Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports最新文献

{"title":"A non-invasive archaeometric protocol for characterizing possible Corallium rubrum-related carbonate materials in decorations on Iron Age bronze fibulae of the Golasecca culture","authors":"Giulia Berruto ,&nbsp;Eliano Diana ,&nbsp;Roberto Giustetto","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105131","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105131","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Iron Age, the Golasecca culture in Northwestern Italy connected Italic populations with transalpine and Celtic ones. From the 7th century BCE, in some jewellery artefacts (bronze fibulae and pendants) a whitish material constituting either part of the objects or nestled decorations is observed. Archaeologists identify it as coral (<em>Corallium rubrum</em>), its red hue whitened by the passing of time. However, few archaeometric studies have been carried out so far, also because of their invasiveness. 46 artefacts with whitish decorations from the archaeological sites of Como, Castelletto Ticino and Golasecca (stored in the Museo Civico Archeologico ‘P. Giovio’, in Como) are investigated here with a novel, non-destructive, multi-analytical protocol (i.e., μ-Raman spectroscopy, μ-X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS in low-vacuum), which completely safeguards their integrity. This approach, applied on the artefacts as such, allows identifying their constituent materials and degradation byproducts, extrapolating information about their nature, history and manufacturing process. Ca-carbonates – in the form of calcite – are identified in the decorations of most studied artefacts. This evidence alone does not account for their biologic origin (i.e., from <em>C. rubrum</em>), but other aspects can help in solving such an issue. In several artefacts, high-Mg calcite (HMC, a marker for biogenic carbonates) + polyenes (the typical pigments of red coral), sole HMC or even a mixture of HMC + LMC are identified – often coupled to typical coral micro-morphologies. A biogenic origin for these carbonates (i.e. red coral, though other similar species cannot be completely ruled out) can certainly be ascertained – lack of polyenes being justified by possible denaturation over time. In other artefacts, however, low-Mg-calcite (LMC) or even pure-calcite (i.e., with no detectable Mg) are found with no polyenes – hinting a possible inorganic origin. Most of these, however, show typical coral micro-morphologies. In these decorations, Mg-depletion might thus depend on the meteoric diagenesis of originally biogenic carbonates, responsible for transformation of HMC to LMC (or even pure-calcite) and decay of polyenes. Other materials are also seldom detected – i.e., gypsum, probably resulting from sulfation of an original coralline matrix interred in acidic soils, and Ca-phosphates, due to sporadic use of bones. All these evidences point to the fact that <em>C. rubrum</em> was feasibly used in at least ≈ 70 % of the studied decorated artefacts. For what concerns the composition of the alloy, bronze or lead-bronze can be found in different artefacts – or even different portions of the same item – possibly depending on sharp technological issues, dictated by fluidity or workability during manufacture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 105131"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825986","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":"Analysis of Early Iron Age / Classical period glass beads from Brili necropolis (Georgia)","authors":"Vachadze Gvantsa ,&nbsp;Gratuze Bernard ,&nbsp;Kobalia Nino","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present the analytical results obtained, using LA-ICP-MS, on a set of 77 glass beads, of various colours, dating to the Pre-classical and Classical period (8th to 4th c. BC) and originating from Brili necropolis (Georgia). This necropolis, located in the North-West of Georgia, in the historical Colchis region, was used continuously between the 15th c. BC and the 4th c. AD and was excavated periodically between 1939 and 1961. Through the comparison with published analytical data of coeval, earlier and later glass samples, the aim of this study is to investigate the provenance of this Brili assemblage in order to highlight the cultural influences and trading network of the Brili community during the Pre-classical and Classical period. The analysed glass beads are classified in three main groups and several sub-groups. The two main groups consist of Egyptian and Syro-Palestinian natron soda lime glasses (34 beads) on the one hand and high lithium, boron and magnesium mineral soda-lime glasses (34 beads) on the other. We also find a group of high magnesium, potassium and phosphorus plant ash soda-lime glass (9 beads) which up to now, was scarcely identified among Early Iron Age glass studies. Among this small group, one of the beads, characterized by lower phosphorus content, belongs probably to the well-established Mesopotamian soda-lime plant ash glass group.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825459","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 shades of red: First chemical analysis of red paintings from Casa de Piedra de Roselló, Aldea Beleiro, SW Chubut, Argentine Patagonia","authors":"Lucía A. Gutiérrez ,&nbsp;Adelphine Bonneau ,&nbsp;María Ana Castro ,&nbsp;Analía Castro Esnal","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105108","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105108","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rock art of Aldea Beleiro (SW Chubut, Argentine Patagonia) stands out for the remarkable consistency in the use of red shades, particularly in the motifs of the multi-site Casa de Piedra de Roselló. These motifs, attributed by relative chronology to different moments of the Holocene, present a striking chromatic continuity that challenges the distinction between change and persistence in paint production over a long human occupation sequence (ca. 10,000 years BP). To address this issue, this study employs a multi-analytical approach—combining SEM-EDS, Raman micro-spectroscopy, and FTIR micro-spectroscopy—to differentiate between red pigments at a chemical level. Our findings suggest that, despite the apparent homogeneity in color, the underlying chemical composition reveals a diverse range of paint preparation techniques, even within motifs of similar chronology. This variability highlights the complexity of paint production processes and underscores the need for further research to better understand the methods and choices involved in pigment management for rock art painting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825537","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":"Glass flow on the Dnipro River: An archaeometric study of glass beads from Scythian contexts on the island of Khortytsia (Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine)","authors":"D. Nykonenko ,&nbsp;O. Yatsuk ,&nbsp;P. Davit ,&nbsp;G. Fiocco ,&nbsp;M. Malagodi ,&nbsp;R. Giustetto ,&nbsp;G. Berruto ,&nbsp;M. Aceto ,&nbsp;E. Laurenti ,&nbsp;A. Mangone ,&nbsp;L.C. Giannossa ,&nbsp;M. Gulmini","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This work considers a set of twenty-one glass beads/bead fragments found in two archaeological sites dating from the late 5^th to the early 4^th century BCE and located in the Khortytsia National Reserve in Zaporizhzhia (Ukraine). The beads have numerous analogues in the region, and some types have parallels in sites of different archaeological cultures also beyond this area. Their composition has been determined in order to address, from an archaeometric perspective, questions related to glass circulation during the Early Iron Age in the area of the Khortytsia island and beyond.</div><div>All of the glass found at Khortytsia belongs to the low-magnesia glass type (with two doubtful exceptions) and can be divided into two compositional groups, separated mainly by the TiO₂ concentration, both of which are consisted with the compositional framework already traced for Iron Age glass, with production centres placed in Egypt and the Levant. The data for the glass found at Khortytsia allowed an insight into the compositional similarities and differences within the bead types included in the sample set, indicating that the two glasses were used interchangeably for the same bead type and even within the same bead, suggesting the existence of secondary workshops, possibly close to consumption centres. Both types of glass were found at both the archaeological sites, namely the cemetery of Kanfarka and the hillfort of Sovutynske, confirming that they were used by the same people.</div><div>The glass considered here is more recent than the previously analysed glass from other archaeological sites possibly related to Khortytsia by geographical contingency, therefore the new set of compositional data obtained here expands the information available to trace the evolution of the glass in the area.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825538","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":"Anthracology in a relict forest in the South Pacific: An archaeobotanical approach on wood charcoal assemblages from Mocha Island","authors":"Ayelen Delgado-Orellana","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mocha Island is located in the South Pacific Ocean (38°22′ S) only 30 km off the coast of Southern Chile. The first Europeans set foot on the island in 1544 CE, and the reports left by navigators between the 16th and 17th centuries inform of a well populated island, where the natives grew maize, beans and kept “sheep” with long necks (camelids). The Spaniard conquerors, who never settled on the island forced its depopulation between 1685 and 1687 CE. The island was uninhabited until 1850 CE, when the Chilean state started a colonization program in Southern Chile.</div><div>The last decades of archaeological research on the island show that pre-Hispanic groups visited it sporadically during the Archaic Period (1500 BCE), and more regularly from the Early Ceramic Period (100 CE). But around the year 1000 CE (Late Ceramic Period) the archaeological sites show continuous and regular use of the space around domestic units; mound and platform complex has also been dated to this period.</div><div>This paper presents the wood charcoal analysis results of three archaeological sites from Mocha Island, dated between the 850 CE and 1685 CE. The aim is to discuss the forest environment over 500 years of Pre-Hispanic and early Historic inhabitation that involved crop cultivation, camelid husbandry and population growth in this insular territory of 52 km². The anthracological results indicate the presence of lauriphyllous and sclerophyll taxa, suggesting ecotonal zones where different types of taxa can coexist, and in which the development of woody taxa with edible parts might have been promoted.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 105126"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825982","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":"Tracing the use-life of an early Denver neighborhood cistern: A multi-proxy analysis of soil development, domestic practices, and urban privacy","authors":"Michael J. Kolb ,&nbsp;April Hill ,&nbsp;Paula Leek ,&nbsp;Jade Luiz ,&nbsp;Ryun McConnell ,&nbsp;Gene Wheaton","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A multi-proxy artifactual, sedimentological, micromorphological, and geochemical investigation of soils collected from a community cistern (Denver, USA) elucidate its use-life regarding westward late nineteenth-century Euro-American settlement and early twentieth century residential domestic and industrial activities. This analysis identifies fifteen depositional strata within the cistern to clarify site formation and evolution over time. Results reveal distinct phases that inform us about the evolving needs of a community through its water management and observed through cistern construction, its obsolescence, and its reuse as a waste receptacle. The preservation and study of cisterns offer important lessons for the study of urban soil development, domestic practices, and ideas about privacy held by urban dwellers in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 105117"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143825987","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":"Unprepared for work: Preliminary analyses of ad hoc bone tools from the Howiesons Poort layers at Klasies River main site, South Africa","authors":"Emma Cleminson ,&nbsp;Justin Bradfield ,&nbsp;Sarah Wurz ,&nbsp;Jerome P. Reynard","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Howiesons Poort technocomplex is known for innovative developments in backed geometric stone tools, ochre and shifts in foraging behaviour, and the possible early use of the bow and arrow. Bone tools and ornaments have been found at a handful of sites from this period. Despite its relative rarity, worked bone has played an important role in discussions around the development of cognitive complexity in humans. Scholars have, however, tended to emphasize formally made bone tools at the expense of informal, expedient or <em>ad hoc</em> bone tools in these assemblages. Here, we present the results of a technological and usewear analysis undertaken on a sample of bone specimens from the Deacon excavations of the Howiesons Poort layers at Klasies River main site. Our aim was to identify <em>ad hoc</em> tools and fragmented pieces of worked bone missed during initial excavations and sorting. Twelve pieces of worked bone were identified, presenting manufacturing wear and <em>ad hoc</em> use. A range of different activities is implicated, with worked bone used on hard and soft surfaces consistent with leather, skin and plant contact. This is the first recognised evidence of informal bone modification at this site and adds to our understanding of bone technology during the Howiesons Poort.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 105128"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815648","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":"Berberis sp. in the American extreme south: Archaeobotanical record of use by Patagonian hunter-gatherers during the Holocene","authors":"L. Caruso Fermé ,&nbsp;N. Macchioni ,&nbsp;G. Massaferro ,&nbsp;C. Zapata","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105132","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105132","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The general objective of this work is to deepen the knowledge on the use of <em>Berberis</em> sp. wood among Patagonian hunter-gatherer societies during the Holocene. For this purpose, the presence of <em>Berberis</em> sp. remains in the Patagonian archeological sites and the existence of artifacts made with <em>Berberis</em> sp. wood belonging to the ethnographic collections are studied. The physical properties (density) of the wood of these shrubs are also analyzed. The results obtained show the recovery of <em>Berberis</em> sp. remains in 24 Patagonian archaeological sites. At the sites Cerro Casa de Piedra 5 and Cerro Casa de Piedra 7, different types of <em>Berberis</em> sp. remains and wooden artifacts were recovered. The basal density of the samples of <em>Berberis</em> sp. taken allows them to be considered as medium-heavy woods of medium density. Finally, the results achieved show the selection and use of <em>Berberis</em> sp. wood as raw material for artifact manufacture from early times (9,390 ± 40 BP) until the contact with Europeans (19th century-early 20th century).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 105132"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815646","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":"Raw material, typology and technology of tools made on animal-derived osseous materials from Bihar: Neolithic to Kushana period","authors":"Mohit Kumar,&nbsp;Umesh Kumar Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Evidence outlining the subsistence pattern of the Early Agro-Pastoral community of Bihar, which is available in front of us in the form of remains made of stone, metal, terracotta, and osseous material. Much study has been done on the artifacts made of various mediums, not so much on the substances like bone, antler, ivory and tortoise shell in study area. It gives information regarding the specific utilization of multifarious animal species by prehistoric societies. The bone tools from the Neolithic culture form the initial stage of manufacturing process in the assemblages of Bihar. Because of its physical properties, it was one of the most preferred raw materials used by the prehistoric community to make tools, weapons, toys, and ceremonial objects. This paper aims to re-examine bone tools available for study and review published materials on bone artifacts recovered from the Neolithic period to the Kushana period located in Bihar. Through methodological approaches, significant information can be drawn about the manufacturers and consumers of these objects. A techno-typological study has been conducted primarily focused on the manufacturing techniques of the tools. For the identification of materials, the description published in excavation reports was applied. The aim of the present investigation is to analyse the tools typology, technology, and preferred raw materials, all of which seem to have considered crucial for the social and economic activities of the early community of Bihar.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 105115"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143815649","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 multidisciplinary investigation into whether Andean caravans reached the southern lowlands of the Paraná-Plata basin during pre-Columbian times","authors":"Daniel Loponte ,&nbsp;Alejandro Acosta ,&nbsp;Tommaso Giovanardi ,&nbsp;María J. Corriale ,&nbsp;Owen Alexander Higgins ,&nbsp;Mirian Carbonera ,&nbsp;Natacha Buc ,&nbsp;Cinzia Scaggion ,&nbsp;Eugenio Bortolini ,&nbsp;Giulia Marciani ,&nbsp;Stefano Benazzi ,&nbsp;Lucía T. Rombolá ,&nbsp;Andrés Gascue ,&nbsp;Michael V. Westbury","doi":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jasrep.2025.105118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The expansion of llama caravans and the dispersal of domesticated camelids to extra-Andean regions is one of the key topics in South American archaeology. One of the main indicators of both processes is the presence of domesticated camelids in the archaeological record, particularly the llama (<em>Lama glama</em>). Based primarily on historical sources subject to interpretation, it has been suggested that llama caravans may have reached the southeast of South America during Pre-Columbian times, particularly to the northern Pampean region and the Paraná River valley. While the archaeological assemblages in these two areas include camelid bones that have thus far been identified as guanaco (<em>Lama guanicoe</em>), the possibility of misidentification due to the osteometric similarity between the latter and <em>L. glama</em> could mask the presence of domestic camelids in the record, undermining evidence of this potential major expansion of Andean caravans and domestic camelids. To clarify this issue, we applied a multidisciplinary approach combining archaeological, isotopic, and paleogenomic analyses to determine the taxonomic status of camelids recovered from archaeological sites in northern Pampean region and the valley of the Paraná River. Our findings demonstrate that all the individuals analyzed correspond to guanacos, whose survival extended into early historical times. Additionally, the archaeological record from both areas contemporaneous with the maximum pre-Columbian expansion of the Andean caravans, provides no evidence of direct trade with the Andean world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48150,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science-Reports","volume":"64 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143806936","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}