Archaeological Research in Asia最新文献

{"title":"A discussion of the astronomical observation relic at the Taosi site: Querying the present interpretation of the rammed earth structures excavated in IIFJT1 of the Taosi site excavation, Shanxi Province, China","authors":"Kejia Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100617","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100617","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Taosi site, located in Xiangfen, Shanxi Province, is a significant late Neolithic archaeological site, which is widely regarded as a central area of early Chinese civilization. Among its most notable discoveries is a large rammed-earth platform, initially identified as China's earliest astronomical observatory. However, the specific function of this structure remains a topic of ongoing scholarly debate. This study reassesses the platform's function through a comprehensive analysis of its spatial location, the relationship to adjacent structures, its construction techniques, and its associated groove features. The findings reveal that the eastern wall obstructs the view of the rising sun, and the platform's position against the wall precludes sunset observations, which challenges the traditional interpretation of its use as astronomical observation and timekeeping. The structural continuity between the platform and the wall suggests that they may belong to the same category of construction. Furthermore, the analysis of the grooves suggests that their formation is likely related to rammed-earth construction methods, mechanical considerations, or subsequent erosion, thereby weakening the argument that these features were designed for astronomical observation. This study offers a fresh perspective on the function of the platform, contributing to a deeper understanding of the Taosi site's actual purpose. This study seeks to advance the ongoing study of the Taosi site by providing new insights into the structure, with the aim of fostering further academic discussion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100617"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Burmese hare as a palaeoecological indicator: A stable isotope analysis from archaeological sites in Thailand","authors":"Larkin Chapman ,&nbsp;Cyler Conrad ,&nbsp;Caitlin S. Ainsworth ,&nbsp;Cholawit Thongcharoenchaikit ,&nbsp;Emily Lena Jones","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100614","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100614","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Although abundant in mainland southeast Asian landscapes, the Burmese hare, <em>Lepus peguensis,</em> is rare in the paleozoological record: only 49 specimens of this cryptic species have been recovered from archaeological contexts and virtually none from paleontological deposits. Due to this rarity, little is known about the hare in prehistory, despite the fact that it may, like other leporid taxa, provide valuable paleoecological information. In this paper, we present a pilot dataset of stable isotope values for the Burmese hare. We sampled five specimens from two late prehistoric archaeological sites in Thailand, Non Nok Tha and the Bang Site, as well as one 20th century biological sample. The variation seen in our pilot results demonstrates the value of stable isotope analyses of Burmese hare remains as a potential ecological indicator and highlights a promising avenue for future research. We advocate searching for more hares in the paleozoological record to better explore both anthropogenic and climatic change in mainland Southeast Asia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100614"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143738499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Middle and late Pleistocene environmental conditions in the vicinity of the Paleolithic Huadian cave in Northeast China","authors":"Honghao Niu ,&nbsp;Laurent Marquer ,&nbsp;Dorothy Sack ,&nbsp;Qiankun Quan ,&nbsp;Chunxue Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100613","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding interactions between early hominins and their surrounding environment is an important goal in archaeological research. Studies of these interactions provide crucial insights into human evolution, adaptability, cultural development, and ecological impact, offering lessons for both past and present. Huadian Cave, one of the earliest human occupation sites in Northeast China, was inhabited in middle and late Pleistocene. Even though excavation of the cave has yielded numerous middle and late Paleolithic lithic artifacts, the area's paleoenvironmental history has remained poorly understood. This study reconstructs the environmental context around the cave using pollen and charcoal data extracted from its sediments. Results reveal a landscape dominated by shrub-grasslands rich in herbaceous taxa, including <em>Taraxacum</em> (mean 14.0 %), <em>Artemisia</em> (mean 11.1 %), and Asteraceae (mean 11.0 %), with sparse tree cover in the vicinity of the cave. Despite stability of the shrub-grassland vegetation type over time, the relative pollen percentages, total plant abundance derived from pollen concentrations, plant diversity, and evenness revealed by palynological diversity indicate significant fluctuations in relative plant composition percentages. Regional and local fire frequencies both exhibit an increasing trend from middle to late Pleistocene. Comparing results of this research to hominin occupation patterns at the cave and regional faunal variations suggests that hominin use of the cave changed from a temporary refuge in middle Pleistocene to a long-term habitat in the late Pleistocene, and this may be attributed to environmental changes as well as advancements in lithic technologies. An observed sharp decline in plant diversity in the vicinity of the cave during the late Pleistocene, accompanied by an exponential increase in local fire frequencies, indicate that these changes may be linked to hominin gathering preferences and fire usage practices, respectively.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100613"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143619566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Living environment of late Neanderthals in NW Altai: Evidences from Verkhnyaya Sibiryachikha and Okladnikov caves","authors":"V.V. Alekseitseva ,&nbsp;N.A. Rudaya ,&nbsp;K.A. Kolobova","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100612","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100612","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Today, the Altai Mountains remain the eastmost known border of Neanderthal habitat. They are known to have settled the area twice: hominins of the first wave are found in the Denisova Cave (Denisova 5), while Neanderthals of the second wave come from the Okladnikov, Chagyrskaya and Verkhnyaya Sibiryachikha caves. Late Neanderthals migrated to Altai from Europe at the end of MIS 4 and existed there throughout the beginning of MIS 3 to disappear afterwards. However, such issues as Neanderthals' choice of settlement place, their ecological niche and livelihood strategies that determined their living environment still remain relevant. The paper presents the results of a paleoecological study of Late Neanderthal habitat in the Altai, involving both contemporaneous loess sequences and archaeological sites. To reconstruct the living environment, pollen analysis of the Verkhnyaya Sibiryachikha Cave sediments was performed as well as the key functional plant types for the Verkhnyaya Sibiryachikha and Okladnikov caves were reconstructed. The study has demonstrated that Neanderthals appeared in the Altai in a cold and dry climate and survived in open steppe landscapes. For Europe, this period coincided with Weichselian harsh glacial conditions and was marked by a surge in Neanderthal populations activity. The new data complement those obtained from other studies in particular, paleofaunistic ones.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100612"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143610212","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human figurines in the Mesolithic-Neolithic transition of the South Caucasus: New evidence from the Damjili cave, Azerbaijan","authors":"Yoshihiro Nishiaki ,&nbsp;Ulviyya Safarova ,&nbsp;Fumika Ikeyama ,&nbsp;Wataru Satake ,&nbsp;Yagub Mammadov","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100611","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100611","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Recent research shows that the Neolithization of the South Caucasus occurred in stages. While domesticated plants and animals were introduced rapidly around 6000 BCE, certain cultural elements typical of the Neolithic might have become common later. This study reports the discovery of a stone human figurine from the Damjili Cave, Azerbaijan, which is the first example from a radiocarbon-dated context of the late Mesolithic in the South Caucasus. Its stylistic features considerably differ from those of Neolithic human figurines in the region, providing a valuable reference point for understanding the cultural processes in symbolic aspects during the Mesolithic-Neolithic interface in the South Caucasus.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100611"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143591402","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of black filling in cast designs of Shang dynasty Chinese bronzes","authors":"Donna K. Strahan,&nbsp;Blythe McCarthy","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100602","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100602","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper reports on the formation of intentional black fillings in design areas of ancient Chinese bronzes. The black filling in the design channels contrasts with the golden color of the freshly cast bronze. Silicate grains in the cast design channels that appear similar to processed loess used for casting molds formed a base for applying black filling materials. Using Py-GCMS, the major organic component found was composed of fatty acids including azelaic acid, suggesting that a drying oil was used. In addition, evidence of soot and possibly Anacardiaceae lacquer were found.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100602"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling historical salt production tradition in Aceh, Indonesia: Insight from Archaeometric analysis of ceramic artifacts from Samudra Pasai","authors":"Libra Hari Inagurasi ,&nbsp;Nahar Cahyandaru ,&nbsp;Sunarningsih ,&nbsp;Rusyanti ,&nbsp;Moh Mualliful Ilmi ,&nbsp;M. Irfan Mahmud ,&nbsp;Hari Yurismono ,&nbsp;Sonny Wibisono ,&nbsp;Ali Nurdin ,&nbsp;Andreas Satria Wibowo ,&nbsp;Indah Permatasarie Tjan ,&nbsp;Hermansyah ,&nbsp;Amir Husni","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100604","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100604","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the historical salt-making practices in Aceh, Indonesia, through an archaeometric analysis of ceramic artifacts excavated from the Samudra Pasai archaeological sites. The research aims to unveil ancient production techniques by examining the elemental and mineral compositions of the pottery using XRF, XRD, and SEM-EDS, alongside microbial analyses of salt samples as a preliminary study. The findings suggest that certain pottery artifacts were directly linked to salt production, as evidenced by the presence of salt residues, including sodium chloride, particularly in fragments presumed to have functioned as scoops during the salt-boiling process. In addition, the comparison of locally produced boiled salt with solar-evaporated salt revealed significantly lower microbial content in the boiled salt, highlighting its hygienic advantages, likely due to prolonged heating during the production process. This mirrors traditional salt-making methods still practiced in coastal villages of Lancok Bayu and Matang Tunong, where salt is boiled from seawater—a practice that has likely continued for centuries. The historical significance of salt in the Samudra Pasai Sultanate is well-documented, with salt being a crucial commodity in regional trade. The discoveries enhance comprehension of the importance of salt manufacturing for the Pasai Sultanate's economy and its broader marine trading networks. The presence of contemporary pottery-making practices in the region further supports the hypothesis of a continuous cultural tradition, extending from the Samudra Pasai period to the present day. This research offers critical insights into the technological continuity and socio-economic importance of salt-making in Aceh, with broader implications for understanding Indonesia's trade and industry in the early Islamic era.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100604"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143350647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Coexistence of bloomery iron and cast iron in a Qin state cemetery dating to the mid Warring States period","authors":"Yaxiong Liu ,&nbsp;Siyu Sun ,&nbsp;Liang Ma ,&nbsp;Qinggang Geng ,&nbsp;Zehao Dou ,&nbsp;Kunlong Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100595","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100595","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this article is to contribute to a better understanding of the transition from bloomery iron to cast iron technology in the Qin state during the Warring States period. Only five iron objects were unearthed from the Xuliangpo cemetery in the southeast of Xi'an, Shaanxi province. This small assemblage, already indicative of a technology in its early stages, dates to the mid Warring States period (around the mid-4th century BCE). Of these five objects, only two were sufficiently well-preserved for metallographic and compositional analysis. Nonetheless, one object (a ring) was identified as bloomery iron, and the other (a belt-buckle) was shaped using cast iron. We propose that the mid Warring States period can be viewed as a time when both bloomery and cast iron were used in the Qin State, prior to the massive adoption of cast iron smelting from the Central Plains in the late Warring States period.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100595"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143348476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ancient pottery in Central Asia. Archaeological and archaeometric approaches. Introduction to the special issue","authors":"Élise Luneau ,&nbsp;Verónica Martínez Ferreras","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100597","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100597","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100597"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155805","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Early evidence of Austronesian occupation in the Maros-Pangkep karsts of South Sulawesi, Indonesia","authors":"Suryatman ,&nbsp;Andi Muh. Saiful ,&nbsp;Nur Ihsan Djindar ,&nbsp;Hasanuddin ,&nbsp;Iwan Sumantri ,&nbsp;Yinika L. Perston ,&nbsp;Muh. Alif ,&nbsp;Abdullah Abbas ,&nbsp;Putra Hudlinas Muhammad ,&nbsp;Imran Ilyas ,&nbsp;Akin Duli ,&nbsp;Adam Brumm","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100601","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100601","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Archaeological research in the Maros-Pangkep karst area of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, has yielded important insight into the long history of human habitation in this region. A poorly known part of the cultural sequence is the arrival of Austronesian-speaking farming societies during the latter phase of prehistoric occupation, and the nature of Austronesian interactions with the long-established Toalean hunter-forager population. The archaeological evidence for this period is often limited and frequently complicated by taphonomic factors, including extensive post-depositional disturbances and stratigraphic reworking at many sites, making it challenging to gain a deep understanding of the various phases of cave use. In this study, we describe the results of our excavations at a new site in the Maros-Pangkep karsts, Bulu Taroa 2 cave, that has significance for our understanding of the timing and nature of interactions between early Austronesians and Toaleans. Excavations at this site uncovered culturally-rich Austronesian layers dating to around 2600–2490 cal BP, thus coinciding with the late ‘Neolithic’ period in the large-scale open settlement sites in the Karama Valley to the north. The finds recovered from Bulu Taroa 2 suggest that the early Austronesian-speaking inhabitants adapted to the nearby coastal environment by intensively exploiting estuarine shellfish. Signs of cultural interactions with Toaleans are minimal. We surmise from this site that ancient Austronesians used some local caves as burial sites during the Metal phase, resulting in the disturbance of older stratified cultural layers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"41 ","pages":"Article 100601"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143155804","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}