Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences最新文献

{"title":"Ancient human-environment interactions in the Tianshan mountains: wood charcoal evidence from Adunqiaolu, Western China","authors":"Hui Shen,&nbsp;Dexin Cong,&nbsp;Peter Weiming Jia,&nbsp;Robert Spengler,&nbsp;Xuan Li,&nbsp;Alison Betts,&nbsp;Xinying Zhou,&nbsp;Xiaoqiang Li","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02502-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02502-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Located in the foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, the Adunqiaolu site (c.1800‒1300 BCE) represents one of the easternmost extensions of the Andronovo Cultural Complex. Through analyses of 4,800 fragments of wood charcoal and 44 seed remains from the site, our study illustrates the plant utilization strategies and construction techniques adopted by these early transhumant agropastoralists, offering direct insights into how humans coped with the harsh environment of the arid Inner Asian mountains. Our findings reveal that the inhabitants mainly exploited riparian vegetation as their wood resources, while coniferous forest remains were present only in limited amount. Moreover, growth ring curvature measurements indicate that distinct collection strategies based on wood species were adopted, with people selectively harvesting branches or twigs from riparian plants but utilising trunks of spruce trees. Riparian branches were primarily used as fuel but also intentionally incorporated into domestic structures, where narrow willow branches (mostly 2–5 cm in diameter) were arranged within double-layered walls for reinforcement. In contrast, spruce remains were dispersed throughout the dwelling showing no evidence of specialized use. We conclude that by the second millennium BCE, agropastoralist communities in the Tianshan Mountains were already actively engaging with the local ecosystem, strategically utilising available woody resources to sustain their livelihoods in a challenging landscape.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148009391","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":"Reassessment and new evidence of the dental remains from Payre site (France)","authors":"Laura Martín-Francés,&nbsp;Marina Martínez de Pinillos,&nbsp;María Martinón-Torres,&nbsp;Cecilia García-Campos,&nbsp;Louise Magne,&nbsp;Juan Luis Arsuaga,&nbsp;José María Bermúdez de Castro,&nbsp;Marie-Hélène Moncel,&nbsp;Benoît Bertrand,&nbsp;Amélie Vialet","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02453-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02453-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Morphological evidence suggests that European Middle Pleistocene hominins share a common phylogenetic history, yet they display a substantial morphometric variability. In particular, MIS 7 − 5 hominins have been proposed to exhibit a distinctive combination of traits differentiating them from both earlier and later Neanderthal populations. However, the scarcity of fossil remains from this period limits our understanding of Neanderthal evolutionary dynamics and regional variability. Here, we present a morphometric reassessment of the dental remains from Payre (<i>n</i> = 9), combining external morphological descriptions, geometric morphometrics of the EDJ, and analysis of the dental tissue proportions. We test whether the Payre sample can be distinguished from earlier populations (e.g., Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos) and from later Neanderthal groups (MIS 5 − 3), and we evaluate morphological variation across stratigraphic levels. Our results show that the Payre teeth align more closely with the MIS 7 samples from Biache-Saint-Vaast and Montmaurin-La Niche (France) than with later Neanderthals, although the observed traits are also widely shared with Atapuerca-Sima de los Huesos. Importantly, the assemblage exhibits internal variability, with less derived morphology primarily confined to anterior teeth from the lower stratigraphic levels. The Payre dental record documents persistent regional variability within the Neanderthal clade during MIS 7. This variability may reflect localized demographic processes, possibly including small-scale admixture associated with climatic fluctuations during the Middle Pleistocene.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02453-1.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148008973","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":"Coprolites as paleoarchives for the study of hunter-fisher-gatherer groups (Dnieper-Dvina region, 4-3rd mill BC)","authors":"Ekaterina Dolbunova,&nbsp;Yolaine Maigrot,&nbsp;Alexander Kulkov,&nbsp;Igor Askeyev,&nbsp;Arthur Askeyev,&nbsp;Matthieu Le Bailly,&nbsp;Celine Maicher,&nbsp;Andrey Mazurkevich","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02489-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02489-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The article represents the results of study of an exceptional collection of coprolites recovered at the Serteya II and Duborkay V wetland settlements (Dnieper-Dvina region, NW Russia), assigned to ca. 4200 − 2200 cal BC. The research summarizes results of paleoparasitological analysis, micro computed tomography, macroremains, faunal analysis and spatial investigation. This whole set is regarded diachronically to address seasonality of sites occupation by local hunter-fisher-gatherers groups, their dietary patterns, and a range of zoonotic parasite infections for specific time periods and within a wider cultural and chronological frame. Given scarcity of human remains in this region, coprolites serve as a proxy for understanding human diet and pathogens in a diachronic way. It can also be testified by the results of isotopic analysis and faunal remains that show an important role played by fish procurement in the life of ancient people that inhabited this area during the 4^th -3^rd mill BC. The change in the occurrence of the parasites might have been an indication of cultural changes recorded for the time period from the 4th mill BC till the 1st mill BC connected with changes in food range or cooking techniques.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148008841","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":"Storage practices in the Levant during Bronze and Iron Ages: an archaeobotanical perspective","authors":"Eline Demeulenaere,&nbsp;Simone Riehl,&nbsp;Jens Kamlah","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02501-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02501-w","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Agriculture was central to the historical development of the Levant, with food storage ensuring year-round availability and managing seasonal, environmental, and climatic challenges. Additionally, studying storage practices reveals insights into production organization, surplus management, and socio-economic structures linked to urbanization and trade. While archaeological and archaeobotanical research has advanced our understanding of Levantine agriculture, a comprehensive archaeobotanical synthesis of Bronze and Iron Age storage remains lacking. This study examines how storage contexts can be identified archaeologically and archaeobotanically, what was stored, how practices varied regionally and chronologically, and which additional practices play a role. New material from underrepresented regions, such as Kamid el-Loz in the central Levant (Lebanon), expands the ADEMNES dataset. Data from 18 sites with identified storage contexts and 43 sites with non-storage contexts are synthesized to provide a region-wide analysis. Based on this study, key criteria for identifying storage contexts include the presence of storage facilities or containers if preserved, substantial in situ concentrations of charred plant remains, predominance of easily preserved crops, largely cleaned assemblages, and potential evidence of storage pests. Multivariate analysis, namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA), shows that storage context is the main factor shaping plant assemblages, followed by chronological, regional, environmental, and socio-economic factors. In conclusion, this study offers a more systematic understanding of Bronze and Iron Age Levantine food storage practices from an archaeobotanical point of view.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02501-w.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148008972","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":"From plant remains to metal artifacts: an archaeobotanical and metallurgical study of the Etruscan grave goods from Tomb 129 at Vulci (Latium, Italy)","authors":"Marta Porcaro,&nbsp;Carlo Casi,&nbsp;Carlo Regoli,&nbsp;Silvia Marvelli,&nbsp;Marco Marchesini,&nbsp;Antonio Brunetti","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02473-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02473-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper presents an integrated archaeobotanical and archaeometallurgical study of the grave goods from Tomb 129 of the Etruscan necropolis of Poggio Mengarelli (Vulci, Italy). The burial, dated between the late 8th and early 7th centuries B.C., belonged to a high-ranking woman and yielded a rich trove of artifacts. The multidisciplinary approach combines taxonomic identification of the plant remains with chemical analysis of the metal objects. Light microscopy was used to examine organic materials, such as wood, textile fibers and plant components of tools and ornaments, revealing a careful selection of locally available resources chosen for their structural and functional properties. In parallel, energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF), combined with Monte Carlo simulation (MCS), was used to study the composition and structure of 34 metal artifacts, including bronzes, golds and silvers. The results highlight the knowledge that craftsmen in Etruria had of raw materials, metallurgical techniques and symbolic traditions. The presence of different style ornaments, such as scarab-shaped pendants, indicates a network of cultural and commercial exchanges between Etruscans and Mediterranean peoples. Overall, the integration of archaeobotanical and metallurgical data provides a deeper understanding of Etruscan technological capabilities, cultural choices, and their interaction with their surroundings.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148009067","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":"Reconstructing human–animal interactions via multiproxy analysis of dog paleofeces from the medieval Central Balkans","authors":"Nemanja Marković,&nbsp;Freya Steinhagen,&nbsp;Elena Marinova,&nbsp;Samantha Brown,&nbsp;Susan M. Mentzer,&nbsp;Christopher E. Miller,&nbsp;Maria A. Spyrou,&nbsp;Víctor Roces,&nbsp;Ella Reiter,&nbsp;Dejan Bulić,&nbsp;Mirjana Roksandić,&nbsp;Piers D. Mitchell,&nbsp;Cosimo Posth","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02499-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02499-1","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In archaeology, far more research has been performed on paleofeces of ancient humans than their companion animals, for which little is known. This study presents a multiproxy analysis of a paleofeces of dog origin, recovered from the medieval fortification of Gradina-Radaljevo (Serbia). The specimen was first recorded non-invasively through stereomicroscopy and micro-computed tomography, which documented a compact, flat-conical morphology containing highly digested bone fragments, charcoal, and sediment inclusions, features typical of carnivore digestion. Subsequent petrographic thin-sectioning and µFTIR confirmed a hydroxylapatite-rich matrix with cancellous and compact bone fragments, plant remains, and vegetal voids corresponding to cereal husk imprints, suggesting dietary ingestion of both animal and plant material. Paleoparasitological screening identified 26 helminth eggs belonging to <i>Ascaris</i> sp., <i>Trichuris</i> sp., and <i>Dicrocoelium</i> sp. Their morphology and low abundance indicate passive passage via ingestion of contaminated food, herbivore dung, or human waste rather than true infection of the host. Palynological analysis revealed low pollen diversity dominated by Poaceae, Cyperaceae, and fern spores, alongside wetland NPPs and <i>Glomus</i> fungi, reflecting environmental ingestion and scavenging behaviors. ZooMS of ingested bone fragments identified Suidae and Gallus, while aDNA analysis recovered Suidae, Bovidae, Phasianidae, and Canidae, including <i>Canis lupus familiaris</i>, further supporting a dog origin for the specimen. Together, these results indicate an omnivorous scavenging dog living near the settlement, consuming household refuse and fecal material, thereby mirroring human–animal interaction, sanitation practices, and parasite circulation in medieval Europe. This study sheds light on the complexity of human, dog and herbivore coexistence, contributing to the understanding of hygienic and sanitary conditions in medieval Europe.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148009068","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":"Decoding the scribe’s choice: Contextualising papyrus protocols through ink analysis","authors":"Sowmeya Sathiyamani,&nbsp;Grzegorz Nehring,&nbsp;Olivier Bonnerot,&nbsp;Giuseppe Marotta,&nbsp;Sebastian Bosch,&nbsp;Ivan Shevchuk,&nbsp;Kyle Ann Huskin,&nbsp;Eugenio Garosi,&nbsp;Claudia Colini","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02495-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02495-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This study investigates the inks employed in Arabic papyri from early Islamic Egypt, preserved across five collections in Europe. The analysis encompassed several sub‑types of documentary texts to explore potential correlations between ink composition, document function, and context of production, with particular emphasis on papyrus protocols: texts written on the outermost sheet of the papyrus roll providing information relevant to its production. A non-invasive methodology, featuring a combination of two-colour digital microscopy, infrared reflectography and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was employed to analyse the inks, which were then classified as either carbon-based or iron-gall inks. Notably, all 24 examined Arabic papyrus protocols were written with a pure iron sulphate or metallic iron-based iron‑gall ink. The results were compared to papyri originating from the same (7 antecedent Byzantine protocols) and distinct (34 coeval Arabic and Greek texts) contexts of production to provide a broader perspective. The ink used for writing the later Byzantine protocols was also determined to be an iron-gall ink, further hinting towards a functional correlation between papyrus protocols and the choice of iron‑gall ink used. By contrast, all the documentary and private texts examined in this work, were determined to have been written with carbon‑based inks, irrespective of their degree of formality or context of production. This result accords with trends reported in previous scholarship for the Byzantine period. Overall, the results contribute to our understanding of Arabic scribal traditions and of the significant influence exerted by pre-Islamic scribal conventions and practices on its development.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02495-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148009069","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":"Faunal resource use in the Solutrean of Western-Central Iberia: the case of Gruta do Caldeirão (Tomar, Portugal)","authors":"Mariana Nabais,&nbsp;Laura Brilhante,&nbsp;Luís Gomes,&nbsp;Sara Martins,&nbsp;Vitória Pereira,&nbsp;Teresa Santos,&nbsp;João Zilhão","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02503-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02503-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Gruta do Caldeirão (Tomar, Portugal), first excavated in 1979–1988, contains a well-dated stratigraphic sequence spanning the last 60,000 years of the region’s Prehistory. Excavation resumed in 2021–2025; here, we report on the zooarchaeological and taphonomic analysis of the small assemblage of macromammal remains retrieved in the Late Gravettian/Protosolutrean to Upper Solutrean levels explored during this latter phase of work at the site. Taxonomic composition, skeletal-part representation, age profiles, fragmentation, fracture morphology and bone surface modifications were recorded to identify accumulating agents, carcass transport decisions and processing strategies, and to place Gruta do Caldeirão within MIS (Marine Isotope Stage) 2 regional subsistence patterns. The assemblage is dominated by ungulates, especially red deer, with contributions from ibex, horse, aurochs and wild boar; carnivores (leopard, lynx, wildcat, wolf and fox) are rare. The extensive fragmentation, the frequency of green-bone fractures, percussion damage and burning, together with the position of cut marks observed on long bones, demonstrate that humans were the primary agents of bone accumulation and exploited carcasses for meat and marrow. The skeletal part representation and the adult age of the prey indicate selective hunting (medium-sized ungulates were preferentially targeted). Carnivore marks are scarce, while the composition of the carnivore assemblage and the location of cut marks on a phalanx suggest exploitation for the extraction of non-dietary resources. These finds corroborate the conclusions reached by Davis (2002) using the POSAC method of analysis applied to the assemblage from the 1979–1988 excavations. The Solutrean levels of Gruta do Caldeirão shed additional light on the diversity of human-environment interactions at the height of the Last Glacial Maximum in western-central Iberia: in montane contexts, subsistence systems are consistently red deer-focused, whereas coeval lowland rockshelter occupations (e.g., Abrigo do Lagar Velho’s Middle Solutrean levels) also rely significantly on the exploitation of horses.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02503-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148009051","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":"Expanding the role of geoarchaeology in the study of pottery production: Geo-ethnoarchaeology in Yaotou, Gansu, China","authors":"Siyu Lin,&nbsp;Karen Milek","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02498-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02498-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Pottery production is a defining craft in human history, yet its material traces in the archaeological record remain underexplored using geoarchaeological approaches. Soil micromorphology, a key technique for reconstructing site formation processes and human activities, has yet to be fully applied to ceramic production. This study presents the first systematic ethno-geoarchaeological investigation of abandoned pottery workshops. Combining field surveys with micromorphological analysis of workshop waste deposits at Yaotou, Gansu, China, this research characterises the unique ceramic ecology of the Loess Plateau, an important region for the production of painted pottery in the late Neolithic. At a macro scale, pottery production in this region is shaped by the interplay of environmental conditions, resource availability, and technological traditions. At a micro scale, micromorphological analysis identifies key diagnostic features, including clay selection, tempering strategies, and firing residues, revealing the material and technical choices of potters. Integrating these perspectives enhances our understanding of ceramic production systems and establishes a methodological framework for identifying potential pottery-related activities, such as raw material processing, firing, and waste disposal, that could be applied to archaeological contexts worldwide. The findings also contribute to broader discussions on the role of geoarchaeology in understanding past craft activities and site formation processes.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02498-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147938803","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":"Bronze production in the Po Plain: technological evidence from the Middle – Late Bronze Age site of Solarolo (Northern Italy)","authors":"Alessandro Armigliato,&nbsp;Frederik W. Rademakers,&nbsp;Maurizio Cattani,&nbsp;Claudio Cavazzuti","doi":"10.1007/s12520-026-02492-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s12520-026-02492-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The second half of the 2nd millennium BCE was a period of technological and economic transformation in Europe, marked by intensified metallurgical production and extensive exchange networks. Communities in the Po Plain (Northern Italy) played a pivotal role in bronze production and in mediating the diffusion of metallurgical knowledge between continental Europe and the Mediterranean. Despite significant advances in recent decades, research on metal artefacts has focused predominantly on typological analyses, often overlooking production evidence such as technical ceramics and secondary by-products, limiting our understanding of metallurgical processes and their socio-economic contexts. The Bronze Age settlement of Solarolo (<i>c.</i>1650–1200 BCE), one of the largest in the eastern Po Plain, has yielded a rich assemblage of metallurgical remains, including crucibles, by-products and finished objects, making it an ideal case study to investigate metal production in the region. Through Digital Microscopy and SEM-EDS analysis, this study examines resource acquisition, technological organization, and the site’s role within Po Plain metalworking networks. Results indicate that copper, often acquired in a partially refined state, was further purified on-site and deliberately alloyed with tin, likely using cassiterite, demonstrating specialised metallurgical knowledge and active bronze production rather than simple remelting/recycling. Technological parallels with contemporary sites suggest a complex, socially stratified system of metal production across the Po Plain, characterized by standardized practices, shared techniques, and coordinated access to raw materials. Overall, this research enhances our understanding of Middle-Late Bronze Age metalworking and the socio-economic dynamics of Po Plain communities, paving the way for extended comparative studies.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":8214,"journal":{"name":"Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences","volume":"18 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s12520-026-02492-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147938805","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}