From Preservation to Transformation: Taphonomic Analysis of Archaeological Insect Remains from the French Atlantic Coastline

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the bleaching gel application site on chromatic changes and postoperative sensitivity in teeth. Thirty patients were selected and allocated to three groups (n=10 per group), according to the location of the gel: GI, cervical application; GII, incisal application; and GIII, total facial. The amount and time of application of the 35% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) gel were standardized. Color changes were analyzed by ΔE and Wid (bleaching index), using the values obtained in the readings conducted on a digital spectrophotometer in the cervical (CRs) and incisal regions (IRs) of the teeth. Spontaneous sensitivity was assessed using the questionnaire, and the stimulated sensitivity caused by the thermosensory analysis (TSA). The analysis occurred in five stages: baseline, after the first, second, and third whitening sessions (S), and 14 days after the end of the whitening, using the linear regression statistical model with mixed effects and post-test by orthogonal contrasts (p<0.05). Although the IR was momentarily favored, at the end of the treatment, the restriction of the application site provided results similar to those obtained when the gel was applied over the entire facial surface. Regarding sensitivity, only the GI showed spontaneous sensitivity. In the TSA, GIII had less influence on the threshold of the thermal sensation. It was concluded that the chromatic alteration does not depend on the gel application site. Spontaneous sensitivity is greater when the gel is concentrated in the cervical region (CR), and the teeth remain sensitized by thermal stimuli even after 14 days.

Introduction The paper describes the complex investigations carried out to understand the sources of the brown chromatic changes that have occurred on ten marble statues dated back to the first half of the 15th century and now located in the Church of Orsanmichele in Florence, Italy. When the statues were removed from the outdoor niches for restoration in the 1980s, they appeared covered with a dark brown patina (called ‘bronzatura’) that dated to interventions occurred just after 1789. Archival documents confirmed that they had been carried out to make the marble statues look like bronzes. Because of the removal of the dark patina carried out by the Opificio delle Pietre Dure in the 1990s, the marble almost regained its distinguishing clear tonality even if darker areas remained. After the statues were placed indoors at the end of restoration, brownish discolorations started to appear on their surfaces. Results Research began by using various non-invasive analyses (photographs under ultraviolet illumination, fluorescence lifetime imaging, x-ray fluorescence). The results of UV fluorescence tests and FLIM showed that the fluorescence emission’s distribution map does not have distinctive and homogeneous characteristics in relation to the areas with the discoloration. Therefore, it is not a superficial film, but rather a phenomenon affecting the marble structure. Then we performed invasive analyses on samples from some statues. The results of optical microscopy, ATR-FTIR and Raman spectroscopy on cross sections, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry on powdered samples from the surfaces and/or the bulk of the marble allowed the identification of the various substances involved in the chromatic alteration. Most important was the detection of weddellite and gypsum on the surface and within the marble. This finding, combined with the presence of lipids inside the stone, suggests that mineralization of treatments have occurred, causing discolorations. Conclusions Even though the study focuses on the statues from Orsanmichele, their issue nevertheless should not be considered specific to them. Marble discolorations are a widespread phenomenon whose complete understanding needs a complex series of analyses and only the combination of non-invasive and invasive analyses can fulfill this goal.

This study evaluated the influence of dentin hybridization on coronary chromatic alteration of endodontically treated bovine teeth using different endodontic sealers and Portland cement. The 200 central incisors were endodontically treated using different materials (Sealapex, Bio-C Sealer, AH-Plus, Endofill, and Portland cement) and distributed according to the presence or absence of dentin hybridization. The teeth underwent colorimetric analysis using the Easyshade® spectrophotometer at four different times: determining the color of the dental substrate before root canal filling (RCF), 7 days, 60 days, and 180 days after RCF. The data were evaluated for normality and homogeneity by the Shapiro-Wilk and Levene tests. A two-way analysis of variance was performed, with Sidak's post-test for multiple comparisons. The significance level was 5%. Dentin hybridization influenced the coronary chromatic alteration of Sealapex® after 7 days and in Bio-C Sealer® and AH Plus® after 60 days. The AH Plus after 7 days obtained the highest ΔE* when hybridized, and the Endofill® obtained the highest ΔE* when not hybridized. The AH Plus after 60 days got the highest ΔE* when hybridized and non-hybridized. The Sealapex® after 180 days obtained the highest ΔE* when hybridized, and the AH Plus obtained the highest ΔE* when not hybridized. The studied root canal sealers behaved differently regarding coronary chromatic alteration, making it difficult to predict a particular behavior. All endodontic sealers caused clinically noticeable chromatic changes after 7 days, 60 days, and 180 days, regardless of hybridization.

Ruins of archaeological structures, mainly dating to the Bronze Age till Byzantine period, were investigated in a case study in the Petra region in southern Jordan and in the northern Negev desert in Israel. They are covered by post-abandonment debris sediments which provided the parent material of initial soils now developed on the ruins. Such debris sediments have so far rarely been studied although they likely contain a significant aeolian dust fraction because structures and wall remains may act as effective dust traps. We analyzed different types of archaeological structures: cult sites on hilltops, runoff-irrigated terraces on slopes, and cisterns including associated cleanout mounds. As well, we collected current aeolian sediments in nearby dry marble dust traps. It was expected that the various ruins and location types would matter for sediment properties, but substrate composition in all investigated structures was similar. This suggests that most of the fine fractions of the debris material were primarily supplied by wind whereas fluvial processes only re-distributed aeolian sediments. A major aeolian contribution from local weathered rocks could be observed in the Petra region, but not in the Negev, which seems connected with the geology. In situ pedogenesis in both investigation regions is negligible. The ruins seem to act as current dust collectors, but their sediments cannot directly be compared with the material collected in nearby dry marble dust traps. Analogies to different types of collectors for aeolian sediments can be made: depending on design, dust traps gather aeolian material differently. Standard dry marble dust collectors are characterized by similar size of settling dust samples as compared to average aeolian deposition in the ruins, but are of dissimilar substrate composition with regard to particle size distribution and contents of major and trace elements. Sediments in the archaeological structures in southern Jordan show finer textures and higher contents of most major and trace elements which may indicate preferential fixation of silt and clay against sand in the ruins, whereas sediments in dry marble dust collectors in Jordan are relatively depleted in silt and clay. This could be due to crusts and clast covers because the studied archaeological hilltop structures were found covered by surface crusts and pavements of stones and pottery sherds. These may mirror the effect of desert pavements. In addition, current dust samples suggest that precipitation during aeolian sedimentation, in particular in case of snow, is connected with enhanced deposition of (possibly clay-coated) silt. Sediments in the archaeological structures include material from remote and local sources as well as from “recycled” paleosols. Average hilltop dust accretion rates were calculated as ~ 0.14 mm/year, which is in good agreement with results from dry marble dust collectors. They exceed rates calculated for Pleistocene hilltop loess in the Negev. This seems due to enhanced dust fixation in the archaeological ruins as compared to natural Negev loess soils, underlining a so far rarely considered but important role of sediment fixation mechanisms.

This study tackles a set of conclusions and involves an evaluation of presumptive historical earthquakes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which hit the region and strongly affected the archeological sites in Jordan. Actually, the core of the study was the ancient cities of Umm Qais (Gadara), Umm Al-Jimal, Deir Al-Kahf, Al-Azraq, and Pella in the North and Dhahil water reservoir and Humaima in the South. The archeological excavations made during the past 20 years helped a lot of the region’s seismicity re-evaluation and relocation of historical earthquakes, about which the researchers argued on determining their epicenters and magnitudes. The recent excavations at Umm Qais (Gadara) indicated that earthquake-impacted ruins have been buried under nearly 2 m of dust deposits for centuries. So, such important indicators that can be relied upon to determine the epicenter and magnitude evaluation of these historical earthquakes were unveiled. Based on the recent available excavations, it is obvious that Umm Qais was affected by two seismic events within a time interval of not less than 100 years. In the light of the results found in Umm Qais and the remote archeological sites of Umm Al-Jimal and Deir Al-Kahf, there was no azimuthal projection of neither collapsed nor tilted columns indicating that there was a major earthquake with the epicenter located in the Carmel rupture zone in the North of Palestine, and not in the rift zone as reported earlier. But, the second earthquake was at the northwest of Umm Qais. The earthquake reported here seems to coincide with the reported major earthquake in 748 AD while the second one that occurred earlier corresponds to the 551 AD. The eastward collapsed towers in the South with respect to the southern archeological site of Humaima and a seismic swarm in Sep. 20, 2003, suggested that the Wadi Araba fault may not be continuous but segmented, subject to confirmation by detailed sub-surface structural information.

A geoarchaeological perspective on late Holocene Puyallup River delta history using lithostratigraphic data from Xaxtl'abish 1 on the Hylebos Creek distributary in Tacoma, WA

A major aim of the analysis of faunal remains from archaeological sites is the reconstruction of the palaeoecology of early man. Since taphonomic work must precede palaeoecological work, theories concerning the palaeoecology of early man would benefit from firmly based taphonomic studies of the archaeological deposits. One of the numerous taphonomic factors to be considered is the bone fragmentation produced by early man.The degree of bone fragmentation in a deposit uninfluenced by human factors is an expression of the resistance of the various bones to mechanical and chemical decomposition before and during burial. Thus, the degree of fragmentation where human factors are predominant should provide an illustration of man as a taphonomic factor. In both cases the degree of fragmentation may be used as an indicator of the degree of taphonomic overprint.Examination of bone material from four West European Mesolithic sites (all bog deposits), Star Carr 7200 ± 120 B.C., Kongemosen 6600 ± 100 B.C., Præstelyngen 3200 ± 100 B.C., and Muldbjerg I 2900 ± 80 B.C., reveals differences in marrow fracturing techniques. Furthermore, the different techniques result in different numbers of fragments for the same type of bone. Comparison of faunas from different sites based on the number of bone fragments must therefore be preceded by analysis of the marrow fracturing techniques used at the various sites. The number of fragments per estimated minimum number of individuals should indicate the degree of taphonomic loss.The various types of marrow fracturing found seem to belong to cultures at different levels of technical development. Thus, it may be possible within a limited area such as northern Europe to establish a chronology using marrow fracturing type as one of the ecostratigraphic tools.

The paper illustrates the results of a non-invasive characterisation of pigments and their mixtures in the pictorial surfaces of the wall paintings (10th century) found in the Byzantine church of Palazzo Simi in Bari (Italy). The investigation techniques included portable digital polarised microscopy, fibre optic reflectance spectroscopy (FORS) and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). Data comparison supported the recognition of red and yellow ochres, green earth, vine black, minium and Egyptian blue. The presence of some pigment mixtures demonstrated the recurrence of specific technical expedient used by local medieval artists in order to simulate more expensive pigments, which enabled contribution to the understanding of the valuable artistic tradition of the Apulian Middle Age. Both for purposes of conservation and fruition of the site, which is not always accessible, and due to the complexity in taking suitable photographs for the representation of results, the latter was performed on orthophotos extracted from a digital photogrammetric 3D model of the whole archaeological site. By means of chromatic overlapped layers, an interactive compositional map of the pictorial surfaces was produced.

Toxicity, uptake and survey studies of boron in the marine environment : THOMPSON J. A. J., J. C. DAVIS and R. E. DREW, 1976. Wat. Res., 10 (10): 869–875

Can salmonids ( Oncorhynchus spp.) be identified to species using vertebral morphometrics?

The publication presents the results of the work of the Sector of Archaeology of the Department of State Supervision of the Department of State Protection of the Objects of Cultural Heritage of the Altai Territory, created in 2019. The most important activities of the staff of the Archaeology Sector are the systematic monitoring of archaeological heritage sites, the identification of damage as a result of illegal and non-coordinated archaeological work, as well as the implementation of measures to preserve and protect archaeological sites. The article highlights the work in a number of regions of the Altai Territory in the legal and practical sphere of the protection of cultural heritage sites for 2021 at various archaeological sites: mounds and archaeological settlements. During these events, archaeological structures were recorded: mounds, ditches and ramparts. These observations supplement the available scientific data on a number of archaeological sites and allow us to raise the issue of identifying a new archaeological microdistrict in the Kamensky Ob region, located on the islands of the Ob river. Obi.

Plant remains from archaeological contexts constitute a variety of materials providing indications on human activity and past environments. They may be found in different archaeological structures and may be preserved in different ways (waterlogged, dried, charred, and mineralized plant remains, and plant impressions) depending on the chemical composition of the tissues and the processes of post-depositional modification. The first step for any collection of plant remains is a preliminary survey of the archaeological site, to establish the best sampling strategy and to plan times and modes of collection. Different collection techniques may be applied depending on the type of plant remains. Macrofossils interspersed in sediment are extracted using flotation or sieving (wet or dry) procedures, or a combination of methods. Fine sediments containing microfossils may be collected from resins, encrustations, material from mummies, and various types of artifacts, or from exposed stratigraphical profiles, or may be drilled from lakes and ponds in the vicinity of the archaeological site. In any case, particular attention must be paid to avoid breakage, and contamination with modern material and with plant remains from adjacent sediment layers.

Direct dentin bleaching: Would it be possible?

Lichens on mortars at archaeological sites in southern Spain are reviewed. Excavation of archaeological remains and their subsequent colonization provided an opportunity to investigate the lichen vegetation on this artificial building material and to examine lichen/mortar interactions. Studies were carried out in three different Roman settlements at Baelo Claudia, an industrial town located near the Gibraltar Strait, Italica, a residential town near Hispalis (present day Seville), and the Necropolis of Carmona, 30 km from Seville. Several topics, such as factors affecting lichen ecology, lichen-mortar interactions, chromatic changes on monuments and efficacy of biocide applications, are discussed.

In this paper we propose a methodological systematisation for the qualitative and quantitative characters and numerical description of carbonised cereal remains (basically caryopses) found at archaeological sites. The aim of this methodology is to study such remains after evaluating the significance of taphonomic processes, such as the degree of fragmentation, cause of fragmentation, overrepresentation of certain taxa, processes of erosion, transport and deposition, and combustion intensity. Attention is also paid to the fragmentation of the caryopses prior to charring, and a new method is presented for the calculation of the minimum numbers of individuals (MNI) of cereal caryopses. This methodology requires a seed-by-seed description in order to obtain fully quantified data of taphonomic importance, which is therefore time consuming, but at the same time achieves precise information of great value for the evaluation of the assemblage. Our case study has been the remains found in Layer 18 at the archaeological cave site of Can Sadurni (Begues, Barcelona province, Spain), one of the most important early Neolithic cereal assemblages on the Iberian Peninsula.