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A complete copper-alloy linchpin in the collections of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM 918.33.95), ostensibly with the Irish provenance of ‘Dunmore, Co. Galway’ and found in 1855, is a component of the axle assemblage of a wheeled vehicle. It has no archaeological context, but typological and decorative parallels indicate a date in the range c. 750–600 BC, and a Continental origin. It draws attention once more to the vexed questions both of the existence and the nature of the wheeled driving vehicle in later Bronze Age Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on an old farm collection of artifacts discovered by Byron O. La Budde on the Otto La Budde farm in Wisconsin, U.S., discussing the specific artifacts found and their provenance.

When a new method is produced, it should be assessed for accuracy and reliability before widespread use. A new method by Falys and Prangle for estimating age from degeneration of the sternal end of the clavicle is tested in this paper on an 18th–19th‐century known‐age Dutch population (80 clavicles). Intra‐ and inter‐observer tests (Cohen's kappa) revealed slight to moderate agreement (k = 0.100–0.425 and 0.106–0.534 respectively). However, owing to large age ranges, 87% accuracy was achieved. Methodological improvements are suggested that could help the method further to improve age estimates for the elderly in past populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the results of the archaeometric study of an assemblage of Late Roman amphorae, found in several contexts from the ancient city of Iluro (Mataró, Catalonia, Spain) and with a presumable origin in Roman Africa, is presented. A total of 57 samples have been analysed, by means of optical microscopy (thin-section analysis), X-ray fluorescence and X-ray diffraction, in order to obtain an integrated petrographic, chemical and mineralogical characterisation and, from this data, to shed light on their provenance. The results indicate the presence of a large number of fabrics, most of them with a Tunisian provenance; a fabric probably from Algeria was also found, as well as a few chemical-petrographic loners that should be related to a provenance out of Africa. Concerning the Tunisian fabrics, the comparison with data from production centres allows for a more precise provenance hypothesis for many of them. These results are useful for the study of the trade networks of Iluro in Late Antiquity, since they provide new evidence on the diversity of transport amphorae that were arriving to this urban centre in Hispania Tarraconensis, showing a more complex reality than initially suggested by the archaeological evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New studies on prehistoric obsidian artifacts and their provenance have been published by Iranian and international researchers during recent years, which showed, that some obsidian tools might have come from an unknown source located in Iran (perhaps Sahand or Sabalan Mountains). The aim of this paper is to discuss recently discovered obsidian sources in north-west Iran. After a brief introduction of recent obsidian studies in Iran the paper addresses some recent filed work and the geochemical analyses of samples from these surveys (from Tajaraq near Miyaneh and Ghizilja near Bostababad in the Bozghoosh Mountains) by using portable ED-XRF analysis. The results suggest that three major obsidian groups can be distinguished, which are classified as group A and B of Tajaraq besides a single group of Ghizilja. The implications of the new results are discussed along with actual limitations and future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an inorganic and organic approach to Roman amphorae found at the rural Roman site of Sa Mesquida (Mallorca). A set of amphorae were discovered in some rooms of the earlier phases of the villa. These amphorae were assigned to a general Tarraconensian and Italic provenance on a macroscopic level. In order to verify this and to accurately determine the provenance an archaeometric characterization was carried out on twelve amphorae. The analytical approach combined wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WD-XRF) for the chemical analysis, as well as powder x-ray diffraction (XRD) and optical microscopy by thin-section analysis (OM) for the mineralogical and petrographic characterization. In addition, organic residue analysis by gas-chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was applied to investigate the content of some of the amphorae for which wine was suggested on an archaeological basis. The results have allowed for a better provenance determination identifying some amphorae from specific workshops or micro-regions within ancient Tarraconensis, as well as a better definition of the Italic materials. The organic analysis has confirmed the presence of wine in the analysed samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on the history and documentation of the Moorehead Wing, a significant archaeological artifact discovered in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, detailing its provenance and previous mentions in various archaeological publications.

From the late fourth millennium to the early third millennium, an homogenous culture with common features emerged in a vast region, including the northern part of the Iranian plateau, the east and north-east of Turkey, Syria, and the Mediterranean coast. This culture is known with different names, such as the Transcaucasian, Kura-Araxes, Yannik, Karaz, and so on. One of its main features is the glossy, Incised and black pottery. There are many discussions about the origin and the causes of its spread. Various factors, especially immigration, trade, expansion, and imitation have been stated for the justification of this expansion. In this study, the Kura-Araxes pottery was studied in three regions, namely Tape Kelar at Kelardasht (North of Iran), Kul tape at Jolfa (Northwest of Iran), and Tape Gourab at Malayer (West of Iran). In this research, 30 pottery fragments of Kura-Aras culture were analysed by thin-section and petrography method for provenance studies. It is found that these pottery fragments were localized and consistent with the minerals and structures of the studied areas despite the diversification of soil and materials used in the production process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2002, the preserved bottom part of a wreck was excavated, identified as a cog, and named Doel 2. An interdisciplinary research programme (2010-2014), revealed that the ship was constructed after 1328 with wood from northern Poland. Complete 3D-registration of the timbers, and structural analysis showed it had a keelplank with a natural upward curve at the bow that served as a hook, and that most bottom planks were recaulked, among many other repairs. The ship ended up in 'den Deurganck', a creek near the Scheldt river where it was partially disassembled before the surviving remains were inverted, probably as a result of a flood. This paper presents the detailed recording and archaeological interpretation of the ship remains, and the results of the dendrochronological analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the retraction of a study about the rare dinosaur Ubirajara jubatus by "Cretaceous Research" journal due to legal and ethical issues. It explored the claims made by German paleontologists regarding the dinosaur's fossils exported from Brazil, the reported lack of proper export permits for the fossils deposited at the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe in Germany, and the concerns raised the Brazilian scientific community regarding the fossils' legal provenance.

The article focuses on the architectural findings at Machaerus conducted by the Hungarian Academy of Arts in association with the Jordanian Department of Antiquities under Professor Gyõzõ Vàràs. It mentions that the architectural discoveries include the findings at the excavation of the Herodian mountain fortress east of the Dead Sea conducted from September to November 2016. It adds that the findings were of typical Herodian installations.

The article discusses the conservation of the Asian amber collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MMA) in New York City, focusing on the use of the hydrogenated hydrocarbon resin Regalrez 1126 as a consolidant and adhesive. Topics include a discussion of the superior condition of true amber compared to copal and the composite material pressed amber in the MMA collection; the need for conservation treatments not to interfere with provenance studies using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) or pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry; and the effects of solvent on amber and copal.

Recent archaeological work at Prospect Hill, a 19th century plantation in the Bahamas, revealed artifact patterns that are inconsistent with expectations for a plantation site. The quantity and quality of artifacts in residential areas associated with the planter family and the enslaved population were inverted and suggest significant post abandonment changes. The site of Prospect Hill has been a destination for tourists and student groups since the mid-20th century, and the areas of the site most accessible to these visitors are also those with surprisingly low artifact counts. I investigated the possibility that regular visitation involved casual collecting using historical data as well as artifact assemblages from archaeological work at Prospect Hill. My analysis suggests that the archaeological record has been altered significantly through casual, opportunistic collecting, and it offers insights for identifying casual collecting elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses ethics and legalities on acquisition of antiquities. It states that archeological finds are termed as orphan when they are sold as a fragmentary object, antiquities with missing contextual information and objects that museums decline to acquire. It mentions that the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) proposed alternative resolution for the case of orphaned antiquities. It also cites the presentation of Timothy Rub at the University of Pennsylvania muses regarding the alternatives for unprovenanced material.

Abstract: Ores, slag, and blooms from an Early Iron Age smelting site in the Black Forest, southern Germany, were analysed in view of their possible provenance in combination with products from a modern smelting experiment. Rather than employing lead isotope ratios, like in a previous study, osmium and strontium isotope ratios are used for the discussion of provenance. The results of the smelting experiment with iron ores from the archaeological site and their comparison with original finds show the high potential of osmium as a tracer to determine provenance. Strontium may be an additional indicator but possible contaminations need to be assessed. A Celtic iron ingot has also been analysed to check the potential of osmium for further provenance studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The meanings of objects change as the people with whom they are associated change. Over the course of an artefact's existence, the sum of these meanings constitutes a cultural biography, a life-story of the item. This is the case with objects associated with conflict, just as with those from other contexts; in this case, cultural biographies can have sharply contrasting phases. However, identifying the object in each of its changing relationships with people can be problematic. In the case of a World War I German 150 mm gun, that is one of the few of its type remaining in the world, this has been achieved by comparison of detailed characteristics, markings, and battle damage with historical photographs and surviving documentation. By these means, its role in the Battle of Amiens on 8 August 1918, and after its capture by the Australian Corps, can be pieced together. The biography of such a gun can include manufacturing technology, a means of destruction, a valued war trophy, a public exhibit, a neglected relic, a source of scrap metal, a museum showpiece, and even a children's plaything, but the gun investigated here was more fortunate. It is preserved in a museum, although its relationship to people could continue to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the determination of the place of origin of Bjurselet flint artifacts. It states that the evidence of energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) analysis combined with observations on the macroscopic properties of Scandinavian flints can help identify prospective geographical candidates as sources of the Bjurselet flint artifacts. It discusses the analysis of Bjurselet artifacts and adds that cultural affiliations of the importers of Bjurselet axes were not addressed.

Abstract: Based on source provenance data derived from Paleoindian artifacts in the Great Basin, most researchers agree that early groups were mobile and far-ranging; however, current explanations of the behavior reflected by those data differ. Some models portray Paleoindians as residentially-mobile foragers while others portray them as wetland-tethered collectors reliant upon logistical forays. We consider the types of hunter-gatherer behavior that could produce trends in the X-ray fluorescence data from three Paleoindian assemblages in northwest Nevada, where abundant high quality obsidian essentially allows us to hold the effects of raw material availability constant between sites. We conclude that while it is difficult to differentiate between residential and logistical mobility using technological and sourcing data alone, we can nevertheless begin to understand the relative time-averaged importance of particular locations on the landscape and why such places attracted Paleoindians. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

El artículo enfoca en piezas prehispánicas de excavaciones arqueológicas de la Huasteca, México. El autor analiza las piezas de los huastecas, un grupo indígena de la región, las cuales fueron parte de una colección de Jean-Baptiste Fuzier, doctor oficial del ejército francés. Se examinan los objetos, que consisten en escultura, vasija y cerámica, y se determinan sus orígenes.

The author reflects on the possible discovery of lead codices or books in a cave in Jordan. He discusses claims made about the codices in the media and describes tests performed on the codices suggesting that they are not fraudulent. He suggests that the codices, which feature Jewish images and decorative lettering, lack historical value. The author suggests that the owner Hassan Sa'eeda has been encouraged by British citizen David Elkington to give the books to Jordan for public possession.

Abstract: This paper investigates the provenance of the black limestone of the monument known as Bocco, named after the king of Mauretania who presented Silla with this work as a sign of his submission to the power of Rome. A multi-method approach, comprising petrographic observations, carbon and oxygen isotope composition and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra characteristics, was used for this purpose. The monument is part of a reconstruction of a rectangular base (approx. 8 × 2 m) which is likely to have served as the base for a bronze statuary group and is currently composed of six blocks of limestone whose exterior is engraved with a fine frieze. The results of the different analyses were compared with the data of a published database of the most important black limestone quarries exploited during Roman times in the Mediterranean area. The petrographic and physico-chemical parameters did not prove to be very effective in determining the provenance of the black limestone of Bocco; the isotopes result even raised some uncertainty as to whether all six blocks came from the same quarry, though this doubt was dispelled by the EPR data and, above all, by the evident petrographic similarity between them. Differences in the isotopic composition of the various blocks may be due to an in situ rock alteration process caused by interaction with an aqueous fluid. It was, however, impossible to determine with certainty the origin of the material of the stone artifact using the database available; it is possible that the black limestone of Bocco came from an ancient quarry that is likely to be located in north western Africa but has not yet been uncovered. An alternative hypothesis, according to which the limestone used for the monument of Bocco came from the ancient quarry of Ain el Ksir, one of the Tunisian quarries present in the database, is also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ten Early Bronze Age (BzA1, 2200–2000 BC) copper artefacts from the central Valais region from Switzerland were studied for their elemental composition and lead isotope ratios. In order to answer the archaeological question of a local copper supply, a database for copper minerals across the Valais (Switzerland) has been established. This database contains 69 data on lead isotope ratios as well as additional information on the minerals and geochemical associations for copper minerals from 38 locations in the Valais. Comparisons of the artefacts were also made with data pertaining to minerals from various deposits from Europe and Anatolia taken from the literature. The provenance of the materials is very diverse. Some of the data are compatible with the data from the copper mineral deposits of the Valais region. Moreover, three copper lunulae were identified as possibly Tuscan, which suggests contacts between Italy and the Valais region. This pattern also establishes a multiplicity of provenances for the metal and cultural influences in the Alpine environment of the Rhone Valley of Switzerland at the beginning of the Early Bronze Age. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

No abstract is available for this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the revised radiocarbon dating of ancient human artifacts discovered in present-day central Europe. Topics include the questions surrounding Homo sapiens' emergence in present-day Europe and the provenance of modern human creativity, archaeologists' research at the prehistoric cave Geissenklösterle in Germany, and the revision of radiocarbon techniques called ultrafiltration which removes contaminants from radiocarbon samples.

The article discusses the lion stamp impressions that were found on jars or jar handles at the archaeological excavation site in Ramat Raḥel, Israel, focusing on the petrographic analysis and their resemblance to Iron Age patterns which indicate Babylonian origins.

The article reports on the examination of three carved wooden statues within the holdings of the National Museum of Ireland which were found in Fethard, Ireland and represent Christ on Calvary, God the Father, and St John the Baptist. Details are given describing the nation's historical practice of each church having statues for the Crucifixion, the Virgin Mary and their patron saint; the results of the examination of the three statues; and notes on the limited provenance information recorded for the works.