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Present‐day air quality is known through dense monitoring and extensive pollution control mechanisms. In contrast, knowledge of historical pollution, particularly before the industrial revolution, is accessible only through occasional reports of singular local events and through natural archives such as ice or sediment cores that record global‐scale pollution. However, the regular local to regional pollution that most affects human life is hardly known. Historical sciences have argued both for and against significant air pollution in and around historic cities and manufacturing sites. For the Roman era, it has been hypothesized that air quality played a role in several patterns of action of the period. However, to the author's knowledge, there are no quantitative studies of Roman emissions. Using the results of modern experimental archaeology, this study attempts to quantify the emissions from Roman pottery kilns and their impact on surrounding human settlements. It is shown that although the pollution did not reach today's limits, it must have approached levels known to cause adverse health effects. A series of additional test simulations have been conducted to determine how these first results might be improved in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charred aggregates are one of the most common forms in which millets are preserved on archaeological sites. Despite the lack of consensus on their origin, few studies have attempted to determine how aggregates are formed. Knowing how aggregates are produced allows us to understand the diversity of processes operating in the formation of charred archaeobotanical assemblages. As a contribution to filling this gap, we investigated the charring conditions of archaeological millet assemblages by comparing them to experimentally charred millets grains exposed to different temperatures, and reducing and oxidizing atmospheres, using pyrolysis‐gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry (Py‐GC‐MS) and thermally assisted hydrolysis and methylation‐GC‐MS (THM‐GC‐MS). The results show that the formation of aggregates in the millet species studied is due to the transformation of organic material into char and the emission of volatiles as a consequence of the high thermal impact that is produced in some areas of grain clusters. Substances derived from the charring act as a ‘glue’ that holds a grain cluster together, in which some grains are exposed to a temperature range allowing preservation of recognisable grain morphologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lithic artifacts are some of the most common and numerous remains recovered from paleolithic archaeological sites. However, these materials can undergo multiple post‐depositional alterations after their introduction into the archaeological record. Due to the high quantity of lithic remains recovered, a quick, flexible, and effective method for identifying degrees of alteration on the surface of lithic implements is highly desirable. The present study examines the use of gray level images to obtain quantitative data from the surface of flint artifacts and determine whether these images can detect the presence of post‐depositional alterations. An experimental collection of flints was subjected to sequential episodes of rounding in a tumbling machine. After each episode, photographs were taken with a microscope, resulting in quantitative surface values using gray level values. The quantitative surface values were used as variables in machine learning models to determine time of exposure and the most salient variables for discrimination. Our results indicate that the extraction of metrics from gray level images successfully capture changes in the surface of flint artifacts caused by post‐depositional processes. Additional results provide insight into which areas to sample when seeking post‐depositional alterations and underscore the importance of particle size in the generation of alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Northwest China is known for its Majiayao‐style Neolithic painted pottery which has received much praise for its high level of craftsmanship, yet its chain of production, in particular the step of raw material selection, is still poorly understood. To fill this lacuna, the present study explores the raw materials used in producing these wares from a geological and technological perspective. At its core stands the first geoarchaeological survey conducted around the eponymous site of Majiayao which collected 47 samples of raw materials suitable for ceramic production including clay, loess and rocks, which were all analysed macroscopically. A selection was analysed using thin‐section petrography, and a subset of the clay and loess samples were subjected to firing experiments. Additionally, three clay samples were analysed by scanning electron microscope with energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectrometer to understand their composition and behaviour in ceramic production. These were then compared to archaeological ceramics, thus providing insights into raw‐material availability and selection that will be of importance not only for research on Majiayao‐style pottery but also for later‐period ceramics produced in the area. This research shows how an archaeologically informed geological survey can contribute insights into human–environment interaction in early pottery production, especially the interplay between raw‐material availability, technological know‐how and potters' choices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers use a variety of target materials, and sometimes combinations of materials, in their archaeological experiments to examine thrust‐spear or projectile penetration, impact angle, durability, and other issues involving prehistoric hunting weaponry. This variety of target materials is beneficial to archaeological science in several ways, but it may also hinder the comparison of results because many of these target materials do not necessarily share similar physical properties. Here, we assess the penetration properties of four different target materials—store‐bought meat, clay, and two types of gelatin—via static penetration tests of a modern broadhead‐tipped arrow and a stone‐tipped projectile attached to an Instron Universal Materials Tester. Our analyses of load‐deflection curves, peak load, and work energy demonstrate how the four target materials are similar in some ways but different in others, which suggests that researchers may strategically employ one or several depending on the question asked or hypothesis tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over more than a century, several proposals have been made on the composition and technical features of the pictorial recipes used by Levantine prehistoric painters. In this paper all these proposals are surveyed and tested through systematic experiments to determine the technical affordance of pigments and binders in different pictorial recipes. Experimental results were then used as independent analytical parameters employed as diagnostic criteria to systematically study an archaeological sample of nine sites located in the Maestrazgo region (Spain) and their surroundings. Results reveal that out of 112 experimental recipes, only 16 afforded the production of paintings technically similar to Levantine rock art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many factors governed the penetration efficacy of prehistoric projectile weaponry. Archaeologists broadly focus their efforts on understanding the effect of stone weapon tips because these specimens are often the only part of the weapon system that survives in the archaeological record. The tip cross‐sectional area (TCSA) and perimeter (TCSP) of stone weapon tips have been shown to correlate with target penetration depth. Here, using results from both static and dynamic penetration testing, we compare TCSA and TCSP against other tip geometry metrics: lateral surface area (LSA) and volume (V). Our analyses broadly show that using a single‐point geometry metric evaluated at multiple locations along the length of the point, or using multiple geometry metrics evaluated at a single location, better predicts required energy than using a single‐point geometry metric evaluated at a single location. Our results also show that in the case where a single geometry metric evaluated at multiple locations is used LSA provided the most robust prediction models. Finally, our results show that for the case where all geometry metrics evaluated at a single location are used the location that provides the most robust prediction model is dependent on how far the point penetrated the target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Separating two or more aspects of an object via cutting was likely an important factor in the origin and evolution of flaked stone technology. In recent years experiments have demonstrated that several stone tool attributes can influence different kinds of cutting behaviour: slicing, cleaving, scraping, sawing, drilling, piercing and abrading. Here we experimentally assessed the role of stone flake plan‐ and profile‐view gross‐edge curvature in a controlled slicing task. We also assessed the role of edge length. A total of 21 participants, using 252 stone flakes with distinct gross‐edge curvatures and edge lengths, were asked to cut through a standardized substrate, and their efficiency in the task was measured over time. Flakes with longer edge lengths increased the efficiency of the cutting task, but increasing either plan‐ or profile‐view edge curvature decreased the efficiency of the cutting task. These results have implications for the emergence of particular tool forms or reduction sequences throughout the Pleistocene, and may in part explain why certain forms were favoured by Paleolithic people, leading to their convergent evolution or widespread transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stone‐tipped weaponry was important for the survival of past peoples, and many functional and non‐functional factors likely influenced their design. Two functional factors that past peoples likely considered in the design of their stone tips are durability (whether or not a stone tip breaks) and robusticity (how much damage is incurred upon breakage). Many factors have been shown experimentally to influence stone tip influence durability and robusticity, including stone raw material. Here, we further explore the relationship between stone raw material and stone tip durability and robusticity via controlled experiments comparing chert and obsidian. We first demonstrate with semi‐static fracture strength analyses that obsidian stone tips require less force to break than do chert stone tips. We then show with dynamic ballistics impact testing that obsidian stone tips are less durable and robust than chert stone tips. Our results are entirely consistent with previous experimental comparisons of chert versus obsidian stone tips, and support the hypothesis that past peoples, when presented with multiple raw materials, likely weighed their costs and benefits in the process of selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Known preserved glue remains are relatively rare, but they witness a broad range in glue types that may have existed in the past, varying in terms of the main component and additives. However, archaeological experimentation rarely mirrors that variety, leading to a certain lack of information on the behaviour and interest of several traditional glues, notably animal‐based glues. Through mechanical bench testing (shear–compression), this paper aims to document the resilience of 11 different glues and mixtures in combination with three different organic substrates and flint, in order to reproduce a realistic hafting system. Results highlight that glue performance depends on the hafting materials used, thereby demonstrating that the choice of an appropriate glue depends on the hafting arrangement envisaged. The results also indicate that no glue outperforms all others or witnesses universal applicability. We therefore argue that glue use and performance should be evaluated from the perspective of the complete tool within a particular use context and environment. Only such an integrated perspective permits to reflect on the role of glue in past tool technologies, including its manufacture, composition and use, and on the significance of glue with regard to human behaviour and its evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of Early Bronze Age copper smelting in the Southern Aegean has improved dramatically in the last two decades through a combination of fieldwork, laboratory analyses and experimental reconstructions. The current model which has emerged from these various studies centers on a perforated furnace stack that is used in conjunction with ceramic pot bellows. This study undertakes a critique of the current model and through a series of experimental reconstructions and the analysis of results suggests that the current model has conflated various strands of evidence and resulted in a confused model. It is argued here that primary copper production in the Early Bronze Age Southern Aegean was more likely a two‐stage process that did not rely on the simultaneous use of natural draught and bellows. Along with other examples of wind‐powered furnaces, the working of the Aegean perforated furnace is reconsidered and a new model proposed along with a consideration of the wider implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within archaeological prospection, Deep Learning algorithms are developed to detect objects within large remotely sensed datasets. These approaches are generally tested in an (ideal) experimental setting but have not been applied in different contexts or 'in the wild', that is, incorporated in archaeological prospection. This research explores the applicability, knowledge discovery—on both a quantitative and qualitative level—and efficiency gain resulting from employing an automated detection tool called WODAN within (Dutch) archaeological practice. WODAN has been used to detect barrows and Celtic fields in LiDAR data from the Dutch Midden‐Limburg area, which differs in archaeology, geo‐(morpho)logy and land‐use from the Veluwe in which it was developed. The results show that WODAN was able to detect potential barrows and Celtic fields, including previously unknown examples, and provided information about the structuring of the landscape in the past. Based on the results, combined human‐computer strategies are argued, in which automated detection has a complementary, rather than a substitute role, to manual analysis. This can offset the inherent biases in manual analysis and deal with the problem that current automated detection methods only detect objects similar to the pre‐defined target class(es). The incorporation of automated detection into archaeological prospection, in which the results of automated detection are used to highlight areas of interest and to enhance and add detail to existing archaeological predictive maps, seems logical and feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐chain ω‐(o‐alkylphenyl)alkanoic acids (APAAs) derived from the heating of unsaturated fatty acids have been widely used for the identification of aquatic products in archaeological ceramic vessels. To date, little attention has been paid to the diagnostic potential of shorter chain (< C20) APAAs, despite their frequent occurrence. Here, a range of laboratory and field experiments and analyses of archaeological samples were undertaken to investigate whether APAAs could be used to further differentiate different commodities. The results provide new insights about the conditions for the formation of APAAs and enable the proposition of novel criteria to distinguish different natural products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present case study proposes an experimental approach to the taphonomic characterization of modifications that are produced on bone surfaces by eagles during the attack and capture of their prey. Under these circumstances, a golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos) attack on a Barbary macaque (Macaca sylvanus) skull was simulated. The macaque specimen was analysed from a taphonomic perspective, which allowed for the comparison of traces left on the skull against the data that have already been published on past and present primate attacks by eagles. The results of the experiment confirmed the presence of some modifications that were similar to the damage described in the literature for specific palaeoanthropological specimens. However, the number of alterations observed was much lower because the attack was restricted to a single event, with the aim being to isolate the specific predatory attack damage. This kind of experiment demonstrates how experimental archaeology can be a useful tool for replicating past scenarios by using rigorous scientific methods, testing hypotheses and interpreting archaeological assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River processes are widely assumed to have impacted the integrity of lithic assemblages when artifacts are found in fluvial sediments, but the specifics of these influences remain largely unknown. We conducted a real‐world experiment to determine how the initial stages of fluvial entrainment affected lithic artifact assemblages. We inserted replica artifacts with radio frequency identification tags into a gravel‐bedded river in Wales (UK) for seven months and related their transport distances to their morphology and the recorded streamflow. In addition, nine artifacts were recovered at the end of the experiment and analyzed for microwear traces. In sum, our results show that in a gravel‐bedded river with a mean discharge of 5.1 m3/s, artifact length and width were the main variables influencing artifact transport distances. The experiment also resulted in characteristic microwear traces developing on the artifacts over distances of 485 m or less. These results emphasize the multifaceted nature of alluvial site formation processes in a repeatable experiment and highlight new ways to identify the transport of replica Paleolithic material. Research Highlights: Replica lithic artifacts were tagged with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags and inserted into a gravel‐bedded river and recovered after seven months.River transport results in highly variable postdeposition surface modifications but this can be clearly differentiated from use‐wear or intentional retouch.RFID tagging is a valuable and cost‐effective method for conducting real‐world taphonomic experiments due to high rates of artifact recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work analyses the technological–functional performance of 283 archaeological spindle whorls from the site of Tepeticpac, Tlaxcala, Mexico, a Late Postclassic (ad 1250/1300–1519) state‐level political entity from highland Mesoamerica. We evaluate spindle whorl morphology and their performance associated with different fibre processing and thread quality production. Statistical analysis, in conjunction with an experimental study, supports the existence of two large groups of archaeological whorls, which can be correlated with two spinning techniques. Also, we found an association between thread quality and artisan's skill. The methodology developed here is applicable and comparable to samples from Mesoamerican and worldwide archaeological sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a new method to assess use‐wear formation processes of pounding tools used to break bones based on a combination of conventional microscopy, optical 3D surface measurements obtained with a confocal microscope and GIS analysis. The method involves 3D alignment and 3D surface change inspection techniques along with a surface morphometric characterization and 2D spatial pattern analysis, to measure the spatital distribution of significant changes in surface topography of pounding tools. Our results show that microscopic changes can be detected in the surfaces of hammers and anvils after bone breakage activities are performed. Use‐wear on the active elements (hammers made on basalt and quartzite) occurred over a larger area than was observed on the passive element (quartzite anvil), but the latter often exhibited deeper modifications. Tool surfaces generally developed smoother topography with increased use, but grain microfracture also appeared with greater frequency over time. This methodology offers highly accurate and statistically robust analyses of microscopic use‐wear traces that can be applied to the analysis of archaeological pounding tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Postdeposition issues are one of the most important factors that must be considered during study of all archaeological osseous artefacts, especially if our analysis involves technological or use‐wear traces. In order to better understand the possible changes on the worked, polished surfaces of antler tools resulting from the latter being deposited in peat environment, an experiment was conducted, in which experimentally made antler tools were deposited inside a container with humid peat for a period of 3 months. The results of the study provide numerous interesting observations and information on the state of preservation of various kinds of wear traces and emphasise the need for further in‐depth research in this regard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kelley A. Hays-Gilpin, Sarah A. Herr, and Patrick D. Lyons's book I Engaged Archaeology in the Southwestern United States and Northwestern Mexico i tackles the current trends in understanding the history of one of the most studied regions in the world. Each author embodies the spirit of engaged archaeology laid out by the editors, but more importantly, each of them explicitly expresses the cultural importance or real-world consequences in developing this approach. The research transforms from an "engaged ethnology" to an "informed archaeology" that values Indigenous views as knowledge, rather than folklore (p. 227). [Extracted from the article]

ABSTRACT Expedient shell tool use among Oceanic peoples is widely known in ethnographic context but oftentimes almost impossible to identify in the archaeological record. This paper examines Anadara antiquata bivalve scrapers, a potential artefact type in the Kingdom of Tonga that is defined by a consistently formed ventral margin. To assess the veracity of tool identification and to ensure that the edge has not been created through natural breakage, a series of experimental studies was undertaken. These illustrate that the functional edge can be formed only through intentional preparation using an inside-out flaking technique on the ventral lip. A low-powered starch test on archaeological specimens further illustrates the presence of starch on the prepared working plane. Finally, an analysis of archaeological specimens from five Tongan sites seeks additional insight on morphological variation within the tool type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate interpretation of the cause and timing of bone breakage is essential for understanding the archaeological record. However, many variables potentially influencing break morphology have yet to be systematically explored. Focusing primarily on hammerstone breakage, we introduce new analytical methods for comparing fracture angles using the absolute values of the angle from 90°. We systematically control for intrinsic variables such as taxon, skeletal element, limb portion and skeletal age. We also compare experimental assemblages of femora broken by hammerstone and spotted hyena ( Crocuta crocuta). We show that fracture angles are influenced by breakage plane, skeletal element and limb portion. While the latter two have been suggested before, this is the first time the differences have been quantified. We suggest that researchers stratify their assemblages by these variables if they are using fracture angles in analyses. At the assemblage level, hyenas created more oblique fracture angles on oblique breaks than did hammerstones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological experiments that use modern bones to replicate past animal bone assemblages have often failed to consider the effects of environment, storage and preparation on modern bones. Often, these experiments make little mention of the conditions to which bones were subject during their storage and preparation for use in experiments. In other instances, these variables are reported but not considered as factors that contribute to the nature of the results obtained. This study considers previously reported data concerning the degradation of frozen bones (−20°C), and bones exposed to hot, dry conditions (40°C), and presents new data for bones exposed to room temperature environments (22°C) and refrigerated environments (2°C), and bones that are frozen (−20°C) and then thawed (22°C). These conditions are all relevant to understanding the nature of bone degradation and the use of bones in modern archaeological experimentation. This article also surveys a range of previously reported experiments that utilise modern bones to create analogies to the past and considers different methodological approaches and their relationship to the condition of bones at the time of their fracture and fragmentation. The longitudinal data presented in this study demonstrate differential rates of bone degradation over time in various environmental conditions. This degradation results in dramatic changes in bone fracture morphology, bone strength and utility for bone tool production. These observations have significant implications for experiments that utilise modern bones, especially when experimental data are used to create analogies to the archaeological past. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firing is a key step in the operational sequence of pottery technology and firing procedures affect many pottery characteristics. It is not clear whether these characteristics can be attributed to specific types of pottery structures. Analysis of 72 experimental pottery firings with a wide range of firing structures has shown that a significant difference exists between one‐space and two‐space firings, at the very least. The main criterion for description of the firing process consists in the firing procedure rather than the type of firing structure itself. Some types of firing structures are flexible in terms of applicable firing procedures; others, on the contrary, permit only a narrow range of firing procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-fidelity rendering can be used to investigate Cultural Heritage (CH) sites in a scientifically rigorous manner. However, a high degree of realism in the reconstruction of a CH site can be misleading insofar as it can be seen to imply a high degree of certainty about the displayed scene-which is frequently not the case, especially when investigating the past. So far, little effort has gone into adapting and formulating a Predictive Rendering pipeline for CH research applications. In this paper, we first discuss the goals and the workflow of CH reconstructions in general, as well as those of traditional Predictive Rendering. Based on this, we then propose a research framework for CH research, which we refer to as 'Cultural Heritage Predictive Rendering' (CHPR). This is an extension to Predictive Rendering that introduces a temporal component and addresses uncertainty that is important for the scene's historical interpretation. To demonstrate these concepts, two example case studies are detailed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five experimental bloomery iron ore smelts were carried out in a reconstruction of an early medieval furnace of the Boécourt type (Switzerland). A part of the bloom from the most successful experiment was forged to a billet. Starting materials and products were weighed, described and chemically characterized (ICP-MS, LA-ICP-MS and WD-XRF). The calculation of the yield and mass balance based on the chemical analyses from the ore (optimum) and from the ore, furnace lining, slag and ash (applied) allow the determination and quantification of the materials involved in the process. This permits the interpretation of the quality of the experiments. The chemical characterization of metal produced from hematite ore from the Gonzen Mountains in Switzerland gives archaeologists the possibility to compare the metal of iron artefacts to metal from this mine. Finally a good agreement between experiments and archaeological reality can be shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thigh-spinning and spindle-spinning, methods for making yarn and string, have been used through the millennia to produce substantial quantities of yarn for textiles. Productivity data were gathered in a replication study of thigh-spun and spindle-spun yarns and were recompiled from the literature. Calculated production rates allow comparison of the spinning methods. Factors influencing production rate include intrinsic fibre properties, fibre preparation and particular details of spinning technique, as well as the experience and motivation of the spinner. The role of efficiency in technology transition between thigh-spinning and spindle-spinning is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]