Archaeological Research in Asia最新文献

{"title":"Emergence of carnelian/agate beads in the Gan-Qing region, Northwest China: New evidence from the western Hexi Corridor","authors":"Wanqiao Ai ,&nbsp;Hui Wang ,&nbsp;Guoke Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cultural exchanges in the Gansu-Qinghai region, especially the Hexi Corridor, surged during the early-to-mid-2nd millennium BCE. Previous studies have often focused on metalwork and the transformation of subsistence economies, whereas stone bead ornaments were seldom discussed. Based on the observations and scanning electron microscopy analysis of tens of carnelian/agate beads from the cemeteries of Huoshaogou and Ganguya in the western Hexi Corridor, we argue that some were imported in the form of finished products and some were locally made. In light of this, we reviewed recent publications and examined carnelian/agate beads and bead making evidence in the Gobi area dated from the 2nd millennium BCE. The preference for beads in the Gansu-Qinghai region began at the turn of the 4th and 3rd millennium BCE. During the 2nd millennium BCE, benefiting from the growth of long-distance exchange networks, some people in the Hexi Corridor were among the first to use ornaments of carnelian/agate, turquoise, fired steatite beads, and seashells. These ornaments later spread to the eastern Gansu-Qinghai region, neighboring the Zhou people. However, the use of carnelian/agate beads remained limited until the Zhou elite incorporated them into their funerary rites. Judging from the similar shapes and crafting features, the carnelian/agate beads in the Gan-Qing region may have had close connections with those circulating in contemporary Mongolia. This study on carnelian/agate beads provides new insights into craft production and society in the Northwest China and north–south exchanges in East Asia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"43 ","pages":"Article 100625"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144083788","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":"Newly discovered sacrificial pits at the Sanxingdui site: Insights into Bronze Age ritual remains in Southwest China","authors":"Honglin Ran ,&nbsp;Shiyu Xu ,&nbsp;Danyang Xu ,&nbsp;Chong Wang ,&nbsp;Feihong Xu ,&nbsp;Haichao Li ,&nbsp;Hao Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhenbin Xie ,&nbsp;Yu Lei","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Sanxingdui site, located on the Chengdu Plain in Sichuan Province, is a significant Neolithic and Bronze Age archaeological site in Southwest China. This paper presents a report and preliminary analysis of six pits (K3-K8) discovered at Sanxingdui in 2019, situated in the eastern part of the sacrificial area near two previously excavated pits (K1−K2) from 1986. The newly uncovered pits are predominantly rectangular, vary in size, and date to the Late Shang period (ca. 1200–1050 BCE). More than 17,000 artifacts were recovered from these pits, including bronze, jade, gold, ivory, elephant tusks, and silk remnants. These artifacts exhibit variations in both style and function. Evidence suggests that all pits can be identified as sacrificial in nature, though the ritual activities associated with K5 and K6 may have been distinct from others. These new findings are crucial for exploring the ritual practices at the Sanxingdui site and for understanding the transition of early political topography on the Chengdu Plain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100621"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143918013","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":"Provenance study of sequan porcelain bowls from two shipwrecks near Nanri Island, Fujian, China","authors":"Zhitao Chen ,&nbsp;Zelin Yang ,&nbsp;Caichao Gan ,&nbsp;Qiucheng Liu ,&nbsp;Wenpeng Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100620","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Determining the provenance of mass-produced traded porcelain remains a significant challenge in archaeological research, yet accurate sourcing is essential for understanding historical trade routes, networks, and practices. While previous studies have focused on shipwreck cargo from well-known kiln sites, common wares lacking distinctive stylistic features have received less attention. This study employs portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analysis to investigate the provenance of <em>sequan</em> porcelain bowls—a type of low-quality bowl characterized by an unglazed ring on the inner bottom, commonly produced across numerous kiln sites—from two 13th–14th-century shipwrecks (the Beiri Rock No. 6 and the Beitugui Reef No. 2) near Nanri Island, Fujian, China. Reference samples were collected from three potential source kilns in coastal Fujian—Pukou, Zhuangbian, and Dongmen kilns—for comparison. The results show that all <em>sequan</em> bowls from both shipwrecks were likely sourced from the Pukou kiln, with the <em>sequan</em> bowls from the two ships possibly originating from different subregions within the Pukou kiln complex. Considering that both shipwrecks are located south of the Pukou kiln, we speculate that the ships were en route southward, possibly heading toward Quanzhou to fulfill customs registration for maritime trade. These findings underscore the effectiveness of pXRF for precise and refined provenance studies of ordinary porcelains, while also providing new insights into the maritime trade of in 13th–14th century Asia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100620"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143906361","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":"Home, annex or pied-à-terre? Assessing the socioeconomic dimension of small-sized built environments at Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Central Anatolia","authors":"Aroa García-Suárez","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Built environments provide valuable information on domestic and group activities, the development of household identities, and the changing use of space. In the case of Neolithic communities in the Near East, interpretations have often been articulated around the concept of autonomous households as the principal elements of social and economic organisation, each occupying discrete buildings that showed a high degree of spatial standardisation. However, a strong research focus on the architectural homogeneities of domestic buildings may have masked differentiations promoted by variable economic and social practices.</div><div>This paper aims to draw attention to the multiple forms in which buildings occurred at the clustered settlement of Çatalhöyük (Türkiye) by focusing on the insufficiently studied small-sized built environments, those under ca. 10m² in extension. Assumed to be socially and economically dependent on larger houses, the functional role that these small constructions played in the constitution of the large settled community at Çatalhöyük has been seldom explored.</div><div>This study uses thin-section micromorphology to examine the stratigraphic sequence of a small built environment, Space 87, observed in the field to display a complex life-history spanning multiple phases of occupation and architectural renovation. Micro-contextual analyses have contributed to unravelling formation processes, transformations, and use and concepts of space in this structure. Results highlight the great degree of dynamism and symbolic evidence of Space 87, akin to that observed in larger buildings, as reflected by multiple burials, recurrent floor refurbishments and fire installation replacements. The micro-stratigraphic history of this small built environment points to the repeated restructuring of its living space as a means to balance the architectural standardisation traditionally displayed by Neolithic buildings at Çatalhöyük with the adaptations to changes in its socio-economic function and risks to its constructional integrity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100619"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143838500","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":"Chronology and ecology of early islanders in the Philippines: The Mindoro Archaeology Project","authors":"Alfred F. Pawlik ,&nbsp;Riczar B. Fuentes ,&nbsp;Marie Grace Pamela G. Faylona ,&nbsp;Trishia Gayle R. Palconit ,&nbsp;Tanya Uldin","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The investigation and excavation of caves and rockshelters located at the southern end of Occidental Mindoro produced significant artefacts, data, and information related to the initial arrival and colonization of the Philippine archipelago by anatomically modern humans. The sites provided several indications for the increasing adaptation to maritime environments and delivered evidence for their behavioural and technological complexity. Mindoro lies along a direct route to reach the main islands of the Philippines coming from the Asian mainland via Borneo and Palawan. Since 2010, surveys conducted in the karstic regions of Ilin Island and Sta. Teresa, Magsaysay have mapped and explored over 40 caves and rockshelters. Particularly the sites of Bubog 1, Bubog 2, Cansubong 2 Cave, and Bilat Cave, have delivered cultural and biological materials that chronicle human habitation and adaptation to maritime and coastal environments over a period of 35–40,000 years. Early islanders in the region intensively foraged for molluscs and other marine invertebrates along the coast, employed different techniques to catch a variety of reef and pelagic fish as well as terrestrial animals, and were embedded in maritime networks with access to transfer routes, through which technology, information, and ideologies were disseminated over long distances and across Island Southeast Asia (ISEA) and possibly also reaching the Southeast Asian mainland. The results of the archaeological research in Mindoro contribute to our understanding of the processes of human island adaptation, complement ongoing research on the peopling of Southeast Asia, and enhance current knowledge of prehistoric subsistence strategies across the region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100616"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143823749","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":"Hunter-gatherer-builders: 70 years of research at the Natufian hamlet of Eynan-Mallaha (upper Jordan Valley, Israel)","authors":"Fanny Bocquentin ,&nbsp;Elisa Caron-Laviolette ,&nbsp;Niels Fourchet ,&nbsp;Laurent Davin ,&nbsp;Brent Whitford ,&nbsp;Louise Heccan ,&nbsp;Erwan Le Gueut ,&nbsp;Julie Bessenay-Prolonge ,&nbsp;Aurélie Montagne Bôrras ,&nbsp;Lior Weissbrod","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Since 1955, research at Eynan-Mallaha has unraveled an exceptionally thick, well-preserved, and detailed archaeological sequence spanning from the Early to the Final Natufian. Among other important findings, the site has yielded a relatively high number of stone constructions, comprising semi-circular and circular semi-subterranean buildings, divulging a clear evolutionary trend in early building activity. Here we review the work that has been carried out in regard to Eynan-Mallaha's constructions, from the site's discovery to the latest discoveries from our renewed excavations. Archival records from earlier excavations at the site are considered here in detail for the first time using digitization tools and high-resolution data acquisition techniques. Our focus is on a series of nested buildings (Loci 148–131–51-62) occupied at different times during the Early Natufian, which is re-evaluated here in light of cumulative and more fine-grained stratigraphic data, architectural analysis from the emerging field of Building Archaeology, and GIS-aided analysis combining archival and recent datasets. We argue for the development of a strong sense of place and permanence at Eynan-Mallaha, attested by the nuanced series of continuities in and modifications to the documented constructions from one generation to another through the constantly repaired and recycled built-up space.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100618"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143783502","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":"Complex hunter-gatherers and first farmers in southern China","authors":"Guangmao Xie ,&nbsp;Xiaoying Chen ,&nbsp;Zhangwang Meng ,&nbsp;Yan Wu ,&nbsp;Charles Higham","doi":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100615","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ara.2025.100615","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Our understanding of adaptation by hunter-gatherers in Southern China and Southeast Asia to one of the richest habitats known, has for long been dominated by the investigation of cave sites. These have provided a seriously biased interpretation that stressed transient occupation by small, mobile groups. We here provide the first Bayesian-modelled radiocarbon chronologies for three key sites in Guangxi Province, southern China. Yahuai was occupied thrice between ca. 44 ka and 16.2 ka. Jiangxi'an is an extensive settlement located on the bank of the Zuo River with two occupation phases dated between 9500 and 8300 BP. Ganzao, a second open site, lies nearby on the same river bank and extensive excavations have revealed nearly 100 burials, together with a rich assemblage of material and biological remains dated between 10,300–9500 BP. These river-bank settlements and contemporary coastal sites evidence a radically different adaptation to that derived from rock shelters alone, that coincided with the Holocene thermal optimum and provide a compelling image of the affluent, sedentary hunter-gatherer communities that encountered and were assimilated by the farmers who penetrated the region from their homeland in the Yangtze River region during the third millennium BCEE.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":51847,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological Research in Asia","volume":"42 ","pages":"Article 100615"},"PeriodicalIF":0.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143769089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"历史学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"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}