Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"Glass bangles from the Yemeni workshop of Kawd am-Saila, Aden (c.14th–16th century): Defining a high-alumina plant-ash (v-Na-al) group","authors":"C.K. Nash-Pye, A. Meek, N. Schibille, L. Richards, M. Charlton","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106677","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106677","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents compositional results and typological distinctions for glass bangle debris collected from the Yemeni workshop of Kawd am-Saila (c. 14th–16th centuries) in the province of Aden, and small contemporary collections from nearby al-Karf Road and neighbouring Somaliland held in the British Museum. These bangle fragments share the same typological designs and colour repertoires, consistent with export from Yemen to the Horn of Africa. Archaeochemical analyses were undertaken using SEM-EDX at the British Museum and LA-ICP-MS at CNRS Orléans and the UCL Institute of Archaeology. This study applies an established geochemical framework to identify a new, internally coherent category of glass termed ‘KAS’, characterised by distinct silica and plant-ash sources most likely associated with the region of Aden, consistent with archaeological indications of secondary production at the Kawd am-Saila workshop. The comparative collections were also found to be primarily of this previously undocumented ‘KAS’ composition and the few fragments with typological differences corresponded to other established regional glass groupings.","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"69 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148884167","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":"Engineering Liangzhu: Mounds, waterways, and social complexity","authors":"Huiru Lian, Wenlin Xia, Minghui Chen, Yonglei Wang, Kunlong Chen, Charles French","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106685","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106685","url":null,"abstract":"The Liangzhu Culture (3300–2300 BC) is renowned for its monumental earthen architecture within the low-lying wetlands of the Yangtze Delta. While the scale of Liangzhu City and associated mounds signifies social complexity, the specific engineering strategies employed and their relationship to environmental adaptation and social organization remain underexplored. This study investigates Liangzhu mound construction at the middle section of the Zhongjiagang Watercourse and Shiqianwei sites from a geoarchaeological perspective, combining bulk sedimentological and soil micromorphological analysis. Stratigraphic and micromorphological analyses identify a sequence of construction practices, including the use of sediments from adjacent pre-site deposits in foundation layers, the widespread application of the characteristic ‘clay wrapped with grasses’ technique, and the use of processed sediment mixtures in upper layers. This research suggests mound building was part of an integrated engineering system, intrinsically linked with extensive water management networks, reflecting a holistic strategy for landscape modification. The scale, technical standardization, and organizational requirements evident in these processes point to centralized planning, significant labor mobilization, and robust resource management.","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148883925","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":"Corrigendum to “Roads and rivers. The importance of regional transportation networks for early urbanization in central Italy (950-500 BC)” [J. Archaeol. Sci. 188, 106513]","authors":"Luce Prignano, Francesca Fulminante, Clara Galceran Puig, Pablo Candelas, Emanuele Cozzo","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106662","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2026.106662","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148883926","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":"Grapevine cultivation at Cetamura del Chianti: multiproxy evidence for centuries of continuity from the Etruscans to the Romans","authors":"Oya Inanli,&nbsp;Laurent Bouby,&nbsp;Vincent Bonhomme,&nbsp;Nancy de Grummond,&nbsp;Lara González Carretero,&nbsp;Roberto Bacilieri,&nbsp;Hannes Schroeder,&nbsp;Jazmín Ramos-Madrigal,&nbsp;Nathan Wales","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106605","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2026.106605","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Roman writers provide detailed accounts of viticulture practices in ancient Mediterranean civilisations. While records describe varieties, methods of vine management, and consumption traditions, major questions remain about how varieties were spread and whether viticulture traditions were impacted during Roman expansion. At the site of Cetamura del Chianti (Siena, Tuscany), waterlogged grape seeds from two wells dated between ca. 300 BCE and ca. 1200 CE provided an opportunity to integrate multiple methodologies to investigate Etruscan and Roman viticulture. Genetic testing of 80 grape seeds revealed that the deepest parts of the wells were associated with higher endogenous DNA content, and complementary near-infrared spectroscopy found patterns with well-preserved pips. Both genome-wide DNA data and geometric morphometric analysis indicated that most seeds originated from domesticated vines associated with winemaking, however, the latter suggested that some seeds with little DNA may derive from wild vines. Following enrichment of genetic markers, relatedness analyses demonstrated links to the past and present: one Cetamura seed was closely related to a Roman seed from Mont Ferrier in France while another pip had affinity to the modern Hungarian variety ‘Baratcsuha szurke’. Within the wells, genetic data and radiocarbon dating revealed continuity from Etruscan to Roman periods, with over a quarter of the seeds belonging to one clonal variety maintained for centuries. Furthermore, genetic markers associated with anthocyanin content indicated the dominant clonal variety likely produced white berries; however, red wine was presumably not unknown at Cetamura, as two other pips were consistent with a dark berry phenotype.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"192 ","pages":"Article 106605"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148642100","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"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}