Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

Eating escargot: seasonal terrestrial gastropod exploitation by forest foragers in the ethnoarchaeological record of Central Africa 吃蜗牛：中非民族考古记录中森林觅食者对季节性陆生腹足动物的利用

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-09-04 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z

Karen D. Lupo, Nicolette M. Edwards

{"title":"Eating escargot: seasonal terrestrial gastropod exploitation by forest foragers in the ethnoarchaeological record of Central Africa","authors":"Karen D. Lupo, Nicolette M. Edwards","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the prehistoric record, the presence of small-sized resources including gastropods is often viewed as a marker of increased dietary breadth, declining foraging efficiency and/or flexible subsistence patterns involving diversified foraging activities. However, researchers often find it difficult to distinguish natural gastropod accumulations from those created by anthropogenic processes. Here we report on the context, profitability and methods of the seasonal hand-collecting and processing of terrestrial gastropods based on the observations of contemporary Central African forest foragers. In this context, gastropods were exploited in response to temporary and seasonal reductions in the availability of meat and changes in labor demands that allowed women and children to engage in this activity. Analyses of faunal remains from a wet season encampment presented here shows how different kinds of gastropod processing are reflected in the ethnoarchaeological record. These analyses validate several of the characteristics currently used by archaeologists to identify anthropogenic gastropod assemblages. Overall, the degree of burning, specimen completeness, and spatial distribution of snail shells parallels that of other small-sized fauna. Some characteristics, such as shell completeness and spatial association, can reflect different preparation techniques that, in this case, may be indicators of ethnic identity and site clean-up activities. These data also have implications for how terrestrial gastropod consumption might be reflected in other kinds of archaeological evidence. The example discussed here can serve as a model to help archaeologists distinguish diversified seasonal foraging from larger-scale dietary shifts.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02560-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148878142","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}

引用次数: 0

Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity Teixoneres洞穴（西班牙巴塞罗那，亚单位IIIb）小型猎物遗骸的语言特征：人类和食肉动物活动的分离

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-28 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w

Goizane Alonso, Anna Rufà, Florent Rivals, Jordi Rosell, Ruth Blasco

{"title":"Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity","authors":"Goizane Alonso, Anna Rufà, Florent Rivals, Jordi Rosell, Ruth Blasco","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The interaction between Neanderthals and their environment has long been a subject of interest. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the hunting and processing by Middle Paleolithic human groups. The exploitation of resources provided by small animals, such as leporids and birds, is considered an important aspect for understanding the complex relationships between these hominins and the surrounding environment. For this reason, numerous studies have focused on identifying anthropogenic patterns related to small game processing. However, human groups are not the only contributors to bone accumulations, as mammalian carnivores and birds of prey are also common predators of small animals. In this work, the avian and leporid assemblage from sub-unit IIIb of Teixoneres Cave (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) was analysed. The results indicate a mixed contribution of non-human agents, probably red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) and eagle owl (<i>Bubo bubo</i>), together with human activity. Carnivore damage was identified through mechanical modifications and digestive modifications and is quantitatively more significant than the anthropogenic evidence, which is mainly represented by cut marks and burnt bones. Although most burnt bones appear to result from waste-cleaning activities or accidental exposure to fire, cooking activities cannot be ruled out. The exploitation of small prey by Neanderthals and their use of fire are undoubtedly important topics that deserve further investigation. Future research will help to clarify these issues and expand our understanding of the implications of small game exploitation for dietary diversification and the hunting strategies employed by Neanderthal groups.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838398","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}

引用次数: 0

Differentiated provisioning in a mobile royal camp: zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence from Houmingzi, a locality within a Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex, Northeast China 移动皇家营地的分化供给：辽金泉纳泊遗址群侯明子的动物考古和稳定同位素证据

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-28 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6

Wuyu Zhou, Yuanyuan Chen, Shu Wang, Zongyu Li, Yunxin Fu, Enxue Feng, Chunxue Wang, Song Wu

{"title":"Differentiated provisioning in a mobile royal camp: zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence from Houmingzi, a locality within a Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex, Northeast China","authors":"Wuyu Zhou, Yuanyuan Chen, Shu Wang, Zongyu Li, Yunxin Fu, Enxue Feng, Chunxue Wang, Song Wu","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mobile royal camps concentrated political activity and consumption while remaining spatially separated from much of the production that sustained them, making their provisioning systems difficult to reconstruct archaeologically. The Houmingzi locality of the Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex in western Jilin, Northeast China, provides a rare context for examining how animal resources entered and were used within such a mobile political center. This study integrates zooarchaeological analysis, bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data, and AMS radiocarbon dating. The assemblage is dominated by domestic mammals, particularly cattle, sheep, and horses, while mortality profiles and carcass-processing traces indicate taxon-specific patterns of use and consumption. The analyzed wild fauna provide only a limited but broadly C₃-oriented local isotopic reference. Sheep show a comparatively narrow δ¹³C range, whereas cattle, horses, and pigs display marked intraspecific variation, indicating differentiated pre-death feeding histories. Together with the seasonal and environmentally constrained lake-margin setting, these results suggest that Houmingzi functioned as a point of concentration and consumption receiving animals from more than one ecological or management background. Although specific origins and supply channels remain unresolved, the evidence reveals the material expression of differentiated animal provisioning at an individual mobile royal encampment and provides archaeological support for the multi-channel supply framework documented in historical sources.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838314","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}

引用次数: 0

Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity Teixoneres洞穴（西班牙巴塞罗那，亚单位IIIb）小型猎物遗骸的语言特征：人类和食肉动物活动的分离

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-28 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w

Goizane Alonso, Anna Rufà, Florent Rivals, Jordi Rosell, Ruth Blasco

{"title":"Taphonomic signatures on small prey remains from Teixoneres cave (Barcelona, Spain, sub-unit IIIb): disentangling human and carnivore activity","authors":"Goizane Alonso, Anna Rufà, Florent Rivals, Jordi Rosell, Ruth Blasco","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02539-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The interaction between Neanderthals and their environment has long been a subject of interest. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the hunting and processing by Middle Paleolithic human groups. The exploitation of resources provided by small animals, such as leporids and birds, is considered an important aspect for understanding the complex relationships between these hominins and the surrounding environment. For this reason, numerous studies have focused on identifying anthropogenic patterns related to small game processing. However, human groups are not the only contributors to bone accumulations, as mammalian carnivores and birds of prey are also common predators of small animals. In this work, the avian and leporid assemblage from sub-unit IIIb of Teixoneres Cave (northeastern Iberian Peninsula) was analysed. The results indicate a mixed contribution of non-human agents, probably red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) and eagle owl (<i>Bubo bubo</i>), together with human activity. Carnivore damage was identified through mechanical modifications and digestive modifications and is quantitatively more significant than the anthropogenic evidence, which is mainly represented by cut marks and burnt bones. Although most burnt bones appear to result from waste-cleaning activities or accidental exposure to fire, cooking activities cannot be ruled out. The exploitation of small prey by Neanderthals and their use of fire are undoubtedly important topics that deserve further investigation. Future research will help to clarify these issues and expand our understanding of the implications of small game exploitation for dietary diversification and the hunting strategies employed by Neanderthal groups.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838385","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}

引用次数: 0

Differentiated provisioning in a mobile royal camp: zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence from Houmingzi, a locality within a Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex, Northeast China 移动皇家营地的分化供给：辽金泉纳泊遗址群侯明子的动物考古和稳定同位素证据

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-28 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6

Wuyu Zhou, Yuanyuan Chen, Shu Wang, Zongyu Li, Yunxin Fu, Enxue Feng, Chunxue Wang, Song Wu

{"title":"Differentiated provisioning in a mobile royal camp: zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence from Houmingzi, a locality within a Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex, Northeast China","authors":"Wuyu Zhou, Yuanyuan Chen, Shu Wang, Zongyu Li, Yunxin Fu, Enxue Feng, Chunxue Wang, Song Wu","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02559-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mobile royal camps concentrated political activity and consumption while remaining spatially separated from much of the production that sustained them, making their provisioning systems difficult to reconstruct archaeologically. The Houmingzi locality of the Liao–Jin spring nabo site complex in western Jilin, Northeast China, provides a rare context for examining how animal resources entered and were used within such a mobile political center. This study integrates zooarchaeological analysis, bone collagen carbon and nitrogen isotope data, and AMS radiocarbon dating. The assemblage is dominated by domestic mammals, particularly cattle, sheep, and horses, while mortality profiles and carcass-processing traces indicate taxon-specific patterns of use and consumption. The analyzed wild fauna provide only a limited but broadly C₃-oriented local isotopic reference. Sheep show a comparatively narrow δ¹³C range, whereas cattle, horses, and pigs display marked intraspecific variation, indicating differentiated pre-death feeding histories. Together with the seasonal and environmentally constrained lake-margin setting, these results suggest that Houmingzi functioned as a point of concentration and consumption receiving animals from more than one ecological or management background. Although specific origins and supply channels remain unresolved, the evidence reveals the material expression of differentiated animal provisioning at an individual mobile royal encampment and provides archaeological support for the multi-channel supply framework documented in historical sources.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838388","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}

引用次数: 0

Pottery-forming practices in the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture of eastern Bohemia: CT-based analysis of technological variability at the microregional scale 早期青铜器时代的陶器成型实践Únětice东波西米亚文化：基于ct的微区域尺度技术变动性分析

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-27 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02553-y

Richard Thér, Michaela Kosová, Eva Schimerová

{"title":"Pottery-forming practices in the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture of eastern Bohemia: CT-based analysis of technological variability at the microregional scale","authors":"Richard Thér, Michaela Kosová, Eva Schimerová","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02553-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02553-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates pottery-forming practices in the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture of eastern Bohemia, focusing on technological variability at the microregional scale. The analysed assemblage comprises vessels and vessel fragments from four sites in the Hradec Králové region, including cemetery and settlement contexts and both earlier and later phases of Únětice occupation. The research focused on comparing technological procedures across two chronological phases of settlement in the region, as well as on differences in the approaches to forming vessel parts and types. The study combines non-destructive computed tomography, section-based structural evaluation and 3D quantitative analysis of pore orientation. Non-planar parallel sections following vessel-wall curvature are assessed together with radial sections, allowing structural patterns to be related to constructional segment placement and transformation. The results show that coil building overwhelmingly dominates the assemblage, while slab building is rare and mainly associated with jars. Variability within the dominant coil-based tradition is expressed mainly in the degree of segment transformation. The strongest patterning relates to vessel parts rather than vessel types: necks show the clearest technological differentiation, mid-bodies more often preserve horizontally organised structures, and lower bodies frequently show stronger transformation and continuity with the base. The study demonstrates the importance of treating individual vessel parts as analytically meaningful units and highlights the potential of detailed investigation of variants within basic pottery-forming techniques.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838273","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}

引用次数: 0

Hidden in the clay. Unveiling the tradition of handmade pottery in Roman Thrace through an integrated analytical approach 藏在泥土里。通过综合分析方法揭示罗马色雷斯手工陶器的传统

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-27 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0

Petra Tušlová, Silvia Amicone, Veronika Brychová, Richard Thér, Noémi S. Müller, Karolína Králová, Martina Kohoutková, Evangelia Kiriatzi

{"title":"Hidden in the clay. Unveiling the tradition of handmade pottery in Roman Thrace through an integrated analytical approach","authors":"Petra Tušlová, Silvia Amicone, Veronika Brychová, Richard Thér, Noémi S. Müller, Karolína Králová, Martina Kohoutková, Evangelia Kiriatzi","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Handmade pottery is among the most enduring yet least understood ceramic traditions of Roman Thrace. Long regarded as a simple household craft and primarily interpreted as a marker of local “Thracian” identity, it has rarely been examined as a dynamic cultural practice. To address this gap, this study adopts an integrated multidisciplinary approach to investigate handmade pottery from rural settlements along the Tundzha River in the Roman province of Thrace, focusing on its production, circulation, and use. Petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical analyses identified three distinct ceramic fabrics linked to local clay sources, enabling the reconstruction of regional production zones. Each settlement yielded both locally produced and imported vessels, demonstrating the coexistence of localized production and regional pottery circulation. Notably, all imported vessels originated from the same area of Monastery Heights, approximately 40 km away. Micro-CT analysis of representative samples from all three ceramic fabrics revealed a shared sequential slab-building technique and two interchangeable methods of handle attachment, indicating a common technological tradition across the region. Together, the evidence points to small-scale, decentralized ceramic production based on locally available raw materials. Organic residue analysis indicates that the vessels were primarily used for storing and preparation of animal meat and/or fat, while the presence of beeswax suggests deliberate surface coating. Collectively, these findings reveal a resilient regional craft tradition that persisted within the Roman provincial landscape and indicate that the regional circulation of these vessels was driven by their specialized function.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838135","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}

引用次数: 0

Pottery-forming practices in the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture of eastern Bohemia: CT-based analysis of technological variability at the microregional scale 早期青铜器时代的陶器成型实践Únětice东波西米亚文化：基于ct的微区域尺度技术变动性分析

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-27 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02553-y

Richard Thér, Michaela Kosová, Eva Schimerová

{"title":"Pottery-forming practices in the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture of eastern Bohemia: CT-based analysis of technological variability at the microregional scale","authors":"Richard Thér, Michaela Kosová, Eva Schimerová","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02553-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02553-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates pottery-forming practices in the Early Bronze Age Únětice culture of eastern Bohemia, focusing on technological variability at the microregional scale. The analysed assemblage comprises vessels and vessel fragments from four sites in the Hradec Králové region, including cemetery and settlement contexts and both earlier and later phases of Únětice occupation. The research focused on comparing technological procedures across two chronological phases of settlement in the region, as well as on differences in the approaches to forming vessel parts and types. The study combines non-destructive computed tomography, section-based structural evaluation and 3D quantitative analysis of pore orientation. Non-planar parallel sections following vessel-wall curvature are assessed together with radial sections, allowing structural patterns to be related to constructional segment placement and transformation. The results show that coil building overwhelmingly dominates the assemblage, while slab building is rare and mainly associated with jars. Variability within the dominant coil-based tradition is expressed mainly in the degree of segment transformation. The strongest patterning relates to vessel parts rather than vessel types: necks show the clearest technological differentiation, mid-bodies more often preserve horizontally organised structures, and lower bodies frequently show stronger transformation and continuity with the base. The study demonstrates the importance of treating individual vessel parts as analytically meaningful units and highlights the potential of detailed investigation of variants within basic pottery-forming techniques.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838136","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}

引用次数: 0

Hidden in the clay. Unveiling the tradition of handmade pottery in Roman Thrace through an integrated analytical approach 藏在泥土里。通过综合分析方法揭示罗马色雷斯手工陶器的传统

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-27 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0

Petra Tušlová, Silvia Amicone, Veronika Brychová, Richard Thér, Noémi S. Müller, Karolína Králová, Martina Kohoutková, Evangelia Kiriatzi

{"title":"Hidden in the clay. Unveiling the tradition of handmade pottery in Roman Thrace through an integrated analytical approach","authors":"Petra Tušlová, Silvia Amicone, Veronika Brychová, Richard Thér, Noémi S. Müller, Karolína Králová, Martina Kohoutková, Evangelia Kiriatzi","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Handmade pottery is among the most enduring yet least understood ceramic traditions of Roman Thrace. Long regarded as a simple household craft and primarily interpreted as a marker of local “Thracian” identity, it has rarely been examined as a dynamic cultural practice. To address this gap, this study adopts an integrated multidisciplinary approach to investigate handmade pottery from rural settlements along the Tundzha River in the Roman province of Thrace, focusing on its production, circulation, and use. Petrographic, mineralogical, and chemical analyses identified three distinct ceramic fabrics linked to local clay sources, enabling the reconstruction of regional production zones. Each settlement yielded both locally produced and imported vessels, demonstrating the coexistence of localized production and regional pottery circulation. Notably, all imported vessels originated from the same area of Monastery Heights, approximately 40 km away. Micro-CT analysis of representative samples from all three ceramic fabrics revealed a shared sequential slab-building technique and two interchangeable methods of handle attachment, indicating a common technological tradition across the region. Together, the evidence points to small-scale, decentralized ceramic production based on locally available raw materials. Organic residue analysis indicates that the vessels were primarily used for storing and preparation of animal meat and/or fat, while the presence of beeswax suggests deliberate surface coating. Collectively, these findings reveal a resilient regional craft tradition that persisted within the Roman provincial landscape and indicate that the regional circulation of these vessels was driven by their specialized function.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02543-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148838137","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}

引用次数: 0

Reconstructing a metallurgical chaîne opératoire: a case study of the dapo iron metallurgical site in Guangxi, China 重建一个冶金cha5 - ne opsamatoire：以广西大坡铁冶炼厂为例

IF 2 2区地球科学

Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences Pub Date : 2026-08-26 DOI: 10.1007/s12520-026-02551-0

Guisen Zou, Zhangwang Meng

{"title":"Reconstructing a metallurgical chaîne opératoire: a case study of the dapo iron metallurgical site in Guangxi, China","authors":"Guisen Zou, Zhangwang Meng","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02551-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02551-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Guangxi, a southern border region linking southern China and Southeast Asia, provides a valuable setting for examining the spread of early metallurgical technologies. Although numerous studies have been conducted on smelting technology in the region, none have reconstructed the operational sequence of metallurgical production. The Houbeishan Site in Wuzhou City preserves abundant metallurgical remains and production features, providing important evidence for reconstructing the metallurgical chaînes opératoires. Radiocarbon dating indicate that the site dates to ca. 340 AD–560 AD. To identify technical practices at the site, we analysed slag and two iron knives using a scanning electron microscope coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS) and metallographic microscopy. Based on the morphological characteristics of the slag and the two furnaces discovered at the site, we preliminarily determined that the small-shaft furnace functioned as a bloomery iron-smelting furnace, whereas the bowl furnace was used for forging. The analyses show that craftspeople at Houbeishan smelted bloomery iron and used it as the primary feedstock for forging and forming. By integrating archaeometallurgical research with evidence from the excavation of metallurgical remains, we present a preliminary ‘chaîne opératoire’ for the site. This chaînes offers a foundation for deeper investigation of early iron smelting and working practices, facilitates more systematic comparisons among ancient metallurgical sites, and provides new evidence for the development and transmission of metallurgical technology between southern China and Southeast Asia.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148837954","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}

引用次数: 0