative framework for distinguishing natural from cultural formation processes in zooarchaeological contexts, thereby refining interpretations of human–faunal interactions in highland South America.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105599"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080018","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}

{"title":"Investigating animal exploitation in Late Byzantine Greece: a zooarchaeological study from Ismenion, Thebes","authors":"Dimitris Filioglou ,&nbsp;Rachel M. Winter ,&nbsp;Dimitrios Michailidis ,&nbsp;Stephanie Larson ,&nbsp;Kevin Daly ,&nbsp;Katherine B. Harrington ,&nbsp;Alexandra Charami","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105578","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105578","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates animal husbandry, fishing techniques, diet and their socio-economic implications within the changing political landscape of Late Byzantine Thebes (13^th-15^th centuries CE) through an integrated zooarchaeological approach. It draws evidence from faunal assemblages from 9 refuse pits (<em>bothroi</em>) on the Ismenion Hill, an area with some habitation in southeastern Thebes. Results indicate a reliance on caprines—especially sheep—as the dominant livestock, suggesting an organized system of mutton production. Pigs and cattle likely played a supplementary role in inhabitants’ diet and economic activities, at least in the examined households. A portion of the herds were likely in-house stalled while deadstock was processed in a standardized way. Fish remains indicate a marked reliance on aquatic resources from near-shore, coastal marine environments, with a notable abundance of the gilthead seabream (<em>Sparus aurata</em>). Furthermore, while Thebes experienced successive foreign rule from the 13^th century onward, continuity in animal exploitation during these times suggests resilience in local foodways. Ismenion Hill residents matched the general trends in animal exploitation and meat consumption seen in other regions of the Greek peninsula since the first centuries of the Byzantine Period. These findings contribute significantly to the underexplored field of Byzantine zooarchaeology and shed light on subsistence strategies in medieval Greece.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105578"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080016","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}

{"title":"Following the lynx: taphonomic insights into leporid accumulations from unit 2 of Cova del Coll Verdaguer (Iberian Peninsula)","authors":"Souksavath Sanphasouk ,&nbsp;Maria Joana Gabucio ,&nbsp;Patricia Martín Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Montserrat Sanz ,&nbsp;Joan Daura","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105567","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105567","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leporids are an abundant taxon in Upper Pleistocene sites of the Iberian Peninsula, commonly accumulated through various processes, including human activity, animal predation, and natural burrowing. The main objective of this study is to identify the agent(s) responsible for the leporid accumulation in Unit 2 of Cova del Coll Verdaguer, an Upper Pleistocene deposit. A total of 2,606 leporid remains and 25 remains of medium-sized carnivores −<em>Lynx pardinus</em>, <em>Vulpes vulpes</em>, and <em>Felis silvestris</em>- were analysed using zooarchaeological and taphonomic methods. The leporid assemblage is characterized by a predominance of distal appendicular elements, followed by cranial, proximal appendicular, axial, and innominate bones. The results, including breakage patterns and tooth marks, suggest that the accumulation of leporids was primarily the result of lynx activity, with a lesser contribution by foxes, highlighting the significant role of medium-sized carnivores in Pleistocene faunal assemblages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105567"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080017","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}

{"title":"Pottery specialization and household interdependence in Hongshan core Zone: Evidence from the Dongshanzui site","authors":"Zicheng Zhu ,&nbsp;Tao Li","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates household interdependence and economic differentiation in the Hongshan core zone through geochemical analysis of 231 sherds from six Late Hongshan (3500–3000 BCE) household units in the Dongshanzui area, western Liaoning, northeast China. The compositional analysis reveals that pottery was produced from a limited number of local clay sources, with hierarchical clustering analysis identifying three hypothetical production source units (PSU01, PSU02, and PSU03). This indicates a moderately centralized production system where a relatively small number of specialized households supplied a larger consumer community, confirming a moderate degree of pottery specialization and household interdependence. Households obtained pottery from different production source units and intermingled spatially within the Dongshanzui area; however, a north–south spatial gradient in resource access was identified. Southern households, including the higher-status unit D109, preferentially utilized the clay source PSU02, particularly for fine-paste ceremonial <em>tongxingqi</em> vessels, which showed markedly less compositional variability than utilitarian wares. Altogether, our findings challenge models where elites directly controlled production, suggesting instead that social differentiation was expressed through preferential access to high-quality goods within exchange networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105641"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385035","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}

{"title":"Working with fowl tibiotarsals: insights into caponization and poultry keeping in medieval Portugal","authors":"Marta Moreno-García ,&nbsp;Carlos M. Pimenta","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2026.105601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Caponization of young male birds is a practice undertaken to fatten and improve the quality of the bird’s flesh. Ethnographic work carried out in the village of Freamunde in northern Portugal, allowed us to record in detail the traditional method used to caponize young roosters. We also obtained a small reference collection of capon bones. Since studies of modern poultry indicate that tibiotarsals may be structurally modified as a result of caponization resulting in greater body weight, we focus our attention on this bone. The shape and the size of the tibiotarsals obtained are studied to explore osteological and metrical characters that might help in the recognition of capons in archaeological remains of this taxon. The same methodological approach is applied to Portuguese medieval poultry assemblages dated to the Islamic and late medieval period. However, the observed variations in the size and the shape of the archaeological chicken tibiotarsals are hypothetically interpreted as reflecting an increased interest in egg-production in the course of time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"70 ","pages":"Article 105601"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147385040","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}