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Historically, urban centres are seen as consumers that draw in labour and resources from their rural hinterlands. Zooarchaeological studies of key urban sites in Southwest Asia demonstrate the movement of livestock, but the region-wide application of these findings has not been tested and the logistics of urban provisioning remain poorly understood. Here, the authors analyse zooarchaeological data from 245 sites in the Levant and Mesopotamia to examine patterns of livestock production and consumption over a 5000-year period. They find that although preferences varied over time and space, urban sites consistently relied on rural satellites to overcome local limitations to support their large and diverse populations. Keywords: Middle East, Levant, Mesopotamia, zooarchaeology, urbanism, land use, food production, Introduction Urban centres in most regions of the ancient world, including Southwest Asia, are characterised by relatively high population densities and the presence of inhabitants who do not engage in [...]

The GINI project investigates the dynamics of inequality among populations over the long term by synthesising global archaeological housing data. This project brings archaeologists together from around the world to assess hypotheses concerning the causes and consequences of inequality that are of relevance to contemporary societies globally. Keywords: socioeconomic inequality, income, Gini coefficient, households, distributions of housing, Introduction Growing economic disparity around the world has prompted a renewed interest in the long-term dynamics of inequality (Borgerhoff Mulder et al. 2009; Flannery & Marcus 2012; Piketty 2014). Archaeology [...]

Some human settlements endure for millennia, while others are founded and abandoned within a few decades or centuries. The reasons for variation in the duration of site occupation, however, are rarely addressed. Here, the authors introduce a new approach for the analysis of settlement longevity or persistence. Using seven regional case studies comprising both survey and excavation data, they demonstrate how the median persistence of individual settlements varies widely within and among regions. In turn, this variability is linked to the effects of environmental potential. In seeking to identify the drivers of settlement persistence in the past, it is suggested that archaeologists can contribute to understanding of the sustainability and resilience of contemporary cities. Keywords: urbanism, settlement systems, comparative analysis, statistical modelling, sustainability, Introduction Why do some cities and settlements last longer than others? Although archaeologists have studied thousands of early sites--particularly through regional surveys--the question of settlement persistence has rarely been addressed. [...]

Evaluating archaeobotanical data from over 3.9 million seeds and 124,300 charcoal fragments across 330 archaeological site phases in Southwest Asia, we reconstruct the history of olive and grape cultivation spanning a period of 6,000 years. Combining charcoal and seed data enables investigation into both the production and consumption of olive and grape. The earliest indication for olive and grape cultivation appears in the southern Levant around ca. 5000 BC and 4th millennium BC respectively, although cultivation may have been practiced prior to these dates. Olive and grape cultivation in Southwest Asia was regionally concentrated within the Levant until 600 BC, although there were periodic pushes to the East. Several indications for climate influencing the history of olive and grape cultivation were found, as well as a correlation between periods of high population density and high proportions of olive and grape remains in archaeological sites. While temporal uncertainty prevents a detailed understanding of the causal mechanisms behind these correlations, we suggest that long distance trade in olives, grapes and their associated products was integral to the economic, social, and demographic trajectories of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper charcoals from the Syrian sites Tell Mozan and Tell Jerablus are investigated to understand the impact of 4th to 2nd millennium BC settlement on the vegetation. Charcoals from these sites have been identified and oak fragments have been measured for their maximal diameter and annual ring widths. Our results show that while oak had reached its maximal expansion in the Mid-Holocene, and vegetation in the Euphrates Valley was lusher than today, strong anthropogenic impact on the vegetation was occurring, probably already prior to the Late Chalcolithic period. Due to potentially enormous herds of sheep and goat, and possibly large-scale agriculture with perhaps some understory cropping, oak was growing very slowly, to the degree that it must often have had a shrub-like appearance. People did not apply systematic oak woodland management practices, such as coppicing or pollarding. They used dung as an additional fuel, probably to cover for shortages in wood resources. The land appears to have been used both intensively and extensively to a degree that was not sustainable in the long term. This, combined with aridity impact on the oak, probably led to a decrease in oak proportion at Mozan in the Middle Bronze Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain. Or at least the final NBC, as I am stepping down as Reviews Editor to spend more [...]

Every year the Antiquity office receives over 300 volumes for review, and we manage to get through nearly half. Of these, this year we have acquired seven that deal with [...]

Recent survey and excavation conducted in the Mil Plain region of the southern part of the Republic of Azerbaijan challenges traditional notions of Neolithic sedentism. Here, the authors present their findings, and propose that prior to its abandonment towards the end of the sixth millennium BC, the occupation of the region was comprised of numerous highly variable short-term sites and multi-mounded sites (Qarabel Tepe), as well as anchoring sites (Kamiltepe). This indicates multi-scalar patterns of mobility of a much more complex nature than had previously been supposed, making this region quite unique for the Late Neolithic of South-western Asia.Keywords: Azerbaijan, Neolithic, mobility, settlement, social complexity, IntroductionThe study of human mobility has manifold political and ethical implications. Individual and group mobility patterns arise from varied factors, such as environmental conditions, economic needs and changing technological capacities. [...]

RACHEL J. CRELLIN. 2020. Change and archaeology. London: Routledge; 978-1-138-29254-3 hardback 85 [pounds sterling]. The question of how and why change happens in the past is central to all historical [...]

This paper contributes to rapid prototyping for Aboleth, a mobile application designed as a virtual character sheet for Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition. We propose augmenting an API framework, including details of the general design process and crucial details regarding the specific implementation of the project. The prototype is developed using Computer-Assisted Designs and Xamarin. Software engineering is integrated into game design to improve Human-Computer Interaction and eventually enhance user experiences. Additionally, we discuss the relevance of using such a tool to achieve rapid prototyping for enterprise mobile applications and Metaverse and explore opportunities to improve the project design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LIDEWIJDE DE JONG. The archaeology of death in Roman Syria: burial, commemoration, and empire. 2017. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 9781-107-13141-5 hardback 74.99 [pounds sterling]. J. PEARCE & J. WEEKES (ed.). [...]

ANABEL FORD & RONALD NIGH. The Maya forest garden: eight millennia of sustainable cultivation of the tropical woodlands. 2016 [2015]. Abingdon & New York: Routledge; 978-1-61132-998-8 paperback 24.99 [pounds sterling]. [...]

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. Keywords: Georgia, Caucasus, Late Antiquity, early medieval, fortification, isotope analysis, osteoarchaeology, Introduction The territory of modern Georgia has long been on the fault-lines of political influence and expansionist ambitions of major western, eastern and northern powers. Subdivided by mountainous terrain, the [...]

The origins of urbanism are a controversial subject, with neo-evolutionary progress through graduated stages of 'civilisation still having significant influence despite criticism, while others in the field prefer more diverse, regionally based trajectories. Using data collected over 30 years and applying the full range of archaeological and historical sources, the authors offer an alternative reading of the evidence, identifying multiple pathways to urbanism within a single region--northern Mesopotamia. Here, early urbanism was a phased and pulsating phenomenon that could be sustained only within particular geographic parameters and for limited periods. Older urban hubs, growing slowly, were accompanied by rapidly expanding new sites, with the combination of the different forms demonstrating the complexities of urban growth. Keywords: Fertile Crescent, Late Chalcolithic, Early Bronze Age, urbanism, tell, survey, database, regional exchange, Introduction The development of large-scale urban centres has long been a research focus for archaeologists, especially in areas of the world where complex societies are considered to have arisen ex [...]

Blackboard Learning System[TM] enhancements can provide high levels of sophistication and make it relatively simple to provide a seamless connection between online courses and library services. But not all institutions are willing or able to make the investment for these additional features. Yet providing direct links to library resources from Blackboard courses may still be the best way to facilitate a connection between the two Web environments. This paper is intended to introduce the key points for consideration as an institution begins a project to insert a library presence into online and courseware-enhanced classes taught on Blackboard. A general 'primer' on the potential functionality of Blackboard is included as well as instructions for the various means of creating links from course menus to a library Web page. doi:10.1300/J111v45n01_14 KEYWORDS. Blackboard, academic libraries, distance education, integration, linking, course management systems