Monuments as active cooperation. Crisis, mound construction, and society in Scandinavia in the 6th century AD

<p>Historical accounts, archaeoseismic and paleoseismological evidence allowed us to reappraise two earthquakes affecting northeastern Sicily and southern Calabria in the 1st (probably between 14 and 37) and 4th (likely between 361 and 363) centuries AD, to obtain a better reconstruction of their effects and to reconsider their sources.The 1st century event damaged the area from Oppido (Calabria) to Tindari (Sicily), roughly that of the February 6, 1783 Calabria earthquake. The similitude of these earthquakes is further stressed by the fact that they generated tsunamis, as recorded by historical data and by the tsunami deposits found at Capo Peloro, the oldest dated 0-125 AD, the youngest linked to the 1783 event. These earthquakes could be related to the same Calabria seismic source: the Scilla fault. Northeastern Sicily and southern Calabria were also damaged by one or more earthquakes in the 4th century AD and several towns were rebuilt/restored at that time. The hit area roughly coincides with that of the Messina 1908 earthquake suggesting similar seismic sources for the events. However, because close in time, historical descriptions of the 4th century Sicilian earthquake were mixed with those of the 365 Crete earthquake that generated a basin-wide tsunami most likely reaching also the Sicilian coasts. Reevaluating location, size, damage area and tsunamigenic potential of these two earthquakes of the 1st and 4th centuries AD is relevant for reassessing the seismogenic and tsunamigenic potential of the faults around the Messina Strait and the seismic hazard of the affected areas.</p>

Archaeological Research on Islamic Pottery from Qal´eh Sang, Old Sirjan (Kerman Province, Iran)

Abstract: Trade fluctuations between North Africa and Southern Sicily: the 6th and 7th centuries AD. Cignana as a case study. This essay will examine the trend in imports of African potteries – notably amphorae and fine wares – in a rural zone of southern Sicily. We are dealing with the region of Cignana, not far from the coastline, where archaeological excavations documented a large settlement that experienced a big growth between the 5th and 6th centuries AD. During this period, a shift in the ceramic supply from the Zeugitana towards the Byzacena occurred. Nevertheless, the positive trend in imports persists until the last decades of the 6th century. Thereafter, it shows a decrease until the apparent interruption after the mid-7th century. New changes in the Mediterranean trading system seem to undermine the proximity exchanges between northern Africa and southern Sicily, but not the long-distance ones. At Cignana, this causes a gap in our knowledge that is still difficult to fill today. However, the discovery of a new ceramic class inspired by African prototypes of the late 7th century stimulates further reflection on the material culture of early Byzantine Sicily.

El siglo IV d.C. constituye para la arquitectura balnearia un momento de especial desarrollo dado que es durante esta centuria cuando se reforman o construyen los más monumentales balnea domésticos que, asociados a importantes villae, se caracterizan por su amplitud espacial, complejidad planimétrica y riqueza ornamental. No obstante, es también el siglo IV d.C. un momento en el que comienzan a evidenciarse transformaciones en el seno de estas instalaciones que, en muchos casos, dejan de tener función termal para, tras una serie de cambios estructurales, acoger funciones productivas, domésticas, cultuales y funerarias. En el presente trabajo analizamos las transformaciones que afectaron a los balnea rurales hispanos entre los siglos IV a VI d.C. y que conllevaron el final de su uso balneario y su conversión en espacios de distinta finalidad.Palabras clave: Balnea, arquitectura doméstica, Hispania, villae, transformacionesAbstractThe 4th century AD was a time of exceptional development in bath architecture. It was then when the most monumental domestic balnea, associated with important villae and characterized by spaciousness, planimetrical complexity and ornamental richness, were either built or reformed. But it was also during the 4th century AD when these installations underwent a series of transformations, abandoning their thermal function to take on, -after a number of structural changes- productive, domestic, cultual and funerary functions. This paper analyzes the transformations that affected the rural Hispanic balnea between the 4th and 6th centuries AD that led to the end of their use as baths and consequently their conversion into spaces with different functions.Key words: Balnea, domestic architecture, Hispania, villae, transformations.

The Canary Islands are considered one of the first places where Atlantic slave plantations with labourers of African origin were established, during the 15th century AD. In Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain), a unique cemetery dated to the 15th and 17th centuries was discovered adjacent to an ancient sugar plantation with funerary practices that could be related to enslaved people. In this article, we investigate the origin and possible birthplace of each individual buried in this cemetery, as well as the identity and social status of these people. The sample consists of 14 individuals radiocarbon dated to the 15th and 17th centuries AD. We have employed several methods, including the analysis of ancient human DNA, stable isotopes, and skeletal markers of physical activity. 1) the funerary practices indicate a set of rituals not previously recorded in the Canary Islands; 2) genetic data show that some people buried in the cemetery could have North-African and sub-Saharan African lineages; 3) isotopic results suggest that some individuals were born outside Gran Canaria; and 4) markers of physical activity show a pattern of labour involving high levels of effort. This set of evidence, along with information from historical sources, suggests that Finca Clavijo was a cemetery for a multiethnic marginalized population that had being likely enslaved. Results also indicate that this population kept practicing non-Christian rituals well into the 17th century. We propose that this was possible because the location of the Canaries, far from mainland Spain and the control of the Spanish Crown, allowed the emergence of a new society with multicultural origins that was more tolerant to foreign rituals and syncretism.

Basilica extra muros este unul dintre primele monumente de la Histria a cărui cercetare a început odată cu descoperirea sitului de către Vasile Pârvan în anul 1914.

The article presents cenotaphs of the Bulan-Koby culture, excavated at the Karban-I necropolis (Chemalsky district of the Altai Republic). The authors characterize the general and specific features of kurgans No. 16, 17, 23, 36 (planigraphy, construction of mounds, arrangement of under-kurgan structures, accompanying inventory) based on their comparison with known information about other sites of the region of the 2nd century BC - 5th century AD. Two options for interpreting the published objects are proposed: they were “miniature” cenotaphs intended for adults and children, or symbolic burials of children who died, for example, during childbirth or as a result of some kind of accident when the child’s body was lost. The choice of one ofthese points ofview is made difficult by the absence of informative inventory in the kurgans, as well as by the localization that does not demonstrate their predominant connection with male, female or children’s graves.

New archeointensity data from French Early Medieval pottery production (6th–10th century AD). Tracing 1500 years of geomagnetic field intensity variations in Western Europe

The results from archaeological fieldwork between 2014 and 2016 at Burdiehouse, Edinburgh, have revealed evidence of structures, pits and enclosures related to rural settlement and activity ranging across the Early Medieval period from the 7th century AD up to the 12th century AD. A suite of features included a truncated stone platform, remains of a small post-built building with a hearth and numerous pits, postholes and curvilinear ditches. In addition, a circular clay-lined kiln was recorded. Radiocarbon dating indicates that while the building and hearth, the stone platform and numerous of the pits, postholes and linear features related to activity between the 7th and 10th centuries AD, the kiln was a later feature, dated to the 12th century AD. The evidence for rural Early Medieval settlement sites as identified at Burdiehouse is limited but recent work has emphasised how important they are for understanding everyday activity in this period.

The origin of the radial sand ridges (RSR) in the southern Yellow Sea has been a controversial problem since they were discovered. The key to solving this problem is to answer whether the radial tidal current field existed prior to the formation of the RSR. With a two-dimensional tide model over the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, and most of the East China Sea, the M2 tides and tidal currents at around 7000 years BP, 6000 years BP, 3800 years BP, the 8th and 11th centuries AD are simulated. The model results show that, from 7000 years BP to 3800 years BP, tidal currents north of the major longitudinal axis of the Paleo-Yangtze River Estuary (PYRE) converged toward and diverged from the mouth of this river and the distribution pattern of the tidal current field was largely similar to that of the tidal current field over the southern Yellow Sea. Toward the 8th century AD, the PYRE became a delta. The Yangtze River mouth migrated southeastward considerably until the 11th century AD, and the shorelines of the Yangtze River mouth and northern Jiangsu were generally similar in geometry to the present ones. At these two stages (the 8th and the 11th centuries AD), the radial tidal current fields with a focal point in Dongtai area were evident, and the distribution patterns of tidal current fields were much similar than at present. After the 11th century AD, the northern Jiangsu shoreline evolved gradually to the present position under the influence of the shifting Yellow River mouth and the present radial tidal current field, with its focal point in the Qianggang area, was formed eventually over the southern Yellow Sea. In short, the radial tidal current field off the PYRE and northern Jiangsu coast has existed and its distribution pattern has been quite stable since around 7000 years BP, despite the shoreline evolution of the PYRE and northern Jiangsu coast. However, the convergent location of the tidal currents has shifted from the mouth of the PYRE to the Dongtai area and then to the present Qianggang area. This suggests that the radial tidal current field in the RSR area existed before the formation of these sand ridges, and the RSR in the southern Yellow Sea were formed and are maintained by radial tidal current fields with sufficient sediment supply.

Iron and fire: Geoarchaeological history of a Khmer peripheral centre during the decline of the Angkorian Empire, Cambodia

Technology of Islamic lustre

Sources of organic carbon in the Portuguese continental shelf sediments during the Holocene period

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Introduction. Archaeological sites of the 4th century AD absent on most of the area of the Late Sarmatian culture. This may be both due to the difficulties of their identification and absence of chronological indicators and due to migrations of nomads from the steppe zone. Perhaps unfavorable climatic conditions for nomadic cattle breeding affected the decrease in the number of nomadic population in the 4th century AD. Methods and materials. The paleosoil data allow reconstructing the ecological situation in dry and desert steppes in the first centuries AD. The initial stage of the Late Sarmatian era (the late 2nd – the early 3rd centuries AD) was marked by arid conditions with cold winters with little snow, which were favorable for cattle breeding in the steppe zone. In the late 3rd century and at the turn of the 3rd – 4th centuries, the processes of humidization began – an increase in climate humidity, which favorably affected the ecological situation in the steppe: high grass, area watering. Such situation provided successful livestock grazing in summer. However, in winter, an increase in humidity led to heavy snowfalls and snowstorms, an increase in snow cover, frequent winter thaws, rain, fog, that were replaced by periods of cooling. At this time, grass icing and ice crust formation occured. Analysis. In those conditions, the number of days, when cattle grazing was impossible, increased. As a consequence, there was weakening and disease of the livestock, until the complete loss of the herd. This was followed by the decrease of population. Results. The humidization processes primarily affected the Southern Urals and in the final of the 3rd century reached the Volga-Don steppes. This could be the reason for the outflow of the Late Sarmatian population from the Southern Urals to the Volga regions. In the 4th century AD, the steppes from the Urals to the Lower Don were practically depopulated. The beginning of the humid period, which was unfavorable for the nomadic economy, had a positive effect on settled agricultural societies. The Early Alanian culture of the Central Caucasus demonstrates the dynamics of active development throughout the Late Sarmatian period, including in the 4th c. AD. The duration of this humid period is difficult to estimate, however, in the Hun Epoch, steppes remained almost uninhabited, as evidenced by the small number of sites of this time.