Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"Foodways of craftsmen in the Shang-period frontier copper industry: Evidence of plant remains from the Tongling site in Jiangxi, southern China","authors":"Zhenhua Deng ,&nbsp;Tao Cui ,&nbsp;Guisen Zou ,&nbsp;Min Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106502","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106502","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Tongling site in Jiangxi Province of southern China provides direct archaeobotanical evidence for subsistence practices in a frontier copper production center during the middle Shang period (ca. 1500-1200 BCE). Situated on the southern bank of the Yangtze River, Tongling occupied a strategic position at the intersection of northern and southern cultural zones. This study examines plant remains from the Jiaotanchang locality of Tongling, including foxtail millet (<em>Setaria italica</em>), rice (<em>Oryza sativa</em>), broomcorn millet (<em>Panicum miliaceum</em>), and various wild taxa. Quantitative analysis indicates that both rice and foxtail millet were major dietary components of the metallurgical community, representing a shift from earlier rice-centered subsistence patterns in the middle Yangtze basin. Comparative data from contemporaneous sites, including ordinary agricultural settlements and regional centers in the middle Yangtze region, indicate that millet had become a regular component of agricultural production during the Bronze Age. Against this regional background, the crop composition observed at Tongling can be understood as a consumption-level expression shaped by regional agricultural supply, intensified interregional interaction, and the political and economic organization of the Shang state. These findings provide insight into understanding how subsistence practices were integrated with craft production, regional exchange, and cultural influence at the margins of the Shang polity, contributing to a more nuanced understanding of Bronze Age foodways in southern China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 106502"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192947","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":"New tools for computational zooarchaeology: Automatic positioning and contour analysis of complete bone models","authors":"Roxanne Lebenzon ,&nbsp;Nir Dick ,&nbsp;Natalie D. Munro ,&nbsp;Leore Grosman","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106484","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106484","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As staple tools in zooarchaeological research, morphometric analyses have contributed substantially to foundational research themes such as taxonomy, paleoenvironmental reconstruction and animal domestication. Thus, as the field of archaeology transforms with the rapid advancement of computational techniques, new methods that analyze the complete 3D model, herein called Complete Model Analysis (CMA), hold great promise for zooarchaeology. By extracting and analyzing the complete 3D mesh in a fully automated manner, CMA offers an accurate, repeatable and nuanced approach to bone shape analysis. However, until now, CMA has not been integrated into zooarchaeology due to the complexity and irregularity of some bone shapes which are incompatible with the existing automatic positioning methods that provide the essential first step in CMA analysis. Here, we address this challenge by introducing a three-step procedure that can automatically position any 3D mesh. This breakthrough enables the application of all existing CMA analytical protocols to faunal material. Additionally, we present a global contour tool that automatically generates geometric profiles to calculate assemblage variance. We demonstrate the applicability and utility of these two tools by exploring sex-related variability in a collection of modern mountain gazelle (<em>Gazella gazella</em>) skeletons. Ultimately, this paper opens the door to the development of new CMA analyses in zooarchaeology, including by machine learning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 106484"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146146822","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":"Determining the origins of Phoenician silver: Exploring the potential of machine learning for lead isotope analysis","authors":"Evgeny Shnyr ,&nbsp;Tsvi Kuflik ,&nbsp;Karan Desai ,&nbsp;Tzilla Eshel","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106499","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106499","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the provenance of Phoenician silver hoards through the integration of machine learning algorithms with lead isotope analysis (LIA). Utilizing an extensive isotopic database of ores, advanced clustering techniques (DBSCAN) enabled the identification of distinct groups within the data. Outliers were removed, and dataset imbalances were addressed using the SMOTE algorithm, thereby enhancing the prediction accuracy. An efficient and robust machine learning model (XGBoost) was employed to classify isotopic signatures and assign probable ore sources with high confidence. To test the model, endmembers from the previously published Southern Levantine Iron Age silver hoards of Tel Dor, ʿAkko, ʿEin Hofez, and ʿArad were defined by using a new automated algorithm for endmember selection. The algorithm applies principal component analysis (PCA) aligned with the geological age model (geochron) to define isotopic endmembers in a structured and reproducible way, moving beyond purely visual identification. Although exploratory in nature, and with some manual adjustments still required, this approach offers a more systematic framework for provenance studies. Our findings support previous interpretations regarding early Phoenician endeavors to Sardinia and Anatolia, highlight the role of Iberian silver, and introduce new possible connections to the Aegean. Overall, this research demonstrates the potential of combining automated endmember identification with machine learning to provide new insights into ancient Mediterranean trade networks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 106499"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146160348","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":"Metaplasticity: Extending cognition through the distant human past","authors":"Tjaark Siemssen","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106503","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106503","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this paper, I examine <em>Metaplasticity</em>, one of the key tenets of Material Engagement Theory. Operating alongside material agency and enactive signification, Metaplasticity denotes the inseparable plasticity of material culture and the brain on several simultaneous timescales of human cognitive evolution, and conceptualises the mind as much more expansive than traditionally conceived.</div><div>I explore the theoretical origins of Metaplasticity by assessing mind-matter dichotomies in the philosophy of mind and action, and its empirical origins by assessing its relationship to advances in the neurosciences. I relate it to similar concepts from the body of 4E approaches to cognition and explain its aims, conceptual nuances and distinctive characteristics.</div><div>Against the context of the abandonment of 'behavioural modernity' in southern African archaeology, I then compare Metaplasticity to other archaeological models of cognition that propose a relational approach. I draw attention to a bias towards macro-scale perspectives that has dominated the archaeology of the Middle Stone Age (MSA), and comes at the expense of understanding the extended, embodied, enacted, and embedded properties of cognition in deep time.</div><div>In order to merge macro-scale perspectives on human cognitive evolution with 4E approaches, I propose a theoretical synthesis between 4E perspectives to cognition, and a process ontological approach to evolution through the notion of Metaplasticity. I argue that this would be a productive step towards navigating the aftermath of modernity abandonment in MSA archaeology, whilst retain the unique long-term perspectives granted by the archaeological record and research context of this region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"188 ","pages":"Article 106503"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146192990","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":"Enhancing archaeological mobility studies: Bayesian-modelled isoscapes and high-resolution refinement of the bioavailable strontium baseline in southern Scandinavia","authors":"Mathilda Kjällquist ,&nbsp;Adam Boethius","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106487","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106487","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mapping spatial variability of bioavailable strontium isotopes (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) is fundamental to robust analyses of prehistoric human and animal mobility and provenance based on strontium isotope data. A key challenge is how to construct and extrapolate a baseline for specific landscapes to enable meaningful correlation with high-resolution archaeological data. This study presents a regional high-resolution strontium isotope baseline (isoscape) for southern Scandinavia, developed by integrating a dataset consisting of 1293 samples of water, plants, and micromammal teeth. Of these, 248 were newly collected from previously underrepresented areas, with particular attention to minimising modern contamination. Sampling density is high, with approximately 15 sampling locations per 1000 km² in Denmark and 5 per 1000 km² in southern Sweden. Interpolated maps of bioavailable strontium were generated using Empirical Bayesian Kriging Regression Prediction (EBKRP), incorporating geological and topographic covariates (lithology, geological age, elevation, and gravity anomaly) to enhance predictive precision. The results reveal substantial geographic variation, with pronounced heterogeneity in geologically complex regions such as Blekinge in southeastern Sweden, while Denmark displays a more homogeneous isotopic distribution. A sea spray effect, resulting in lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values, is also evident along the Swedish west coast. This refined isoscape facilitates more precise assessments of mobility and provenance by combining multiproxy data (water, plants, fauna) with geostatistical modelling. This is illustrated on a local scale through an example from the Mesolithic site Ageröd I:HC, where the high-resolution model facilitates more detailed interpretations of Mesolithic mobility and hunting territories. The study thereby demonstrates a methodological framework for constructing and applying bioavailable strontium baselines with high regional detail in archaeological research. By integrating new and existing data with targeted sampling, rigorous analytical protocols, and advanced spatial modelling, the study highlights the importance of regional high-resolution, context-sensitive isoscapes and provides an improved framework for interpreting prehistoric mobility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106487"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025002","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":"Bloomery slags from Puisaye (France): reconstructing technological changes in a major iron production area from the Iron Age to the Late Middle Ages","authors":"Marion Berranger ,&nbsp;Marc Leroy ,&nbsp;Jean-Pierre Piétak ,&nbsp;Olivier Girardclos ,&nbsp;Paul Merluzzo ,&nbsp;Eddy Foy ,&nbsp;Enrique Vega","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106475","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106475","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Archaeological research conducted as part of the PCR and <em>TerriFer</em> project in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region has identified Puisaye as a major center of primary iron production, active from the Iron Age through to the end of the Middle Ages. A total of 110 slag heaps were investigated and sampled through surface surveys, excavations and waste collection. The bloomery slags were classified based on their morphology, chemical composition (by ICP-MS-AES), and mineralogical (by optical microscopy, SEM-EDS and XRD) characteristics. These data were cross-referenced with 120 radiocarbon dates, allowing us to associate specific slag types with distinct periods of activity and to track technological changes over time. For the early periods, changes are mostly characterized by an evolution of the architecture of the furnaces. The late Iron Age and Antiquity are periods of experimentation with new practices, and a time of major innovation in the way that techniques were conducted. For the Middle Ages, a new uniformity in the smelting production is documented. This makes Puisaye a key region for studying the long-term evolution of iron smelting techniques in Western Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106475"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025003","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":"Obsidian sourcing in Mesoamerica and the Isthmo-Colombian area using image-based machine learning","authors":"Mike Lyons ,&nbsp;Jeannine Langmann ,&nbsp;Markus Reindel","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106486","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106486","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study explores the use of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to classify archaeological obsidian artifacts by their geological source using standard documentation photographs. Drawing on a dataset of images taken under varied field and laboratory conditions, we train and evaluate multiple CNN architectures to assess the feasibility of this approach as a low-cost alternative to geochemical sourcing. The models achieve high precision and recall for several well-represented sources, and Grad-CAM visualizations indicate that classification is often based on visually meaningful surface features. This work represents a first step towards developing a new sourcing methodology, as the technique demonstrates strong potential for scaling up obsidian sourcing in contexts where access to laboratory equipment is limited or cost-prohibitive. We argue that with a larger and more diverse image dataset—including a broader range of artifact types and source locations—image-based classification could become a practical and accessible tool for archaeological research in Middle America and beyond.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106486"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145995242","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":"Deep learning-based morphological classification of ceramics: A case study of 3D point cloud analysis for Sue ware, Japan","authors":"Wataru Tatsuda ,&nbsp;Ryo Hori ,&nbsp;Kimiyasu Morikawa ,&nbsp;Hayata Inoue","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106472","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106472","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study presents an innovative deep learning-based method for the morphological classification of 3D point cloud data of ceramics. It focuses on a case study of ancient pottery known as Sue ware from the Sanage kiln in Japan from the 8th to the mid-9th century. Our workflow — with a cutting-edge deep learning model, PointTransformer — outperforms previous 2D outline-based approaches, requiring only a lightweight point cloud dataset and reasonable hardware. Our model successfully classifies 917 vessel samples into labeled classes with high accuracy (average macro F1-score: 0.9320). Principal Component Analysis, hierarchical clustering, and 3D Grad-CAM saliency maps revealed the geometric cues underlying the network’s decisions, transforming it from a “black box” into an interpretable analytical tool. Additionally, we have open-sourced our dataset and code to support other researchers in customizing the model for broader archaeological applications. The study demonstrates that deep learning models can capture subtle morphological variation at scale, offering archaeologists a flexible, transparent, and reproducible method for ceramic classification that can be extended to other regions, periods, and research questions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106472"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969394","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":"Stone tool shaping without direct cultural transmission","authors":"Nolan Ferar ,&nbsp;Elena T. Moos ,&nbsp;Fotios Alexandros Karakostis ,&nbsp;William D. Snyder ,&nbsp;Maria Bolzmann ,&nbsp;Michael Haas ,&nbsp;Emanuela Kainz ,&nbsp;Leonie Rau ,&nbsp;Emil Sailer ,&nbsp;Jannik Schönle ,&nbsp;Mark W. Moore ,&nbsp;Claudio Tennie","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106485","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106485","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While environment and biology play important roles, the complexity and variability of human life today depends in many ways on special cultural processes. Terminologies differ, but the key insight is that these processes are required to enable and to produce copies of behavior or artifacts that otherwise lie fully or partly beyond individual reach. Such “know-how copying” has proven rare in the animal kingdom, and is nearly or fully absent in contemporary apes, suggesting an evolution in hominins. It has been claimed that the earliest widely accepted instances of shaped stone artifacts – handaxes, which appear with the Acheulean (c. 1.9–1.6 Mya) – must have required know-how copying. The argument holds that the knowledge of how to shape (shaping know-how) handaxes is beyond individual reach in principle. If true, handaxes would be a valid marker for the presence of know-how copying. We tested this specific claim in two complementary studies using the “puppet method,” a new methodology that experimentally disentangles knapping know-how and shaping know-how. Knapping-naïve “puppeteers” were tasked with replicating target shapes by directing the flake removals of an expert “puppet” knapper, who was not shown the target shapes. As a validation of the puppet method, we first tested if knapping-naïve puppeteers could shape glass blanks into novel, non-archaeological shapes (Arbitrary Shape Study). Two types of analyses, a sorting task and geometric morphometric analyses, confirmed that they could. We then tested whether knapping-naïve puppeteers could replicate an Acheulean handaxe target shape in stone by directing the puppet knapper (Handaxe Study). Three expert lithic archaeologists independently classified the outcomes and confirmed that naïve participants successfully created handaxe shapes. Across both studies, our findings indicate that not all shaping know-how requires direct access to cultural models, and this also holds true for handaxe shaping <em>per se</em>. This conclusion aligns with recent calls for a reorientation in the search for the origins of know-how copying in the hominin lineage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106485"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146079502","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":"Material and technological insights into late-Yinxu jade production: A comprehensive analysis of jade artifacts from the West Zone Cemetery at Yinxu, Anyang, China","authors":"Yiwen Xu ,&nbsp;Rong Wang ,&nbsp;Zenglong Xiong ,&nbsp;Jigen Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106489","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106489","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Jade from Yinxu, the late-Shang capital, marks the apogee of Bronze-Age jade production in the Central Plains. To date, material and technological studies have concentrated on the exquisite jades recovered from the high-ranking elite tombs of early-Yinxu period (Phase I and II), whereas the far more numerous late-Yinxu burials (Phase III and IV) have received little attention. This research aims to explore the materials selection and technological organization underlying the late Yinxu-period jade production. 48 jade artifacts from the West Zone Cemetery — the earliest excavated and one of the most representative clan cemeteries of the late Yinxu period — were analyzed nondestructively by Raman, FT-IR, p-XRF and optical microscopy. Our results indicate that the crafting of animal-shaped ornaments from nephrite was likely undertaken by highly skilled artisans working independently, and that the original morphology of the raw material, often fragments or offcuts, critically shaped technological choices. Marble ritual artifacts, manufactured from locally available stone resource, required less sophisticated craftsmanship but reveal a higher degree of labour specialization. Spatial patterning and finished-product categories of different jade workshops further demonstrate that jade production management was organised according to material, design, and decorative complexity of target products. The Yinxu royal family appears to have monopolized the production of valuable and exquisite jade artifacts by hierarchically controlling the access to nephrite resource and skilled jade artisans. By foregrounding raw-material selection and technological organization, this study offers a valuable perspective on late Yinxu jade production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"187 ","pages":"Article 106489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025004","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}