Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports最新文献

{"title":"Limpet shell oxygen isotopes as markers of seasonality in shell middens: The case of Molène Archipelago (Brittany, France) from Late Neolithic to Early Middle Age","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104805","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104805","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The stable oxygen isotopes ratio (δ¹⁸O) from marine mollusk carbonated shells is widely used as a palaeo-thermometer, as the main driver of this ratio is the temperature (coupled with the salinity) at which the carbonate precipitated. This method is also used on anthropogenic shell middens, as a proxy for past human practices and their use of marine resources: the Sea-Surface Temperature reconstructed from the shell margin can be interpreted as the season during which the people who produced the midden collected the shells. To better understand the occupation patterns and protohistoric practices of shellfish collection in the Iroise Sea and the Molène archipelago (Finistère, France), we analyzed seasonality data of limpets (<em>Patella</em> sp.) from Late Neolithic (LN, 2570 – 2140 cal. BCE), Early Bronze Age (EBA, 2140 – 1740 cal. BCE) and Early Middle Age (EMA, 620 – 820 cal. CE) occupations within shell middens of two islands: Molène and Béniguet.</div><div>The methodology allowed us to discriminate seasonal and permanent occupations for Béniguet Island site, enriching archaeological observations. Our results also show that the largest shell middens yield all year round collection, on both islands, confirming the continuous occupation of these territories, despite uneven intensity of collection throughout the year. The most represented seasons are late winter and spring, both on Béniguet and Molène islands, and for LN and EBA suggesting an intensification of collection to compensate resource depletion toward the end of winter. These results complete and enhance the previous seasonality data existing on these sites demonstrating here that not only the number of analyzed shells but also their spatial distribution within the midden can impact the seasonality interpretation. This approach now needs to be completed by the determination of seasonality indicators on the other resources present in the middens, to truly grasp the domestic economies of these past insular populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528319","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subsistence on the periphery on the eve of Chinese state formation: Animal exploitation at the Xiaotangshan site (ca. 1500 BC to 1200 BC), Inner Mongolia, China","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104817","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104817","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Lower Xiajiadian (LXJD) culture—spanning approximately 2000–1300 BC and primarily distributed in the Western Liao River valley—represents the earliest Bronze Age archaeological culture in Northeast China. This study investigates animal resource utilization during the LXJD culture period through the analysis of animal remains unearthed from the Xiaotangshan site in Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia. More than 15 species were identified in approximately 3800 animal bone fragments manually collected from Xiaotangshan. The statistics of NISP (Number of identified specimens) and MNI (minimum number of individuals) reveal that domestic livestock, including pigs, dogs, sheep/goats, and cattle, are dominant faunal assemblages, indicating that they are the primary meat resources for Xiaotangshan inhabitants. The mortality profiles of sheep/goats and cattle suggest that they were likely utilized for secondary products beyond meat resources, such as wool and power. Deer are hunted not only for meat but also for antlers to make artificial crafts. The intensive pattern of domestic pig husbandry at LXJD culture sites is closely related to factors such as millet cultivation, growing population, and cultural interaction with the Central Plains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528318","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":"A milpa isotopic foodweb in Tlaxcallan: More than just maize","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104819","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104819","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dietary isotope studies in the New World are rife with the presence of “maize-based societies”, yet a singular focus on maize downplays the plant biodiversity that was key to community resilience during times of political or ecological crisis. Maize was a central crop, and it served as an anchor for the ecologically complex and diverse milpa system used across Mesoamerica in the past and present. The milpa system is both a social and ecological arrangement that relies on the interwoven food management system of several different cultivated plants with phases of fallow and/or secondary growth or foraged plants. Focusing on stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes, this study presents values from a broad range of modern plants traditionally found in milpa contexts, including cacti, wild greens, and fruit trees. By examining the modern plant isotope data through the case study of Tepeticpac, Tlaxcallan—a Late Postclassic site in Central Mexico—this study demonstrates how a milpa-based foodweb allowed Tlaxcallan to adapt during times of potential political conflict. Previous analyses of Tlaxcallan’s resistance to Aztec imperial expansion have focused on political strategies at the state level. This paper argues that analyzing milpa foodwebs demonstrates the importance of household-level economies and ecologies as sites of adaptability during moments of political instability. When analyses expand to include foraged and cultivated foods—what Lopez Corral (2020) calls “subsistence agriculture”—the full breadth and power of the milpa food systems is revealed. As we suggest in this paper, these small-scale food systems worked together with institutional systems to create greater adaptability towards external threats like warfare and economic blockade.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528869","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":"Paleodiet reconstruction of Procapra przewalskii from the Qinghai Lake Basin during the Early and Middle Holocene","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104808","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104808","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reconstructions of food choices of species in the past can help us understand ecological relationships between ancient populations and their environments and contextualize recent anthropogenic impacts on those species to inform wildlife management practices today. Przewalski’s gazelles (<em>Procapra przewalskii</em>), for example, were ubiquitous on the Tibetan Plateau during the Early and Middle Holocene but today are limited to a small, endangered population in the Qinghai Lake Basin. Environmental conditions have changed dramatically since the end of the Pleistocene, and recent human activity has also had noticeable impacts on the population dynamics of these gazelles. This study employs isotope analyses and dental microwear to reconstruct the diets of <em>P. przewalskii</em> specimens from the Epipaleolithic archaeological site, 151, in the Qinghai Lake Basin (dated to 8900–7900 cal. BP). Microwear textures are compared with modern Przewalski’s gazelles from the basin and with a baseline of bovids with diets ranging from obligate browse to obligate graze. Stable isotopes confirm a diet for the archaeological samples dominated by C₃ plants, which is unsurprising given a drop in C₄ grass availability since the Early Holocene and a diet of both browse and C₃ grasses for modern <em>P. przewalskii</em> in the basin. The microwear textures of the archaeological (<em>n</em> = 10) and modern (<em>n</em> = 5) <em>P. przewalskii</em> specimens are consistent with a graze-dominated diet, as reported in the literature for recent Przewalski’s gazelles. While <em>P. przewalskii</em> has been a target prey species for people in the basin since the Paleolithic, the gazelle population has only recently declined to near-extinction level, due largely to the intensification of human activities. This decline has evidently not been driven by a change in feeding behavior despite dramatic habitat change, hunting pressure, and competition with domesticated animals. Understanding this can help governments to develop more suitable and effective strategies to protect this endangered species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528871","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":"Protocols, pitfalls, and publishing for pXRF analyses: From “know how” to “best practices”","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104831","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104831","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) exists in a somewhat liminal state as a technique in the archaeological sciences. On one hand, pXRF is essentially energy-dispersive XRF (EDXRF) condensed to fit into a handheld instrument. On the other hand, it is still often defined by a few strident critiques more than a decade ago, the focus of which were pXRF users, not the instruments. There were three themes in those critiques: perceived weaknesses in (1) research design, (2) element quantification, and (3) publishing, especially as it relates to data evaluation. Recently, <span><span>Johnson et al. (2024)</span></span> sought to address the third critique, by both surveying the literature and proposing a checklist of 18 variables that, they argue, should be published to “result in better science” from pXRF users. While this is an important topic, the study and list are flawed and, thus, will not achieve their goal. We do, though, share the aim of aiding archaeologists in becoming effective pXRF users. Here I adopt a different tack. Drawing on 24 years of X-ray spectrometry experience, my intent is to share knowledge that can help the expanding community of pXRF practitioners. Ranging in topic from safety to research design and common pitfalls, I aim to share my experience in a way that can, I hope, be useful to those beyond my own students. Much of what I teach about pXRF – both inside and outside the classroom – is here for anyone to read and implement themselves.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528316","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":"On-site non-Destructive identification of Dushan jade using portable Raman, pXRF, FTIR, and NIR","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Dushan jade, renowned as one of China’s ‘Four Famous Jades’, has a storied reputation, yet its historical application remains inadequately understood. The lack of scientific analysis of ancient Dushan jade artifacts has led to considerable ambiguity regarding its historical use. To address this gap, scientific identification is imperative. Given the extensive number of suspected Dushan jade artefacts, a rapid and portable analytical approach is essential. In this study, we employed portable Raman spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), and near-infrared (NIR) devices to analyze ancient Dushan jad samples from three Yangshao culture sites in the Nanyang Basin and to compare them with modern Dushan jade specimens for comparison. Raman spectroscopy successfully identified anorthite and zoisite in both ancient and modern samples, consistent with the contemporary mineralogical definition of Dushan jade. Elemental analysis revealed that the primary components were SiO₂, Al₂O₃, CaO, and Fe₂O₃, while the trace elements included V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Sr and Ba. Infrared spectra also showed similarities to anorthite and zoisite, with distinctive features observed in specific bands. Importantly, the indicators from ancient samples align with those of modern Dushan jade, confirming that consistency of composition and the reliability of these identifying markers. The presence of materials from diverse locations suggests a broad distribution of Dushan jade artifacts within Nanyang Basin. Further research with more extensive data could illuminate the formation and evolution of jade culture in the Central Plains, highlighting the significance of this study in advancing our understanding of Dushan jade.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528868","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":"Petrological characterization for material provenance of haniwa earthenware from mounded tombs in the Kibi region, Japan","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104813","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104813","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To determine the provenance of the materials used in the production of <em>haniwa</em> earthenware unearthed from mounded tombs (<em>kofun</em>) in the Kibi region (modern Okayama Prefecture) during the Kofun period (late 3rd – 6th century CE) of Japan, we carried out petrological analyses of <em>haniwa</em> sherds, including optical microscopy, X-ray diffractometry, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, and electron-probe analysis. The 25 <em>haniwa</em> sherds analyzed from 12 representative mounded tombs are composed of mineral and rock inclusions with variable grain size set in a clay matrix. The dominant inclusions are quartz, K-feldspar, and plagioclase, associated with minor amounts of amphibole, volcanic glass, and granitic rocks in all the <em>haniwa</em> sherds, and small amounts of hornfels, quartz rock, and accessory minerals, including mica, ilmenite, and chromite, in some of the sherds. Amphibole and plagioclase have compositional variations indicative of the mixing of tephra and granitic components. The compositions of volcanic glass inclusions are similar to those of the Aira-Tanzawa and Kikai-Akahoya tephras widely distributed in southwestern Japan. Bulk chemical compositions show magmatic differentiation trends, which are variable between individual tombs. From these results, it is concluded that the paste materials of <em>haniwa</em> in the Kibi region were commonly derived from weathered granitic rocks mixed with minor amounts of three widespread tephras. The variations of chemical and mineralogical compositions are probably the reflection of local geologic settings, suggesting the presence of specific mining sites of paste materials around each tomb. The mining sites could be located at the bases of hills of granitic rocks covered by widespread tephras and in some cases, near the flood plain of big river systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Electron paramagnetic resonance and discriminant analysis of white pigment used by Early Neolithic potters in the Eastern Romanian Plain","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104810","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104810","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>To evidence the reciprocal influence and material exchanges between Early Neolithic to Middle Chalcolithic communities from Romanian Plane, the white pigments of 103 ceramic fragments was investigated by Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). All investigated fragments showed a complex EPR spectrum due to the superposition, in different proportions, of the Mn²⁺, Fe³⁺ as well as iron ferromagnetic clusters EPR spectra. This permitted to develop a new procedure for extracting a set of five numerical parameters to quantify recorded spectra, parameters which were the basis for a Discriminant Analysis able to compare them by sites or by cultural traditions. In this way, it was evidenced that the first Neolithic people (Starčevo-Criș) utilized multiple raw material sources, while the more recent communities (Vădastra, Hamangia, Boian, Gumelnița) relied on more localized sources. This indicates an accumulation of knowledge about the raw material sources in the area, leading to the utilization of those with optimal technological properties. This accumulation of <em>know-how</em> by Chalcolithic communities is linked to complex processes of population movements from Anatolia, as well as the ancestral and descendant prehistoric populations that inhabited the same sites in different time horizons. Thus, the archaeometric analysis proposed by this study offers indirect proxies regarding the behaviors of Neolithic and Chalcolithic communities that inhabited the Romanian Plain over 2000 years (ca. 6200–3800 cal BCE).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528867","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":"Analyzing lime mortars from a historic construction in Magán (Toledo, Spain): Insights into mineralogy and firing temperatures","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104812","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mortar samples from the remains of a nearly vanished structure in the village of Magán (Toledo, Spain) have been investigated. Their mineralogical and chemical composition have been analyzed to understand the building technology of their historical period and the functionality of the original structure. Furthermore, a wide range of characterization techniques has been employed in the investigation regarding the amount of information they can provide and assess their effectiveness in the field. Chemical characterization of the mortar samples has been performed by XRD and XRF and completed with TGA studies. FTIR and Raman Spectroscopy, together with ²⁸Si and ²⁷Al-MAS-NMR and Microscopy Studies complete these characterization studies. Although the samples possess similar composition, since the predominant mineralogy is quartz, feldspars, and phyllosilicates, the differences discovered let us establish a relationship between chemical data and petrographic mineralogical data, and the source of materials.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dental evidence of textile-related task activities in the Bronze Age site of Laderas del Castillo (Alicante, Spain)","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104818","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2024.104818","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The burial 7 from the Argaric site of Laderas del Castillo (Alicante, Spain), dating from the 2nd millennium BC, included a skeleton associated with a carinated vessel indicative of social recognition. Anthropological and DNA-based methods were combined to determine that the individual corresponds to a young female. Macro- and scanning microscopic analyses revealed morphologically uniform labial notches with smooth and polished enamel on maxillary central incisors, which suggest tooth-tool use involving craft tasks. Plant fibers entrapped in dental calculus suggest that the individual was involved in textile and craft production, most likely working with flax or hemp. These findings provide new and direct insights into the use of teeth as tools related to crafts involving threads and are valuable for assessing the social division of labor within the Argaric prehistoric populations from Southeastern Iberia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-10-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142528866","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}