Article
Anthropology
Danielle A. Macdonald, Tomasz Bartkowiak, Michal Mendak, W. James Stemp, Alastair Key, Ignacio de la Torre, Michal Wieczorowski
Summary: This study uses microCT technology to capture models of experimental quartzite flakes from Olduvai Gorge, and utilizes multiscalar length-scale analysis to mathematically calculate edge curvature. It also explores the quantification of re-entrant features on lithic edge cross-sections. The study presents new methods for measuring edge angles, allowing the consideration of complex geometry's impact on the function of lithic tools in the past.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Yan Axel Gomez Coutouly
Summary: This article discusses the debate over the human origin of the artifacts found at the Pedra Furada site in Brazil and nearby sites during the LGM/pre-LGM period, with some scholars arguing that there is a lack of scientific evidence and attributing skepticism to psychological barriers.
Article
Archaeology
Fabrizio Banfi, Raffaella Brumana, Angelo Giuseppe Landi, Mattia Previtali, Fabio Roncoroni, Chiara Stanga
Summary: This paper presents a case study of the damaged church of St. Francesco in Arquata del Tronto, Italy after the 2016 earthquake. The authors used terrestrial laser scanning and photogrammetry to digitize the church and created a three-dimensional stratigraphic database for preservation planning. They also introduced the concept of using Heritage Building Information Modelling (HBIM) for spatial management and proposed a shift towards three-dimensional understanding of building archaeology.
VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY REVIEW
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Eleonor Tietze, Ramiro Barberena, Maria Ornela Beltrame
Summary: This study examines the parasite fauna found in carnivore coprolites from an archaeological site in northern Patagonia, Argentina, discussing their potential role in the cycle of zoonotic parasites and the impact on humans inhabiting the cave during the Quaternary. The findings reveal a variety of parasitic species, some of which can infect humans.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Julia Best, Sean Doherty, Ian Armit, Zlatozar Boev, Lindsey Buster, Barry Cunliffe, Alison Foster, Ben Frimet, Sheila Hamilton-Dyer, Tom Higham, Ophelie Lebrasseur, Holly Miller, Joris Peters, Michael Seigle, Caroline Skelton, Rob Symmons, Richard Thomas, Angela Trentacoste, Mark Maltby, Greger Larson, Naomi Sykes
Summary: This study evaluated the spread of chickens in Eurasia and northwest Africa, finding that chickens did not arrive in Europe until the first millennium BC. Additionally, there was a consistent time-lag between the introduction of chickens and their consumption by humans.
Article
Anthropology
Hannah F. James, Shaun Adams, Malte Willmes, Kate Mathison, Andrea Ulrichsen, Rachel Wood, Antonio C. Valera, Catherine J. Frieman, Rainer Grun
Summary: This study establishes a baseline of strontium isotopes in Portugal by analyzing plant and soil leachate samples. The spatial patterns of Sr-87/Sr-86 in Portugal are influenced by the region's geology and terrain, with higher values in granite areas and along the coast. The study highlights the need to incorporate site-specific measurements in archaeological mobility studies to capture local-scale Sr-87/Sr-86 variation. The resulting strontium isoscape provides a valuable resource for future archaeological and palaeoecological studies in Portugal and contributes to the global mapping of strontium isotope variability.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Christian Horn, Oscar Ivarsson, Cecilia Lindhe, Rich Potter, Ashely Green, Johan Ling
Summary: Rock art carvings, especially those from the Nordic Bronze Age in southern Scandinavia, contain valuable quantitative data that can help understand social structures and ideologies of the era. By training models to locate and classify image objects, new avenues for research on rock art have been opened. This interdisciplinary undertaking has led to important reflections on archaeology, digital humanities, and artificial intelligence.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Youri van den Hurk, Luke Spindler, Krista McGrath, Camilla Speller
Summary: Medieval historical sources reveal that whale exploitation was mainly reserved for the social elite in Europe, including the Netherlands and Flanders. However, the frequency of active hunting and the targeted species remains uncertain. By using zooarchaeological techniques, cetacean remains from Medieval sites in the Netherlands and Flanders were identified to the species level, showing that North Atlantic right whales, sperm whales, and grey whales were commonly exploited. Active whaling activities were particularly prominent in Flanders and Frisia. These findings confirm the historical evidence that the social elite had a preference for cetacean meat, as evidenced by the presence of cetacean remains in high-status sites such as castles and ecclesiastical locations. However, cetacean products were also accessible outside elite and ecclesiastical contexts.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Metin I. Eren, David J. Meltzer, Brett Story, Briggs Buchanan, Don Yeager, Michelle R. Bebber
Summary: This article examines the efficacy of Clovis fluted points for hunting proboscideans and challenges the conventional belief that they are highly effective weapons for inflicting lethal wounds. The study finds that the penetrating ability of these stone points has limitations, undermining their ballistic effectiveness. The authors argue that Clovis points are multifunctional tools rather than specialized implements exclusively designed for hunting proboscideans.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
L. Kovacikova, S. Drtikolova Kaupova, L. Polacek, P. Veleminsky, P. Limbursky, J. Bruzek
Summary: The archaeozoological analysis reveals the importance of pigs in the subsistence economy of Early Medieval Mikulcice. The study indicates that pigs were a primary source of meat for the population, with extensive husbandry and small-scale household rearing being common practices. Factors such as the length of the fattening period and breeding purposes influence the stable isotopes values in pigs. Differences in collagen values between domestic pigs from different areas within the settlement suggest variations in husbandry management techniques.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Kuanrong Zhai, Guoping Sun, Yunfei Zheng, Meng Wu, Bingjian Zhang, Longguan Zhu, Qi Hu
Summary: The discovery of the earliest lacquerwares at the Jingtoushan Neolithic site in the Yangtze River Delta confirms that humans in the region were using natural lacquer over 8,000 years ago. This finding also adds to the history of organic coatings used during the Neolithic period in China.
Article
Anthropology
Katharina Rebay-Salisbury, Patricia Bortel, Lukas Janker, Marlon Bas, Doris Pany-Kucera, Roderick B. Salisbury, Christopher Gerner, Fabian Kanz
Summary: Gendered burial practices were used in Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age in Central Europe. A recent study using advanced technology on tooth enamel found that in 98.4% of cases, the biological sex of children matched the gendered body position.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Francesca Giuliani, Anna De Falco, Valerio Cutini
Summary: Earthquakes pose a significant threat to urban cultural heritage in historic centres. This study highlights the importance of considering both physical and non-physical vulnerabilities in implementing seismic risk reduction programs. By analyzing the vulnerabilities in multiple dimensions, the study provides strategies for mitigating the expected impacts of seismic events on historic centres.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Enrique Aragon, Ignacio Montero-Ruiz, Mark E. Polzer, Wendy van Duivenvoorde
Summary: This study analyzes copper ingots from the Rochelongue site in southern France and the Iberian Peninsula, demonstrating their consistency with various metalliferous mineral sources and highlighting the role of indigenous societies in metal exchange.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Antonio Pineda, Palmira Saladie
Summary: A commonly identified problem in open-air sites is the poor preservation of bone surfaces. This study focuses on several Early and Middle Pleistocene open-air sites, which demonstrate evidence of carnivore activity and the use of stone tools by Lower Paleolithic hominins. The research aims to describe how taphonomic studies can be conducted at Paleolithic open-air sites with poorly preserved bone surfaces, using different proxies and considering the limitations. Results show similarities in the deposition type of remains and the use of these open spaces by hominins at different times during the Lower Paleolithic.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Tanya M. Smith, Christine Austin, Janaina N. Avila, Wendy Dirks, Daniel R. Green, Ian S. Williams, Manish Arora
Summary: This study presented a model for identifying nursing behavior in primates based on changes in barium concentration in teeth. By comparing pre-and postnatal trends in barium, zinc, strontium, and oxygen, the researchers found that barium and zinc were consistent biomarkers of nursing initiation. Oxygen isotope compositions also fluctuated rapidly within two weeks of birth, indicating changes in infant body water. The findings of this study have implications for bioarchaeological studies and public health investigations.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
L. Pizarro-Reyes, V Diaz-Lazcano, A. Zumelzu, A. J. Prieto
Summary: According to a recent United Nations report, 68% of the global population will live in cities by 2050, particularly in developing countries in the Global South. This poses new challenges for urban studies, which need to develop new methodologies for analyzing sustainability and resilience. This study aims to evaluate the sustainability and functional states of existing buildings in a specific area of the historic Valdivia city center in southern Chile, and propose intervention strategies to improve the resilience of cultural heritage buildings and their surroundings.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Romina Frontini, Eufrasia Rosello-Izquierdo, Arturo Morales-Muniz, Christiane Denys, Emilie Guillaud, Yolanda Fernandez-Jalvo, Maria Dolores Pesquero-Fernandez
Summary: The article explores the mechanical deformations of fish vertebrae in archaeological sites to understand predation, deposition of remains, and time-averaging processes. Experimental work comparing modern skeletons to predator-modified fish vertebrae allows for the identification of key features influencing site formation agents. This research provides valuable insights into the formation of archaeological deposits and fish assemblages in the study sites.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Yining Xue, Rita Dal Maretello, Ling Qin, Chris J. Stevens, Rui Min, Dorian Q. Fuller
Summary: This article presents the results of an archaeobotanical study conducted on the Haimenkou site in Yunnan, China. The site, dating back to 1600-300 BCE, is the largest prehistoric settlement excavated in Yunnan and provides important insights into the early development of the province. The study reveals that the people at Haimenkou practiced mixed-crop farming, primarily relying on rice and millet, but also incorporating wheat from around 1450 BCE. The findings also show a shift towards the cultivation of wheat and a decrease in millet and rice production between 800-300 BCE, potentially due to changes in climate. Other significant crops identified include Chenopodium, Perilla, and buckwheat, and the presence of Cannabis seeds was also discovered. Fruits, such as peaches and apricots, were present in minor quantities, indicating that plant resource collection played a secondary role to crop cultivation at the site.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH IN ASIA
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Eugene Morin, Douglas Bird, Bruce Winterhalder, Rebecca Bliege Bird
Summary: This study revisits estimates of prey return rates and finds systematic differences in how carcass yield, energetic content, and foraging returns are calculated across different studies. The research suggests that body size is a poor predictor of on-encounter return rate, while prey characteristics, behavior, mode of procurement, and hunting technology are better predictors of hunting success.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2022)
