Journal of Archaeological Science最新文献

{"title":"How teeth record and attenuate seasonal signals","authors":"Daniel R. Green ,&nbsp;Tanya M. Smith ,&nbsp;Gerry Olack ,&nbsp;Ian S. Williams ,&nbsp;Paul Tafforeau ,&nbsp;Albert S. Colman ,&nbsp;Kevin T. Uno","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Variability of oxygen isotopes in environmental water is recorded in tooth enamel, providing a record of seasonal change, dietary variability, and mobility. Physiology dampens this variability, however, as oxygen passes from environmental sources into blood and forming teeth. We showcase two methods of high resolution, 2-dimensional enamel sampling, and conduct modeling, to report why and how environmental oxygen isotope variability is reduced in animal bodies and teeth. First, using two modern experimental sheep, we introduce a sampling method, die-saw dicing, that provides high-resolution physical samples (n = 109 and 111 sample locations per tooth) for use in conventional stable isotope and molecular measurement protocols. Second, we use an ion microprobe to sample innermost enamel in an experimental sheep (n = 156 measurements), and in a Pleistocene orangutan (n = 176 measurements). Synchrotron and conventional μCT scans reveal innermost enamel thicknesses averaging 18 and 21 μm in width. Experimental data in sheep show that compared to drinking water, oxygen isotope variability in blood is reduced to 70–90 %; inner and innermost enamel retain between 36 and 48 % of likely drinking water stable isotope range, but this recovery declines to 28–34 % in outer enamel. 2D isotope sampling suggests that declines in isotopic variability, and shifted isotopic oscillations throughout enamel, result from the angle of secretory hydroxyapatite deposition and its overprinting by maturation. This overprinting occurs at all locations including innermost enamel, and is greatest in outer enamel. These findings confirm that all regions of enamel undergo maturation to varying degrees and confirm that inner and innermost enamel preserve more environmental variability than other regions. We further show how the resolution of isotope sampling — not only the spatial resolution within teeth, but also the temporal resolution of water in the environment — impacts our estimate of how much variation teeth recover from the environment. We suggest inverse methods, or multiplication by standard factors determined by ecology, taxon, and sampling strategy, to reconstruct the full scale of seasonal environmental variability. We advocate for combined inverse modeling and high-resolution sampling informed by the spatiotemporal pattern of enamel formation, and at the inner or innermost enamel when possible, to recover seasonal records from teeth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 106148"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142902010","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":"Developments in chemical and biological detection of organic additives in Chinese historic mortar: A review","authors":"Ziqian Zhang ,&nbsp;Bingjian Zhang ,&nbsp;Yulan Hu ,&nbsp;Zhengyu Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mortar is the prevalent binding material in ancient construction, and its organic addition has been one of the hot topics for years. In the study of organic addition, historical literature can provide references for composition, while detection can examine and verify the accuracy of the historical records, complementing each other. Conventional detection techniques such as spectroscopy, chromatography, mass spectrometry, and optical microscopy have been used to detect organic components in the laboratory, but they may face challenges such as low organic content, and difficulty in completing quick batch detection on-site. Therefore, researchers from Zhejiang University Cultural Heritage Laboratory (ZJUL) developed chemical and biological detection techniques (CBT). These techniques offer advantages such as high sensitivity and specificity, strong interference resistance, and are suitable for rapid on-site batch detection. ZJU has applied CBT to over 500 samples, carefully selected from a collection of more than 1000 samples gathered across various regions of China, spanning a timeframe of over 4000 years. This study summarizes and analyze the characteristics of Chinese ancient mortar for the first time. Spatial, temporal and typological patterns were discussed. The findings suggest that mortar production techniques have been transmitted and refined across generations over millennia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 106149"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143157434","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":"Implementation of Red Ochre in Sinopia: Non-invasive characterization of the invisible frescos beneath Roman and Byzantine mosaics in Judea","authors":"Yotam Asscher ,&nbsp;Giulia Ricci ,&nbsp;Michela Reato ,&nbsp;Abraham Leviant ,&nbsp;Ilana Peters ,&nbsp;Jacques Neguer ,&nbsp;Mark Avrahami ,&nbsp;Gilberto Artioli","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106146","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106146","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Preparatory drawings in mortars have guided mosaicists in the placement of colored tesserae, as a form of blueprint for the style and content of the mosaic. These drawings are made by implementing pigments in the substrate mortars, following the <em>fresco</em> technique, and are commonly known as <em>sinopia</em>. This study analyzes the data from non-invasive techniques applied on red and pink <em>sinopia</em> that was found below Roman and Byzantine mosaics in Judea. The mineralogical and chemical characteristics show hematite as the main chromophore, with different implementation of the red ochre in lime to achieve pink colors. The shift from red to pink colors is quantified using non-invasive portable reflectance spectroscopy, showing a reduction in the red colorimetric values, which is correlated to lower Fe/Ca values as determined by a portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Diffraction and electron microscopy support the notion that the artisans added an additional layer of lime plaster on top of the red ochre, about 200 μm thick, to lighten the hue from red to pink. This research underscores the importance of studying <em>sinopia</em> beneath floor mosaics to understand pigments and techniques, contributing to the understanding of how red ochre attenuates through lime mortars.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"175 ","pages":"Article 106146"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142901962","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":"Evaluating the culinary significance of maize in the Araucanía, Southern Chile: Evidence from organic residue analysis of pre-colonial pottery","authors":"Javier A. Montalvo-Cabrera ,&nbsp;Roberto Campbell ,&nbsp;André C. Colonese ,&nbsp;Gabriela Palma ,&nbsp;Alexandre Lucquin ,&nbsp;Helen M. Talbot ,&nbsp;Alejandro Serna ,&nbsp;Constanza Roa Solís ,&nbsp;Marjolein Admiraal ,&nbsp;Oliver E. Craig","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Maize, one of the primary crops cultivated in South America, has achieved significant interest in regional archaeology. However, the study of maize in regions considered peripheral to major centres of agricultural production, such as Southern Chile, has received minimal attention. Southern Chile is the southernmost point for the dispersal of maize cultivation in the Americas, with archaeological evidence dating back <em>ca</em>. 1000 CE. Despite the manifest presence of maize, our knowledge of its culinary and economic importance for pre-colonial societies from Southern Chile is scarce. In this study, we extracted and analysed organic residues from 188 pottery sherds to explore the potential significance of maize in local foodways over the transition from the Early (ECP: 400–1000 CE) to the Late (LCP: 1000–1550 CE) Ceramic Period. Biomolecular and carbon-stable isotope (δ¹³C) analyses of lipids indicate that maize was not a staple. Instead, our findings suggest that maize had a potentially prominent role in preparing fermented beverages consumed in important socio-political gatherings and feasts.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106118"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142746397","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":"The oldest dress of the Netherlands? Recovering a now-vanished, colour pattern from an early iron age fabric in an elite burial","authors":"Clémence Iacconi ,&nbsp;Art Proaño Gaibor ,&nbsp;Ilaria Degano ,&nbsp;Sasja van der Vaart-Verschoof ,&nbsp;Ineke Joosten ,&nbsp;Karina Grömer ,&nbsp;Loïc Bertrand","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Uden–Slabroek cemetery yielded one of the richest Early Iron Age burials found in the Netherlands: an inhumation grave of a person wearing elaborate bronze and iron ornaments (ca. 8th century BC). Exceptionally mineralised fragments of wool textiles were found inside the corrosion layer of the bronze anklets and bracelets. Advanced multidisciplinary analysis of these textiles identified them as the remains of the oldest garment of the Netherlands, made from a bright red and blue wool twill fabric woven in a shepherd’s check pattern. Advanced mass spectrometry analysis provided direct identification of dyes, including cochineal — the earliest evidence of a red dye for the entire region (especially the precious insect dye variant). Virtual synchrotron-based 3D analysis of the fragments documented the textile weave types and the morphometry of surface and buried layers. The correlation of the two approaches makes it possible to recover an entire, now-vanished, colour pattern from highly altered fabrics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106109"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142721123","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":"Cinnabar for Roman Ephesus: Material quality, processing and provenance","authors":"Alexandra Rodler-Rørbo ,&nbsp;Anthony J. Baragona ,&nbsp;Eliah J. Verbeemen ,&nbsp;Lasse Vilien Sørensen ,&nbsp;Berk Çakmakoğlu ,&nbsp;Cahit Helvaci ,&nbsp;Eduardo Bolea-Fernandez ,&nbsp;Ana Rua-Ibarz ,&nbsp;Frank Vanhaecke ,&nbsp;Hilary Becker ,&nbsp;Gilberto Artioli ,&nbsp;Lilli Zabrana ,&nbsp;Vinciane Debaille ,&nbsp;Nadine Mattielli ,&nbsp;Steven Goderis ,&nbsp;Philippe Claeys","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106122","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106122","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ephesus was an important harbor city that flourished during the Roman period and ancient texts mention Almadén in Spain and the Cilbian fields of Ephesus as important cinnabar sources in antiquity. This work investigates whether imported cinnabar was used and whether this could be related to changes in painting activities over time. Microscopic analysis indicates a consistent preparation of cinnabar, hinting at a uniform source material quality or processing technique. However, the use of cinnabar varies among the architectural structures studied, indicating a plurality of painting techniques. A few of the analyzed cinnabar samples overlap with Turkish- and Balkan reference Pb isotope ratios; three samples from tabernas, however, deviate from this. The Hg isotope ratios reveal that cinnabar from carbonate-hosted deposits was likely used, and that processing of cinnabar included heating as suggested by ancient texts. Most notably, a correlation exists between the geochemical data and the painting technique – shifts in sourcing and cinnabar usage are potentially assignable to building chronology and/or usage. Through the lens of material provenance and processing, Ephesian cinnabar brings the organization of pigment trade into focus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106122"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142721117","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":"Unravelling the threads of connectivity: A mutual information approach to tracing material networks in the late hellenistic and early roman mediterranean","authors":"Dries Daems ,&nbsp;Danai Kafetzaki","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106121","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106121","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The study of connectivity and interaction in the Mediterranean world is a rich and vibrant topic. While most direct attestations of past interaction have been lost, we can use the ubiquity of material markers such as ceramic tablewares to trace the structures and underlying drivers of past networks. In this paper, we use an innovative combination of least cost path analysis and mutual information to explore the relative contributions of geographical proximity and potential social, economic, and political factors underlying the distributions of material culture. We apply this method to a case study using the ICRATES dataset of tablewares from the eastern Mediterranean in late Hellenistic and early Roman times (150 BCE – 50 CE). By exploring the multifaceted factors shaping these distributions, we enrich our understanding of ancient economies and trade networks, as well as provide further insight into broader questions of (cultural) exchange and power dynamics in the ancient world. Through this novel approach, we hope to pave the way for future research endeavours that seek to unravel the intricate threads of connectivity shaping past and present human societies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106121"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142721491","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":"Virtual sampling: Archaeological implications of a new technique for elemental mapping of Mg/Ca ratios in marine mollusc shells","authors":"Jesús Mirapeix ,&nbsp;Rosa Arniz-Mateos ,&nbsp;Asier García-Escárzaga ,&nbsp;Igor Gutierrez-Zugasti ,&nbsp;José Miguel López-Higuera ,&nbsp;Adolfo Cobo","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Marine mollusc shells hold significant potential for deciphering past environmental conditions and seasonality of hominin subsistence strategies. While stable oxygen isotope ratio values of shells are currently the gold standard, they have significant drawbacks, such as complex and time-consuming sampling procedures and assumptions on the oxygen isotope composition of seawater in the past. The analysis of shell elemental ratios offers an alternative with minimal sample preparation and no assumptions on water composition. Although elemental ratios have already shown a correlation with seawater temperatures, this relationship is also influenced by other environmental factors and endogenous physiological mechanisms, resulting in noisy ratio profiles that are dependent on the exact measurement path across the growth lines of the shell. This study introduces “virtual sampling” (VS), a novel technique enhancing the analysis of the Mg/Ca ratios of marine mollusc shells measured by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). It is based on the automatic detection of the isochronous -growth- lines and its employment for averaging the elemental ratios. This approach mitigates the noise inherent to linear scanning trajectories and improves the estimation accuracy of the elemental ratios. Our investigation focuses on analysing twenty-four modern and six archaeological <em>Patella vulgata</em> Linnaeus, 1758 shells and the effects derived from the application of this virtual sampling versus the traditional techniques. This advancement in elemental analysis provides a more robust basis for seasonal mollusc collection estimations than the linear LIBS scanning and analysis approach, contributing to a better understanding of human lifeways in archaeological studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106123"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142696752","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":"Mapping lateral stratigraphy at Palaeolithic surface sites: A case study from Dhofar, Oman","authors":"Jeffrey I. Rose ,&nbsp;Yamandú H. Hilbert ,&nbsp;Vitaly I. Usyk ,&nbsp;Michelle R. Bebber ,&nbsp;Amir Beshkani ,&nbsp;Briggs Buchanan ,&nbsp;João Cascalheira ,&nbsp;Dominik Chlachula ,&nbsp;Rudolf Dellmour ,&nbsp;Metin I. Eren ,&nbsp;Roman Garba ,&nbsp;Emily Hallinan ,&nbsp;Li Li ,&nbsp;Robert S. Walker ,&nbsp;Anthony E. Marks","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Open-air accumulations of chipped stone debris are a common feature in arid landscapes, yet despite their prevalence, such archives are often dismissed as uninformative or unreliable. In the canyonlands of Dhofar, southern Oman, lithic surface scatters are nearly ubiquitous, including extensive, multi-component workshops associated with chert outcrops. These sites typically display chronologically diagnostic features that correspond to distinct taphonomic states, which in turn appear linked to spatial distribution, with more heavily weathered artifacts often found farther from the chert outcrops. We propose that post-depositional modifications and spatial distributions of chipped stone artifacts reflect site formation processes and, under certain conditions, may provide relative chronological information when absolute dating methods are unavailable. Our study tests this hypothesis by mapping artifact distribution and lithic taphonomy across a series of surface sites in southern Oman, spanning the Lower, Middle, and Upper/Late Palaeolithic periods. The results largely support our model, offering valuable insights into surface site formation and technological change over time. While these findings serve as broad predictive markers for age, their applicability for analyzing finer-scale assemblage variability remains to be determined. Future taphonomic recording systems should aim to quantify surface modifications to enhance replicability for such studies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142696753","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":"Identification of laccol as a paint binder in Neolithic pottery from China","authors":"Shuxuan Shi ,&nbsp;Yu Xiao ,&nbsp;Chao Ma ,&nbsp;Yingchun Fu ,&nbsp;Zifan Chen ,&nbsp;Danshu Shi ,&nbsp;Shuya Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106119","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jas.2024.106119","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Some precious painted pottery have been excavated from a late Neolithic site (6000-5300 BP) in China recently. The materials and technique of the paint were comprehensively studied. The analytical techniques conducted include optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM-EDS), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography-quadrupole-time of flight-mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF-MS) and thermally assisted hydrolysis-methylation pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (THM-Py-GC/MS). The results revealed the painted pottery is lacquer-painted pottery, which is the earliest evidence of using laccol as binding media to paint pottery. Moreover, a two-layer structure of the paint technique was found. Cinnabar and a kind of yellow dye were detected in the first layer, while iron red was determined in the ground layer. Laccol, instead of urushiol as a binding medium, was identified in both two layers. Laccol is the maker compound from the tree of <em>Toxicodendron (Rhus) succedanea</em>, which mainly grows in Vietnam. Its presence in the painted pottery represents that the use of <em>Toxicodendron (Rhus) succedanea</em> resource can be as early as the late Neolithic period in China. The possibility of the origin of laccol was also discussed in the paper.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":50254,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Archaeological Science","volume":"173 ","pages":"Article 106119"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142699218","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}