Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"The walking moai hypothesis: Archaeological evidence, experimental validation, and response to critics","authors":"Carl P. Lipo, Terry L. Hunt","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106383","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2025.106383","url":null,"abstract":"The transport of Rapa Nui's (Easter Island) monumental <ce:italic>moai</ce:italic> statues has been debated for over a century. Based on a systematic analysis of 962 <ce:italic>moai</ce:italic>, with a focus on 62 road statues, combined with 3D modeling and experimental trials, we demonstrate that these multi-ton megaliths were designed for transport vertically in a controlled \"walking\" motion facilitated by their carved shapes. Our evidence includes distinctive morphological features of road <ce:italic>moai</ce:italic> (wide, D-shaped bases and forward lean), archaeological road characteristics (4.5m wide, concave cross-sections), non-random breakage patterns, and successful experimental validation using a precisely-scaled 4.35 metric ton replica based on road <ce:italic>moai</ce:italic> morphology. Our experiments revealed that the forward-leaning design enabled efficient transport, covering 100 m in 40 min with a team of 18 people—a significant improvement over earlier vertical transport attempts that used incorrectly proportioned <ce:italic>ahu moai</ce:italic> forms. Statistical analysis of the road <ce:italic>moai</ce:italic> distribution reveals patterns that are strongly consistent with transport failure: 51.6 % concentrate within 2 km of the Rano Raraku quarry, following an exponential decay pattern expected from mechanical failure processes rather than deliberate ceremonial placement. Despite empirical support, several scholars have challenged the walking hypothesis. We systematically address critiques regarding terrain constraints, rope availability, weathering patterns, and alternative transport mechanisms, demonstrating how objections fail to account for the comprehensive archaeological evidence supporting vertical transport. The walking method required minimal resources and labor compared to horizontal transport hypotheses, revealing sophisticated engineering rather than environmental destruction, and aligning with Rapa Nui oral traditions that describe <ce:italic>moai</ce:italic> \"walking\" from the quarry.","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"112 1","pages":"106383"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145242025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simulating the formation of herbivore tooth death assemblages to improve expectations for paleoenvironmental reconstruction from intra-tooth isotopic analysis","authors":"Alexandra L. Norwood ,&nbsp;Benjamin Davies ,&nbsp;Julie Luyt ,&nbsp;David R. Braun ,&nbsp;J. Tyler Faith","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106396","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Isotopic analysis of serially-sampled dental enamel from fossil faunal assemblages is a popular paleoenvironmental proxy for its ability to inform on changes in seasonality and vegetation structure in the past. However, multiple factors contribute to patterning observed in isotope data from these enamel samples, including growth rate changes over the course of tooth development; variation in the amount of dental wear; seasonal variation in births that affect the timing of recorded environmental signals; and intra-annual variation in the isotopic composition of ingested water and plant foods. Here, we model tooth growth and wear in zebra (<em>Equus</em> spp.) to generate simulated assemblages of teeth to characterize how the signal of an idealized oxygen isotope sine wave input is modulated by these sources of variation. In the model, a death assemblage of individual animals is generated using data from known populations. For each animal, a third molar (m3) is grown to a specified height, during which time it accumulates an isotopic signal, and then is worn based on empirically-observed rates of wear to its age at death. Simulated teeth are then sampled serially at designated intervals down the length of the tooth, generating an enamel isotope profile for each tooth. In a series of simulated experiments, we complexify the model by layering changing growth patterns and population demography and compare the resultant enamel isotope profiles. Our results demonstrate the dramatic impact these factors have on how isotopic signals are accumulated within teeth and within assemblages. To operationalize these results, we also compare our model output to measured oxygen isotope data from mid-Pleistocene zebra from the Elandsfontein dunefield in the southwestern Cape of South Africa. These comparisons indicate Elandsfontein may have experienced similar precipitation seasonality during the mid-Pleistocene to the southwestern Cape today.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106396"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Redefining SW Amazonian chronologies and pottery use at the Teotônio site","authors":"McKenzie R. Bentley ,&nbsp;Lorena Becerra-Valdivia ,&nbsp;Thiago Kater ,&nbsp;Laura Pereira Furquim ,&nbsp;Jennifer Watling ,&nbsp;Fernando Almeida ,&nbsp;Kelly Brandão ,&nbsp;David Chivall ,&nbsp;Natálya Cristiana Pereira Pinheiro ,&nbsp;Bethan Linscott ,&nbsp;Qian Ma ,&nbsp;Guilherme Mongeló ,&nbsp;Myrtle P. Shock ,&nbsp;André Oliveira Sawakuchi ,&nbsp;Francis Mayle ,&nbsp;Eduardo Góes Neves ,&nbsp;Christopher Bronk Ramsey","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Teotônio is a pre-Columbian riverine archaeological site located in southwestern Amazonia, in a region with diverse cultural traditions and linguistic variety, and an archaeological record marking one of the oldest occupations in the Amazon. The site has a long history of nearly continuous human occupation spanning most of the Holocene, predicated by a stratigraphic sequence containing important pre-ceramic and ceramic traditions. As such, Teotônio offers a valuable opportunity to improve our understanding of the human landscape in southwestern Amazonia during the late Holocene. This work aims to provide a reliable chronology for Teotônio by producing new radiocarbon measurements and building a revised chronology using Bayesian chronological modelling. Through organic residue analysis (ORA), we run a pilot study to discern pottery vessel function according to ceramic tradition by characterising preserved lipid residues using supercritical fluid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Bayesian modelling estimates the start and end of the cultural sequence at Teotônio to 10540–9425 cal BP and 625–395 cal BP (or CE 1325–1555), respectively, with a total duration between 8840 and 9980 years. ORA results for the ceramics show the presence of palmitic and stearic acids and resinous diterpenoids in most samples. These preliminary findings align with ethnographic traditions observed in the region, whereby resins from local flora are used for ceramic surface treatment, fuel, and/or medicinal purposes—although more work is required for validation. Together, the updated chronology and pilot study results contribute to our understanding of cultural practices and their maintenance through time, as well as specific human-environment interactions in southwestern Amazonia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First successful detection of oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone in multiple human hard tissues, and their use as potential biomarkers of pregnancy","authors":"Aimée Barlow ,&nbsp;Elizabeth Craig-Atkins ,&nbsp;Emilia Barker ,&nbsp;Aileen Crawford ,&nbsp;Daniela Cacciabue ,&nbsp;Katie A. Hemer","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106392","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106392","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The sex steroid hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone have never been detected in modern or archaeological human skeletal tissues using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analysis, and there are no standard protocols for their extraction. As progesterone is a biomarker of pregnancy in living individuals, its detection in skeletal remains would substantially improve the visibility of pregnant individuals in the archaeological record and furnish a novel means of exploring female life histories in the past. The present study demonstrates that oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone can be detected in the hard tissues of ten individuals of known sex dating from the 1st to 19th centuries CE and evaluates their potential as biomarkers of pregnancy. The cohort comprised seven females of varied parity status and three males. A novel ELISA methodology was developed for hormone extraction from prepared tissue samples of bone, dentine, enamel, root from second and third permanent molars, and dental calculus (n = 74). Oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone concentrations were measurable in bone, dentine, enamel, and root samples, whereas only progesterone and testosterone were detected in dental calculus. Elevated progesterone concentrations were detected in the bone and tooth structures of one pregnant female, all individuals with <em>in utero</em> pregnancies had undetectable testosterone, and those associated with fetal remains presented elevated progesterone levels in dental calculus. Our findings demonstrate the feasibility and significant potential of the ELISA method for the detection of sex hormones in human skeletal remains to examine the reproductive histories of past populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106392"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ceramic color as an unreliable proxy for firing conditions: new approaches from Gwanbuk-ri site, Korea","authors":"Hyunkyung Choi ,&nbsp;Myeong-Kyu Kang ,&nbsp;Hyun Ho An ,&nbsp;Seoeun Jang ,&nbsp;Gwang-Min Sun ,&nbsp;Dong Hyeok Moon ,&nbsp;Sung Baek Kim ,&nbsp;Young Rang Uhm ,&nbsp;Chul Sung Kim","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the relationship between the coloration and firing conditions of ancient ceramic provides crucial insights into historical firing technologies. In this study, roof tiles from the Gwanbuk-ri archaeological site, dating to the Baekje Sabi period (538–660 CE), were analyzed to identify the firing technologies and origin of surface color variation and investigate the characteristics of black and non-black roof tiles. Analytical methods included chromaticity measurements, X-ray diffraction, Carbon–Hydrogen elemental analysis, X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, neutron activation analysis, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. While non-black roof tiles displayed expected correlations between iron oxide phases and color, black roof tiles presented a negative correlation: black coloration was linked to carbon deposition from incomplete combustion at low firing temperatures, rather than iron phase transformations. Additional evidence from the phosphorus and calcium distributions supports the influence of organic fuel ash. The magnetic properties and Mössbauer data enabled the estimation of the firing atmosphere inside the kiln. These findings demonstrate that visual color alone cannot reliably indicate the firing conditions. By integrating chemical, mineralogical, and magnetic data, this study offers a refined interpretive framework for ancient tile technologies and contributes to a broader understanding of the production practices of the Baekje Sabi period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106387"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145221827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dynamics of early agriculture – multivariate analysis of changes in crop cultivation and farming practices in the Rhineland (Germany) between the 6th and early 4th millennium BCE","authors":"Tanja Zerl ,&nbsp;Stefan Suhrbier ,&nbsp;Silviane Scharl ,&nbsp;Manuel Broich ,&nbsp;Hannah Lindemann ,&nbsp;Nadine Nolde ,&nbsp;Anna Schick ,&nbsp;Astrid Stobbe ,&nbsp;Astrid Röpke","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>First evidence for food production in continental Europe dates to the late 7^th (Southeast Europe) and the 6^th mill. BCE (Central and Western Europe). Early farming practices, however, were not static and underwent considerable changes and developments in the centuries and millennia following their arrival. Regionally varying processes of standardisation and diversification can be observed. To gain a deeper understanding of these processes on a regional scale, which also allows for a review and discussion of possible causes, we collected data on archaeobotanical macro remains from 72 sites in the Rhineland (Germany), dating from the later 6^th to the early 4^th mill. BCE. The Rhineland was selected due to its rich record in archaeobotanical material. As a multivariate analysis shows, a statistically significant correlation can be demonstrated between chronological development on the one hand and the crop spectrum on the other hand. Moreover, the diachronic patterns reveals a diversification of the cereal spectrum. Similarly, settlement patterns also changed, and sites were located on a greater variety of soils. As a change in environmental factors can be ruled out, we discuss risk management strategies and growing experience with agriculture as possible causes for the observed transformation. Moreover, this methodological approach makes it possible to include sites that yielded only a small number of samples which were previously considered unrepresentative. Using multivariate statistics, we can demonstrate that the sample size has no statistically significant influence on the results of our analysis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106369"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145159308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The signal and the noise: inherent challenges for isotopic studies in bioarchaeology","authors":"Tamsin C. O’Connell","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106379","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106379","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Isotopic analysis as a method of assessing diet or geographical origin is now ubiquitous in archaeology, to the point where seemingly no project is complete without it. Yet despite its prevalence, it is not a straightforward technique that provides a simple answer. I argue that many researchers overlook the fact that the situation is rarely clear-cut, with many contributing factors, that each situation is usually complex and can vary depending on the nature of each study or sample. This can lead to interpretations that are overly simple or at a higher degree of precision than are warranted by the data.</div><div>In this paper I outline some of the issues that confront us as we try to unravel the tangled web that is isotopic patterning in consumer data, in particular the factors that determine the limits of the technique’s resolution, and therefore our interpretations. I identify some points for best practice, and then discuss in more detail areas that I think need overt attention at the level of each and every study: confidence in specimen and data integrity; considerations of analytical scope and scale; data interrogation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106379"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145119994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reassessing the chronology of the Caiyuan Culture and its relationship with Late Neolithic cultures in northwestern China","authors":"Jian Yang ,&nbsp;Yongxiang Xu ,&nbsp;Yao Huo ,&nbsp;Huan Liang ,&nbsp;Ruiliang Liu ,&nbsp;Huihui Cao ,&nbsp;Gang Li ,&nbsp;Tingting Yan ,&nbsp;Sizhe Ai ,&nbsp;Guanghui Dong","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Northwestern China had a pivotal role in the development of a series of Late Neolithic cultures, including the Caiyuan Culture in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region that spans between 5000 and 4000 BP based on 24 published radiocarbon dates from 9 sites. However, the chronology of the Caiyuan Culture and its relationship to other contemporary cultures in northwestern China remains an ongoing debate, primarily due to the complex cultural attributes between these sites and the conventional ¹⁴C dating method. To resolve these issues, 32 bone samples and short-lived charred millet grains from 32 Caiyuan Culture sites have been dated by accelerator mass spectrometry. Based on the material remains, we identified these sites as exclusively belonging to the Caiyuan Culture and applied Bayesian chronological models to refine their chronology to 4450–4000 BP. In comparison with the chronologies and geographic distributions of other Late Neolithic cultures, including Majiayao, Qijia, and Lower Changshan, we argue that the Caiyuan Culture represents an independent trajectory of cultural development in the northwest margin of the Loess Plateau. It was significantly affected by the Banshan Type of the Majiayao Culture and served as an important source of the Qijia Culture, which prevailed widely across the Gan-Qing region and its surroundings during the transition from the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106380"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145109453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Crafting excellence: reconstructing the mould technology of Shang period bronze ritual vessels at Anyang, China","authors":"Shirui Lin ,&nbsp;Patrick Sean Quinn ,&nbsp;Deming Kong ,&nbsp;Weipeng Kong ,&nbsp;Jianli Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106382","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106382","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The renowned Anyang moulds from the late Shang period represent the pinnacle of piece-mould technology in ancient China. This research examines recently excavated mould materials from the Xindian site in Anyang. A combination of archaeological, geological, and targeted experimental samples has been used to systematically reconstruct the <em>chaîne opératoire</em> using OM, SEM-EDS, micro-CT scanning, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Ancient craftspeople intentionally prepared four distinct pastes for specific components of the mould assembly, employing varied raw material selection and processing strategies. Diverse finishing techniques were used to refine the decoration on outer moulds. Outer moulds and inner cores were fired at different temperatures and then reassembled, possibly undergoing preheating before casting. Coatings serving as releasing agents and sealing materials were identified. The technological choices made by ancient craftspeople indicate extensive knowledge and expertise, balancing stringent performance requirements with efficient production. The high level of craftsmanship applied to the Anyang moulds provided a foundation for the extraordinary artistic and stylistic achievements in bronze production during the late Shang period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106382"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Testing the use of southern France and Cyprus mouflons as a reference to reconstruct birth season in sheep from oxygen isotope analysis in teeth","authors":"Eléa Gutierrez ,&nbsp;Angelos Hadjikoumis ,&nbsp;Eleftherios Hadjisterkotis ,&nbsp;Jean-Denis Vigne ,&nbsp;Fabien Dewilde ,&nbsp;Denis Fiorillo ,&nbsp;Lionel Gourichon ,&nbsp;Marie Balasse","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106381","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106381","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reconstructing past sheep birth seasons relies on oxygen isotope analysis in dental enamel, using modern reference datasets with known birth seasons for comparison. However, the comparability of dental growth calendar between modern and ancient sheep remains uncertain. The current mouflons in Europe, descended from Neolithic domestic sheep that later became feral in Corsica, Sardinia, and Cyprus, are amongst the closest living relatives of Neolithic sheep. Their suitability as references for the estimation of the birth season was explored by analysing the third molar of individuals from two populations giving birth in the spring: Cyprus mouflons (<em>n</em> = 7) and Mediterranean mouflons from southern France (<em>n</em> = 10). Results from oxygen isotope analysis of dental enamel reflect environmental and management differences (e.g., wild <em>vs.</em> captive conditions, local climate and seasonal temperature fluctuations). Isotopic sequence modelling indicated a good agreement between the Mediterranean mouflons from southern France and previously published western European sheep references. However, a radical shift in the record of the <em>δ</em>¹⁸O values of the seasonal cycle between the Cyprus mouflon and the sheep references has been observed.</div><div>This divergence suggests distinct dental growth calendars between the Cyprus mouflons and the remaining <em>Ovis</em> included in the study, which may be attributed to a different genetic lineage, reduced genetic diversity in Cyprus mouflons due to one or more founder events—potentially leading to the expression of traits not present or rarely present in the source population—and/or long-term isolation resulting in phylogenetic drift.</div><div>These findings suggest that Mediterranean mouflons from southern France are as suitable as modern sheep breeds as references for reconstructing past birth seasons in Western Europe. In contrast, the use of the Cyprus mouflons as a reference requires further investigation, both in the context of Cyprus and more broadly across the Near East.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"183 ","pages":"Article 106381"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145097749","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}