Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"Seafaring megaliths: A geoarchaeological approach to the Matarrubilla giant stone basin at Valencina (Spain)","authors":"Luis M. Cáceres Puro ,&nbsp;Teodosio Donaire Romero ,&nbsp;José Antonio Lozano Rodríguez ,&nbsp;Marta Díaz-Guardamino ,&nbsp;Francisco Martínez-Sevilla ,&nbsp;Alicia Medialdea ,&nbsp;Miren del Val ,&nbsp;Jonàs Alcaina-Mateos ,&nbsp;Joaquín Rodríguez-Vidal ,&nbsp;Fernando Muñiz Guinea ,&nbsp;Juan Manuel Vargas Jiménez ,&nbsp;Miguel Ángel Rogerio-Candelera ,&nbsp;Leonardo García Sanjuán","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106263","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106263","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A broad multidisciplinary approach is deployed to study an exceptional megalithic feature: the stone basin that presides over the chamber of the Matarrubilla tholos, part of the Valencina Copper Age mega-site (Sevilla, Spain). The study, including geoarchaeological characterisation and sourcing of the stone, traceological analysis of its surfaces based on photogrammetry and morphometrics, digital image analysis as well as OSL dating, leads to a number of substantial findings of great relevance to understand the significance of this stone basin, the only of its kind documented to this date in the Iberian Peninsula, with parallels only in Ireland and Malta. Among the most relevant conclusions, it is worth noting the fact that the gypsiferous cataclasite block the basin was made of was brought from the other side of the marine bay that five thousand years ago extended across the south-east of Valencina, this is the first evidence of waterborne transport of a megalithic stone in the Iberian Peninsula. In addition, the basin appears to have been put where it stands today sometime in the first half of the 4th millennium BC, long before any tholoi were built at Valencina, which suggest a prior history of still poorly documented monumentality at this mega-site.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106263"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144146949","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":"A generative model for exploring differences in mortality associated with stressor exposure risk in bioarchaeological contexts","authors":"Bronwyn Wyatt ,&nbsp;Amy Anderson ,&nbsp;Stacey Ward ,&nbsp;Laura A.B. Wilson","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106275","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106275","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Generative models are an underutilized tool in bioarchaeology that make it possible to directly interrogate how age-at-death is influenced by varied risk of exposure to stressors, while accounting for factors which are ordinarily invisible to bioarchaeologists. Further, the visibility of suspected differences within populations at the sorts of sample sizes common to bioarchaeology can also be examined, helping to inform interpretation of findings.</div><div>In the present study, cohorts of 50, 100, 500, and 1000 individuals aged 0 years were generated. Each individual was assigned a frailty value, and to either high or low risk groups. These cohorts were run through simulation models in which exposure to stressors varied according to risk group and the severity of stressors if exposed. The difference in mean age-at-death between high and low risk group for each run was tested for significance using Welch's <em>t</em>-test. The model results are used to identify potential minimum sample sizes for bioarcheological research at which true differences in age-at-death due to difference in stressor exposure are likely to be visible.</div><div>Small cohorts (50 individuals) had low likelihood of detecting true risk group differences in age-at-death except when the difference in exposure to stressors or the severity of the stressor was great enough to produce a mean difference in lifespan of &gt;20 years. The probability of observing a true difference in age-at-death between risk groups increased when the difference in stressor exposure and/or the stressor severity increased for all cohorts. Therefore, group-level differences in lifespan may not be identifiable in small archaeological samples except where stress or inequality is high. The low reliability of results from small samples reiterates the needs to carefully examine equifinality in bioarcheological research, as demonstrated through the application of this model to a case study which examined the Late Woodland phase of the Dickson Mounds. This application assessed the three potential hypotheses put forth by Goodman and Armelagos (1988) to establish how likely they may be when sample size is not a limiting factor on visibility of potential difference within populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106275"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138978","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":"Using intestinal parasites to identify the utilization of archaeological structures: A 12th-13th century sewer systems from an Islamic funduq (Murcia, Spain)","authors":"Ramón López-Gijón ,&nbsp;Alicia Hernández-Robles ,&nbsp;Salvatore Duras ,&nbsp;Mireia Celma ,&nbsp;Ana Curto ,&nbsp;José Ángel González-Ballesteros ,&nbsp;Benjamin Dufour ,&nbsp;Matthieu Le Bailly ,&nbsp;Jorge A. Eiroa","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106266","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106266","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The discovery of specific parasites in archaeological contexts provides unique insights into the hygiene, sanitation, and socioeconomic dynamics of ancient populations, as well as their patterns of mobility. Paleoparasitological evidence offers a window into the spread of infections across different regions and time periods. This investigation leveraged paleoparasitology to explore the utilization of archaeological structures, specifically the water drainage system of a 12th-13th century <em>funduq</em> in the ancient Islamic city of Murcia, Spain. Through a systematic analysis, parasitic findings were compared with archaeological evidence, revealing a strong correlation between the presence of roundworm and whipworm eggs in wastewater channels and their functional role. In contrast, the absence of parasitic eggs in the clean water system further confirmed the distinct purposes of the pipes. This approach confirms paleoparasitology as a powerful tool for interpreting the use of ancient infrastructure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106266"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138444","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":"A method for constructing demographic profiles of Ovis orientalis/O. aries using Logarithm Size Index scaling","authors":"Melinda A. Zeder","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106224","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106224","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper presents a new method for constructing demographic profiles of archaeological sheep skeletal assemblages drawing on a method developed for <em>Sus scrofa</em> (Zeder and Lemoine, 2020a) and, most recently, for goats (Zeder, 2024a). This method normalizes metric data using the Logarithm Size Index (LSI) scaling technique. LSI values of post-crania metric data of modern wild sheep from Iran and Iraq are shown to reflect strong sexual dimorphism in body size which is evident in animals over one year of age. After adjustments to account for the impacts of region and age on body size, along with differentials in the scaling of different elements, the mid-point of the range of LSI values is shown to be a reliable and accurate way of distinguishing between the elements of females and males that can then be used to construct sex-specific age profiles. This method is applied to metric data from thirteen archaeological sheep skeletal assemblages from the Zagros Mountains of Iran and Iraq spanning the period from the Middle Paleolithic to the Ceramic Neolithic. The resulting sex-specific demographic profiles indicate that during pre-ceramic periods hunters practiced varied prey strategies that targeted different segments of wild sheep populations. A clear signal of herding is detectable in Ceramic Neolithic assemblages despite limitations in the recovery of unfused elements. The paper concludes by offering recommendations, and caveats, to the use of this method for building sex-specific demographic profiles of ancient sheep assemblages.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106224"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144134286","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":"Comparative study of luminescence dating of pottery and sediments from the Holocene Zhuqiusi site in Central China","authors":"Chun-Xin Wang ,&nbsp;Lingling Shi ,&nbsp;Yanpeng Cao ,&nbsp;Lixia Fang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106270","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106270","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating has emerged as a robust protocol for establishing a chronological framework for archaeological sites, particularly due to the ubiquity of pottery and stratigraphic deposits, which offer useable dating materials. Despite its effectiveness, this method encounters challenges in dating young archaeological sites in the Holocene period, such as stratigraphic disturbances, insufficient bleach, and residual doses from infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) of potassium-rich feldspar (K-feldspar), which compromise the accuracy of the dating results. To address the challenges of optical dating in young archaeological sites and to demonstrate its accuracy, this study applies diverse luminescence dating techniques at the Holocene archaeological site of Zhuqiusi in the Central Plains of China, with a specific focus on accurately dating pottery and sediment samples. For fine-grain (FG) quartz samples from pottery, single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) OSL dating and multiple-aliquot additive-dose (MAAD) thermoluminescence (TL) dating methods were used. For coarse-grain quartz and K-feldspar from sediments, the SAR-based OSL method was used for quartz and the multiple-elevated-temperature post-infrared IRSL (MET-pIRIR) method was used for K-feldspar; in both cases, multi-grain (MG) or single-grain (SG) measurement protocols were adopted to investigate the effect of bleaching on dating. The results showed that the quartz OSL and TL ages of pottery samples were consistent, while sediment quartz and K-feldspar showed varying degrees of insufficient bleaching, leading to significant age differences. For such samples, single-grain dating methods must be used to obtain accurate luminescence ages. Ultimately, the Zhuqiusi site was dated to two occupation stages: the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (2.14–2.82 ka) and the late Longshan period (3.90–4.27 ka), consistent with radiocarbon ages within the error range. The comparative study of luminescence dating in pottery and sediment provides a valuable guide to selecting dating methods for Holocene archaeological sites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106270"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125354","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":"Life beyond the lakes: An analysis and implications of a Pleistocene combustion feature on the Pike River in South Australia","authors":"Craig Westell ,&nbsp;Amy Roberts ,&nbsp;Mike W. Morley ,&nbsp;Ian Moffat ,&nbsp;Vito C. Hernandez ,&nbsp;Nigel A. Spooner ,&nbsp;Kathryn McDonnell ,&nbsp;Rachel Rudd ,&nbsp;Fiona Petchey ,&nbsp;the River Murray and Mallee Aboriginal Corporation","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106264","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106264","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Pike River is an anabranch and palaeochannel of the Murray River located in South Australia's Riverland region, in the southwestern part of the Murray-Darling Basin. The floodplain contains abundant and varied archaeological evidence of Aboriginal life, including extensive deposits of shell midden exposed along the high cliff-line bounding the southeastern margin of the floodplain. The oldest of these deposits has been securely dated, so far, to ∼29 ka cal BP. This article presents the results of chronological, micromorphological and sedimentary analyses of a combustion feature also located on this cliff-line. Based on our analysis and interpretation of the feature's stratigraphic context, in combination with ¹⁴C and OSL dating, we argue that the feature is ∼43 ka old. Whilst the combustion feature contains no associated cultural material (e.g. stone artefacts or faunal remains) we argue that a cultural origin is, nonetheless, supported given the feature's geometry, sedimentary structures, geochemistry and magnetic response. As such, we argue that the feature provides a rare glimpse into the earliest peopling of the Murray River corridor. Further, the feature is amongst some of the earliest pieces of evidence for human pyrotechnology in the Australasian region and only one of a few examples from an open-air site that is microstratigraphically (micromorphologically) contextualised. The preservation of combustion features of this antiquity in open-context sites is extremely rare, both in this region and globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106264"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144125355","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":"An innovative construction technique in Roman theatres: The structural analysis of the cavea substructure in the theatres of Augusta Raurica (Augst) and Aventicum (Avenches)","authors":"Linda Dobosi ,&nbsp;Dezső Hegyi","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106273","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106273","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ancient Roman engineers used different methods when building the substructure of the seating area (<em>cavea</em>) of theatres and amphitheatres. In the northwestern provinces of the Empire, they often supported the seats by an artificial earth embankment which posed the structural problem of containing the soil infill. Because the curved perimeter wall of the <em>cavea</em> was not able to withstand the lateral earth pressure on its own, Roman engineers started experimenting with reinforcement systems which led to a variety of different <em>cavea</em> substructures. One of the most innovative and intriguing solutions to this problem can be seen in the theatre of Augusta Raurica (present-day Augst, Switzerland) where the retaining walls of the theatre were reinforced by series of semicircular buttresses. In the almost identical theatre of Aventicum (Avenches, Switzerland) the more traditional solution of a system of radial and annular walls were used for the same purpose. To get a better understanding of the structural behaviour of the theatre in Augst, the <em>cavea</em> substructure of both the theatres of Augst and Avenches were analysed with finite element method (FEM). Contrasting the structural properties and the amount of building material needed for each of the two theatres shed light on some of the reasons why the unconventional solution utilized in Augst did not become common. Although it used less building material, it was not as robust as the structural solution used in Avenches. Also, the support for the long, rectangular limestone blocks of the seating were not sufficient in Augst and the seats might have been subject to a considerable uneven sinking as the earth infill under them consolidated and shrank.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106273"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144115131","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":"Trace elements, maturation processes and diagenesis in human deciduous incisors","authors":"Ani Martirosyan ,&nbsp;Xavier Jordana ,&nbsp;Judith Juanhuix ,&nbsp;Marine Cotte ,&nbsp;Nuria Molist ,&nbsp;Javier Irurita ,&nbsp;Cristina Santos ,&nbsp;Assumpció Malgosa ,&nbsp;Patrick Mahoney ,&nbsp;Judit Molera","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106274","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106274","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Post-mortem alteration of trace elements can complicate the interpretation of original biogenic signals related to diet, environment and enamel maturation processes. This study describes gradients in element concentrations for modern and archaeological deciduous incisor teeth to identify diagenetic variations in specific elements.</div><div>Fifteen human deciduous incisors (six modern and nine archaeological) were prepared for synchrotron radiation micro X-ray fluorescence (SR μ-XRF) analysis targeting the minerals Ca, P, and selected trace elements Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, and Ba. Standard histological methods were employed to produce thin sections. Element concentrations, expressed in parts per million (ppm) and as a ratio of calcium (Ca), were measured from the outer enamel surface (OES), into the enamel, across the Neonatal Line (NNL) and enamel-dentin junction (EDJ), and into the dentin.</div><div>Diagenesis was most pronounced on the external surfaces of enamel and dentin, with notable variability in Fe, Mn, Cu, and Ba. In contrast, Ca, P, and Zn levels remained stable across samples, with a slight increase in Zn at the NNL. There was no enrichment of Zn at the OES in enamel not yet matured (less than 33–37 postnatal days), suggesting that initial zinc incorporation is overshadowed by further deposition during maturation.</div><div>Diagenetic alteration of the Fe, Mn, Cu, and Ba elements in deciduous incisor enamel appears to affect their concentration in regions of the archaeological teeth. The observed Ca and Zn distribution pattern reflects distinct enamel maturation stages, highlighting the need to consider both diagenetic influences and developmental processes in trace element analyses of ancient dental samples.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106274"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106438","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":"What it means to be marine: Sulfur isotope variability in the historical Chesapeake Bay ecosystem","authors":"Eric Guiry ,&nbsp;J Ryan Kenedy ,&nbsp;Leah Stricker ,&nbsp;Michael Lavin ,&nbsp;Paul Szpak","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106265","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106265","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Stable sulfur isotope (<em>δ</em>³⁴S) analysis is an important tool for addressing archaeological and ecological questions about diet and mobility. A growing body of work has underscored the value of <em>δ</em>³⁴S for tracing food sources linked to specific kinds of aquatic primary production, including saltmarshes, freshwater wetlands, seagrass beds, and benthic microalgal communities. Comparatively little work has investigated <em>δ</em>³⁴S variation in other marine vertebrate food webs. This may reflect prevailing assumptions that isotopically homogenous marine sulfates will be the main contributor to consumer <em>δ</em>³⁴S in all marine ecosystems. We explore this assumption through <em>δ</em>³⁴S, <em>δ</em>¹³C, and <em>δ</em>¹⁵N analyses of bone collagen from a taxonomically and ecologically broad cross-section of marine fauna from preindustrial contexts at the archaeological site of Jamestown, near the Chesapeake Bay in present-day Virginia. Results for most taxa show <em>δ</em>³⁴S values that diverge from those expected based on species’ marine ecologies. Benthic primary production, serving as a vector for sulfide-influenced, low-<em>δ</em>³⁴S sulfur entering aquatic food webs, offers the most parsimonious explanation. The ecological diversity represented in these findings, covering a wide range of marine and estuarine habitats, suggests that this phenomenon could be common where benthic algae form an important part of primary production in estuarine and other coastal habitats across the globe. Implications for archaeological and ecological <em>δ</em>³⁴S interpretive frameworks are discussed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"179 ","pages":"Article 106265"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144107935","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":"Dual role of human activities and climate in pre-industrial nitrogen shifts in Ireland","authors":"Sarah Ferrandin ,&nbsp;Gill Plunkett ,&nbsp;Kate Britton ,&nbsp;Eric Guiry ,&nbsp;Fiona Beglane","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Past research has uncovered a shift in herbivore collagen <em>δ</em>¹⁵N values during the Middle to Late Bronze Age (3700–2750 BP) in Ireland, attributed to intensified land-use - another example in a growing body of evidence that suggests that the Anthropocene concept (whereby humans have made significant impacts to the Earth's systems) began far earlier than previously thought (the ‘Palaeoanthropocene’). While human activity was clearly an important driver of this shift, it remains possible that climate may also have played a role. In Ireland, this shift in <em>δ</em>¹⁵N appeared to be sustained despite subsequent reforestation, suggesting that Bronze Age and later peoples left a profound biogeochemical mark on the environment. Here, we revisit this topic, presenting new stable isotope (<em>δ</em>¹⁵N and <em>δ</em>¹³C) measurements from directly radiocarbon-dated wild and domesticated adult herbivorous ungulate bones from the Bronze and Iron Ages, with the aim of constraining the timing of this shift and disentangling the role of human land use from climatic influences. A sustained nitrogen isotopic shift was constrained to ca. 3000 cal BP. Notably, during the Iron Age, a time of widespread reforestation, wild and domesticated herbivorous ungulates exhibited <em>δ</em>¹⁵N values that were not significantly different from one another. This suggests that, while the <em>δ</em>¹⁵N shift was initiated by land-use change, climate variability, particularly shifts towards warmer and drier conditions during the Late Bronze/Iron Age transition and later Iron Age, may have contributed to its persistence. This study refines the chronology of nitrogen cycle changes in Ireland, demonstrating that human activity initiated a long-term shift in <em>δ</em>¹⁵N values during the Late Bronze Age, but that climatic factors may have played a role in maintaining elevated <em>δ</em>¹⁵N values during periods of reduced land use. These findings underscore the complexities of understanding the nitrogen cycle in ancient environments and highlight the potential interplay between anthropogenic and environmental drivers of biogeochemical change.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106271"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144106038","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}