Article
Anthropology
Katelyn N. McDonough, Jaime L. Kennedy, Richard L. Rosencrance, Justin A. Holcomb, Dennis L. Jenkins, Kathryn Puseman
Summary: Paleoethnobotanical perspectives are crucial for understanding past lifeways and this study provides new evidence that Paleoindian groups included plants in their diet. The analysis of combustion features in Connley Caves, Oregon, revealed diverse foraged dryland and wetland plants, suggesting a broad and flexible diet for Paleoindian groups equipped with Western Stemmed Tradition toolkits.
AMERICAN ANTIQUITY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Briggs Buchanan, Robert S. Walker, Marcus J. Hamilton, Brett Story, Michelle Bebber, Dan Wilcox, Metin I. Eren
Summary: This paper investigates the factors influencing the robustness of stone lanceolate projectile points, finding that shorter, wider, and thicker blade forms are more robust and have a higher likelihood of damaging the haft. It suggests that a trade-off between point and haft robustness was likely an important consideration for prehistoric flintknappers when designing their weapons.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Helen Taylor, Brice Fernandes, Sarah Wraight
Summary: This paper introduces the theory of Complementary Cognition, explaining its evolution and the conditions responsible for its emergence. It contextualizes Complementary Cognition within a hierarchy of systems, including genetic search and cognitive search. Complementary Cognition has implications for understanding the emergence of behavioral modernity and the evolution of language and cooperation.
CAMBRIDGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Marta Mateu, Hugo Fernandez, Annick Daneels, Hector Cabadas, Salvador Pina
Summary: This paper evaluates the potential of micromorphological analysis in differentiating manufacturing techniques of earthen construction systems in Mesoamerica. Despite differences with the Old World, the use of volcanic materials gives a distinctive appearance to construction elements in Mesoamerica. The study highlights the importance of correct technological identification in understanding the construction systems of different regions.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Justin Coppe, Christian Lepers, Veerle Rots
Summary: Weapons and past weapon systems are important research topics in Paleolithic archaeology. However, identifying what weapon system was used has been a methodological challenge. In this study, ballistic analysis is used to explore four different modes of propulsion in the Paleolithic period. The concept of reactional impact stress (RIS) is introduced to better understand projectile impact phenomenon. The results show the importance of RIS in accurately understanding projectile impacts and the existence of distinct RIS between the tested weapon systems.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Rachel Pope
Summary: This work re-approaches the origins of the Celts by detailing the character of their society and the nature of social change in Europe across 700-300 BC. A new approach integrates regional burial archaeology with contemporary classical texts to further refine our social understanding of the European Iron Age. It focuses on evidence from the Hallstatt-La Tene transition to solve a 150-year-old problem: how the Early Iron Age Celts became the early La Tene Galatai, who engaged in the Celtic migrations and the sacking of Rome at 387 BC.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Monica Lopez-Prat, Raffaele Giuseppe Agostino, Sudipa Ray Bandyopadhyay, Begona Carrascosa, Maria Caterina Crocco, Raffaella De Luca, Raffaele Filosa, Vincenzo Formoso, Carla Lancelotti, Noor Agha Noori, Alessandra Pecci, Jose Simon-Cortes, Domenico Miriello
Summary: The study of a fragment of architectural terracruda sculpture from the Buddhist archaeological site of Tepe Narenj in Kabul, Afghanistan, through X-ray micro-computed tomographic analysis revealed the significance of plant-origin materials in the composition of the sculpture, providing useful data for conservation interventions.
STUDIES IN CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Ake Henrik-Klemens, Felicia Bengtsson, Charlotte G. Bjordal
Summary: Iron-tannin precipitates were identified in waterlogged oak timber, showing their presence in wood fibers and cell walls and their difficulty in extraction. Further exploration of tannin chemistry in waterlogged oak is needed to understand the mechanism of iron accumulation in wood and to correctly treat and preserve cultural heritage.
STUDIES IN CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Somaye Khaksar, Nisarg Desai, Metin Eren, Gilbert Tostevin
Summary: Separating different aspects of an object through cutting is an important factor in the origin and evolution of flaked stone technology. Experiments have shown that the curvature and length of stone flakes can affect the efficiency of cutting tasks. These findings have implications for understanding the emergence of tool forms and reduction sequences during the Pleistocene.
Article
Anthropology
Li Li, Sam C. Lin, Shannon P. McPherron, Aylar Abdolahzadeh, Annie Chan, Tamara Dogandzic, Radu Iovita, George M. Leader, Matthew Magnani, Zeljko Rezek, Harold L. Dibble
Summary: This article reviews the work of Dibble and colleagues on controlled flaking experiments and summarizes their findings to date. These experiments have provided valuable insights into flake variability and the complexity of the flake formation process.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL METHOD AND THEORY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Marisa Borreggine, Evelyn Powell, Tamara Pico, Jerry X. Mitrovica, Richard Meadow, Christian Tryon
Summary: Accurate reconstruction of past sea levels is crucial for understanding ancient human migration routes. The bathtub model used in previous studies for estimating ancient environments has uncertainties, especially prior to the last glacial maximum. Regional sea level variations due to glacial isostatic adjustment play a significant role in sea level changes.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Emmanuelle Casanova, Timothy D. J. Knowles, Alex Bayliss, Caitlin Walton-Doyle, Alistair Barclay, Richard P. Evershed
Summary: Organic residue analysis has been valuable in ancient diet reconstruction, while direct radiocarbon dating of lipid residues has become a reliable method. A study applied lipid residue analysis to late Bronze Age pottery vessels and found that some vessels had significantly older C-14 measurements than charred residues, indicating a reservoir effect. The low abundance of pig remains and the quantification of marine products suggest marine product exploitation at the site.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Alfredo Llorente-Alvarez, Maria Soledad Camino-Olea, Alejandro Cabeza-Prieto, Maria Paz Saez-Perez, Maria Ascension Rodriguez-Esteban
Summary: The energy refurbishment of buildings of Cultural Heritage should take into account the differences in materials and construction methods. Testing the thermal behavior of the facade is crucial, as the rich surface ornamentation of the walls prevents traditional insulation methods. Heat flow tests on brick masonry specimens have been conducted to produce a reference table that guides the refurbishment work.
JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Andrzej N. Affek, Jacek Wolski, Agnieszka Latocha, Maria Zachwatowicz, Malgorzata Wieczorek
Summary: This study reconstructs the lost cultural landscape of mountain villages abandoned after WWII in southern Poland using LiDAR, cadastral maps, and field survey. The investigation shows that past human activities have left traces shaped by land ownership divisions, land use, and environmental constraints, with LiDAR being an effective tool for reconstruction.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL PROSPECTION
(2022)
Review
Archaeology
Valentina Risdonne, Charlotte Hubbard, Victor Hugo Lopez Borges, Charis Theodorakopoulos
Summary: This review paper summarizes historical techniques and materials used in producing plaster casts and treating their surfaces in the nineteenth century. It also discusses how relevant research demonstrates the cultural significance of nineteenth-century replicas and provides technical information and historical knowledge for conservators, researchers, and curators. The paper offers insights into the historical recipes for treating plaster cast surfaces and highlights examples from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection to support the information found in the historical literature.
STUDIES IN CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Shidong Chen, Signe Vahur, Anu Teearu, Taisi Juus, Mikhail Zhilin, Svetlana Savchenko, Svetlana Oshibkina, Vitali Asheichyk, Aliaksandr Vashanau, Evgeniia Lychagina, Ekaterina Kashina, Konstantin German, Ekaterina Dubovtseva, Aivar Kriiska, Ivo Leito, Ester Oras
Summary: An ATR-FT-IR analysis was conducted on 100 adhesive samples from different prehistoric composite artifacts, pottery, and amorphous lumps to establish a fast analytical screening method for adhesive assignment. The ATR-FT-IR analysis allowed the identification of major chemical components of the adhesive samples, which were further classified using principal component analysis-based discriminant analysis for additional refinement. The results demonstrate that ATR-FT-IR coupled with DA classification allows fast and reliable preliminary identification of the major components in archaeological adhesives and their further classification.
Review
Archaeology
Daniel Loponte, Alejandro Acosta, Andres Gascue, Saskia Pfrengle, Verena J. Schuenemann, Noelia Bortolotto, Mirian Carbonera, Cesar Garcia Esponda, Damian Voglino, Rafael Milheira, Alejandro Ferrari, Caroline Borges
Summary: The archaeological record in Southeast South America reveals the presence of medium-sized dogs with mesocephalic skulls from at least the end of the third millennium BP to historical times. These local dogs, associated with complex hunter-gatherers, were not a result of exchange with Andean societies as previously believed, but rather of a local breeding process. The relationships between humans and these dogs were multifaceted.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Archaeology
John M. Marston, Canan cakirlar, Christina Luke, Peter Kovacik, Francesca G. Slim, Nami Shin, Christopher H. Roosevelt
Summary: Kaymakci in western Anatolia represents a hybrid position between the Aegean and Anatolian worlds in terms of agricultural economies and land use during the Middle and Late Bronze Ages, focusing on barley and bitter vetch farming, as well as pig, caprine, and cattle husbandry. The site demonstrates a diverse and extensive economic system that made substantial use of wild plants and animals for food, technology, and fuel. The agricultural practices at Kaymakci show similarities to the northern Aegean tradition with elements of Anatolian practices as well.
ENVIRONMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Archaeology
Stefanie Jacomet, Patricia Vandorpe
Summary: The paper discusses the presence of cereal remains in two Mesolithic occupation layers in France and Switzerland. However, direct dating of the cereal grains revealed their intrusive nature, casting doubt on the existence of Mesolithic agriculture. The main aim of the paper is to place the newly acquired data within the broader framework of archaeobotanical research on Mesolithic sites in Central Europe, focusing on methodological and taphonomic issues commonly encountered at such sites.
JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE-REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Matthew E. Biwer, Willy Yepez Alvarez, Stefanie L. Bautista, Justin Jennings
Summary: In the ancient Andes, the use of hallucinogens as a political strategy was closely linked to social power. Through the analysis of data from Quilcapampa, the researchers found that the Wari state strengthened its power during the Middle Horizon (AD 600-1000) by combining beer made from Schinus molle with the hallucinogen Anadenanthera colubrina.
