Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Old habits die hard: evidence of osteomalacia in two Dominican cloistered nuns from the monastery of Santa Catalina de Siena (Cuenca, Spain)","authors":"Álvaro M. Monge Calleja,&nbsp;Nataša Šarkić","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02496-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02496-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Osteomalacia remains rarely identified in paleopathology despite its characteristic skeletal manifestations. Cloistered religious communities constitute a high-risk context as older age, extensive body covering, indoor confinement, and periodic fasting collectively reduce cutaneous vitamin D synthesis and dietary intake. This study presents the skeletal remains of two nuns recovered from the Dominican convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in Belmonte (Cuenca, Spain), dating respectively to the 16th-18th and 19th-20th centuries, and evaluates skeletal macro- and micro-topographic structure consistent with osteomalacia. Individual Sk.#23 (40–59 years) exhibits pseudofractures in typical locations (costal transverse processes, scapular spine, ribs), femoral neck non-union, and <i>coxa vara</i> deformity. Individual Sk.#2413 (&gt; 60 years) presents an actively remodeling scapular lesion with disorganized callus formation and distal ulnar proliferation, both suggestive of metabolic bone weakness, although diagnostic certainty is limited by incomplete preservation. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) analysis of a rib pseudofracture from Sk.#23 reveal porous, disorganized callus topography and reduced mineral content, supporting defective osteoid mineralization. Although genetic forms of osteomalacia were not discarded, the cloistered lifestyle supports a dietary mediated rather than hereditary etiology. These findings expand the documented temporal and geographic range of osteomalacia in European monastic settings and underscore the value of integrating macroscopic, microstructural, and compositional analysis for diagnosing metabolic bone disease in archaeological remains.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02496-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147830188","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":"Comparative micro-XRF study of objects from the Hungarian conquest period of Hajdú-Bihar County, Hungary","authors":"Boglárka Döncző,&nbsp;Marianna Bálint,&nbsp;Barbara Kolozsi,&nbsp;Tamara Hága,&nbsp;Zsófia Kertész,&nbsp;Zita Szikszai","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02491-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02491-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In recent years, material composition analysis has become increasingly important in evaluating finds from the Hungarian Conquest period in the Carpathian Basin. As a result, compositional data for around 300 items is now available, primarily in Hungarian-language publications. Our goal is to introduce this field to an international audience. Previous studies focused on individual graves, cemeteries, or sites. During the preparation of a summary volume on Hajdú-Bihar County finds, the idea of compiling results in a database and supplementing them with additional measurements emerged. In order to have representative results from the entire area, artefacts from various micro-regions were selected for analysis. Surface images were captured with a 3D microscope, and elemental composition was analyzed using a micro-XRF instrument. The research found a correlation between the function of the artefacts and their elemental composition, supporting traditional classifications.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02491-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147830189","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":"The function of pottery Gui during the Neolithic Age in China: the multi-analytical studies of calcified deposits on the pottery vessels at the site of Tonglin","authors":"Yunan Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02497-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02497-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><i>Gui</i> is a typical pottery type during the Neolithic Age in China and the structure of <i>Gui</i> has been considered to be convenient for boiling. The symbolic significance of <i>Gui</i> in ritual activities has been emphasised. However, its uses associated with food processing are unclear. Calcified deposits have been observed on the inner surface of pottery <i>Gui</i> and some were suspected as water scales formed during the boiling of water. In this study, multi-analytical approaches including scanning electron microscope, X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, infrared spectrometry, Raman spectrometry, carbon and oxygen isotope, lipid and protein analysis were conducted to reveal the compositions of calcified deposits on the pottery <i>Gui</i> and other vessels at the end Neolithic site of Tonglin in China. The analytical results showed that the calcified deposits are composed of two crystal structures of calcium carbonate, calcite and aragonite. Plant residues including plant oils, millet and fruit lipid biomarkers, were detected in the water scale deposits, as well as animal bone remains, indicating the diversified uses of <i>Gui</i> for food processing. The multiple functions of <i>Gui</i> may facilitate the formation of its ritual symbolic significance in China.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827695","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":"Stranded in Novo Mesto: compositional analysis of prehistoric beads from Lower Carniola, Slovenia","authors":"A. Franjić,&nbsp;I. C. Freestone,&nbsp;D. Günther,&nbsp;P. Stipančić,&nbsp;B. Križ,&nbsp;M. Novič,&nbsp;H. Potrebica,&nbsp;P. Degryse","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02430-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02430-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Excavations at Novo Mesto have yielded one of the most abundant assemblages of prehistoric glass beads in Europe, leading to speculation about the existence of local glass workshops in the area, and suggestions that they produced primary glass. In the first comprehensive compositional study of prehistoric glass from Novo Mesto, forty-nine samples (91 individual glasses) dating from Late Bronze Age to Late Iron Age were analysed by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). A range of primary glass types were detected, attributable to Levantine, Egyptian and Mesopotamian origins and paralleled in other prehistoric assemblages. Therefore, despite the retrieval of exceptionally high amounts of glass and the presence of sands in the vicinity which have been used in modern glassworking, there is no evidence for the local production of raw glass. Evidence for recycling, along with the combination of glass of diverse origins in single beads and typological considerations suggest the presence of secondary workshops in the territory, which made a substantial contribution to the rich Novo Mesto assemblage. The import of finished products however cannot be dismissed and indeed may have provided the raw materials for the inferred local production.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827693","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":"Transformation via multiple processes: a quantitative assessment of the cultural consequences of the migration of Dene people to the American Southwest","authors":"Briggs Buchanan,&nbsp;Mark Collard","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02482-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02482-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The migration of Dene groups from the western subarctic of North America to the American Southwest is one of the longest prehistoric migrations. The starkly different environment of the Southwest, and the presence of groups who had been living in the region for millennia, have made this migration a focus of anthropological and archaeological interest for many years. In the study reported here, we analyzed 547 binary cultural traits pertaining to northern Dene groups, southern Dene groups, and non-Dene groups from the Southwest. First, we focused on the scale of the impact of the migration on the cultural repertoires of the southern Dene. Then, we investigated the relative importance of three processes of change: loss, invention, and borrowing from neighboring non-Dene groups in the Southwest. The results of the first analysis indicate that the migration led to the transformation of the cultural repertoires of the southern Dene. Not only were nearly two-thirds of traits changed, but also a majority of the traits in six of the seven trait categories we employed were altered by the migration. The second analysis indicated that the transformation was not the result of a single process of change. Loss, invention, and borrowing were all involved, and their relative importance varied among categories. These results are consistent with previous characterizations of the southern Dene as flexible and open to change. They also have broader implications. Most importantly, they challenge us to rethink how we approach cases in which there are cultural similarities between ethnographic groups or archaeological sites.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827694","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":"Human-camelid interactions in the Wari Hinterlands: a stable isotopic analysis of camelid remains from Auquimarca (600–1000 CE), Huancayo, Peru","authors":"Lilian J. Baker,&nbsp;Aleksa Alaica,&nbsp;Angelina J. Locker,&nbsp;Maya B. Krause,&nbsp;Luis Manuel González,&nbsp;Jackeline Palacios Gamarra,&nbsp;Dannal M. Aramburú Venegas,&nbsp;Tiffiny A. Tung","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02471-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02471-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Human-camelid interactions and pastoral practices have shaped social, political, and economic lifeways throughout the history of the Central Andes. However, how camelids were managed in the central highlands during the Middle Horizon (600-1000 CE), and how those strategies reflect negotiations between Andean vertical ecologies, local communities, and the expanding Wari sphere, remain unclear. This study employed a life history approach using sequential camelid enamel samples to analyze stable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios. The camelids were recovered from Auquimarca, a highland mortuary site in the Mantaro River Valley, Junín, Peru. Isotopic results are contextualized with archaeological evidence to examine the role camelids had in local subsistence strategies amid regional Wari imperial influence. <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁸O analysis of 32 camelid individuals (n=235 enamel carbonate samples) indicate flexible pastoral strategies. Approximately 40% likely grazed on naturally-available C₃ plants common in the highland <i>puna</i> (3,850-4,700 masl), while another ~40% likely received maize fodder closer to human settlements in the region’s fertile <i>kichwa</i> (3,100 – 3,850 masl). Others (~20%) show evidence of mixed C₃ and C₄ diets, suggesting seasonal movement between these environmental zones. <i>δ</i>¹³C and <i>δ</i>¹⁸O variation within the lives of roughly half of the camelids suggest involvement in long-distance movement, such as camelid caravans to support broader trade networks in the region that could have connected this local community to the larger sphere of Wari influence. These results on human mediated camelid subsistence practices are central to understanding how Wari influence may have impacted communities in distant regions of this Andean empire.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02471-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147827696","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":"The ornamental stones of the Roman thermal baths of Teate Marrucinorum (Chieti, Italy): autoptic, geochemical and minero-petrographic multi-analytical characterisations","authors":"Arianna Casarin,&nbsp;Fabrizio Antonelli,&nbsp;Alessandro Cavallo,&nbsp;Maria Rita Cicconi,&nbsp;Maria Isabella Pierigè,&nbsp;Emanuela Criber,&nbsp;Francesco Radica,&nbsp;Ilaria Capasso,&nbsp;Maria Giovanna Masciotta,&nbsp;Davide Potere,&nbsp;Davide Rapone,&nbsp;Dominique de Ligny,&nbsp;Rosanna Tuteri,&nbsp;Giuseppe Brando,&nbsp;Gianluca Iezzi","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02487-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02487-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ancient Romans exploited aesthetic natural stones from many sites across their Empire in the Mediterranean, transporting them for thousands of kilometres, to decorate their buildings. Petrographically, these metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks display considerable differences, ranging from simple white stones to vividly coloured lithotypes. The source Region of these coloured stones is typically reconstructed from autoptic (visual and comparative examination of macroscopic or hand-sample scale) determinations, also taking advantage of the personal expertise of some specialists in the sector. Here, the ornamental stones of the 2nd-century AD thermal baths of <i>Teate Marrucinorum</i> (Chieti, Abruzzo region, Italy) are examined using a range of complementary methods. According to their autoptic features or mesoscopic textures, the initial 56 samples were divided into three categories: polychrome stones, grey-striped and white crystalline marbles. These rocks were analysed <i>via</i> bulk autoptic, mineralogical and geochemical methods; representative thin sections were also used for transmission optical microscope (TOM) petrographic and micro-Raman determinations. The δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C isotopic signatures were also characterised for white and grey-striped marbles. The complementary and multi-analytical approach unveils that the grey-striped marble is <i>Greco Scritto</i> (from Asia Minor), the white marbles come from Carrara (<i>Marmor Lunense</i>) and Marmara Island (<i>Marmor Proconnesium</i>) sources, whilst the four polychrome stones correspond <i>to Pavonazzetto Antico (Marmor Phrygium</i>), <i>Cipollino Verde</i> (<i>Marmor Carystium</i>), <i>Portasanta</i> (<i>Marmor Chium</i>) and <i>Breccia di Settebasi</i> (<i>Marmor Scyreticum</i>). The coupling of qualitative observations with quantitative measurements further constrains the provenance and features of the aesthetic rocks employed in the ancient town by the Romans.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02487-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829707","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-scalar geoarchaeological investigations reveal new construction details and early chronology for the Peter Village enclosure, KY, USA","authors":"Edward R. Henry,&nbsp;Carly M. DeSanto","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02488-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02488-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>How past human societies delineated space is a common focus for landscape archaeologists. Commonly, the study of archaeological landscapes includes the historical and compositional examination of monumental constructions. We conducted multi-scalar geoarchaeological investigations to reexamine the Peter Village enclosure near Lexington, KY, USA to better understand how and when the enclosure was built. The enclosure is considered among the earliest Woodland Period (ca. 1000 BCE-1000 CE) ditch-and-embankment earthen enclosures built in the North American Midcontinent by ancestral American Indian societies. Our research on the site helps to better contextualize how and when it was built. Our investigations included aerial and terrestrial remote sensing surveys, soil coring, and bulk analyses on soil cores. The results of our work supports previous claims that the enclosure was not built with one embankment but likely had two. AMS ¹⁴C radiocarbon dating of charred material from soil cores and legacy collections from the 1980s suggest the enclosure was built as early as the 5th century BCE. Together, our geoarchaeological analyses of this early earthen monument in the region provides new understandings of its construction methods and history and insights into how and when early horticultural societies began delineating special places across the North American Midcontinent prior to the emergence of elaborate Middle Woodland geometric earthworks.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829708","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":"Treating death as life: an archaeometallurgical analysis of coffin ornaments of the Eastern Han dynasty excavated from the Maba cemetery, Chengdu, Sichuan, China","authors":"Xiaoxiao Teng,&nbsp;Zishu Yang,&nbsp;Qiang Li,&nbsp;Chihao Ma,&nbsp;Ming Zhu","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02493-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02493-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study examines five bronze <i>pushouxianhuan</i> coffin ornaments excavated from Eastern Han Dynasty tombs at the Maba cemetery in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. To further explore funerary practices, two additional <i>Mingqi</i>, identified as fragments of <i>yaoqianshu</i>, were also analysed. Metallurgical technology, elemental composition, and raw material provenance were investigated through metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and lead isotope ratio analysis. The results indicate that these ornaments were mainly produced from a copper-tin–lead ternary alloy, which can be classified into two compositional types: one with low levels of tin and lead, and the other with high levels of tin and lead. Variations in mercury content within the gilded layers suggest the use of the gold and mercury amalgam technique. Lead isotope data show that most artifacts contain highly radiogenic lead, such isotopic signatures are compatible with those of ore deposits in the Zhaotong region of northeastern Yunnan province. This finding is consistent with contemporary assemblages from neighboring areas, indicating that a cross-regional metal circulation network had already developed in southwestern China during the Eastern Han Dynasty, in which northeastern Yunnan played an important role as a key supplier of raw materials. From an archaeometallurgical perspective, the use of gilding technology and trans-regional metal resources also demonstrates the profound materialization of the Eastern Han funeral concept of “treating death as life.”</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147829348","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":"The fortress of the Teutonic Order in South-eastern Europe: Feldioara/Marienburg from early foundation to present-day; preliminary archaeometric studies","authors":"Daniela Marcu-Istrate,&nbsp;Iuliana Mădălina Stanciu,&nbsp;Corina Anca Simion,&nbsp;Tiberiu Bogdan Sava,&nbsp;Doru Gheorghe Pacesila,&nbsp;Adrian Ioniță,&nbsp;Sebastian Ovidiu Dobrotă","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02480-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02480-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Feldioara has long been regarded as the headquarters of the Teutonic Knights during their brief Transylvanian period (1211–1225), but neither history nor archaeology could provide compelling evidence based solely on traditional methods. By radiocarbon dating mortars (sub-micron calcite fraction separation followed by chemical digestion with polyphosphoric acid before AMS target formation), it was finally determined that the earliest defensive constructions of the fortress did indeed date from the Teutonic period. The absolute chronology data were integrated in the preexisting relative chronology, stratigraphy, and documentary data. The composition of genuine calcite fractions was analyzed using FT-Raman spectrometry before AMS measurements. By exploring the OxCal Program features we were able to establish an absolute chronology spanning from the 12th century to the beginning of the 19th century.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02480-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147796834","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}