Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Selection of raw material through the history of pottery production in Istria (Croatia): social implications of paste variability","authors":"Andreja Kudelić,&nbsp;Natali Neral","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02182-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02182-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the pottery production traditions of Istria, a historically significant region on the northern Adriatic, known for its continuous ceramic practices from prehistoric times through the 20th century. The research focuses on the variability in clay selection and paste-processing techniques at four sites in eastern Istria—Rakalj, Old Rakalj, Šiljar, and Saint Theodore—spanning different historical periods, from the Early Bronze Age to the Late Medieval period, including traditional pottery practices of the 20th century. By applying a multi-analytical approach (optical microscopy, XRPD, ICP-ES, and ICP-MS), the study aims to assess the extent to which pottery raw material choices were influenced by broader technological and social dynamics in the region. The findings indicate that pottery production was largely shaped by environmental factors, with a clear preference for locally sourced materials, such as terra rossa, and specific tempers, including calcite and grog. While the use of local resources predominated, evidence of non-local clays suggests active trade networks, particularly during the Bronze Age. Variations in material use across different periods reflect shifts in technological traditions and broader social changes, although core practices—such as the use of calcite as a temper—persisted over millennia. These results highlight the resilience of traditional pottery practices in Istria and offer insights into the region’s socio-cultural homogenity amid shifting historical contexts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143455648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Did early medieval people living around the Venetian Lagoon heavily rely on fish? A re-interpretation of the isotopic data published by Battistel et al. (2024)","authors":"Marcello A. Mannino","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02179-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02179-6","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143455672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mineral beads of the formative period (3500 − 1000 BP) in the atacama desert: an archeometrical and regional approach","authors":"Marcela Sepúlveda,&nbsp;Benjamín Ballester,&nbsp;José Cárcamo-Vega,&nbsp;Sebastián Gutiérrez,&nbsp;Francisco Gallardo","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02184-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02184-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Lapidary and bead production were two of the main related and direct practices of ancient mining activity that developed in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. Despite acknowledging the richness of mineralogy in the region and macroscopically observing a great diversity of beads in terms of color, few studies have addressed their physical-chemical characterization to specify and accurately identify the nature of the minerals used for their production. This work synthesizes all previous analytical studies of mineral beads in the Atacama Desert and Northwestern Argentina, two closely related regions with demonstrated cultural interactions. Afterward, we precise the mineralogy of a large set of beads from archaeological contexts associated with the Formative Period (3500 − 1000 cal. BP) from different localities in the north of Chile. We described 132 mineral beads of various colors (blue, green, white, black, and ochre) and used, for the first time, Raman spectroscopy as a non-destructive technique to precise the mineralogy of 84 of them. Based on the physical-chemical characterization and spatial distribution from five different localities of the region, we confirm the wide variety of minerals used in their production and their importance in the economic interactions occurring during the Formative Period.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143438703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Innovative approach to the verification of the alleged pregnancy and cancer in the Warsaw mummy: international case study with extended research","authors":"Kamila Braulińska,&nbsp;Fabio Cavalli,&nbsp;Mislav Čavka,&nbsp;Fabrice Dedouit,&nbsp;Patrick Eppenberger,&nbsp;Dorota Ignatowicz-Woźniakowska,&nbsp;Łukasz Kownacki,&nbsp;Maria Kurpik,&nbsp;Robert D. Loynes,&nbsp;Andrew Nelson,&nbsp;Stephanie Panzer,&nbsp;Sahar Saleem,&nbsp;Katherine Van Schaik,&nbsp;Albert Zink","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02145-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-024-02145-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The collective international case study of a mummy presented in this paper is to our knowledge the first of its kind. At its core is an independent reassessment, by acknowledged professionals, of radiological material from a mummified woman (now in Warsaw) who had been claimed to have been pregnant and suffering from a neoplastic condition. Despite two studies dismissing these claims on scientific grounds, both the pregnancy and the cancer theories were repeated and sustained, overwhelming any opposing opinions in the matter. A media sensation only contributed to this. Using a cloud-based platform, the participants reexamined the original radiological data, responding to a survey questionnaire prepared for the purpose. Their independent responses consistently upheld the absence of any indications of either a fetus or cancer in the subject of study. The joint case study also provided opportunity for additional individual analysis of the last points raised by the authors of the pregnancy theory, which were dismissed as well. However, efforts at a comprehensive explanation of the pelvic contents, involving identification of the inserted material, did not prove conclusive and will be continued. Addressing issues of responsible science, a part of this study atypically concerns the role of popular media, which in this particular case affected even the scientific approach, not to mention public reception. The study is another strong call for an interdisciplinary approach in bioarchaeology, particularly in mummy studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143446373","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Scientific investigation of the 20th century bronze bell in Asyut, Egypt: insight into materials, chemical composition and preservation status","authors":"Niazy Mostafa Mohamed,&nbsp;Mohammed Samir Elmetwaly","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02167-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02167-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This research presents an historical background and an analytical and study of a bell dating back to the 20th century, currently located at Al Salam Modern School, an ancient school, formerly known as the American College in Asyut, Egypt, which was established during the period between 1901 and 1909. The bell consists of metal parts (Bowl, Yoke, Standards, Clapper, Clevis Bolt, Toller, and Bearing) and wooden parts (Base or Frame and Wheel). These components were studied and analyzed using microscopic examination, Portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF) Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Visual and microscopic examination revealed the presence of corrosion products on the surface of the bell and its metal parts, bird droppings, embrittlement of the wood structure, fiber breakage, and accumulation of dust. The bell’s wooden parts were identified as oak using a light microscope. The body of the bell itself was analyzed using p-XRF and EDX, which revealed that the alloy used for its making is mainly composed of copper and tin, known as tin-bronze alloy. XRD analysis was used to identify the corrosion products on the surface of the bronze bell as well as the corrosion products of the parts made of iron. The results revealed that the corrosion products formed on the bell surface are Nantokite, Paratacamite, Atacamite, Brochantite, Antlerite, Cassiterite and Gypsum, while the rust products on the iron parts are Magnetite, Hematite, Goethite, Akaganeite, Lepidocrocite and Gypsum. FTIR analysis of the wooden parts of the bell showed the embrittlement and the decomposition of hemicellulose and lignin. This analysis also showed that the paints used in painting the wooden parts is a local paint known as ARTEX (Pachin). </p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-025-02167-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143431013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"On bootstrapping, data overfitting and crocodiles: an additional comment to McPherron et al. (2022)","authors":"Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo,&nbsp;Enrique Baquedano","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02183-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02183-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Quaternary hominin-carnivore interactions is taphonomically reconstructed best through the use of bone surface modifications (BSM). This study examines redundancy in an experimental dataset of potentially similar BSM created by crocodile tooth-marking, sedimentary trampling and stone tool cut marking (Domínguez-Rodrigo and Baquedano in Sci Rep 8:5786, 2018). The original analysis of this experimental set, aiming to confidently classify the three types of BSM, was criticized by some authors (McPherron et al. in J Hum Evol 164:103071, 2022) insinuating that the analysis was flawed by a potential methodological overfitting caused by the improper use of bootstrap. A subsequent response to that critique (Abellán et al. in Geobios Memoire Special. 72–73, 12–21, 2022) showed that there was no difference in the results between using the raw data and the bootstrapped data. It was argued that structural co-variance and redundancy of the categorical dataset was responsible for the highly accurate models; however, this was never empirically demonstrated. Here, we show how the original experimental dataset is saturated with redundancy. Our analysis revealed that, out of 633 cases, only 116 were unique (18.3%) in the complete dataset, 45 unique cases (7.1%) in the intrinsic variable dataset, and just four unique cases (0.63%) in the three-variable dataset (accounting for most of the sample variance). Redundancy, therefore, ranged from 81.7% to over 99%. Machine learning analysis using Random Forest (RF) and C5.0 algorithms on the datasets demonstrated high accuracy with the raw data (90-98%). Proper bootstrapping yielded nearly identical accuracy (88-98%), while improper bootstrapping slightly reduced accuracy (86-98%) and introduced some degree of underfitting. This underscores that the potential biasing effects of bootstrapping differ between numerical and categorical datasets, especially on those with low dimensionality and low cardinality, in situations of feature interdependence and covariance. A complementary approach, consisting of an iterative data partitioning method through train-test resampling reproduced the results derived from the bootstrapped samples. The understanding of these methodological processes is essential to an adequate application of these experimental models to the fossil record.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-025-02183-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143430970","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Solving the puzzle of neanderthal occupations: a reassessment of temporal indicators of occupation duration","authors":"Valentina Lubrano,&nbsp;Anna Rufà,&nbsp;Ruth Blasco,&nbsp;Florent Rivals,&nbsp;Jordi Rosell","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02163-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02163-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The identification of the duration of Neanderthal occupations is a tricky topic by the palimpsest nature of archaeological assemblages. This study explores the challenges associated with distinguishing between long and short-term occupations, using qualitative and quantitative data from relevant archaeological sites in the Late Middle Palaeolithic in Spain and south-eastern France. We highlight the proposed occupation models and their specific characteristics, considering the heterogeneity of archaeological evidence and the limitations of current methodologies. The article offers a reassessment of the topic, critically analysing the current indicators used to determine the duration of Neanderthal occupations. Furthermore, we discuss the complexity in defining the concepts of short and long-term occupation, emphasising the need for a multidisciplinary approach to fully understand the complexity of the practices of the Late Neanderthals. </p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-025-02163-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143423019","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Archaeology, chronology, and sedimentological context of the youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage from Jebel Faya, United Arab Emirates","authors":"Knut Bretzke,&nbsp;Frank Preusser,&nbsp;Kira Raith,&nbsp;Gareth Preston,&nbsp;Seolmin Kim,&nbsp;Sabah Jasim,&nbsp;Eisa Yousif,&nbsp;Adrian G. Parker","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02164-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02164-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Due to the scarcity of stratified and well-dated archaeological horizons, diachronic as well as spatial patterns of Pleistocene lithic traditions are not very well understood in Arabia. To contribute to this topic, we present new archaeological, sedimentological and chronological data from archaeological horizon II (AH II), the stratigraphically youngest Middle Palaeolithic assemblage at Jebel Faya, Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. Results of optically stimulated luminescence dating reveal that AH II was deposited about 80 ka ago at the end of Marine Isotope Stage 5 (MIS 5). The lithic assemblage shows a preference for elongated flakes and blades produced predominantly by bidirectional methods, both Levallois and non-Levallois. The few tools feature simple retouch often forming denticulated edges. Contemporaneous assemblages from Arabia are rare and show distinct technological characteristics, including a preference for the production of flakes with ovoid and triangular morphologies from centripetal as well as unidirectional convergent and bidirectional convergent Levallois methods. These differences indicate that traditions in the production of stone tool blanks follow distinct trajectories north and south of the Rub al-Khali desert at the termination of the MIS 5 humid period.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-025-02164-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388762","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Chemical analysis of the 5th and 12th century metal doors in the Lateran, Rome","authors":"Marianne Mödlinger,&nbsp;M. Fera,&nbsp;J. Utz","doi":"10.1007/s12520-025-02165-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-025-02165-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>For the first time, the three bronze doors of the Lateran Baptistery and Cloister of the Archbasilica of St John Lateran in Rome have been studied to determine their chemical composition and to obtain further information about their manufacture. The doors studied include two made at the end of the twelfth century by Pietro and Uberto from Piacenza, Italy, and one made by an unknown master in the fifth century. This door now leads to the Oratory of St John the Baptist in the Lateran Baptistery. One of the 12th-century doors is now in the Chapel of St. John the Evangelist, and the second 12th-century door is in the cloister of the Archbasilica. High-resolution photographic documentation and a 3D model of one of the door wings complete the detailed documentation of the three medieval doors. The chemical analysis of the doors permits a detailed reconstruction of the alloys used in their manufacture. All doors were made of leaded tin bronze, and the resulting data provides a valuable contribution to the history of their construction and the processes employed in their manufacture.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-025-02165-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388864","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"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":"Multi-isotopic evidence reveals the emergence of a cosmopolitan community at the Luistari cemetery in Eura, Finland, during the early Medieval period (600–1130 CE)","authors":"Alžběta Danielisová,&nbsp;Ulla Nordfors,&nbsp;Samuel Kertes,&nbsp;Anna Wessman,&nbsp;Lukáš Ackerman,&nbsp;Markku Oinonen,&nbsp;Heli Etu-Sihvola,&nbsp;Laura Arppe","doi":"10.1007/s12520-024-02147-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-024-02147-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines the role of the Eura region as a nexus linking the inland with Baltic Sea trade routes. Luistari cemetery, spanning from the early Merovingian to Medieval periods, provides key insights into South-Western Finland’s socio-economic structure and communication networks. Despite its significance, this burial community’s chronological dynamics and regional role remain poorly understood. Using multi-isotopic evidence contextualised with archaeological data, this research explores mobility and subsistence patterns among Luistari’s population. By delineating the bioavailable strontium range in the Eura region, the study assesses the local burial community’s mobility dynamics across various chronological phases. Identification of long- and short-distance migrants, discerned through strontium and carbon isotopes in conjunction with archaeological context, enhances understanding of Luistari within the regional and Circum-Baltic framework. Multi-isotopic evidence further aids in grasping local development within environmental and climatic contexts. Analysis of the strontium isotopic data patterns, combined with carbon and nitrogen, sheds light on settlement locations and subsistence strategies of the Luistari population. Notable transformations during the Viking I period (800–880 CE), marked by the establishment of a “founding” community, and shifts in dietary and migratory patterns in periods V II-III (880–1000 CE), indicate stabilisation of the local socio-economic conditions. Period V IV (1000–1070 CE) reveals connections, both maritime and continental, as the local community integrates into long-distance communication networks. The Final Period (1070–1130 CE) then shows only limited signs of mobility. The data suggest varied mobility patterns over the long-term development of the local community coupled with visibly changing subsistence strategies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"17 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-024-02147-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143361934","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}