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In this paper, based on our previous expertise on ceramic artifacts, several archaeometric methods applied to some samples collected from the Dudești archaeological site (Oltenia region, Romania) are reported for the first time in the literature. The chemical composition, and microstructural and morphological characterization of these samples offer important conclusions about the processing conditions. Some specific techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), optical microscopy (OM), stereomicroscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy provide compositional information about composition and the decay processes. Additionally, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method helps to estimate pore sizes and specific surface areas. A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/TDG) was used to establish details regarding the production technology and also the raw materials source used to make the ceramics. The obtained results indicated that the ceramics are based on a paste of muscovite and feldspar, with high plasticity, together with quartz and hematite/goethite and calcite, the latter in very low concentrations. According to the obtained results, we could assume that clays from the investigated samples had a low concentration of calcium. Gypsum is present as paste in a very low concentration, identified by the presence of a sulphate group in WDXRF. In the same context, iron oxides have a significant impact on the firing atmosphere of iron-rich clay, resulting in blackening under reducing conditions and a reddish coloration under oxidative conditions. The use of hematite and gypsum as pigments further contributes to the color variations in the pottery. The consistent firing temperature range of 200–600 °C in Dudești pottery implies a standardized production process, the variation in color being dependent on the specific reducing/oxidative regime conditions (reducing atmosphere followed by rapid oxidation). This relationship between clay composition and local sources suggests a connection to Neolithic pottery production in the region and their color depending on the reducing/oxidative regime conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article contains the results of the lithic analysis of assemblages from the Neolithic sites of Kargadur and Vižula in southern Istria, Croatia. The assemblages have been analysed in terms of reduction strategies and typology, with a special focus on raw material analysis and petrographic analysis. During the Early Neolithic, and especially the Middle Neolithic, raw materials circulated the Istrian peninsula, as evidenced by the presence of obsidian and other non-local (exogenous) chert at several sites. Obsidian is certainly an exotic material in this region, and items found at Kargadur come from the Aeolian islands. With these results we have tried to gain a better understanding of lithic production of the period, the approach of the Neolithic people to raw materials and the scope of the distribution network of high-quality chert.

In recent years, studies focused on Chaîne Opératoire reconstruction of pottery vessels have shown important developments and provided new data related to vessel production and the complexities acquired by prehistoric societies. This research focuses on the pottery vessels discovered at the Mines Prehistóriques de Gavà (Barcelona, Spain), which constitute the earliest evidence of a mining center for variscite during the 4th millennium BC. The main objective of this study is to determine the technological procedures employed in the production of these potteries by identifying the Chaînes Opératoires and establishing their relationship to the site’s context, which is linked to extensive exchanges within the European network. Through a meticulous analysis and comparison of the morpho-typological and technological characteristics of the vessels, we aim to identify different production methods. The findings of this study, along with their reconstruction in techno-stylistic trees, contribute to a deeper understanding and explanation of the variability and technological complexity found in these pottery vessels. This work exposes a novel approach to studying the pottery vessels in Iberian Peninsula by involving the application of archaeometric techniques such as direct macroscopic and microscopic observation traces (using naked eyes; microscopic Dino – Lite), as well as chemical analyses such as petrographically and X-ray diffraction enabling the identification of key mineral components within the clay.

Copyright of Documenta Praehistorica is the property of Documenta Praehistorica and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, based on our previous expertise on ceramic artifacts, several archaeometric methods applied to some samples collected from the Dudești archaeological site (Oltenia region, Romania) are reported for the first time in the literature. The chemical composition, and microstructural and morphological characterization of these samples offer important conclusions about the processing conditions. Some specific techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (WDXRF), optical microscopy (OM), stereomicroscopy, environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy provide compositional information about composition and the decay processes. Additionally, the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) method helps to estimate pore sizes and specific surface areas. A thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/TDG) was used to establish details regarding the production technology and also the raw materials source used to make the ceramics. The obtained results indicated that the ceramics are based on a paste of muscovite and feldspar, with high plasticity, together with quartz and hematite/goethite and calcite, the latter in very low concentrations. According to the obtained results, we could assume that clays from the investigated samples had a low concentration of calcium. Gypsum is present as paste in a very low concentration, identified by the presence of a sulphate group in WDXRF. In the same context, iron oxides have a significant impact on the firing atmosphere of iron-rich clay, resulting in blackening under reducing conditions and a reddish coloration under oxidative conditions. The use of hematite and gypsum as pigments further contributes to the color variations in the pottery. The consistent firing temperature range of 200–600 °C in Dudești pottery implies a standardized production process, the variation in color being dependent on the specific reducing/oxidative regime conditions (reducing atmosphere followed by rapid oxidation). This relationship between clay composition and local sources suggests a connection to Neolithic pottery production in the region and their color depending on the reducing/oxidative regime conditions.

Simple Summary: The authors first present eight animal remains showing pathological changes, found in two Middle Neolithic assemblages in northern and western Hungary. Among the disorders identified in this set of animal remains, linear enamel hypoplasia was recognized for the first time in the Hungarian Neolithic. These Middle Neolithic finds were then reviewed within the context of palaeopathological data from the better-represented Early and Late Neolithic and, subsequent, (Late Copper Age and Early Bronze Age) prehistoric periods. Along with the increasing number of cases observed, patterns have begun to emerge in the taxonomic distribution of pathological lesions. The apparent great variability of the materials is, thus, discussed in terms of assemblage size, inter-observer bias and, ultimately, changes in prehistoric animal-keeping practices. Eight newly identified pathological animal remains identified in two Middle Neolithic assemblages (ca 5330–4940 calBC) in northern and western Hungary were placed within the broader context of relevant prehistoric finds. The aim was to understand the underrepresented Middle Neolithic finds in light of the better-known cases from other prehistoric periods. The newly reported cases include arthritic and inflammatory lesions, as well as dental disorders, such as linear enamel hypoplasia, recognized for the first time in the Hungarian Neolithic. Identifications were based on bone macromorphology. When large samples are available, the frequencies of pathological bone specimens reflect the taxonomic composition. Along with the increasing number of cases, longevity related to exploitation for secondary products also became manifest. Therefore, the effects of assemblage size, disease classification and differences between authors (related to training and the time of publication) need to be considered before pathological lesions can be interpreted in terms of diachronic changes in animal husbandry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Palaeoecological and archaeological studies conducted in Mozgawa (southern Poland) demonstrated a long-term sustainable land-use by inhabitants of a large settlement occupied during the second half of the fourth millennium BC. The Middle Neolithic society established a settlement that covered an area of about 30–35 ha and functioned during at least three centuries, as validated by the absolute chronology. A thorough analysis based on the fuzzy-logic principle combined with archaeobotanical and archaeozoological data showed that the subsistence model was based on agricultural practices, related with both crop cultivation and animal husbandry, together with an important component of hunting, fishing and gathering. Ecological requirements of plants and animals represented by fossil remains suggested that the exploited area included a variety of habitats. In the open landscape, wet and dry grasslands, used partly as pastures, cultivated fields and marshes were present. Wooded areas included deciduous lime-oak-elm forests, also of open canopy type, and riparian forests. This was due to the transitional location of the Mozgawa site on a loess-mantled hill, covered with fertile soils, but right on the border with a vast alluvial plain of the Nida River. Such ecologically diversified micro-region became a managed landscape, which provided rich resources for seasonal diets of the settlement's inhabitants. The case study of the Mozgawa site offers a unique insight into the palaeoeconomy of the Funnel Beaker culture in central Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

for axe head production in Bartonian (Eocene) silicite close to the mining complex of Jablines. They are attributed by the associated set of tools and the archaeological background to the later part of the Paris Basin Middle Neolithic (c. 4300–3700 BCE). The main characteristics of the knapping places are bifacial shaping to produce axe head preforms. Petrographical analyses show at first examination a close relation to the same silicite beds as those exploited at Jablines. Beside this, some of the artefacts indicate another way of raw material gathering which could match with the Bartonian silicite procurement on a larger scale. The workshop places may be distinguished as places of different function, mostly devoted to the first steps of preparation (roughing and shaping processes), but another to shaping stages, and a last one essentially concerned with the finishing of manufacturing rough-outs. Considering the very rare fragments of preforms collected on the site and the high quality of the rejected waste products, the skill level was high. From the first flaking of the block, contrary to what is usually inferred, indirect percussion was used since the first flaking of the block. These workshops add to the information from the other known similar places in this region of the Marne area, including the mining complex of Jablines itself. There were no settlements next to the mines, but in the surrounding areas, and the related distance remains to be explained.

Introduction. The lack of known Middle Neolithic burial complexes in Baikal-Yenisei Siberia makes pottery finds from archaeological sites a key source to explore the cultural and historical situation in the region. According to AMS 14C-dates in the range of ~6,8–6,3 ka cal BP in the territory of Baikal-Yenisei Siberia, two types of ceramics are widespread — Posolsk and Ust-Belaya types. Goals. The study seeks to identify technological and cultural traditions of Middle Neolithic pottery. Materials and methods. The work examines Ust-Belaya and Posolsk type pottery samples from fifteen excavated sites of Baikal-Yenisei Siberia. The paper describes morphological and decorative patterns inherent thereto, provides technical and technological analyses following the methodology of A. Bobrinsky. The molding masses of eighteen Ust-Belaya type vessels and sixteen Posolsk type vessels have been studied with the aid of a binocular microscope. Results. In all cases, ferruginous sandy clay containing quartz sand had served as initial plastic raw material. Molding masses are characterized mainly by an unmixed one-component composition without artificial additives. In two cases, quartz grus has been identified, in another there are traces of organic matter (possibly added intentionally). Vessels of the Posolsk type have closed paraboloid forms with a weak profiling of the upper part and a sharpened bottom. The ornament is localized in the upper part of the vessel and is represented by horizontal ‘receding stick’ rows or drawn lines. The composition below ends with separate shapes, such as triangles or short vertical lines. The rim is decorated with prints of a comb stamp and has a line of round holes which is located over the line made by stick through drawing or receding techniques. The study of molding masses of sixteen Posolsk vessels demonstrates an unmixed one-component composition. In all cases, ferruginous sandy clay had been used as initial plastic raw material. The analysis of the modeling features of Middle Neolithic ceramics makes it possible to formulate hypothetical production programs of theirs. To check the latter, experiments were carried out to model the Ust-Belaya and Posolsk types of vessels. Technical and technological analyses, experiments conducted, and comparisons of models with archaeological vessels reveal technological traditions generally characteristic of Middle Neolithic pottery, such as the method of zonal patchwork modeling in combination with walls knocking out techniques, as well as the use of other vessels as base forms. So, Ust-Belaya vessels could have been completely made on such base forms, while upper parts of Posolsk vessels were profiled after removal from such forms. Knocking out tools for Posolsk ceramics included cord and carved shovels, and for Ust-Belaya type — smooth shovels sometimes wrapped with a woven net. Design patterns of the rim are also different. Conclusions. For the preparatory stage of Middle Neolithic ceramics production, there was a stable tradition of using local sandy clays without additives. The modeling principles common for the two types, along with the absence of flat-bottomed forms, reflect the same level of technological development and similar ideas about the making and functions of vessels, which does not necessarily indicate any ethnocultural closeness of culture bearers. Different traditions of morphology, techniques and decoration indicate that the pottery types belong to different populations. In Posolsk ceramics, there are autochthonous features bringing it closer to the Early Neolithic Khaita pottery. Ceramics of the Ust-Belaya type has no visible origins in the Early Neolithic of the region, which indicates its non-local origin. In addition, the materials of the campsites indicate that the bearers of these traditions had tended to choose different habitats.

Objectives: A clear understanding of past weaning practices can provide invaluable insights into social issues such as infant care, fertility rate, and demographic patterns in past societies. This study presents the first archeological research employing compound specific isotope analysis (CSIA) for the reconstruction of past weaning practices. Methods: Weaning practices of two Middle Neolithic communities in the Paris Basin region: Balloy (BLR) and Vignely (VPB), are evaluated by combining previously published bone collagen stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur (n = 66) isotope analysis with new compound specific carbon and nitrogen isotope compositions of bone collagen (n = 10). Results: Our results demonstrate that the diets of individuals from BLR and VPB likely incorporated freshwater resources. The signals of freshwater resources consumption are even stronger among subadults, suggesting that freshwater resources were used as weaning food at these sites. Conclusions: The implications of our result are threefold. Currently many CSIA studies in archeology only involve either carbon or nitrogen. Our data shows that it is important to conduct CSIA on both carbon and nitrogen for a more integrated picture. Secondly, our data demonstrates that the use of a protein‐based weaning food—instead of a starch‐based weaning food (such as cereal gruel)—was likely more prevalent among the Middle Neolithic communities in the Paris Basin Region than previously thought. The finding thus prompts a rethinking of the role of protein‐based weaning food in other archeological contexts. Lastly, the common assumption that weaning foods and adult diets share similar isotopic compositions can be problematic, as the use of protein‐based, high trophic‐level weaning foods can skew the δ15N weaning curve and produce an erroneously late estimation for weaning ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight newly identified pathological animal remains identified in two Middle Neolithic assemblages (ca 5330–4940 calBC) in northern and western Hungary were placed within the broader context of relevant prehistoric finds. The aim was to understand the underrepresented Middle Neolithic finds in light of the better-known cases from other prehistoric periods. The newly reported cases include arthritic and inflammatory lesions, as well as dental disorders, such as linear enamel hypoplasia, recognized for the first time in the Hungarian Neolithic. Identifications were based on bone macromorphology. When large samples are available, the frequencies of pathological bone specimens reflect the taxonomic composition. Along with the increasing number of cases, longevity related to exploitation for secondary products also became manifest. Therefore, the effects of assemblage size, disease classification and differences between authors (related to training and the time of publication) need to be considered before pathological lesions can be interpreted in terms of diachronic changes in animal husbandry.

Simple Summary: Archaeological excavations at Les Bagnoles (SE France) unearthed three Middle Neolithic water wells (4250–3700 cal B.C.) whose waterlogged conditions allowed the preservation of organic remains, notably a large number of rodent and beetle species. The evaluation of these results in the context of an open-air farming site raised the question of whether these species could have posed a threat to both the field plants and crops stored at the Middle Neolithic settlement. The findings of this study suggest that the native wood mouse was probably one of the first unwanted inhabitants of human settlements in Europe prior to the appearance of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The analysis also advances the argument that the storage pest grain weevil played a role in the clear shift in the crop spectrum from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C., as glume wheats are less vulnerable to its infestation. Moreover, the current study demonstrates that investigating insects and rodents from archaeological sites is key to grasping the challenges of the competitive relationship between Neolithic farming communities and pests. Pests appear to have accompanied humans and their crops since the beginning of farming. Nevertheless, their study is only rarely integrated into research on farming in prehistory. An assemblage of invertebrates and small mammals was recovered from the waterlogged layers of three wells at the Middle Neolithic site (4250–3700 cal B.C.) of Les Bagnoles (SE France). The microfaunal remains were retrieved from sediment samples by wet sieving (wash-over technique). The most common among the rodents is the wood mouse. The assemblage also consists of insect remains of grain weevil, seed beetle, and corn ground beetle. The different finds not only offer data on the role of insect and rodent pests in the Neolithic but on the possible strategies adopted by the early farming communities in the western Mediterranean in response to pest infestation. The findings appear to confirm the hypothesis that the wood mouse was a commensal and storage pest in settlements long before the arrival of the invasive house mouse during the Bronze Age. The presence of the main storage pest, the grain weevil, suggests a long-term grain storage issue at Les Bagnoles. The combination of the results of the site's archaeobotanical findings with those of other sites in the western Mediterranean suggests that the shift from naked to glume wheat around 4000 B.C. may also stem from a reaction to the problem of grain weevil infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study the role played by pottery production in the transition from Early Neolithic to Middle Neolithic in Western Iberia (∼4500–3300 cal BC) based on a critical analysis of the available empirical data. We establish a chronological and cultural sequence for this period, regarding which the historical problematic is still poorly defined due to a lasting absence of scientific discussion about the long Neolithisation process. During the evolved Early Neolithic (∼5200–4500 cal BC), archeological record shows regional specificities and cultural identities in human groups occupying a vast territory. Pottery collections evidence the strong social importance of decorative grammars, marked by a wide variety of techniques and decorative patterns. In quantitative terms, decorated vessels largely prevail over undecorated vessels. However, in the following chrono-cultural phase, the Initial Middle Neolithic (∼4500–3700 cal BC), it starts an increasing prevalence of undecorated vessels over decorated. Decorative systems prefer the incision technique to impression (dominant in the Early Neolithic). Recurrent use of an incised motif called incised line below the rim. In this period, this type of decoration prevails in the set of decorated pottery and is found in different geographic contexts. This adds consistency to the interpretation according to which the same artifact collections are found in all settlements of the initial Middle Neolithic. Finally, by the time of the first-known Megalithic burials – Full Moment of the Middle Neolithic (3700–3300 cal BC) – the decorative grammars almost disappear from pottery sets, which became more “common” and missed some of their symbolic and social meaning. Undecorated vessels prevail even more strongly than in the previous period.

This article aims to contribute novel data and perspectives into the long-standing debate about economic strategies in the fourth and third millennium in South Norway, by introducing novel results from a Pitted Ware coastal site in Agder County, southern Norway. The analysis of artifactual and faunal assemblages as well as lipid analysis from ceramics indicate a varied subsistence economy with terrestrial hunting, gathering, and specialized marine fishing strategies, targeting Atlantic bluefin tuna and seals. These procurement strategies were maintained throughout the middle and into the late Neolithic period (c. 3300–2200 BCE). No unequivocal evidence of cultivation was documented before the early Bronze Age, around 1700 BCE. This article maintains that exploring and explaining long-time continuity, and the environmental, cultural, and social mechanisms, which underwrite enduring traditions, remains a pertinent issue in Neolithic archeology. To broaden our understanding of the causes underlying cultural persistence, we need to move beyond a view of foraging peoples as either ecologically adapted or as economically optimized and employ a perspective that acknowledges the fundamental importance of human–animal relations in prehistoric lives and worldviews. Drawing on insights from relational anthropology and multi-species archaeology, we maintain that an animist ontology endured among the Pitted Ware groups and endorsed the foraging persistency characterizing the third millennium in Southern Norway.

New investigations on Ustica (Palermo, Sicily) originated from the need to improve our knowledge of the island’s archaeological and environmental heritage. Through field surveys, particular attention was paid to human occupation in the Neolithic phases and focused on the less investigated southern side of the island. The systematic survey of the area of Piano dei Cardoni in 2018 brought to light a new Middle/Late Neolithic site, already partially documented in the literature. The island was settled for the first time during these phases, as also testified from the area of Punta Spalmatore. The presence of Serra d’Alto, incised dark burnished, and Diana styles suggests that the site and the archaeological assemblage dates from the mid to late 5th millennium BC, as confirmed by AMS dating. In addition to pottery, obsidian artifacts were also recovered, and a preliminary study of these materials is presented here. Portable XRF analyses on a sample of 41 obsidian artifacts, representing a high percentage of the lithic assemblage compared to chert tools, show that the provenance of the raw material is Gabellotto Gorge (Lipari) and Balata dei Turchi (Pantelleria). These results provide new insight into broader regional debates about obsidian technology and its exchange during the Neolithic and open an important consideration for sites that are far from the raw material sources.

The Middle Neolithic in western Europe is characterized by monumental funerary structures, known as megaliths, along the Atlantic façade. The first manifestations of this phenomenon occurred in modern-day France with the long mounds of the Cerny culture. Here, we present genome-wide data from the fifth-millennium BCE site of Fleury-sur-Orne in Normandy (France), famous for its impressively long monuments built for selected individuals. The site encompasses 32 monuments of variable sizes, containing the burials of 19 individuals from the Neolithic period. To address who was buried at the site, we generated genome-wide data for 14 individuals, of whom 13 are males, completing previously published data [M. Rivollat et al., Sci. Adv. 6, eaaz5344 (2020)]. Population genetic and Y chromosome analyses show that the Fleury-sur-Orne group fits within western European Neolithic genetic diversity and that the arrival of a new group is detected after 4,000 calibrated BCE. The results of analyzing uniparentally inherited markers and an overall low number of long runs of homozygosity suggest a patrilineal group practicing female exogamy. We find two pairs of individuals to be father and son, buried together in the same monument/grave. No other biological relationship can link monuments together, suggesting that each monument was dedicated to a genetically independent lineage. The combined data and documented father–son line of descent suggest a male-mediated transmission of sociopolitical authority. However, a single female buried with an arrowhead, otherwise considered a symbol of power of the male elite of the Cerny culture, questions a strictly biological sex bias in the burial rites of this otherwise “masculine” monumental cemetery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry are farmed globally, with chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus) being the leading domesticated species. Although domestic chicken bones have been reported from some Early Holocene sites, their origin is controversial and there is no reliable domestic chicken bone older than the Middle Holocene. Here, we studied goose bones from Tianluoshan—a 7,000-y-old rice cultivation village in the lower Yangtze River valley, China—using histological, geochemical, biochemical, and morphological approaches. Histological analysis revealed that one of the bones was derived from a locally bred chick, although no wild goose species breed in southern China. The analysis of oxygen-stable isotope composition supported this observation and further revealed that some of the mature bones were also derived from locally bred individuals. The nitrogen-stable isotope composition showed that locally bred mature birds fed on foods different from those eaten by migrant individuals. Morphological analysis revealed that the locally bred mature birds were homogenous in size, whereas radiocarbon dating clearly demonstrated that the samples from locally bred individuals were ∼7,000 y old. The histological, geochemical, biochemical, morphological, and contextual evidence suggest that geese at Tianluoshan village were at an early stage of domestication. The goose population appears to have been maintained for several generations without the introduction of individuals from other populations and may have been fed cultivated paddy rice. These findings indicate that goose domestication dates back 7,000 y, making geese the oldest domesticated poultry species in history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study combines an analysis of archaeological remains, geographic background, and ethnoarchaeological research to gain insights into preconditions and processes of pottery making in northern China during the Yangshao period (5000–3000 BCE). Previous research on Neolithic ceramics from this region focused on typochronology while ethnoarchaeological research has largely been limited to southern China, where geology, geomorphology, and thus resource availability are entirely different. In this study, for the first time we connect ethnographic research in northern China with an analysis of local archaeological ceramics and raw material sources to gain insight into patterns of raw material choice, ceramic production and distribution, and their connection with geographic preconditions. In this fashion, we are able to show that potters, both past and present, systematically sought out suitable raw material and worked close to abundant water and clay resources and major routes of distribution. Standardization is shown to be a problematic concept as ceramic measurements may vary even in large-scale specialized production, but clay recipes and procedures may be standardized. It also becomes clear that in recent times, migrating or travelling potters are responsible for the spread of ceramic production techniques and types. Similar processes may have taken place in the past as well.

The team of the Institute of Archaeological Sciences of the Eötvös Loránd University conducted a rescue excavation in the Baradla Cave in 2019. The work concentrated in a passage leading to a less-researched branch of the cave (the so-called Róka-ág [Fox Branch]) and one of the lesser rooms named Biológiai labor (Biological Laboratory). The passage towards the low and narrow Róka-ág was used for millennia, as attested by the objects from various historical periods and the stakeholes, probably related to former wooden walkways, discovered there. We unearthed an intact Neolithic culture layer preserved by a travertine (calc-sinter) deposit in Biológiai labor, while the metal detector survey carried out in the cave simultaneously with the excavations yielded Late Bronze and Early Iron Age, as well as medieval metal objects. The most significant discovery of our metal detector specialists was a Middle Bronze Age depot of decorative bronze clothing accessories. The recovered findings and observed features confirmed that the internal spaces of the Baradla Cave served as venues for ritual activity in the Neolithic and the Bronze Age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the Early Neolithic chambered tombs of the Isle of Man are well known and the Late Neolithic has been clearly defined with reference to a distinctive suite of artefacts, little is known about the Middle Neolithic. This article reports on 17 new Neolithic radiocarbon dates from cremated human remains from the Isle of Man. These identify five burials in cists as Middle Neolithic and indicate new sequences of activity at cemeteries starting in the Middle Neolithic. Each of these sites is examined in detail. The dates also spur a reconsideration of the development of Ronaldsway pottery and the integration of Grooved Ware pottery and motifs into early 3rd millennium practice on the island. The paper ends with a consideration of the changing effects of mortuary practices throughout the Neolithic on the Isle of Man and a discussion of connections with Middle and Late Neolithic activity in Ireland and Britain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the houses of the middle and late Neolithic layers at Tell Kazanlak dating to the Protokaranovo III and Karanovo III periods, respectively. No complete layouts of Neolithic houses excavated at Tell Kazanlak have been published so far. Five houses with completely revealed layouts were excavated in the middle Neolithic layer, and three more in the late Neolithic layer. They usually featured a single room: houses with two or three rooms were exceptions. They were rectangular or square in plan, with a floor area varying from 35 to 50 m², and had wattle and daub construction. The wooden posts were ca. 10–12 cm in diameter. The location of the entrances depended on the alignment and position of the house within the settlement pattern. Most of the houses of the middle Neolithic settlements had solid wooden floors plastered with clay whose remains were comparatively well-preserved thanks to the calcination processes. Nearly every house had a domed oven or a hearth. Only the bases of ovens were usually preserved; they were made from clay and pebbles. Sometimes clay platforms and storage bins located next to the oven were preserved. The excavated middle and late Neolithic settlement remains at Tell Kazanlak reveal the continuity of house construction techniques used in the second half of the sixth millennium BC.

Yangguanzhai, a Middle Neolithic archaeological site (c. 5500–5000 cal year BP) in the Wei River Valley of China, contains a well‐preserved record of environmental fluctuation, landscape evolution, and human–environment interaction over the Holocene. We examined eight stratigraphic profiles across the site and identified an alternating sequence of sediment and buried soils, indicative of multiple changes in landscape stability. Through this study, we provide a more detailed soil‐stratigraphic framework for the site. Buried soils are well developed, with a subangular blocky structure, high organic matter content, and pedogenic carbonate. There are clear associations between buried soils and the two main archaeological occupations (the Middle Neolithic and a later historic period occupation, c. 600–300 cal year BP). Lower soil horizons contain abundant Middle Neolithic ceramics and archaeological features, and the upper soil horizon contains historic period artifacts and features. Sediment between these soils lacks any artifacts or evidence of occupation, suggesting that Yangguanzhai was abandoned as a residential area for over 3000 years. Heightened sediment deposition and landscape instability contributed to Late Holocene shifts in human land use and settlement patterns at the site. Our work is consistent with previous stratigraphic investigations at the site, while refining descriptions of buried soil horizons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive and systematic surveys in the area south of Mount Olympos and west of Mount Ossa revealed not only tell settlements, but also several flat sites from different prehistoric periods. For one of the settlements, namely Elateia 1, a detailed relative chronological assessment was made with the help of statistical evaluations of pottery assemblages. In addition, short-lived bone samples confirmed and more precisely defined the exact chronological position of this 10-hectare site within the Middle Neolithic period. The present study underlines the importance of statistical evaluations of complete pottery assemblages, even those obtained through survey investigations, and their significance for a better understanding of chronological, chorological and post-depositional processes.

Vorganjska peć is an important prehistoric cave site located on the slope of Organ hill above Batomalj near Baška on the island of Krk. The research of this site, as well as other cave sites on Kvarner islands, was initiated by Vladimir Mirosavljević in the mid-twentieth century. As the result of his research, Vorganjska peć, alongside Jami na Sredi on the island of Cres and Vela špilja on the island of Lošinj, became a significant source of data about the Neolithic of the Kvarner region and thereby an essential part of discussions about this period on the eastern Adriatic coast. Since this research was never fully published, the site was re-excavated in order to review previously obtained data about the cave usage in prehistory. The research results provided insight into the stratigraphic sequence of intact prehistoric archaeological deposits with Early and Middle Neolithic finds. The analysis of stratification and artefacts contributes to our knowledge of complex mechanisms of neolithisation of the eastern Adriatic and confirms the undeniable informative and interpretative significance of the site in the studies of the northern Adriatic Neolithic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La Serreta site (Vilafranca del Penedès, Barcelona province) was excavated between 2009 and 2010, as a result of a preventive intervention after the works conducted to renew different access to the AP-7 highway in the area of Alt Penedès. During the archaeological fieldworks a total of 89 structures were excavated, dated between the ancient Cardial Neolithic and the Early Bronze Age. Different functionalities were attributed to these structures: silo-type graves, burials and habitat space. In this work we present the results of the analysis of the marine malacofaunistic remains and some other marine invertebrates, recovered from the structures dated to the Postcardial Neolithic and the Middle Neolithic. Although the sample is not very large, some elements point to the use of novel decorative types not registered before among the personal ornaments of the recent Catalan prehistory. They consist on shells of the genus Glycymeris, with both valves (left and right) connected and set by drilling the umbo. Although the recovery of Glycymeris shells that were used as ornaments is common, the new discoveries show that the ornamental typologies could be more complex than previously assumed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Over the last 15 years, new research brought to light several new key pieces of information regarding the middle Neolithic in north Croatia. For the first time the LBK site Donji Miholjac – Vrancari was excavated south of Drava river which lead to the revision of finds from older excavations at Virovitica – Brekinja and Kaniška Iva – Osušak sites. New chronological position and possible origin of Ražište type was recognized while questions regarding origin and development of Korenovo and Sopot culture still remain largely unanswered. Chronological modelling of the middle Neolithic sequence is only partially possible due to the low number of available radiocarbon dates.

The paper presents results of archaeological study of one particular moment in time regionally determined as the middle Neolithic period in Drava river valley (northern Croatia). The main aim is reconsidering old periodical and chronological sequences in use for this period. Recent archaeological research carried out on several sites yielded new data about middle Neolithic settlement infrastructures and the remains of material culture. For the first time, remains of Linear Pottery culture (LBK) were recognized south of Transdanubia sheading new light on dispersal of this culture in its early phase. Combined with new interpretation of some old excavation results and new radiocarbon dates from recent excavations, transition from early Neolithic Starčevo culture to middle Neolithic Linear Pottery culture, emergence of Ražište style and its development under the early Vinča influence are outlined. Differences in pottery tempering, decoration and firing are discussed as well as the main types of vessels. New interpretation for 5450–4900 cal BC chronological sequence in this specific micro region is given. Results are compared with data from wider southwestern Carpathian region adding to newly developed discussion about Starčevo–LBK–Ražište–Vinča connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates to what extent the significant material changes observable at the end of the Neolithic reflect transformations of the underlying social dynamics. Answering this question will help us to understand the formation of Bronze Age societies. The analysis concerns southern Scandinavia with a certain focus on Denmark. The assumption is that the creation of Bronze Age societies must be understood as a long formative process that partly originated in the culturally-heterogeneous Middle Neolithic. Four aspects seem to have been essential to this process: the rise of the warrior figure, the reintroduction of metal, increased agricultural production, and the establishment of one of the characteristic features of the Bronze Age, the chieftain hall. These aspects do not appear simultaneously but are introduced stepby- step starting out in the late Middle Neolithic and early Late Neolithic to fully develop around 2000 BC. Consequently, this paper argues that the final Late Neolithic (LN II, c. 1950-1700 BC) was de facto part of the Earliest Bronze Age.

This study focuses on the role of faunal remains in funerary rituals in the Middle Neolithic necropolis of Bòbila Madurell (Sant Quirze del Vallès, Barcelona) ("Madurell Sur" and "Madurell Ferrocarril" sectors). Faunal remains recovered in these burials a priori inform about the different uses of animals in funerary rituals. Complete and partial anatomical connections, isolated elements, and/or bone fragments were recovered. These may appear directly associated with human remains or scattered among the structures' fill. Animal remains were analyzed using zooarchaeological and taphonomic methods: anatomical and taxonomical composition, age of death, and human modifications. The data obtained were linked to burial type and human remains' sex and age. Results show that the economic importance of domestic animals for Middle Neolithic groups would also cover their symbolic and funerary world. In Bòbila Madurell, animals could be offerings and play a part in feasts. In addition, faunal data confirm the ritual diversity and the possible social differentiation of these groups previously proposed by other studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Rákoscsaba – Major-hegy Dél lelőhelyen feltárt több korszakos régészeti lelőhelyen tizenegyezernél több meghatározható állatcsontmaradvány látott napvilágot. A tanulmány célja ezek vizsgálata az egykor hasonló ökológiai feltételek mellett létező települések állattartásának és húsfogyasztásának tükrében. A tanulmányban különös figyelmet kapnak a hasznosítási szokások, mortalitási profilok, illetve a főbb gazdasági haszonállatok megjelenési változatai. Over eleven thousand identifiable animal bone finds came to light from the multipreiod site of Rákoscsaba – Major-hegy Dél. The aims of the paper include the study this material in light of the animal husbandry and meat consumption of comparable periods from similar ecological conditions. Another aim of the paper is the reconstruction of expolitation methods and phenotypical diversity of the main domestic species through their mortality profiles and body size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mit Beginn des DFG-Sonderforschungsbereiches 1266 „TransformationsDimensionen" stand im Rahmen des Teilprojektes „Spätmesolithische und Neolithische Transformationen in der nordmitteleuropäischen Tiefebene" auch die Frage des Überganges von mittelneolithischen Trichterbecher- zu jungneolithischen Einzelgrabgesellschaften im Vordergrund des Interesses. Aufgrund fehlender Siedlungsbefunde wurden 2016 erste siedlungsarchäologische Untersuchungen durchgeführt, dazu zählte eine geophysikalische und archäologische Prospektion im Bereich der Fundstelle Oldenburg LA 232 in Ostholstein. Dieser neolithische Siedlungsplatz befindet sich auf einer Geländeerhöhung im Feuchtgebiet des westlichen Oldenburger Grabens, einer ehemaligen Förde- und Lagunenlandschaft, und schließt eine ehemalige Uferzone mit ein. Die Untersuchungen ermöglichten es, eine trichterbecherzeitliche Besiedlung (ca. 3340–3020 cal BC) auf der Geländeerhöhung in Form von Gebäudestrukturen, Vorratsgruben und einem Werkplatz zur Produktion von Flintgeräten nachzuweisen. Eine zweite Besiedlungsphase (ca. 2930–2630 cal BC) ist durch eine Fundschicht mit Pfeilschäften, Konstruktionshölzern, Vorarbeiten und Pfählen im Bereich der neolithischen Uferzone belegt und gehört der Übergangsphase Mittelneolithikum V/Jungneolithikum 1 (Store-Valby/frühe Einzelgrabkultur) an. In dieser Transformationsphase lassen sich, ausgehend vom neu gegrabenen Fundplatz, auf regionaler Ebene sowohl Kontinuitäten als auch Diskontinuitäten nachweisen. Insbesondere die Platzkontinuität ist für das Verständnis des Transformationsprozesses vom Mittel- zum Jungneolithikum in der Norddeutschen Tiefebene von entscheidender Bedeutung. With the beginning of the DFG Collaborative Research Centre 1266 "Scales of Transformation - Human-Environmental Interaction in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies", the subproject "Late Mesolithic and Neolithic Transformations on the Northern and Central European Plain" also focused on the question of the transition from Middle Neolithic Funnel Beaker to Young Neolithic Single Grave societies. Due to the lack of settlement findings, first archaeological investigations were realised in 2016, including a geophysical and archaeological prospection in the area of the site Oldenburg LA 232 in East Holstein. This Neolithic settlement site is located on an elevation in the wetland of the western Oldenburger Graben, a former fjord and lagoon landscape, that includes the former shore zone. The investigations made it possible to detect a Funnel Beaker settlement (approx. 3340–3020 cal BC) on the elevation in the form of building structures, storage pits and a work site for flint tool production. The second settlement phase (approx. 2930–2630 cal BC) is recognized as a cultural layer with arrow shafts, construction timber, wooden pre-forms and piles in the area of the Neolithic riparian zone and belongs to the transitional phase Middle Neolithic V/Late Neolithic 1 (Store-Valby/Early Single Grave societies). In this phase of transformation, and using the newly excavated site as a starting point, continuity and discontinuity is shown at the regional level. In particular, the continuity of domestic locations is of decisive importance for the understanding of the transformation process from the Middle to the Young Neolithic in the North German Plain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Neolithic tell of Imvrou Pigadi (~6920–6570 cal. years before present) belongs to a cluster of sites at the southern edge of the Plain of Thessaly, Greece. Following a specifically tailored geoarchaeological methodology comprising micromorphology coupled with Fourier‐transformed infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray fluorescence, and particle size analyses, we were able to reveal site formation processes linked with the construction of floors/occupational surfaces and successfully clarify a rather complicated archaeological stratigraphy. Moreover we present early evidence for specialized ceramic production contained in red, burnt strata rich in remnants of constructed combustion features and in situ pottery. The exclusion of a deliberate or accidental domestic fire as the cause of combustion, coupled with evidence of high firing temperatures of 600–700°C further supports a specialized ceramics workshop function of the site. The successful implementation here of an integrated analytical methodology enabled us to reveal the archaeological potential of Imvrou Pigadi and can be used to address similar archaeological questions at other Neolithic sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Studies relating to pottery primary forming techniques are relatively scarce in the field of ceramic studies. This is, in part, due to the difficulty in obtaining information about the inner structures of pots in a non-destructive way. Methodologies which have been applied previously (mainly macroscopic observation and X-ray radiography) are subject to limitations which restrict their scope and accuracy. Recent developments in industrial X-ray micro-CT, however, pave a new direction for the study of ceramic technology. Micro-CT is a non-destructive methodology, which allows the precise visual and computable detection of clay fabric microstructures. More precisely, this method allows direct visual detection and measurement of coils, slabs, and other construction units; the recording of the orientation of voids and inclusions; and the documentation of specific forming technicalities. These features can be highly indicative of specific techniques, and they can, thus, help to identify even individualised craft behaviours. In this paper, we present the results of the micro-CT scanning of a Middle Neolithic pottery assemblage from Sesklo (Thessaly, Greece). The study proposes a concrete methodology for the recognition and classification of specific macro- and micro-features. These features are indicative of distinctive vessel shaping processes, and, on the basis of these data, we suggest a revised model for the correlation between the orientation of voids and inclusion within specific formation techniques. The results show clearly the invaluable potential of micro-CT in the study of pottery forming techniques. In particular, they indicate a significant technological pluralism within the pottery assemblage from Sesklo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late 5th, 4th, and early 3rd millennia BC, different archaeological units are visible in western Lesser Poland. According to traditional views, local branches of the late Lengyel-Polgár complex, the Funnel Beaker culture, and the Baden phenomena overlap chronologically in great measure. The results of investigations done with new radiocarbon dating show that in some cases a discrete mode and linearity of cultural transformation is recommended. The study demonstrates that extreme approaches in which we either approve only those dates which fit with our concepts or accept with no reservation all dates as such are incorrect.

This paper discusses the basis of Neolithic periodization used in mainland Finland. It is suggested that the periodization should be revised: boundary between the Middle and Late Neolithic periods should be moved to correspond the appearance of Corded Ware (ca. 2800 calBC), and a term Final Neolithic introduced to cover the final centuries of the Neolithic. This kind of division would reflect changes in the cultural development better than the currently used one. In addition, the chronological frames for the pottery types dated between the late 6th and mid-4th millennium calBC, i.e. the Early Neolithic and the beginning of Middle Neolithic, are presented.