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This paper discusses an interdisciplinary research project testing the efficiency of European Bronze Age axes through experiments with replica tools and the usewear analysis of prehistoric axe-heads from the collections of the Great North Museum, Newcastle upon Tyne (UK). The project explores whether changes in axe-head design and hafting arrangement from early to late Bronze Age might have been motivated by a desire to improve tool efficiency. The team, comprising researchers with backgrounds in archaeology, engineering, and statistical data modelling, carried out several field and laboratory tests to address the research problem. They subsequently validated the test results through the microscopic analysis of original Bronze Age axe-heads. The data suggest that hafting technology, and especially the resilience of the haft-blade assembly, is more important than axe-head design per se in determining the efficiency and working performance of Bronze Age axes. The research provides a fresh answer to a question rooted in 19th century archaeology and charts an innovative multidisciplinary pathway for studying human technology through the ages. • Axes changed their head designs and hafting technologies throughout the Bronze Age. • The resilience of the haft-blade assembly is more important than axe-head design per se in determining axe efficiency. • Experimental archaeology, usewear analysis, and tribology can be used to test the working parameters of ancient tools. • Statistical methods can be used to validate the results of these tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike other Upper Paleolithic industries, Gravettian assemblages from the Swabian Jura are documented solely in the Ach Valley (35-30 Kcal BP). On the other hand, traces of contemporaneous occupations in the nearby Lone Valley are sparse. It is debated whether this gap is due to a phase of human depopulation, or taphonomic issues related with landscape changes. In this paper we present ERT, EC-logging and GPR data showing that in both Ach and Lone valleys sediments and archaeological materials eroded from caves and deposited above river incisions after 37-32 Kcal BP. We argued that the rate of cave erosion was higher after phases of downcutting, when hillside erosion was more intensive. To investigate on the causes responsible for the dearth of Gravettian materials in the Lone Valley we test two alternative hypotheses: i) Gravettian humans occupied less intensively this part of the Swabian Jura. ii) Erosion of cave deposits did not occur at the same time in the two valleys. We conclude that the second hypothesis is most likely. Ages from the Lone Valley show increasing multimillennial gaps between 36 and 18 Kcal BP, while a similar gap is present in the Ach Valley between 28 and 16 Kcal BP. Based on geoarchaeological data from previous studies and presented in this paper, we interpreted these gaps in radiocarbon data as indicating of cave erosion. Furthermore, we argued that the time difference across the two valleys show that the erosion of cave deposits began and terminated earlier in the Lone Valley, resulting in a more intensive removal of Gravettian-aged deposits. The hypothesis that cave erosion was triggered by regional landscape changes seems to be supported by geochronological data from the Danube Valley, which show that terrace formation at the end of the Pleistocene moved westwards throughout southern Germany with a time lag of few millennia. • Human occupations dating 35-17 Kcal BP are sparse in the Ach and Lone valleys of Swabia. • After river incision(s), erosional processes removed sediment and archaeological materials from cave sites of both valleys. • Gaps in radiocarbon data from the caves can be used to trace the movement of erosional processes through the study region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a geochemical analysis of a remarkable assemblage from the early La Tène period (4th century BCE): the Duchcov hoard found in the late 19th century in north-western Bohemia. More than a thousand pieces of bronze jewellery (mostly brooches and bracelets) in a bronze cauldron were deposited in a natural spring. This possibly ritual offering of unknown purpose might have involved a large community whose origin and structure could be discussed using archaeometric data from the hoard. The typologically and chronologically highly homogeneous assemblage with stylistic parallels across western and central Europe offers a unique opportunity to study Iron Age bronze metalworking, for which scientific data in Europe are still sparse. The assemblage was studied using a range of methods to derive information on the composition of the alloys and to determine their provenance using trace element patterns and lead isotope analysis. The results show that this seemingly homogeneous assemblage contains several chemically distinctive groups that are compatible with the spread of the so-called Duchcov-Münsingen horizon in the 4th century BCE. Mobility patterns or economic networks that may have resulted in such diverse geochemical data are discussed. The paper also discusses the multi-statistical approach to evaluating data in order to determine provenance. The findings and their narrative are discussed in the historical framework of the 'Celtic migrations' in Europe in the 4th century BCE. • First publication of the geochemical analysis of early La Tène objects in Europe. • Lead isotopes revealed a remarkably wide geographical spread for the samples. • Object origins identified across western and central Europe. • Robust statistical methods were used to discuss provenance. • The provenance of metals is linked either to people's mobility patterns or possible exchange networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global and local analyses of spatial autocorrelation are commonplace in spatial archaeology. However, they are exclusively focused on continuous numerical parameters, even though logical (presence/absence) and categorical parameters are equally frequent in archaeological research. Global tests of spatial dependence for categorical data are routinely used in other fields, and local versions of these tests (known as LICD) have recently been developed. This paper provides a detailed description of such methods, and presents the first adaptation and application of LICD to archaeological data. Different LICD versions have been tested on two case-studies: (a) an archaeological grid, with object presence or absence recorded for each cell; (b) Historic Landscape Characterisation, with the origin of character types (mediaeval, post-mediaeval or modern) recorded for each region. These examples seek to showcase and promote the use of LICD in landscape and intra-site archaeology. • Spatial autocorrelation analysis is commonplace in archaeology, but exclusively focused on continuous numerical parameters. • Global tests of spatial autocorrelation for categorical data are routinely used in other fields. • Local indicators of spatial association for categorical data (LICD) have recently been developed. • This paper provides the first adaptation of LICD to archaeological data. • LICD can be used to analyse archaeological grids as well as regions of variable size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we highlight the potential of compositional characterisation (NAA) of Khmer stonewares for understanding regional economic development in the Angkorian Empire (c. 9 th −15 th c CE). A central feature of the Angkorian economy was the precocious development of sophisticated craft industries. Of the multiple crafts produced in this empire, stoneware production stands out for two reasons: empire transport networks closely articulated with the location of stoneware production complexes best known in central Angkor and on the Khorat plateau northwest of Angkor; and distribution/consumption patterns of Angkorian stoneware map directly onto the empire's geopolitical extent. As part of a larger geochemical provenancing project concerned with Khmer stoneware production and exchange, we present and discuss results for Cheung Ek, a southern Cambodian provincial complex for production of both stoneware and earthenware. The similarities (shared local resources) and differences in the organization of local production are striking between stoneware and earthenware production. Comparison with previously published Khmer stoneware kiln complexes confirms that each has a unique and readily identifiable geochemical profile. By establishing a geochemical baseline this work highlights the potential of stonewares for developing a deeper understanding of Khmer craft production and distribution dynamics in future comparisons between stoneware production, Khmer settlement and ritual contexts. This elemental baseline will also enable future evaluation of the potential discriminating power of other, field deployable but less sensitive non-destructive analytic techniques such as pXRF and pLIBS, particularly in relation to extending this work to checking production origins of complete Khmer stoneware vessels held in museum collections. • This paper uses ceramics to understand regional economic development in the Angkorian Empire (c. 9th-15th c CE). • We present NAA results for Cheung Ek, a large provincial Angkorian Khmer ceramic production complex in Southern Cambodia. • Comparison with other Khmer stoneware kiln complexes confirm a unique geochemical profile for each. • Two elements (Fe and Sb) enable unambiguous differentiation of different Angkorian Khmer stoneware complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biometric analysis of faunal remains is crucial for estimating the age/sex composition of assemblages and exploring large-scale processes that affected animal biology in the past. The LSI technique is a premier method for examining biometry in different zooarchaeological scenarios, particularly domestication research and regional-scale surveys. Despite the technique's popularity, several early arguments describing limitations or concerns about the LSI technique still impact interpretations and applications today. More generally, though, the LSI technique is treated as a method of increasing sample sizes as a last resort when unmodified measurements are too scarce to use. This paper re-examines the theoretical foundations of the LSI technique to update best practices in LSI analyses in zooarchaeology. Redefining the LSI technique as a pseudo-centering process shows why LSI values are preferable to unmodified measurements for biometric analyses. This new definition also highlights the arbitrary nature of standard animal and logarithm base choice, though certain decisions (smaller standard animals and base e logarithms) can aid interpretation by closely linking changes in LSI values to proportional changes of the original measurements relative to the standard. Of more consequence on LSI analyses, however, is the way to aggregate LSI values from different measurement types; this paper shows how multilevel modeling uses partial pooling to balance the trade-offs of bias and variance caused by aggregation. To showcase the benefits of the Bayesian multilevel LSI model, the biometric variation of ten simulated sites using a reference set of Shetland sheep measurements (Popkin Peter et al., 2012). Modeling all ten sites within a single multilevel structure provides a clear way to evaluate biometric differences while accounting for potential allometries and variation in body part representation between different sites. These results clarify earlier arguments about the limitations of the LSI technique, summarized in a set of best practices for LSI applications. • LSI values are more reliable for estimating biometry than unmodified measurements. • Multilevel LSI models address issues with measurement aggregation and allometries. • Multilevel LSI model results provide foundation for large-scale biometric analyses. • Associated OSF project scripts are designed for easy application to new contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years several studies have attempted to understand the use of caffeinated beverages in North America before the coming of Europeans using absorbed residues. These studies have focused on the two key plant sources of caffeine in North America: Theobroma cacao (cacao) and Ilex vomitoria (yaupon holly). The authors initiated a study to explore the possibility that one or both plants were used at the Mississippian period (900–1600 CE) center of Etowah in northern Georgia. In the process, a series of problems with methodologies in use were revealed. Key among those were limitations on the methods used to identify ancient caffeinated beverage residues, distinguish them from modern contamination, and differentiate residues made by each plant. In this paper we explore what our data from the Etowah site reveal about methodologies currently in use and make suggestions for future studies of residues created by caffeinated beverages in North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeomagnetic dating offers a valuable chronological tool for archaeological investigations, particularly for dating fired material. The method depends on the establishment of a dated record of secular variation of the Earth's magnetic field and this paper presents new and updated archaeomagnetic directional data from the UK and geomagnetic secular variation curves arising from them. The data are taken from publications from the 1950's to the present day; 422 dated entries derived from existing archaeo and geomagnetic databases are re-evaluated and 487 new directions added, resulting in 909 entries with corresponding dates, the largest collection of dated archaeomagnetic directions from a single country. An approach to improving the largest source of uncertainty, the independent dating, is proposed and applied to the British Iron Age, resulting in 145 directions from currently available databases being updated with revised ages and/or uncertainties, and a large scale reassessment of age assignments prior to inclusion into the Magnetic Moments of the Past and GEOMAGIA50 databases. From the significantly improved dataset a new archaeomagnetic dating curve for the UK is derived through the development of a temporally continuous geomagnetic field model, and is compared with previous UK archaeomagnetic dating curves and global field models. The new model, ARCH-UK.1 allows model predictions for any location in the UK with associated uncertainties. It is shown to improve precision and accuracy in archaeomagnetic dating, and to provide new insight into past geomagnetic field changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early pioneers of archaeological Geographic Information Systems (GIS) advocated for a future where this technology was more than a data-management tool. To this end, they emphasized harnessing the analytic power of GIS to advance innovative understandings of past social landscapes. This paper introduces the special issue, explaining its aims to offer a current assessment of how this vision has been realized. Three themes related to both persistent questions and emergent horizons in archaeological GIS are explored in the context of the contributions. We present our own set of ideas for how to unbind our analyses from some of the methodological and conceptual constraints inherent in the analytic GIS approaches on which we have long relied to explore past landscapes. We argue it is important to keep moving beyond analytic approaches tethered to discrete points, to push forward geospatial modeling of cultural processes across entire landscapes, and to incorporate uncertainty and iteration directly into our work. Through such efforts, we can develop robust insights into the ways past communities considered, reconfigured, and renewed patterns of social, economic, and ideological interaction, flow, and circulation through the variegated landscapes they inhabited. In doing this, we will get closer to realizing the ambitious vision early pioneers had for archaeological GIS – a technology they believed could let us ask entirely new questions about the past. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As spatial technology has evolved and become integrated in to archaeology, we face a new set of challenges posed by the sheer size and complexity of data we use and produce. In this paper I discuss the prospects and problems of Geospatial Big Data (GBD) – broadly defined as data sets with locational information that exceed the capacity of widely available hardware, software, and/or human resources. While the datasets we create today remain within available resources, we nonetheless face the same challenges as many other fields that use and create GBD, especially in apprehensions over data quality and privacy. After reviewing the kinds of archaeological geospatial data currently available I discuss the near future of GBD in writing culture histories, making decisions, and visualizing the past. I use a case study from New Zealand to argue for the value of taking a data quantity-in-use approach to GBD and requiring applications of GBD in archaeology be regularly accompanied by a Standalone Quality Report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the benefits of GIS are widely touted among archaeologists today, less attention has been paid to the potential pitfalls and drawbacks of this undeniably important methodological tool. One of the greatest challenges of geospatial modeling is unbalanced data: due to the nature of the archaeological record, we can never assume that the remnants of past behavioral processes we are working with constitute a fully representative sample. Rather, our datasets are reflective of differential social and natural preservation conditions, as well as research biases. Most regional geospatial studies must collate diverse data collected over decades by researchers with varying backgrounds and goals, using assorted spatial scales and levels of technological sophistication. Such factors contribute substantial uncertainty to our models, uncertainty that should be recognized, quantified, and mitigated. If GIS techniques are to continue shifting the way we conduct archaeology and improve our abilities to answer questions regarding past behavior, then we must question the infallibility of GIS as a methodological tool and direct more attention toward developing robust geospatial applications that can meet the idiosyncratic needs of archaeological analysis. This paper explores one example of how such uncertainty investigation can be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Until recently Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have held center stage in the archaeologist's geospatial toolkit, and there is no doubt that archaeologists have moved beyond the map—but into what? In the early years, criticisms voicing GIS as environmentally-deterministic were abundant. What methods and tool have archaeologists used to overcome these criticisms? New geospatial technologies such as airborne lidar and aerial photogrammetry are allowing us to acquire inordinate amounts of georeferenced 3D data— but do these 3D technologies help overcome criticisms of environmental determinism? Together—GIS + 3D— can link georeferenced 3D models to underlying data adding a ground-based humanistic perspective lacking in the bird's eye view of traditional GIS. This paper situates GIS and 3D within a semiotic framework to offer some ideas on using 3DGIS to intertwine environmental and cultural factors to work toward new approaches for landscape archaeology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) analyses in archaeology have been criticized by archaeologists for being reductive, environmentally deterministic, and reproducing a disembodied experience of the landscape. However, research over the past 20 years has demonstrated the power of GIS data and analyses to explore complex social questions about past human experiences. Indigenous knowledges of landscapes have not often explicitly informed GIS analyses in archaeology, even though archaeologists and indigenous communities around the world are forging collaborative relationships. This paper proposes an integrated approach GIS-based least cost analysis, where Indigenous traditional knowledge, historical documentation, and archaeology can be brought together for a more nuanced and locally-grounded model of past landscapes. A case study from the movement of the Métis people of Canada is used to test typical models of cost path movement used in archaeology against known historic trails information, followed by a discussion of possible future applications of movement models and variables related to local Indigenous knowledge of current and past landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intertidal archaeological deposits occur worldwide, particularly in the temperate latitudes. These deposits can contain archaeological sites that were constructed at the time these were terrestrial landscapes, but subsequently were inundated as a result of rising sea levels. Part of this process can include the development of salt marshes. There is a need, therefore, to identify where archaeological sites lie within the cline of past tidal regimes. This paper presents the results of a survey of UK archaeoentomological data recovered from intertidal deposits which was undertaken in order to identify patterns in archaeoentomological data that might indicate a deposit's position within a saltmarsh. Such an approach has potential to establish ‘indicator groups’ for saltmarsh zones, thereby facilitating archaeological interpretation of intertidal deposits. A statistical ordination of the archaeoentomological dataset has been undertaken to explore the security and strength of proposed archaeoentomological indicator groups for various ecological zones within saltmarsh/intertidal environments and the results are presented here. These indicator groups also are crossed-checked against the known modern ecology of the various beetles included within each grouping, to determine if they make good ‘ecological sense’. The dataset discussed here is specific to Northern Europe, but the approach is applicable worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous archaeometallurgical studies on Bronze Age China mainly focused on finished artefacts, whereas our understanding of copper smelting technology of this period is still limited. This paper, for the first time, presents analytical results of metal production remains from the site of Laoniupo in Guanzhong Plain, central Shaanxi. It reveals that arsenical copper was produced at this site by smelting arsenic-rich polymetallic ores with raw copper or high purity copper ores. The identification of metal production in the Guanzhong Plain is significant for the investigation of regional development and inter-regional interaction of Bronze Age cultures in China. The possible exploitation of ores from deposits in the Qinling Mountain region during this period is also discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological models of past human occupation of the landscape build upon the understanding of the natural palaeo-environment. This cognitive process relies on the study of the sediment units at a level of spatial resolution that might not be achieved with available maps. This paper presents a new approach to combine traditional ground investigation methods and new technologies to detect, extract and analyse stratigraphic records, with particular application to vanishing landscapes with limited exposure of the sediments. The demonstration site is Farndon Fields, an extremely rare Late Upper Palaeolithic open-air site at the southern outskirts of Newark-on-Trent in Nottinghamshire, UK. Since the early 1990s when the upgrading of the new A46 road was planned, ground and archaeological investigations have been carried out. The test-pitting undertaken by Farndon Archaeological Research Investigations (FARI) in the field 373A in September 2015 offered an ideal occasion for the British Geological Survey (BGS) to test the methodology. A palaeo-geographic understanding from regional to local scales is here proposed based on 5-m airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and multispectral aerial photographs of the site prior to the alteration due to the A46 works. Features of the palaeo-landscape are vanishing and intrusive investigations are required to unveil the presence of the archaeological context. Samples were taken for particle size analysis of the sediment units to characterise the aeolian sand deposits (‘coversands’) and the underlying clayey silty sandy sediments interbedded with paler laminae. For the first time state-of-the-art terrestrial LiDAR technology was used for stratigraphic profiling, strata delineation and geological feature extraction based on the intensity return and surface roughness. The combined use of point clouds, 3D models and cloud intensity from terrestrial LiDAR provides an added level of confidence to the ability to subdivide the sediment units and discriminate them from ploughsoil. Internal bedding of the coversands is enhanced in the LiDAR elaborations. This is new evidence not otherwise observed by the naked eye. On the other side, the classification of point clouds by roughness index seems promising for recording the grading of the sediments. The experiment in Farndon Fields therefore demonstrates the benefit of phased technology-based investigation combining archaeology and geology towards a more cost-effective assessment through strategic sampling and digital recording of landscape domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence or absence of use-wear marks on copper (Cu)-alloy weaponry has been used since the late 1990s to investigate the balance between functional (combat) and symbolic (value, status, religious) use of these objects, and thus explore their social and economic context. In this paper, we suggest that this work has not taken sufficient account of the material properties of Cu-alloys. We discuss mechanisms of plastic deformation, incremental repairs and corrosion in detail to show how these can obscure use-wear traces. In a survey of Cu-alloy weaponry from the Nordic Bronze Age (1800/1700–550 BCE) from Denmark, Sweden and Germany, we show that corrosion of Cu-alloy objects is strongly linked to depositional context, being greater in burials (both inhumations and cremations) than hoards or as single objects. A relative paucity of use-wear marks on burial weapons should therefore not be used to argue that these were purely symbolic objects, e.g. in contrast to the better preserved hoard material. We propose that use-wear traces on Cu-alloy weaponry, particularly on blade edges, is significantly more elusive than previously realised, and that undamaged objects have been over-identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the potential of 5β-stanols and bile acids to act as fecal source biomarkers in order to identify and characterize past agropastoral activities in archaeological and natural archives. First of all, a molecular inventory of 5β-stanols and bile acids was made on fresh fecal human and domestic animal samples, using the same methodology to define the specificity of these molecular biomarkers. The selected species were cow, horse, pig and sheep as they are the major domestic species present in European archaeological sites. To our knowledge, our work constitutes the first report on fecal biomarkers in sheep feces. Bile acids can distinguish diet regime and species having the same diet with greater specificity than 5β-stanols. Fresh human fecal material and historical/archaeological fecal material were analyzed to assess their stability through time by calculating the coprostanol/epi-coprostanol (Cp/epi-Cp) and deoxycholic acid/cholic acid (DOC/C) ratios. Results show that bile acids are more resistant to diagenesis than 5β-stanols, at least on a 700-year time scale. Human and domestic animal fecal molecular imprints were then compared to the molecular content of 65 samples retrieved from archaeological sites, soils and lacustrine sediments to test their ability to trace past land-use dynamics. This study is the first to combine bile acids and 5β-stanols to identify a source of fecal material in lacustrine sediments. The combination of sterols and bile acids can be used in a variety of natural archives and archaeological contexts to define the origin of fecal material, to specify land-use, and to reconstruct past pastoral practices at various spatio-temporal scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methods of measuring differentiation in archaeological assemblages have long been based on attribute-level analyses of assemblages. This paper considers a method of comparing assemblages as probability distributions via the Hellinger distance, as calculated through a Dirichlet-categorical model of inference using Monte Carlo methods of approximation. This method has application within practice-theory traditions of archaeology, an approach which seeks to measure and associate different factors that comprise the habitus of society. It is implemented here focusing on the question of regional food consumption habits in Republican Italy in the last two centuries BCE, toward informing a perspective on mass social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists and historians have demonstrated that marine resource management, or mariculture, has been practiced by coastal peoples worldwide for thousands of years. Typically evidence for these practices is in the form of ethnohistoric accounts or associated infrastructure (e.g. clam gardens). This paper presents methods for inferring oyster mariculture by using proxy evidence from attributes of the shell itself. The methods are applied to archaeological shell from a Woodland Period site on Florida's Gulf Coast, where it appears that two techniques of mariculture, shelling and culling, were practiced during a period of intensive large-scale and sustained harvesting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population growth rate estimators have recently emerged in demographic temporal frequency analysis (dTFA) as further tools to monitor pre-census population dynamics. The information that such estimators supply affords considerable heuristic potential for population-ecological research both because they implicate the environmental, behavioral, and physiological mechanisms that condition population growth, and because they impose much-needed empirical constraints on our efforts to build theory addressing long-run human population dynamics. However, the earnestness with which these estimators have been applied warrants caution. First, several nonidentical measures of population growth are current in both formal demography and dTFA, creating an opportunity for their equivocation. Second, our ability to insightfully interrogate growth estimates for population-ecological information has been checked by a tendency to interpret them in the framework of off-the-shelf parametric growth models ill-suited to long-run population dynamics. This paper evaluates the biodemographic merit of three estimators recently applied in dTFA. It also advocates a transition away from parametric and toward dynamic growth models and introduces an inductive, regression-based approach to the latter. A Monte Carlo simulation study indicates that this inductive approach can successfully recapture information about environmental influences on population growth from archaeological summed probability distributions, less so from kernel density estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents and discusses the results of the first ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis of cyprinid remains recovered from the Mesolithic-Neolithic sites of Vlasac, Lepenski Vir and Padina in the Danube Gorges (North-Central Balkans). Cyprinids constitute a significant portion of the identified fish remains recovered from these sites, which is indicative of their dietary role, and their large pharyngeal teeth have been worn as garment appliqués and associated with a great number of buried individuals. aDNA analysis (involving mitochondrial and nuclear markers) of pharyngeal bones with teeth corresponding to those used as appliqués has determined that they originate from anadromous Rutilus frisii (vyrezub), previously unrecorded in the Middle and Lower Danube. At present, the species inhabits the Black, Azov and Caspian Sea basins, but the only known populations in the Danube inhabit solely its upper reaches in Austria. The results of our study and the occurrence of R. frisii in the Danube Gorges further corroborate that its Upper Danube and Black Sea habitat had been connected in the past, i.e. that the species was entering the whole stretch of the river during its spawning migrations. Furthermore, precise taxonomic identification has important implications for a better understanding of fishing practices and their seasonal schedule in the Danube Gorges, and the distribution of cyprinid pharyngeal teeth ornaments in Europe during the Mesolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature and timing of rice domestication and the development of rice cultivation in South Asia is much debated. In northern South Asia there is presently a significant gap ( c .4200 years) between earliest evidence for the exploitation of wild rice (Lahuradewa c .6000 BCE) and earliest dated evidence for the utilisation of fully domesticated rice (Mahagara c .1800 BCE). The Indus Civilisation ( c. 3000–1500 BCE) developed and declined during the intervening period, and there has been debate about whether rice was adopted and exploited by Indus populations during this ‘gap’. This paper presents new analysis of spikelet bases and weeds collected from three Indus Civilisation settlements in north-west India, which provide insight into the way that rice was exploited. This analysis suggests that starting in the period before the Indus urban phase (Early Harappan) and continuing through the urban (Mature Harappan/Harappan), post-urban (Late Harappan) and on into the post-Indus Painted Grey Ware (PGW) period, there was a progressive increase in the proportion of domesticated-type spikelet bases and a decrease in wild-types. This pattern fits with a model of the slow development of rice exploitation from wild foraging to agriculture involving full cultivation. Importantly, the accompanying weeds show no increased proportions of wetland species during this period. Instead a mix of wetland and dryland species was identified, and although these data are preliminary, they suggest that the development of an independent rice tradition may have been intertwined with the practices of the eastern most Indus peoples. These data also suggest that when fully domesticated Oryza sativa ssp. japonica was introduced around 2000 BCE, it arrived in an area that was already familiar with domesticated rice cultivation and a range of cultivation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendroarchaeology almost exclusively uses ring-width (RW) data for dating historical structures and artefacts. Such data can be used to date tree-ring sequences when regional climate dominates RW variability. However, the signal in RW data can be obscured due to site specific ecological influences (natural and anthropogenic) that impact crossdating success. In this paper, using data from Scotland, we introduce a novel tree-ring parameter (Blue Intensity – BI) and explore its utility for facilitating dendro-historical dating of conifer samples. BI is similar to latewood density as they both reflect the combined hemicellulose, cellulose and lignin content in the latewood cell walls of conifer species and the amount of these compounds is strongly controlled, at least for trees growing in temperature limited locations, by late summer temperatures. BI not only expresses a strong climate signal, but is also less impacted by site specific ecological influences. It can be concurrently produced with RW data from images of finely sanded conifer samples but at a significantly reduced cost compared to traditional latewood density. Our study shows that the probability of successfully crossdating historical samples is greatly increased using BI compared to RW. Furthermore, due to the large spatial extent of the summer temperature signal expressed by such data, a sparse multi-species conifer network of long BI chronologies across Europe could be used to date and loosely provenance imported material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first evidence for the domestication of donkeys ( Equus asinus ) dates back to at least 6000-5000 BP in Northeast Africa, and their dispersion is attributed to the ancient Romans. Latin authors described donkeys as being particularly suitable for the transport of goods and farm work. In addition, they were also bred to produce prized hybrids, particularly mules, which were perfectly adapted to the long-distance transport of people and goods. However, although the historical sources extensively describe their economic importance, both donkey and hybrid remains are surprisingly scarce in the archaeological record. This apparent contradiction is probably due to the difficulties involved in correctly identifying their bones: relatively few bones displaying morphological and metrical criteria can be used for identification, so it is often based purely on bone size. The aim of this study, therefore, is to propose solutions to identify domestic equid bones using 3D geometric morphometrics on isolated and combinations of anatomical elements. A set of 3D coordinates were registered on the 18 main skull and limb bones of 111 modern reference specimens (i.e. 42 horses, 44 donkeys and 25 hybrids). In this paper, we present the classification rate obtained on this reference sample using the k-Nearest Neighbors algorithm. The application of this method on archaeological skeletons from Roman to modern sites is also presented. The percentage of correctly classified specimens was between 77% and 95% for all 18 bones, and higher than 80% for 10 of the fragmentation patterns we defined. Using a combination of several bones enabled us to increase the rate of correct reclassification to a maximum of 97%. The application to archaeological skeletons proved the ability of this method to identify domestic horses and donkeys from archaeological samples. Correspondingly, some bones, and especially combinations of bones, provided good rates to identify hybrids. This method has proved reliable in detecting the presence of donkeys and hybrids from the archaeological samples of equid bones, and should enrich our knowledge regarding their spread across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dating agricultural terraces is a notoriously difficult problem for archaeologists. The frequent occurrence of residual material in terrace soils and the potential for post-depositional disturbance mean that conventional artefactual and lab-based dating methods often provide unreliable dates. In this paper we present a new technique using luminescence field profiling coupled with OSL dating to produce complete (relative) sequences of dates for sedimentary stratigraphies associated with agricultural terraces and earthworks. The method is demonstrated through a series of case-studies in western Catalonia, Spain, in which we reconstruct the formation sequence of earthwork features from the Middle Ages through to the present day. OSL profiling at the time of archaeological survey and excavation permitted spatially and temporally resolved sediment ‘chronologies’ to be generated, and provides the means to interpret the environmental and cultural archives contained in each. The case-studies presented here show that luminescence approaches are a valuable tool to reconstruct landscape histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present a new method for modeling past maritime movement events using least cost path analysis. Nontraditional measures of movement cost, including cultural, environmental, and physiological variables, were calculated. Using multiple cost-weighting scenarios, spatial resolutions, and different considerations of overland travel, movement routes were predicted for five Pacific Northwest Coast study areas. This work uses a new application of least cost path analysis to seascapes and marine movement and the results have led to a better understanding of migration during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. The resulting routes were systematically analyzed and compared to determine which produced the results most likely to predict high-use coastal movement corridors. We found that modeling scenarios where culturally derived costs of movement were highly weighted and in which overland travel was very costly produced the best predictions of possible past movement events. These models show that predicted routes cluster in distinct patterns which are influenced by the geography of the seascape through which the movement event is taking place and that areas of high traffic are most likely to be located immediately offshore and to the south of islands as well as in the spaces between landmasses. This knowledge increases our ability to predict the location of drowned sites on the Northwest Coast and is important in contemporary archaeology because it can help locate new sites in a landscape that has radically changed over the last 20,000 years. GIS analysis can reveal new sites hidden by changing sea levels, which may not be easily located using traditional forms of site prospection. Accurate modeling of maritime movement opens many coastal areas to increased archaeological exploration and has the potential for the discovery of new sites in drowned locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Southern Montane Forest-Grassland mosaic ecosystem in the humid subtropics southern Rift Valley of Africa comprised the environmental context for a large area in which modern human evolution and dispersal occurred. Variable climatic conditions during the Late Pleistocene have ranged between humid and hyperarid, changing the character of the ecosystem and transforming it at different points in time into a barrier, a refuge, and a corridor between southern and eastern African populations. Alluvial fans presently blanket the areas adjacent to major river systems, which were key areas of prehistoric human habitation. These sets of variables have created conditions that are both challenging and advantageous to conduct archaeological research. Lateritic soil development has resulted in poor organic preservation and facilitated insect bioturbation, which has demanded an integrated micro-macro scale approach to building a reliable geochronology. An integrated field and analytical methodology has also been employed to identify the nature and degree of post-depositional movement in alluvial deposits, which preserve a wide range of spatial integrity levels in buried stone artifact assemblages between 47 and 30 ka in Karonga, northern Malawi. This paper describes the methodological advances taken toward understanding open-air Middle Stone Age archaeology in sub-tropical Africa, and explores the inferential potential for understanding Pleistocene human ecology in the important southern Rift Valley region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuk Swamp is a globally significant archaeological site of early agriculture in the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Mixed-method and multi-scalar investigations of the stratigraphy and selected feature fills at Kuk were instrumental in determining the character of plant exploitation and agricultural practices there during the early and mid Holocene. In this paper, macro-scale (field recording), meso-scale (X-radiography) and micro-scale (thin section micromorphology) analyses are presented in summary form for a stratigraphic column, as well as for a palaeochannel and palaeosurfaces associated with plant exploitation at c.10,000 cal BP and cultivation at 7000–6400 cal BP. Major and minor stratigraphic units have been characterised, primary and secondary formation processes differentiated, and the anthropic associations of specific stratigraphic units determined, especially in regards to cultivation. The Kuk research highlights several methodological problems with the investigation of early cultivation on allophane-rich soils in tropical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-depositional alteration of cave sediments is of critical importance for the recognition, identification and investigation of geoarchaeological and palaeoenvironmental evidence. There have been relatively few studies of tropical cave sediments using micromorphology and this work represents one of the most detailed with 26 samples taken from deposits in the West Mouth of the Great Cave of Niah that cover the last >∼55,000 BP, and contain the earliest known evidence for the remains of modern humans in Southeast Asia. Cave sediments situated in the humid tropics are subject to relatively high temperatures and moisture conditions that promote high rates of chemical alteration and geomorphic change. This paper outlines those post-depositional features that occurred in situ in the West Mouth and include: translocation and concentration; bioturbation; excrement; bone alteration; plant alteration; clast alteration and guano decomposition. It examines their implications for recognising past human activities (e.g. fire-altered materials), the preservation of archaeological remains, the nature of palaeoenvironments and of localised physical and bio-geochemical processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geoarchaeological research is now commonly undertaken as an integral component of archaeological investigations across much of the world. However, in humid tropical regions there is a relative shortfall of this Earth-Science approach to understanding archaeological records. In these regions, where hot and humid conditions prevail for significant parts of the year, sedimentological records are prone to high levels of diagenesis, bioturbation and weathering. This means that understanding and quantifying archaeological site formation processes can be very challenging because we may not have sufficient existing data with which to decipher the stratigraphic (and microstratigraphic) features recorded in these sequences. In this paper we introduce a special issue of Journal of Archaeological Science in which we showcase a selection of geoarchaeological research from across the equatorial regions of five continents, highlighting the types of stratigraphic sequences and sedimentological features that are likely to be encountered, and evaluating the tools that can be employed to maximise the geoarchaeological potential of these unique records. Additionally, we use this opportunity to review geoarchaeology in the humid tropics from a global perspective, outlining the main problems that geoarchaeologists face working in these environments and the techniques available with which to mitigate them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pleistocene continent of Sahul was first settled by people who arrived by watercraft from Island South East Asia about 50,000 years ago. Some of the oldest archaeological sites in Sahul are located in the southern Kimberley, in northwest Australia. This area lies within the southern zone of influence of the tropical monsoon and thus has always been highly sensitive to changes in monsoon dynamics over time. How these climatic changes have affected the colonisation and occupation of Australia is an important research theme in Australian archaeology. This paper illustrates the contribution and challenges of micromorphology in deciphering palaeoenvironmental and anthropogenic markers in a still largely unexplored Australian context. Micromorphological analysis of two archaeological sequences in the Napier Range (Carpenters Gap 1 and 3) provides a complementary and comprehensive reconstruction of the human-climate history in this area spanning nearly 50,000 years of Australian human presence. The results demonstrate an opportunistic use of sites by people through time, surprisingly independent of local climatic variation, suggesting highly flexible subsistence strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interpersonal violence in the past is studied from different perspectives, one of which is experimentation. Using analogues to the human skeleton it is possible to replicate fractures found in the archaeological record and understand how they were produced. The main objective of this paper is to describe and differentiate sharp-blunt force cranial trauma caused by stone axes and adzes, to test previous interpretations of an archaeological case. This will create a comparative frame of reference for future studies. In the present experiment, seven Synbone polyurethane spheres were used as analogues to the human skull. These were covered with rubber skin, filled with ballistic gelatin, and fixed in a way that allowed some mobility when struck. This system creates a skin-skull-brain-neck model. A replica of a stone axe and adze were used as weapon-tools, simulating a face-to-face attack. The results of the experiment showed that there are a series of characteristics that differentiate the fracture pattern associated with each one, confirming previous bioarchaeological interpretations. The differentiation between both weapon-tools through the resulting cranial trauma allows conclusions about the direction of the blow and the position of the attacker with respect to the victim. This provides a better reconstruction of the most likely scenario surrounding the confrontation and the possible cause of death of the individuals, which is especially important during the Neolithic period, when this type of cranial trauma is very common. • Stone axes and adzes are common weapon-tools used during the Neolithic. • Characterizing the cranial fracture pattern caused by each object is the main objective of this research. • The use of synthetic analogues has proven to be a reliable method in bioarchaeological experiments. • The results show that both objects are macroscopically distinguishable, and the direction of the blow can be identified. • This differentiation allows to better contextualize the interpersonal attack, approaching the attacker-victim constellation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geospatial landscape connectivity modeling techniques are widely used in archaeological studies of past human movement patterns and landscape interactions. Recent advancements in the development of omnidirectional modeling approaches present new avenues for research design and require introduction into the field. In this paper, we present a novel adaptation of a point-based omnidirectional model design that we use to advance understandings of early colonial expansion (ca. 1600–1750 CE) into a social and ecological frontier landscape in the Northeastern United States, the Great Bay Estuary. We build case-specific resistance surfaces and use Circuitscape modeling to simulate the outward dispersal of settler colonists from the landscape's central water bodies while accounting for the influences of both water-based and overland travel, as well as the availability of specific natural resources. The outcome of the simulation performs well when tested statistically against the archaeological record and the value of multivariate model parameterization is highlighted both quantitatively and qualitatively. This case study offers a framework others could use to advance their own contextually-informed modeling of past human dispersal and landscape interactions. • Omnidirectional geospatial modeling methods are needed in archaeology. • We present a point-based circuitscape model of colonial dispersal in New England. • Input resistance surfaces consider navigable waters, overland travel, and wetlands. • Model performance is tested against the archaeological record with success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the karstic regions of the South of France, caves were used as water source during the Late Neolithic. Different strategies of water collection were put in place, the most frequent being the positioning of very large ceramic containers under trickle points. Functional studies, and more specifically use-wear analysis, are seldom used approaches applied to ceramic assemblages and the identification of post-depositional processes remains a major challenge that affects interpretation, particularly in karstic contexts. In the case of Le Claux, this approach shed light on a possible storage of acid liquid, that was potentially fermented. This paper aims both to contribute to the discipline of use-wear studies applied to ceramic material by offering a new method to differentiate natural and man-made wears, and to offer a better understanding of cave activities in the Late Neolithic of the South of France. • The function of Neolithic cistern-caves is renewed by a use-alteration analysis on pots. • A new method to differentiate ceramic use-alteration from natural and post-depositional alterations is proposed. • Use-wear of ceramic vessels from a cave context may reveal the production of acid fermented liquids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Locating the source(s) of the raw material used in the production of Shang bronzes with highly radiogenic lead (HRL) has been one of the most important unresolved issues surrounding metallurgy in early China. In this paper, we demonstrate that the Shang period (ca. 1600–1050 BCE) smelting slags from Yingcheng contain HRL, and the copper ores could have been acquired from Lüzudong and Bukou (6 km and 17 km from Yingcheng, respectively). This is the first discovery of HRL from Shang period smelting slags. In addition, the lead isotope signals from Yingcheng match well with those from Middle Shang period bronzes, indicating the possibility that Laiwu could be a source area for metals with HRL at the time. Our data provide a new direction for exploring the sources of ores for Shang bronzes, which can in turn inform us about the socio-political and economic organization of the Shang state. • Copper smelting slags found at Yingcheng for producing copper and arsenical copper. • The first identification of highly radiogenic lead from Shang (ca. 1600–1050 BCE) smelting slags collected at Yingcheng • The potential source area for highly radiogenic lead, accounting for more than 60% of all the Shang bronzes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal remains of two equid species, Equus caballus (horse) and Equus asinus (donkey), have been found in archaeological contexts throughout Iberia since the Palaeolithic and Chalcolithic periods, respectively. These two species play different economic and cultural roles, and therefore it is important to be able to distinguish between the two species to better understand their relative importance in the past human societies. The most reliable morphological features for distinguishing between the two domesticated equids are based on cranial measurements and tooth enamel folds, leading to only a small percentage of archaeological remains that can be identified to species. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis can be used to reliably distinguish the two equids, but it can be cost prohibitive to apply to large assemblages, and aDNA preservation of non-cranial elements is often low. Collagen peptide mass fingerprinting by matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry, also known as zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS), is a minimally destructive and cost-effective alternative to aDNA analysis for taxonomic determination. However, current ZooMS markers lack resolution below the genus level Equus. In this paper, we report a novel ZooMS peptide marker that reliably distinguishes between horses and donkeys using the enzyme chymotrypsin. We apply this peptide marker to taxonomically identify bones from the Iberian Peninsula ranging from the Iron Age to the Late Modern Period. The peptide biomarker has the potential to facilitate the collection of morphological data for zooarchaeological studies of equids in Iberia and throughout Eurasia and Africa. • Novel ZooMS biomarker discriminates between horses and donkeys. • Novel biomarker provided species level identification for archaeological samples identified only to Equus. • The enzyme, chymotrypsin, reliably provides unique peptide markers for ZooMS analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the archaeometric analyses of the gold objects from the famous so-called 'treasures' of Troy and Poliochni on the island of Lemnos. Altogether 61 Early Bronze Age (EBA) gold objects dating between 2500 and 2000 BCE were investigated in this study. They were primarily sampled with a portable laser ablation (pLA) unit in the National Archaeological Museum in Athens and analyzed with ICP-MS at the Curt-Engelhorn-Centre Archaeometry (CEZA) in Mannheim. The main advantage of this approach is the possibility to obtain samples on site without the necessity of transport. It is a minimally invasive method that leaves no visible damage on the objects. As an additional advantage there are no restrictions on the size of the objects under study. The central goal of the study was to obtain high-quality compositional analyses of gold objects from the sites Troy and Poliochni to investigate, if the typological similarity is paralleled by the elemental composition of the gold, including the trace elements. This would suggest not only similar procurement of the metal across these sites but also potential exchange of objects and/or specialist workers. In a second step, the results were compared with data from contemporary gold objects from Ur in southern Mesopotamia, from where LA-ICP-MS data have recently become available. Finally, a survey of such data for gold objects from gold-rich regions is used to narrow down the possible origin of Early Bronze Age gold in the Old World. • Application of a portable LA- ICP-MS method on EBA gold from Troy and Poliochni. • Chemical characterization of the EBA gold objects including trace elements. • Comparison with EBA gold finds form the Royal Cemetery of Ur in Mesopotamia. • New insights into the provenance of the gold from Troy and Poliochni. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many regions of Europe, bronze metalwork survives in excellent states of preservation that enable us to examine traces of use on objects that are indicative of the ways in which they were used. This is a relatively young field of archaeometric research and the methodologies employed are as yet to be consolidated. A systematic relationship typically exists between experimental archaeology and the analyses of ancient objects to understand the character and causation of traces of use on objects. Mediation between these approaches has typically been undertaken using physical casts of damage on ancient objects or primary documentation and illustration by hand. We propose in this paper that advances in digital 3D modelling provide a new and dynamic interlocutor between artefact analyses and experimental archaeology. To this end, we evaluate the pros and cons of two of the affordable and commonly used modes of 3D data capture – laser scanning and structure from motion/photogrammetry – for studying the wear on bladed metal objects. We conclude that 3D modelling has considerable potential for enhancing metalwork wear analysis and object biography research. This is due to the dynamics of storing and displaying wear data for particular objects and by linking the study of traces of use on ancient objects more generally with those developed through experimental research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palestine and Egypt supplied the Mediterranean and Europe with virtually all of its glass for most of the first millennium CE. While the Muslim conquest in the 7th century saw major political and economic adjustment, immediate changes to material culture appear to have been minimal. This paper examines the impact of the Byzantine-Islamic transition on the natron glass industry of Palestine from the 7th to 12th century. A series of 133 well-contextualised glass vessels from selected excavations in modern day Israel have been analysed for major, minor and trace elements using LA-ICP-MS. These glasses are assigned to previously established primary production groups, allowing the elucidation of the chronology of key changes in glass production in the region. Results indicate a relatively abrupt compositional change in the late 7th - early 8th centuries, covering the reforming reigns of al-Malik and al-Walid, which marks the end of “Byzantine” glass production and the establishment of the furnaces at Bet Eli'ezer. At about this time there was an influx of glass of an Egyptian composition. Production of Bet Eli'ezer type glass appears to have been limited to a short time span, less than 50 years, after which natron glass production in Palestine ceased. Plant ash glass is first encountered in the late 8th-early 9th century, probably as a result of reduced local natron glass production creating the conditions in which plant ash glass technology was adopted. Egypt continued to produce natron glass for up to a century after its demise in Palestine. It is reasoned that the change and then collapse in natron glass production in Palestine may well have been as a consequence of a reduction in the quantities of available natron. This affected Palestine first, and Egypt up to 100 years later, which suggests that the factors causing the reduction in natron supply originated at the source and were long term and gradual, not short term events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the statistical analysis of 280 pieces of Cantabrian and Pyrenean Middle Magdalenian portable art. Particular technical traces left on the medium by the act of engraving were identified through microscopic analysis and used to build a quantitative estimation of the overall technical aptitude of the engraver. Some traces considered as accidents or errors in the tracing were counted negatively, whereas others reflecting control of the tool and mastership in the use of various techniques were counted positively. A multivariate analysis based on this quantitative index, along with criteria including the type of medium was carried out using Correspondence Factor Analysis and completed with relevant statistical tests. The analysis clearly distinguishes three groups of pieces: those with a negative index, those that present a low positive index resulting from a balance between positive and negative traces, and those with a highly positive index. These different categories of pieces may be tentatively assigned to different levels of experience in tool control and engraving techniques. The mean value of the technical index seems to be correlated with the type of medium and differs significantly in the various sites studied in the corpus. These data allow us to pose some hypotheses concerning the transmission of knowledge in Magdalenian societies, such as differential access to raw materials according to the engraver's experience, and different functionality of sites based on their production of decorated objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the first aerial mapping of Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and photogrammetric techniques, to provide a detailed digital cartographic basis for this world-renowned paleoanthropological site. The survey covered an area of 32 km 2 of Olduvai Gorge, and through the use of aerial photos and ground control points from Global Navigation Satellite Systems, an orthomosaic and Digital Surface Model, with a higher than 5 cm/pixel ground resolution, were produced. The Digital Surface Model was then denoised to calculate a Digital Elevation Model, and a high-resolution imaging model of Olduvai Gorge was generated. A preliminary morphometric characterization using Geographic Information Systems shows the potential of this approach when analysing multiple topographic variables in large areas of paleoanthropological relevance, including production of a new map template for Olduvai Gorge and new data for the investigation of sedimentary and tectonic processes. These results constitute one of the first attempts to obtain high quality imagery from large geographic areas amenable to Early Stone Age research, and introduce new workflows for the creation of Digital Elevation Models. Overall, the digital dataset produced is intended to support archaeological and geological investigation in this area, and provide new monitoring tools for the conservation of cultural heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of our knowledge of the symbolic world of Upper Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers is based on the study of the graphic representations found in Western European caves. However, to date, few studies have been conducted on rock art apart from chronological and stylistic characterisation. Altamira Cave (northern Iberia) is characterised by an outstanding rock art ensemble, whose representations cover practically the whole Upper Palaeolithic. The site is equally important for the rich Upper Palaeolithic deposits in the cave entrance, which contain large shell assemblages. Traditionally, the presence of shells in hunter-fisher-gatherer settlements has been interpreted as part of the diet and/or the symbolic world (through the creation of ornaments) of these groups, regardless of their possible use as an instrument. In this paper we utilise use-wear methodology, chemical analysis and analytical experimentation to verify the initial hypothesis that shells in the archaeological deposits of Altamira were used to obtain the ochre powder utilised to produce the magnificent and diverse rock art ensemble in the cave. The results provide new information on the process of obtaining pigments for the realisation of paintings and confirm that the use of shells to obtain ochre was a systematic activity throughout the whole study period. Finally, our conclusions support the explanatory model that highlights the role played by marine resources for Upper Palaeolithic human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the function of quartzite pounding tools from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania) using microscopic and use wear spatial distribution analysis. A selection of pounding tools from several Bed I and II assemblages excavated by Mary Leakey (1971) were studied under low magnification (<100×), and the microscopic traces developed on their surfaces are described. Experimental data and results obtained from analysis of the archaeological material are compared in order to assess activities in which pounding tools could have been involved. Results show that experimental anvils used for meat processing, nut cracking and/or bone breaking have similar wear patterns as those observed on archaeological percussive artefacts. This is the first time that a microscopic analysis is applied to Early Stone Age pounding artefacts from Olduvai Beds I and II, and this paper highlights the importance that percussive activities played during the Early Pleistocene, suggesting a wider range of activities in addition to knapping and butchering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prompted by the results of a series of recently published simulation models, there is an increasing tendency for archaeologists to invoke demographic variables as explanations for changes in the sophistication or complexity of material culture. Whilst these models are undoubtedly valuable, this paper draws attention to persistent failings in the interpretation and application of these models by archaeologists. Despite having quite different effects, variables such as population size and population density are often used interchangeably; and whilst increasing mobility has an effect broadly equivalent to that of increasing population density, it is rarely given sufficient weight in archaeological explanations of cultural change. The analyses reported here develop a series of new simulations based on the ideal gas model, allowing for an explicit prediction of the encounter rate – the variable for which population density and mobility are proxies, and which ultimately governs the rate of cultural transmission. This model supports the predictions of earlier studies on the effects of population density and mobility, but suggests that population size will have no effect on rates of cultural transmission. These simulations are coupled with analyses that demonstrate a reciprocal correlation between population density and mobility in a large hunter-gatherer dataset. Given this correlation, it is argued that archaeological inferences about cultural transmission based on just one of these variables are unlikely to be valid. These findings are discussed in the context of previous research, and it is suggested that future studies would gain greater explanatory power by focusing explicitly on the social network structures likely to have characterised a particular archaeological population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Recently in their research as well as that of independently tackled issues of effectively measuring attrition/gloss rates on sickle blade tools from Southwest Asia. Interestingly, while applying new methodology to analyzing sickle tools from different cultural and temporal contexts, these two papers arrived at a similar conclusion: sickle tools were likely very expensive to make, and thus, considerations were made during their production to ensure long use-lives to benefit the people who made and used them in prehistory. Stemp et al. (in this issue) provide a methodological critique of both studies. In addressing their critique we make several points. First it is important to note that Stemp et al. provide no new experimental analysis to justify their assertions, and their critique is ultimately, at best, guesswork. Second, the minimal reanalysis of the data Stemp et al. do conduct arguably lead to the same preliminary conclusion at which we originally arrived: the prehistoric sickle blades we examined were used longer than those we replicated. As stated in our original paper, lithic use-wear studies often do not address issue of reliable and reproducible methods. We believe that our original study helps fill this missing component, and that measuring edge thickness is much less subjective than conventional features on stone tools traditionally identified microscopically. From our perspective, Stemp et al. present largely unsupported critical commentary, lacking substantial reanalysis or experiments to complement or justify their commentary. In the end Stemp et al. provide little more than interesting ideas and conjecture. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The colour of jewellery objects is decisive for the appearance of the object. For this reason, a system was developed for this paper in order to deduce the colour of the copper alloys based on the chemical composition of the object. For this purpose, 424 copper alloys were produced in the copper-tin-zinc-lead system. The colours in this system range from copper tones to gold and silver tones with different intermediate levels. Lead has the least influence in the system. If tin and zinc are used in the alloy, lead still only has a minor influence. The greatest colour variance is found in the copper-tin-zinc system. Furthermore, the results of the colour measurements are applied to selected archaeological examples. • This paper gives the possibility to determine the colour of an archaeological copper alloy from its chemical composition. • The different systems (Cu–Sn, Cu–Zn, Cu–Sn–Pb, Cu–Zn–Pb, Cu–Sn–Zn and Cu–Sn–Zn–Pb) are presented in their colour properties and compared with gold and silver alloys. • Applications of colour determination for archaeological copper objects are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small, bowl-shaped pits characterized by a lower fill rich in charred organic material are among the most frequent features found on Mesolithic sites in the sand belt of NW Europe, in particular in the Netherlands and Belgium. Traditionally they are interpreted as "pit hearths" used for food processing and/or tar production. However, in 2015 the present authors suggested an alternative explanation according to which these features represent ant nests which collapsed after burning caused by forest (wild)fires. In a recent paper Huisman et al. (2019) present new micromorphological data which they believe supports the anthropogenic character of these features. Mesolithic man would have put top soil turves on the pit floors before igniting the hearth; after the firing the pits would have been deliberately filled with topsoil material. The current paper challenges these interpretations and concludes that the micromorphological data better fit the ant nest hypothesis. • Charcoal-rich pits are characteristic features in the Mesolithic of the NW European sand belt. • They are traditionally interpreted as cooking and/or tar-producing features. • This paper challenges the anthropogenic origin based on a re-interpretation of micromorphological data. • It suggests these features are the remains of collapsed ant dome nests. • The charcoal originates from the incomplete combustion of these nests during forest fires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA) thermography is one of the least utilized remote-sensing methods in archaeology, yet it has great potential for visualizing subsurface archaeological features. Given the logistic constraints of remote fieldwork, arctic archaeologists have much to gain from this portable and effective remote-sensing application. This paper presents a novel methodological approach for the collection, processing, and analysis of RPA thermal imagery in the Canadian High Arctic that accounts for the unique environmental and logistic challenges of RPA applications in polar regions. The development of this approach is based on a case study of two Pre-Inuit (4500–1000 B.P.) archaeological sites from the Foxe Basin region, Nunavut. The presented workflow demonstrates the effectiveness of RPA thermography in archaeological feature detection in an Arctic-tundra setting. Thermal detection of several previously unidentified subsurface features in Foxe Basin suggest that surface feature visibility is lower than previously anticipated, calling attention to potential judgemental biases in pedestrian archaeological surveys in Arctic contexts. Based on the utility of low-altitude thermography for visualizing the internal structures of Tuniit dwellings, this paper proposes that thermography facilitates archaeological spatial analysis beyond feature prospection. RPA thermography is a non-destructive and economic remote-sensing solution to some of the persistent logistic challenges to fieldwork in remote locations that often inhibit large-scale archaeological analyses not only in the Canadian Arctic, but remote Arctic-Alpine regions worldwide. • A method is presented for archaeological thermography in Arctic regions using a remotely-piloted aircraft (RPA). • Survey successfully identifies a range of buried architectural feature types. • Thermal imagery effectively visualizes internal architectural structures of buried dwellings. • Limitations and other potential applications are outlined. • Further thermography investigations inland of coastal sites are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Demographic profiling of archaeological assemblages offers a window into the shifting exploitation strategies practiced by ancient societies. High resolution sex-specific age profiles, in particular, have yielded new insights into the evolution of early management practices taken during the initial stages of animal domestication (Zeder, 2001). This paper is the third in a series seeking to develop a method for constructing demographic profiles for Sus scrofa — one of the earliest major livestock species noteworthy for being independently domesticated in both Southwest and East Asia. The first paper in this series (Lemoine et al., 2014) presented a new system for constructing high resolution age profiles using patterns of dental eruption and wear. The second (Zeder et al., 2015) presented a new method for computing high resolution age profiles based on long bone fusion. Both papers used a reference assemblage of modern Eurasian wild boar for developing these new aging schemes, which were then applied to the large assemblage of S. scrofa remains from the Early Holocene age site of Hallan Çemi (c. 11,600 cal. BP) in southeastern Anatolia — an assemblage that previous researchers claimed provided evidence for early steps toward management (Redding, 2005). Here we focus on a subset of this modern reference collection consisting of 34 wild boar skeletons from Turkey, Iran, and Iraq. We employ a Logarithm Size Index scaling (LSI) technique to examine the effect of factors such as age, locality, and, sex on body size in modern wild boar. We find that even though both age and locality have an impact on body size, LSI values derived from select measurements of various different post-cranial elements can be used to classify individual osteological specimens as belonging to immature animals, and, for animals older than about eight months of age, as female or male. We test the reliability of these classifications by comparing the known demographic profiles of the modern reference population against those derived from the LSI classifications. Finally, we apply this new method to the Hallan Çemi assemblage and propose a method for adjusting LSI values to account for temporal size differences encountered between the modern and ancient populations. We also present methods for assessing the reliability of these classifications in the ancient population. We conclude by offering guidelines for the application of this new method to other archaeological assemblages of S. scrofa and other ungulate species that demonstrate strong degrees of sexual dimorphism. • Logarithm Size Index scaling (LSI) used to examine impact of age, locality, sex on size in modern wild boar from SW Asia. • LSI values effective in accurately classifying immature animals, females, and males. • LSI method used to construct demographic profiles of archaeological Sus scrofa from Hallan Çemi, SE Turkey (11,700 BP). • Guidelines provided to apply LSI method to other archaeological assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]