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International audience; The Gorgan Plain (NE Iran) is largely treeless today but it possibly was not in the past. We use palaeobotanical data from radiocarbon-dated sediments and archaeological excavations to investigate the extent and use of woodland under the Sasanian Empire (224–651 CE). Palynology, anatomical studies of charred and uncharred wood, insects and botanical macroremains have shed new light on this question. Palynological research points to natural origins of the open steppe vegetation in the Gorgan Plain contrasting to carpological and wood anatomy studies indicating wide use of trees and shrubs during the Sasanian period. As it shown by charcoal data, local sources provided enough firewood for kilns in short-term use, but were insufficient for supplying fortification garrisons which required additional supplies from the Hyrcanian forests. These forests provided the main source of firewood for sites located close to the Alborz Mountains. Cultivation of trees was widespread during the Sasanian era for fruits, shadow and possibly moriculture for silk production. Palaeobotanical records are stillvery rare in the Gorgan Plain. New data are a desideratum to gain further insights into woodland use before, during and after the Sasanian Empire.

Protected by a massive wall, but devoid of permanent buildings in its vast c. 175 ha interior, the rectangular compound of Qaleh Iraj near Tehran must be a military base – and as such, it is arguably the largest fortress in the ancient world to the west of modern Afghanistan. Investigations carried out previously have been based on surface finds and architecture and there had been no agreement on the date and purpose of this monument. Excavation, survey, in-depth studies of its architecture, satellite images and historical sources and the application of scientific dating have now enabled us to precision-date the earliest activity in the south-eastern gateway and the likely construction date of the fortress and to place it in its proper historical context. Sasanian Qaleh Iraj may have played a pivotal role in the northern defensive network of one the Ancient World’s most powerful empires and the fortress sheds significant new light on its military capabilities.

Cattle were domesticated ∼10,000 years ago, but analysis of modern breeds has not elucidated their origins. Verdugo et al. performed genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern Bos taurus DNA samples. Several populations of ancient aurochs were progenitors of domestic cows. These genetic lineages mixed ∼4000 years ago in a region around the Indus Valley. Interestingly, mitochondrial analysis indicated that genetic material likely derived from arid-adapted Bos indicus (zebu) bulls was introduced by introgression.Science, this issue p. 173Genome-wide analysis of 67 ancient Near Eastern cattle, Bos taurus, remains reveals regional variation that has since been obscured by admixture in modern populations. Comparisons of genomes of early domestic cattle to their aurochs progenitors identify diverse origins with separate introgressions of wild stock. A later region-wide Bronze Age shift indicates rapid and widespread introgression of zebu, Bos indicus, from the Indus Valley. This process was likely stimulated at the onset of the current geological age, ~4.2 thousand years ago, by a widespread multicentury drought. In contrast to genome-wide admixture, mitochondrial DNA stasis supports that this introgression was male-driven, suggesting that selection of arid-adapted zebu bulls enhanced herd survival. This human-mediated migration of zebu-derived genetics has continued through millennia, altering tropical herding on each continent.

Summary Horse domestication revolutionized warfare and accelerated travel, trade, and the geographic expansion of languages. Here, we present the largest DNA time series for a non-human organism to date, including genome-scale data from 149 ancient animals and 129 ancient genomes (≥1-fold coverage), 87 of which are new. This extensive dataset allows us to assess the modern legacy of past equestrian civilizations. We find that two extinct horse lineages existed during early domestication, one at the far western (Iberia) and the other at the far eastern range (Siberia) of Eurasia. None of these contributed significantly to modern diversity. We show that the influence of Persian-related horse lineages increased following the Islamic conquests in Europe and Asia. Multiple alleles associated with elite-racing, including at the MSTN “speed gene,” only rose in popularity within the last millennium. Finally, the development of modern breeding impacted genetic diversity more dramatically than the previous millennia of human management., Graphical Abstract, Highlights • Two now-extinct horse lineages lived in Iberia and Siberia some 5,000 years ago • Iberian and Siberian horses contributed limited ancestry to modern domesticates • Oriental horses have had a strong genetic influence within the last millennium • Modern breeding practices were accompanied by a significant drop in genetic diversity, Genome-wide data from 278 ancient equids provide insights into how ancient equestrian civilizations managed, exchanged, and bred horses and indicate vast loss of genetic diversity as well as the existence of two extinct lineages of horses that failed to contribute to modern domestic animals.

Archaeological evidence for a Sasanian presence in the ‘Uman region of Eastern Arabia is sparse. Recent excavations at the site of Fulayj in Oman have, however, revealed it to be a Late Sasanian fort, the only securely dated example in Arabia, or indeed on the western shores of the Indian Ocean more generally. AMS dating supports the ceramic chronology proposed for the site, demonstrating occupation until the Islamisation of South-eastern Arabia in the early seventh century AD, and also briefly into the very Early Islamic period. Fulayj fort provides new insights into Sasanian military activities during this crucial period of Arabian history.

How humans got their goatsLittle is known regarding the location and mode of the early domestication of animals such as goats for husbandry. To investigate the history of the goat, Dalyet al.sequenced mitochondrial and nuclear sequences from ancient specimens ranging from hundreds to thousands of years in age. Multiple wild populations contributed to the origin of modern goats during the Neolithic. Over time, one mitochondrial type spread and became dominant worldwide. However, at the whole-genome level, modern goat populations are a mix of goats from different sources and provide evidence for a multilocus process of domestication in the Near East. Furthermore, the patterns described support the idea of multiple dispersal routes out of the Fertile Crescent region by domesticated animals and their human counterparts.Science, this issue p.85

Pollen data obtained from radiocarbon-dated sediments of several peat bogs and lakes located in different parts of Iran and surrounding areas have recently provided invaluable new information on agricultural practices during the Persian empires, from the Achaemenids to the Sasanians. A review of the published and unpublished data has revealed distinct phases of intensified tree cultivation and pastoral activities during this era.

Excavations to the east of the Roman fort of Inveresk in 2010 partly uncovered remains of a Mithraeum — the first from Scotland and the earliest securely dated example from Britain. A large rectangular sunken feature with lateral benches contained two altars buried face down at its north-western end. One was dedicated to Mithras, with iconography of both Mithras and Apollo as well as libation vessels. The other was dedicated to Sol, with a frieze above showing the Four Seasons. The Sol altar had a recess in the rear for a light which would have shone through his pierced rays, eyes, mouth and nose. Remains of an iron rod behind the nose hint at a more complex arrangement to create special visual or acoustic effects. Paint and plaster traces were recorded on both altars. The dedicator, G(aius) Cas(sius) Fla(…), a centurion, may have been in command of the garrison or of a legionary detachment. Stylistic links, especially in letter form, connect the work to sculptors of Legio XX. The stones and pigments are most likely from local sources. Little of the setting could be explored but there were traces of a precinct. A pit beside the Mithraeum included a large part of a well-used fineware beaker, which represented a deliberate offering. The Supplementary Material available online (http://journals.cambridge.org/bri) contains detailed descriptions of the altars, observations on the stone-working technology, lithology and pigment analysis, with extensive illustrations.

The Gorgan Plain (NE Iran) is characterized by fertile soils formed on a loess plateau and is at present primarily exploited for intensive agriculture. However, the timing and intensity of the human impact on the landscape in the past are still unclear. A sediment core, taken from the centre of the eastern Gorgan Plain in the Kongor Lake covering the major part of the Holocene from 6.1 to 0.8 ka (all ages are calibrated before present), has been studied for pollen, non-pollen palynomorphs, botanical macroremains, insects, charcoal, geochemistry, biomarkers and magnetism in order to provide new insights into the evolution of the landscape and to estimate the intensity of human activities. The data obtained suggest a dry period between 5.9 and 3.9 ka and an increase in regional humidity afterwards with a maximum between 2.7 and 0.7 ka, during the period of the Persian empires (Achaemenid through Sasanian) and the Islamic era. The eastern part of the Gorgan Plain was characterized by open steppe landscapes during the last 6 ka, which most likely were used for pasture and at least since 2.7 ka for agriculture including arboriculture. The strongest anthropogenic impact on the environment around the Kongor site is documented during the Parthian and Sasanian Empires (200 BC–651 AD) and the Islamic era up to the eve of the Mongol invasion.

The 2007 season yielded significant new insights into settlement expansion into the land north of the line of the Gorgan Wall and the later abandonment of these sites in the steppe, prior to the co...

The strategic significance of the Dariali Gorge, the main pass across the central Caucasus, has long been recognised. It forms a border today as it has done for much of the past 2000 years. But how was an effective military force sustained in an isolated Alpine environment? Excavations, osteoarchaeology and landscape survey have revealed that the Early Middle Ages saw as much investment in controlling this key route as there was in Antiquity. Guarded by the same Muslim-led garrison for at least a quarter of a millennium, its survival in a harsh environment was made possible through military effort and long-distance food supplies.

The unusual assemblage of aurochs horn cores from the baths of Bourbonne-les-Bains suggests votive deposits. But were they? The authors describe the assemblage, date it to the later Roman to early medieval period, discuss its possible environmental and ritual connotations, but also raise the possibility that it relates to craft-workers making use of the hot water supply to work the horn.

Excavation at Alchester in 2003 revealed an almost complete tombstone of a veteran of the Second Augustan Legion. This provides the first known biography of any person living in pre-medieval Oxfordshire. He is arguably also the earliest legionary veteran attested in Britain. All other tombstones of legionary veterans in Britain come from the main base of their legion or a veterans' colony. Since there is nothing to suggest that Alchester ever became a colony, it must have been the main base of the legio II Augusta and thus Vespasian's base (a case supported by other indications, notably the fortress's foundation date of a.d. 43/44), unless it is the only known exception to the rule.

Summary. Excavations at Alchester in Oxfordshire in 2003 yielded the remains of a Roman inscription, smashed into fragments and reused in the foundations of the town wall. It proved to be a tombstone of a veteran of the Second Augustan Legion and it is argued that Alchester was probably the main base of this legion and its famous first commander in Britain, Vespasian. However, the emphasis in this paper is on the home community of the veteran, Forum Germanorum in north-west Italy, for which the inscription provides the earliest testimony, as well as on the ex-soldier's career. The precise dating of the monument is of particular significance; it suggests that the deceased was the earliest known legionary veteran to settle in Britain. He is, incidentally, also the only inhabitant of pre-medieval Oxfordshire (other than, temporarily, Vespasian and some officers of the Second Augustan Legion, if the above theory is accepted) whose life story we know.

Few subjects have been more passionately discussed recently than the question of whether the invasion force in AD 43 landed in Kent or on the south coast or simultaneously in both areas. Recently Professor Frere and Professor Fulford joined forces to produce a series of arguments, each independently, supporting a landing in Kent. It is argued here that while archaeological or strategic considerations do not exclude either theory, some of the new 'evidence' - especially Frere's and Fulford's logistical and linguistic arguments - is demonstrably incorrect. Furthermore, the Kent hypothesis relies on the assumption of an unmentioned far-distance embassy and other non-straightforward interpretations of our main textual source, Cassius Dio. It is, however, not the aim of this paper to replace one one-sided hypothesis by another, but to point out the dangers of dogma.

Recent excavations at Alchester have shown that this Roman small town in Oxfordshire with its rectangular ground-plan had a military predecessor. It was preceded by one, possibly two, successive vexillation fortresses. Parts are buried deep beneath the civilian occupation layers of the later town. However, west of the late second-century town walls, a significant amount of the earlier vexillation fortress (or a large annexe to such) are more easily accessible to archaeological investigation. This paper focuses on the excavations in 1999, the first ever to take place within the vexillation fortress (or its annexe). The main emphasis is on the military phase. The discoveries from Alchester have major implications for the history of the Roman invasion of Britain. Although the investigations are still in progress and are to continue until 2003, analysis of the mid-first-century finds is well advanced so that there is little doubt about the general historical interpretation.

Summary This article is about a dedication to Minerva by a Roman officer, made in a healing sanctuary in northern Italy, fulfilling a vow he had taken in Britain(?) In both northern Italy and in Britain Minerva was sometimes venerated as a healing goddess, for example at the spa of Bath which had possibly been visited by the officer in search of a cure. It is argued that this cult originated in the equation of pre-Roman healing goddesses who had similar functions to Minerva. The inscription is taken as a starting point for an investigation into the geographical distribution and form of the cult in general. A major aim of this compilation of evidence is to show that central aspects of the veneration of Minerva as a healing goddess which are only attested in single cases can be taken with caution as comparative examples for her cult in other sanctuaries such as Bath, thus giving (despite many uncertainties) a more complete and vivid picture of the complexity of the religious life there and an idea of the attitude of people towards the goddess and of their hopes and emotions.

Worshipped in windowless cave-like temples or natural caves (conventionally called mithraea) across the Roman Empire, by exclusively male congregations (Clauss 1992; Griffith 2006), few ancient deities have aroused more curiosity than the sun god Mithras. Keywords: archaeology; Late Antiquity; religion; religious history

The “Great Wall of Gorgan,” also, erroneously, known as “Alexander's Wall,” runs from the southeast corner of the Caspian Sea for at least 195 km eastward, into the Elburz mountains. Keywords: archaeology; Late Antiquity; military history

(2001). Roman Fortresses and their Legions: Papers in Honour of George C. Boon. Edited by Richard J. Brewer. Archaeological Journal: Vol. 158, No. 1, pp. 395-397.

The 2006 season has yielded significant new insights into the Great Wall of Gorgan's relation to landscape features and settlement, notably the division of the associated complex water supply system into sectors. The westernmost part of the wall is buried deeply beneath sediments from a past transgression of the Caspian Sea. An unexpectedly high number of brick kilns, of standardised design, shed light on the manner of the wall's construction. Geophysical survey, satellite images and excavations have established that some or all of the associated forts were densely occupied with buildings, thought to be barracks, suggesting a strong military garrison.

Le grand mur de Gorgan, appele aussi mur d’Alexandre ou mur de Feroz, est une vaste structure defensive de pres de 200 km de long, entre la Mer caspienne et la chaine de l’Elbrouz. La date de sa construction est controversee, et elle varie selon les auteurs sur une plage chronologique allant de la conquete macedonienne a la conquete islamique. Le projet porte par l’universite d’Edimbourg, l’Iranian Cultural Heritage et l’organisation du tourisme du Golestan consistait a trancher la question de la datation du Grand mur de Gorgan et du mur de Tammishe en utilisant les methodes modernes de prospection archeologique et de datation absolue. Ces recherches ont revelees l’existence de structure hydrauliques mais surtout, les methodes de datation au radiocarbone et par luminescence stimulee optiquement (OSL) ont permis de cerner avec une grande precision la date de ces monuments. Ils ont ete eriges autour du Ve siecle de notre ere, donc vraisemblablement par l’empereur Sassanide Feroz, pour proteger l’empire des Huns Hephtaliques.

Challenging both traditional and fashionable theories, this collection of pieces from an international range of contributors explores the separation of the human past into history, archaeology and their related sub-disciplines. Each case study challenges the validity of this separation and asks how we can move to a more holistic approach in the study of the relationship between history and archaeology. While the focus is on the ancient world, particularly Greece and Rome, rhe lessons learnded in this book make it an essential addition to all studies of history and archaeology.

Summary. - One of the largest Augustan coin deposits, ever discovered, was found in 1 874/75 in the thermal waters of the Puisard Romain at Bourbonne-les-Bains. It is argued that this assemblage of votive offerings, which has largely escaped the notice of the wider academic community, constitutes evidence for an army spa, possibly the earliest spa outside the Mediterranean provinces, and for a military base nearby. As it had been widely accepted that no troops were left in the hinterland during the Germanic Wars of Augustus, this is of major interest for the political history of Gaul and Germany. The emphasis in this paper, is, however, not on the historical aspects of this discovery, ' but on the precise dating of the phase of deposition, which is the precondition for any historical interpretation. Mathematical calculations as well as more conventional methods are employed to date the deposit. It is suggested that deposition started around 9 ВС and that it came to an end around AD 1 ., Sauer Eberhard. The Augustan coins from Bourbonne-les-Bains (Haute-Marne). A mathematical approach to dating a coin assemblage. In: Revue numismatique, 6e série - Tome 154, année 1999 pp. 145-182.

The decline of Mithraism in the fourth century AD is used as a case-study for understanding the end of other classes of paganism' in the Roman western provinces. The author reviews epigraphic and numismatic evidence to date the final uses of Mithraea. He then discusses examples of wilful damage to Mithraic monuments. Drawing all this archaeological evidence into a historical framework, Sauer argues that rather than losing its social function as the Roman army became splintered, Mithraism was a healthy religion with active shrines until the very late fourth century. Rather than fading away, its desecrated monuments indicate that the religion was the victim of a sustained Christian attack which was also directed at other established faiths in the western provinces.