Geoarchaeology-An International Journal最新文献

{"title":"Holocene Floodplain Transformation Through Catchment-Scale Human-Environment Interactions: An Interdisciplinary Case Study of the Gete Catchment (Belgium)","authors":"Marleen van Zon,&nbsp;Renske Hoevers,&nbsp;Ward Swinnen,&nbsp;Bob Simons,&nbsp;Bart Vanmontfort,&nbsp;Gert Verstraeten","doi":"10.1002/gea.22026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.22026","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Floodplains across the European loess region transformed from nature- to human-dominated environments during the Holocene. A general framework of this evolution is well established, but it is less clear how differences in timing—observed within and between catchments—can be explained. Although human impact is an important driver, little attention has thus far been paid to the actual human activities involved, their intensities, and spatiotemporal patterns. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this study provides insight into the evolution of both environmental (e.g., local floodplain geoecohydrology and regional land cover) and human dynamics (e.g., demography and land use) in the Belgian Gete catchment. Results show that the observed changes in land cover and floodplain geoecology can indeed be attributed to spatiotemporal variations in human impact. Human-induced vegetation change, driven by population growth and associated agrarian production, resulted in hydrological changes and localized colluviation. Catchment-scale improvement of hillslope-channel connectivity initiated alluviation in the valleys and completed the transformation from forested marsh to open floodplain with overbank sedimentation. In turn, this allowed people to settle in the floodplains in the Early Medieval period, laying the foundations for our present-day landscape.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142587960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploitation of Mining Resources in El Argar Culture: Bronze Age Metallurgy in the Hinterland of the Western Betic Cordillera (Southeastern Iberian Peninsula)","authors":"M. Murillo-Barroso,&nbsp;G. Aranda Jiménez,&nbsp;J. A. Lozano Rodríguez,&nbsp;A. Lackinger,&nbsp;Z. Stos-Gale,&nbsp;J. Rodríguez,&nbsp;A. M. Álvarez-Valero,&nbsp;J. I. Gil Ibarguchi,&nbsp;I. Montero-Ruiz","doi":"10.1002/gea.22025","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/gea.22025","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research addresses the territorial organisation of metallurgical production during the El Argar Bronze Age (2200–1550 cal <span>bc</span>) in the inner areas of El Argar territory through lead-isotope and trace element analyses of geological copper ores, archaeometallurgical remains and copper-based artefacts. Results from 31 mineral and 35 archaeological samples suggest that the exploitation of copper resources in the studied region was significant and had a similar impact than other mining districts of El Argar territory. This, therefore, leads the hierarchical and centralised production model to be questioned. It also appears that the copper ore deposits in the coastal regions that were intensively exploited during the Copper Age were used less intensively in the El Argar period. At that time, copper was mostly procured from ore deposits in the inland areas of El Argar territory: that is, ore deposits within the Alpine orogeny hinterland (inland areas of the Betic Cordillera, from Granada to Baza). Other artefacts were sourced from outside the Alpine geological domain, but still on the fringe of El Argar territory (the foothills of the Sierra Morena-Linares mining district) or even from ore deposits definitely outside El Argar territory itself (the Los Pedroches Variscan region and elsewhere).</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22025","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142573873","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Site Formation Processes at Tinshemet Cave, Israel: Micro-Stratigraphy, Fire Use, and Cementation","authors":"Pedro García,&nbsp;Yossi Zaidner,&nbsp;Cristiano Nicosia,&nbsp;Ruth Shahack-Gross","doi":"10.1002/gea.22023","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22023","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recent excavations at the Middle Paleolithic site of Tinshemet Cave, Israel, showcase hominin burials and associated material culture that uniquely provide new information on hominin behavior in the south Levant around 120–100 ky ago. This study presents the site's stratigraphy in association with findings from sediment micromorphological analyses, shedding light on natural and anthropogenic site formation processes as well as human activities. Results indicate that two main types of sediment have been deposited—wood ash and reworked Terra Rossa soil—mixed to various degrees across the stratigraphic units. Hominin occupation started shortly after a partial roof collapse, intermittent with carnivore presence (Unit C). Hominin occupation increased and included the use of fire, flint knapping, cooking, and burial (Unit B), and increased even more (Unit A, Layer III) with more burials, intensive use of fire, cooking, knapping, trampling, and dumping. Anthropogenic sediments are largely cemented by secondary calcite that originates from recrystallized ash; however, intact hearths are absent due to syn- and postdepositional processes such as extensive bioturbation, cementation of the deposits, and trampling. Other postdepositional processes include fissuring and surface erosion. This study presents the importance of micromorphology to disentangle natural, anthropogenic, depositional, and postdepositional processes to better understand hominin behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22023","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142200721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Unveiling the distinctive geochemical signature of fine ware through Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes: A site-specific perspective from the site of Cales (South Italy)","authors":"Maria Verde,&nbsp;Alberto De Bonis,&nbsp;Massimo D'Antonio,&nbsp;Virginie Renson,&nbsp;Stephen Czujko,&nbsp;Antonella Tomeo,&nbsp;Vincenzo Morra","doi":"10.1002/gea.22021","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22021","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study explores the use of three isotopic systematics—Sr, Nd, and Pb— combined together for the first time to trace the origins of ancient pottery. This approach strengthens our ability to relate raw materials to the final products. The materials selected for the analysis are from a well-documented data set, previously subjected to a thorough mineralogical–petrographic and chemical characterization. Seventeen ceramic specimens represented by black-glazed pottery, Terra sigillata, and fine common ware as well as production indicators such as black-glazed pottery wasters and spacers were examined via isotope analyses. These samples were discovered in the archaeological site of Cales, presently Calvi Risorta, in South Italy. CaO-rich clay raw materials from the area of interest were also analyzed as comparative references for the investigated ceramics. The comparison of the archaeometric data of the ceramic samples with the clay raw materials showed an affinity between the ceramics studied and local clay raw materials belonging to Mio-Pliocene marine sediments from the Campania Apennine Mountain area. This affinity was more accurately defined through the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes, which show coinciding signatures among ceramic samples, production indicators, and raw materials. The method yields promising outcomes that reinforce prior experimental investigations and amplify its reliability. The multi-isotopic methodology highlights the significance of combining geochemical data to pinpoint the origins of raw materials used for ancient ceramic production.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22021","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141936437","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Examining the distribution of Middle Paleolithic Nubian cores relative to chert quality in southern (Nejd, Dhofar) and south-central (Duqm, Al Wusta) Oman","authors":"Metin I. Eren,&nbsp;Michelle R. Bebber,&nbsp;David Singer,&nbsp;Chloe Pearson,&nbsp;Joseph D. Ortiz,&nbsp;Briggs Buchanan,&nbsp;Amir Beshkani,&nbsp;Dominik Chlachula,&nbsp;Rudolf Dellmour,&nbsp;Roman Garba,&nbsp;Anthony E. Marks,&nbsp;Vitaly Usyk,&nbsp;Jeffrey I. Rose","doi":"10.1002/gea.22019","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22019","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Lithic raw material properties are often invoked to explain the presence, absence, form, or ontogeny of Paleolithic stone tools. Here, we explore whether the frequency of the Middle Paleolithic Nubian core form and core-reduction systems co-varies with toolstone quality in two neighboring regions in Oman: the southern region of Nejd, Dhofar, and the south-central region of Duqm, Al Wusta. Specifically, we predicted that if raw material differences were influencing the distribution of Nubian cores, the chert would be of higher quality in the southern region, where Nubian cores were frequent, and of lower quality in the south-central region, where they were scarce. We tested this prediction by collecting 124 chert samples from 22 outcrops and then quantitatively assessed two geochemical variables that are widely thought to influence knapping: impurity amount and silica content. We also examined the mineralogical composition, and the crystallite size and lattice strain for quartz (crystalline α-SiO₂) of representative chert samples. Our results suggest that the cherts in the two regions are similar, which is not consistent with the hypothesis that lithic raw material quality contributed to Nubian core spatial distribution in Oman. We discuss potential alternative hypotheses to explain Nubian core geographic patterning, and provisionally suggest that the scarcity of Nubian cores in south-central Oman may be due to a concomitant scarcity of toolmakers, given a lack of water availability.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22019","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141872579","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"A provenance investigation on Middle–Upper Paleolithic chipped chert tools from North Bosnia","authors":"Chatzimpaloglou Petros,&nbsp;Rajkovača Tonko,&nbsp;Pandžić Ivana","doi":"10.1002/gea.22020","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22020","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This study presents the results of a provenance study on Middle–Upper Paleolithic chert tools from North Bosnia. It is part of a larger geoarchaeological research dedicated to using interdisciplinary methodologies to collate and review the known Middle–Upper Paleolithic archaeological record of North Bosnia. Chert is a raw material commonly used in prehistory for tool crafting and this region is known to have abundant geological sources. However, there is a lack of detailed data, especially regarding the geochemical characteristics and composition of these sources. The Middle-Upper Paleolithic lithic assemblages found in North Bosnia are dominated by chert and there is an untested theory suggesting the exploitation of local sources. The presented research uses macroscopic examination and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to distinguish the different chert varieties and identify groups with specific geochemical characteristics/signatures in the assemblages. The field- and lab-based work suggests multiple sources but most importantly, presents strong evidence of chert tools having almost identical geochemical signatures with specific chert sources from North Bosnia. These are the first results confirming the exploitation of Indigenous chert sources and subsequently providing insights into hominan activity and raw-material networks during the Middle–Upper Paleolithic in the region.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22020","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141872580","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Non-destructively characterizing sandstones, orthoquartzites, agates, and petrified wood for provenance research: Perspectives from the Southeastern Coastal Plain, United States","authors":"Simon P. Sherman III,&nbsp;Ryan M. Parish,&nbsp;Youngsang Kwon,&nbsp;Steven Meredith,&nbsp;David Johnson","doi":"10.1002/gea.22018","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22018","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Siliceous sandstone (including quartzites), petrified wood, and agates located in Alabama and Mississippi were utilized as a toolstone resource during every recognized cultural period in the Lower Mississippi Valley region of the Southeastern United States. Regrettably, these materials have not been the focus of many provenance-related investigations. Recent analyses of quartzite and sandstone from other regions in North America and from the Pyrenees were successful in discriminating sources using petrographic techniques. The current study examines the application of visible/near-infrared reflectance and Fourier transform infrared reflectance (FTIR) spectroscopy on sourcing siliceous materials besides chert, particularly sandstones, orthoquartzites (quartz sandstone), petrified woods, and agates. This source characterization investigation focuses on a case study involving materials gathered from eight distinct collection sites, encompassing nine different siliceous resources collected in Alabama and Mississippi. These materials were sourced from two distinct geological formations: the Hattiesburg and Tallahatta. Results demonstrate the ability of non-destructive reflectance spectroscopy and introduces a new outlier modeling method that detects, clusters, and separately models outliers with their own set of basis vectors. Principal component analyses, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, linear discriminant function analysis (LDA), and random forest classification are used in this paper to better identify outlier elements as well as discriminate for stone materials accurately (between 67% and 100%). Although this is the first reflectance spectroscopy investigation used to characterize these materials for provenance applications, the preliminary results compare favorably with other provenance techniques whose aim is to quantify between-formation (inter) and within-formation (intra) outcrop variation. The quantified and differentiated sources, based on the hyperspectral signatures of the material, will provide a better understanding of prehistoric reliance on these lithic resources and produces a proxy to determine mobility, social interaction, and other past behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141771984","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Petrographic insight into the sourcing and production of pre-colonial Ceramics from Aruba","authors":"Simone Casale,&nbsp;Niels Groot,&nbsp;Raymundo A. C. F. Dijkhoff,&nbsp;Harold J. Kelly,&nbsp;Loe Jacobs,&nbsp;Patrick Degryse,&nbsp;Corinne L. Hofman","doi":"10.1002/gea.22017","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22017","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This research presents the findings of a petrographic analysis conducted on pre-colonial Ceramics from Aruba, focusing on understanding ceramic mineral resources and production. The study compared ceramics from nine sites with a selection of clay sources from the island. Petrographic analysis identified the existence of three different mineralogical compositions. Two groups of undecorated vessels were likely manufactured using locally sourced clay materials. Group 1 ceramics show a connection with the weathering of quartz-diorite intrusions in the northwest part of the island and suggest the exploitation of multiple, geographically close sources with similar compositions. Group 2 ceramics are related to clay sources found in the southeast of Aruba, with a mixed geological composition, including limestone, volcanic tuff and quartz-diorite. In contrast, Group 3 ceramics are mostly decorated and belong to the Early Urumaco Period. They display a distinct composition characterized by a calcareous matrix with clay pellets, clay streaks and the presence of shell fragments added as temper. The extensive clay preparation practice leaves uncertainties concerning the origin of ceramics from Group 3. The study also highlights clay selection and use patterns, indicating that different clay sources were interchangeably utilized by communities across Aruba.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22017","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141501097","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Operation and decline of the Barbegal mill complex, the largest industrial complex of antiquity","authors":"Cees W. Passchier,&nbsp;Gül Sürmelihindi,&nbsp;Pierre-Louis Viollet,&nbsp;Philippe Leveau,&nbsp;Christoph Spötl","doi":"10.1002/gea.22016","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22016","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Roman mill complex of Barbegal in France is the largest preindustrial structure in Europe. Carbonate incrustations that formed from water flowing through basins, over flumes and waterwheels of the mill complex are partly preserved. The largest carbonate fragments are derived from three wooden flumes that once served the wheels of three mills in a train of eight. The deposits formed from the same water as it moved down from mill to mill. The shape, microstratigraphy and stable isotope patterns of the deposits of each flume reveal a unique history of use for each mill during the last 8 years of operation until their final abandonment. The sidewall carbonate deposits of the flumes vary in shape due to differences in the slope of the flumes during operation, associated with different-size millwheels in different basins. At least one of the flumes must have been mobile and was uplifted to fit a millwheel of a different size. During 8 years, two millwheels were exchanged and one flume was taken out of action. Carbonate deposits from two flumes were subsequently reused for some unknown industrial purpose in a water basin, and one was later embedded as spolia in a building during late antiquity.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/gea.22016","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141528765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Provenance study of marble artifacts from the Berenike (Egypt) archaeological site based on petrographic and isotopic data","authors":"Maciej J. Bojanowski,&nbsp;Sara Mandera,&nbsp;Iwona Zych","doi":"10.1002/gea.22015","DOIUrl":"10.1002/gea.22015","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fragments of marble revetment and floor slabs as well as some broken statuary and vessels were recovered from the excavation of a Roman temple in the harbor town of Berenike on the Red Sea coast of Egypt. Petrographic analyses, including optical, cathodoluminescence, and scanning electron microscopy as well as isotopic analyses (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), were conducted to determine the provenance of the marble. The aim was to reconstruct the commercial ties that led to this prized building stone being brought to Berenike. Most, if not all, of the slabs are of banded gray to white marble showing properties indicative of a Prokonnesian origin. This marble, exploited on Marmara Island (Sea of Marmara, Turkey) and extensively utilized throughout the Mediterranean, including Egypt from at least the second century A.D., might have been procured from the marble depots in Alexandria. This could have involved engaging a team of Bithynian master craftsmen for the project, presumably to embellish the main temple of the city during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian. The statuary and vessel finds are composed of white marble representing several sources. Some coarse-grained specimens were surely extracted in Prokonnesos. For others, the source is uncertain and the likely candidates are Prokonnesos, Paros (Cyclades, Aegean Sea), and Ephesos (Aegean coast of Asia Minor). The fine-grained varieties represented high-quality Dokimian (Afyon region, Asia Minor) and most likely expensive Parian (<i>lychnites</i> type) marble. Marble from the ancient Gebel Rokham quarries in Egypt was also examined for comparison, but its properties have excluded this source in the case of the marble artifacts from Berenike analyzed in this work.</p>","PeriodicalId":55117,"journal":{"name":"Geoarchaeology-An International Journal","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141336388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}