Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"Decoding hunter-gatherer-knowledge and selective choice of lithic raw materials during the Middle and Later Stone Age in Eswatini","authors":"Gregor D. Bader ,&nbsp;Christian Sommer ,&nbsp;Jörg Linstädter ,&nbsp;Dineo P. Masia ,&nbsp;Matthias A. Blessing ,&nbsp;Bob Forrester ,&nbsp;Brandi L. MacDonald","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106302","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106302","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reconstructing past movement and mobility patterns requires a landscape-scale approach with knowledge of potential raw material sources and, ideally, multiple archaeological sites. Building on legacy collections in the Lobamba Museum in Eswatini and the identification of primary lithic raw material outcrops through landscape survey, we can provide scenarios of raw material provisioning for hunter-gatherers in Eswatini over the past 40 000 years. We used Neutron Activation Analysis (NAA) to refine the terminology as the three ‘chert’ varieties from the archaeological sites Hlalakahle, Siphiso, Sibebe and Nkambeni are more precisely described as red jasper, green chalcedony and black chert. We were able to identify the primary outcrops for both red jasper and the green chalcedony. Using a least cost path (LCP) analysis together with hydrological and geomorphometric estimates of clast transport in relevant rivers, we reconstructed potential transportation routes of raw material and infer likely provisioning scenarios. During the final Middle Stone Age (MSA), red jasper occurs rarely or is absent in archaeological assemblages, while green chalcedony and other chert variants are frequently observed. This is despite the source of red jasper occurring near the green chalcedony outcrop. During the Later Stone Age (LSA), the red jasper, and a red chert variant of unknown provenance appear more frequently, indicating different raw material provisioning choices.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106302"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471130","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":"Statistical modelling in archaeology: some recent trends and future perspectives","authors":"Enrico R. Crema","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106295","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106295","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper reviews the application of statistical models in archaeology in the last decade, focusing in particular on multilevel models, statistical treatment of missing data and measurement error, and simulation-based generative inference. These techniques are designed to 1) account for the nested and hierarchical nature of the archaeological record, 2) formally integrate different forms of data uncertainties, and 3) provide a more direct inferential link between formal theory and observational data. The extent to which archaeology has engaged with these methods is variable, but it can be argued that none are currently regarded as part of the standard analytical toolkit in quantitative archaeology. The objective of this paper is to promote awareness of the existence of these techniques and highlight the consequences of ignoring the underlying problems that these statistical methods can address.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106295"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144366224","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":"Is archaeology a science? Insights and imperatives from 10,000 articles and a year of reproducibility reviews","authors":"Ben Marwick","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106281","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106281","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The status of archaeology as a science has been debated for decades and influences how we practice and teach archaeology. This study presents a novel bibliometric assessment of archaeology's status relative to other fields using a hard/soft framework. It also presents a systematic review of computational reproducibility in published archaeological research. Reproducibility is a factor in the hardness/softness of a field because of its importance in establishing consensus. Analyzing nearly 10,000 articles, I identify trends in authorship, citation practices, and related metrics that position archaeology between the natural and social sciences. A survey of reproducibility reviews for the Journal of Archaeological Science reveals persistent challenges, including missing data, unspecified dependencies, and inadequate documentation. To address these issues, I recommend to authors basic practical steps such as standardized project organization and explicit dependency documentation. Strengthening reproducibility will enhance archaeology's scientific rigor and ensure the verifiability of research findings. This study underscores the urgent need for cultural and technical shifts to establish reproducibility as a cornerstone of rigorous, accountable, and impactful archaeological science.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106281"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307335","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":"Sequential multi-isotope sampling through a Bos taurus tooth from Stonehenge, to assess comparative sources and incorporation times of strontium and lead","authors":"J. Evans ,&nbsp;R. Madgwick ,&nbsp;V. Pashley ,&nbsp;D. Wagner ,&nbsp;K. Savickaite ,&nbsp;M. Buckley ,&nbsp;M. Parker Pearson","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106269","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106269","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this paper is to use the sequential nature of enamel deposition in hypsodont teeth to study the relationship, in time and source, of strontium and lead isotopes to better understand the use of this pairing of elements for studies of movement and migration. Carbon and oxygen isotope analysis were included to place the data in their seasonal and dietary context. The study was undertaken on an M3 from a Neolithic cattle tooth excavated from Stonehenge. The animal was female based on peptide analysis. The tooth records <em>c.</em> six months of enamel deposition from winter to summer, based on δ¹⁸O_carbVSMOW compositions, and changes in δ¹³C_carbVSMOW that reflect a shift from forest to grassland food sources. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr varies from a winter value of 0.7144 to 0.7110 in summer. Lead concentrations and isotope composition shows peaks and troughs which contrast with the unidirectional change in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. We suggest that whereas the Sr is wholly derived from dietary sources the Pb represents a balance between diet and skeletal reservoirs, the latter being scavenged during a time of metabolic stress attributed to calving and lactation. It is thus important to consider skeletal reservoirs as a source of Pb when using this element to track movement and migration. This study demonstrates the value of using the complementary isotope systems of lead and strontium in tandem, but also highlights that their integration must be undertaken with caution and with full consideration of alternative drivers of variation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106269"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144307334","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":"\"Celts\" up the Alps. Patterns of territorial mobility and funerary variability in Switzerland during the Late Iron Age","authors":"Zita Laffranchi ,&nbsp;Vanessa Haussener ,&nbsp;Domingo C. Salazar García ,&nbsp;Alice Paladin ,&nbsp;Stefania Zingale ,&nbsp;Sönke Szidat ,&nbsp;Sandra Lösch ,&nbsp;Albert Zink ,&nbsp;Marco Milella","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106294","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106294","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The European Late Iron Age (ca. 5th-1st centuries BCE) is characterized by significant economic, social, and cultural transformations, including the development and intensification of cultural and economic networks. These features make the last centuries BCE relevant for the study of human territorial mobility and its demographic and social correlates. In this study, we investigate the frequency and nature of human mobility during the Late Iron Age in one of the central regions of the La Tène cultural sphere, the area that is now Switzerland. We further address the cultural factors that may have influenced the mobility patterns. Therefore, we analyze strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), oxygen (δ¹⁸O) and sulfur (δ³⁴S) isotopic ratios from dental enamel and bone collagen in a human skeletal dataset (N⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 101; N δ¹⁸O = 90; N δ³⁴S = 121) representing various Swiss contexts dating to the last five centuries BCE. These isotopic data are contextualized using faunal and vegetation baselines and further explored for any demographic and funerary patterns. Results reveal spatial heterogeneity in the frequency of nonlocal individuals, suggesting that both long- and short-distance residential changes were influenced by regional political and economic differences across contexts. The absence of a correlation between geographic origin and sex suggests that specific residential rules may not have been prevalent in these communities. The lack of an association between isotopic variability and funerary treatment suggests that geographic origin held limited social significance compared to sex, socioeconomic status, and community membership. These findings enhance our understanding of the demographic and cultural processes in this geochronological region highlighting the complexities and challenges of estimating past mobility patterns and geographic origin using isotopic data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106294"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144298208","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":"Human femur and tibia retain primary lamellar bone formed during growth: measurement of anthropogenic radiocarbon in bone cross-sections","authors":"Fumina Minamitani ,&nbsp;Hisakazu Takatsuka ,&nbsp;Takayuki Omori ,&nbsp;Hiromasa Ozaki ,&nbsp;Minoru Yoneda","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106290","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106290","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bones exhibit isotope ratios with average seasonal variations resulting from constant remodeling; however, primary lamellar bone in some long bones represents tissue that forms during bone growth and persists without remodeling into adulthood. If this tissue grows sequentially, it could provide a novel source of information to reconstruct a personal history. This would also provide insight into the temporal changes in diet and migration of past human populations.</div><div>In this study, we measured anthropogenic radiocarbon (¹⁴C) in the femur of one individual and the tibia of the other who had been judicially dissected as unidentified bodies to determine the duration of primary lamellar bone formation. Samples were analyzed serially at 100–360 μm intervals over the direction of bone growth and ¹⁴C concentration decreased in the direction of bone growth. The endosteal areas of long bone cross-sections dominated by lamellar bone, containing sporadic osteons, were analyzed continuously during the growth period. The availability of time-series information on adolescent growth from the bone areas dominated by lamellar bone may be applied to life history reconstructions in anthropology. Importantly, long bones may retain information decades older than the time of death.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106290"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144263263","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":"Assessing the impact of Nile water level fluctuations on the structural stability of the Philae temples in Aswan, Egypt","authors":"Abdelrhman Fahmy ,&nbsp;Laura Basell ,&nbsp;Salvador Domínguez-Bella ,&nbsp;Eduardo Molina-Piernas","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106278","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106278","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The ancient Egyptian temples at the Philae UNESCO World Heritage Site in Aswan face conservation challenges due to fluctuating water levels, which threaten their building material resistance. Following a summary review of the hydrological changes to the natural responses of the Nile caused by the construction of the Aswan dam, our research employs a novel approach, combining remote sensing data analysis, literature review, fieldwork, and multiple high-specification materials analyses, to assess the impact of these changes on the temples in Philae. The new data permit the identification of the most at-risk areas and inform the long-term monitoring and conservation of Philae. Our approach enhances understanding of the causes and effects of building material decay and underscores the urgent need for conservation strategies to mitigate ongoing water-induced deterioration. The research highlights the impact of human-induced hydrological changes, offering a case study that informs future climate change effects. It is clear that tough decisions will be required for the long term heritage conservation of the Philae temples in the face of modern infrastructural developments and climate change, and that cultural heritage management guidelines before and after dam construction is urgently required. The issues identified, are not unique to the Philae Temples so the results and recommendations are relevant to other World Heritage sites that are currently facing similar environmental and conservation challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106278"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144263182","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":"Detecting baobab trees (Adansonia digitata) in drone imagery and evaluating their anthropogenic legacy in eastern Africa","authors":"Wolfgang Alders ,&nbsp;Jonathan Soon Lim ,&nbsp;Logan Brunner","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106280","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106280","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent research has led to a reevaluation of the scale of human impacts on tropical environments, notably through arboriculture. The extent to which this occurred in Africa is poorly understood, but the baobab tree (<em>Adansonia digitata)</em> may serve as a useful proxy for measuring the impacts of long-term human land use. These trees are long-lived, produce important economic products, and function culturally as shrines and markers on landscapes. Archaeologists in eastern Africa have long suspected an association between baobab tree groves and sites, but no full-coverage studies have measured this spatial relationship. This paper explores different methods for detecting this tree species in high-resolution drone imagery, which is increasingly available. Then, the paper evaluates associations between baobab tree distributions and archaeological and historical settlements on the island of Unguja, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Qualitative assessments and a Nearness test show positive associations between baobab groves and Swahili settlements from the 7th-18th centuries CE. Thismay reflect the anthropogenic factors of baobab dispersal and propagation, especially from the 11th c. onward. Baobabs are negatively associated with historical 19th-century settlements, possibly reflecting deforestation in areas cleared for clove plantations. These results demonstrate the potential for landscape analysis with full-coverage, high-resolution drone imagery, and shed light on the baobab tree as an anthropogenic legacy in the African tropics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106280"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144222891","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":"Geometric morphometric analysis sheds new light on silver bullion production systems of the Southern Song period","authors":"Suhui Liu,&nbsp;Tian Liu,&nbsp;Keli Gao,&nbsp;Siran Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106282","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106282","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Song Dynasty marked a pivotal moment in Chinese fiscal history by establishing the first monetized taxation system. By the Southern Song period (1127–1279), silver became deeply integrated into this system, and gradually supplanted iron and copper coins as the standard measure of value for paper money. Archaeological findings frequently uncover tax silver in the form of silver bullions, which played a significant role in the payment and transportation of tributes and taxes from local to central governments. The study of these bullions offers valuable insights into the taxation and economic history of China's first silver-based taxation system. While prior research has extensively examined the inscriptions on silver bullions, their morphological characteristics have received comparatively little attention. This study analyses the orthoimages of 113 Southern Song silver bullions to investigate potential correlations between their shapes and the production systems of the time. By employing a quantitative analysis of silver bullion outlines using two-dimensional geometric morphometric methods (2D-GMM) based on Elliptic Fourier Analysis and multivariate statistical techniques, the research reveals that the shapes of silver bullions vary with their weights and production locales, indicating a de-centralized bullion production system involving numerous prefecture level governments. Notably, a substantial number of silver bullions produced by gold and silver shops exhibit highly consistent shapes, although each shop had its own workshop and some of them were geographically distant from each other. Frequent exchanges between vouchers of monopolized products and silver bullions at these shops likely contributed to a high uniformity of bullion shapes. By integrating quantitative methods, this research provides a novel perspective on the study of Southern Song silver bullions and offers new insights into the silver-based taxation system during this period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106282"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205179","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":"Ostrich eggshell bead size variation: The impacts of material and technology on bead diameter","authors":"Joseph Jeffrey Werner,&nbsp;Flannery Surette","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106279","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2025.106279","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This research explores the impact of non-stylistic variables such as drilling technology and eggshell thickness on the size of ostrich eggshell beads. Since external bead diameter is thought to reflect culturally informed preferences, differences in external diameter across space and time have been used to identify distinct populations and to infer migration and culture change. Conversely, our analysis of archaeological and experimental data shows that material and technological biases significantly contribute to the size of beads. Specifically, we show that shell thickness contributes to variance in external bead diameter. As such, we argue that assemblage or regional scale differences might not always represent different cultural groups with their own material traditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"180 ","pages":"Article 106279"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144205178","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}