ABSTRACT By reviewing traditional, sunken, groundwater-harvesting agroecosystems (SGHAS) in coastal and inland aeolian sand situated in Iran, Egypt, Gaza Strip, Algeria and Iberia, coupled with image interpretation and geospatial analysis, we study the innovation and function of recently excavated Early Islamic (EI; tenth-twelfth century), Plot-and-Berm agroecosystems along the southeastern Mediterranean coast of Israel. The SGHAS and EI agroecosystems, usually affiliated with nearby towns, possess an aeolian sand substrate enrichened with urban refuse and/or organic material. The long-term investment in SGHAS attained profitable water security in the form of temporally continuous, shallow groundwater, replenished by rainfall. The crops in SGHASs include a wide range of vegetables, watermelons, dates and grapes, implying that the EI crops were partly or fully different. The spotty, historic appearance of SGHAS since the fifteenth–sixteenth centuries temporally lags after the abandonment of the EI agroecosystems, does not support spatial and temporal connectivity of sand agriculture knowledge, but probably exemplifies the appearance of site-specific ingenuities derived from growing agro-technological knowledge, crop variety and needs for food security. This study demonstrates the importance of traditional analogues for interpreting research gaps of archaeological, agricultural landscapes and provides insight for establishing traditionally-based, sustainable agriculture in sand.

ABSTRACT The formation of Neolithic tell settlements in wetlands or near watercourses is documented in the published literature, but their research is not often based on environmental study. In this paper, we present the results from two sediment cores (BR1, BR2) collected from the case study archaeological site, located on the former bank of one of the Danube's tributaries in the southern Carpathian Basin. Although it has been suggested that a waterlogged environment was deliberately selected for this type of settlement in the regional Late Neolithic, the results of this study, based on both archaeological and environmental data, indicate dry and cool conditions prior and during the initial phase of the settlement formation. The abandonment of the settlement, possibly in the late 5th millennium, probably occurred due to alternating dry and wet episodes, rather than a gradual increase in wet conditions, as suggested elsewhere in the region. A large ditch encircling the settlement, not documented by archaeological research, can be indirectly confirmed by the BR2 core results and the analysis of aerial and satellite images. In general, there is a good correlation of results with the major global climate events, but there are differences in regional and wider south-eastern European context.

ABSTRACT This study shows how fine and organic sediments in urban contexts can document landscape changes, anthropogenic activities and depositional processes. We focus on the transition between the late Iron Age and the Roman period in the city of Lyon (France), where an archaeological excavation conducted on Fourvière Hill aimed at understanding the evolution of a defensive site located south-west of the former Roman city. The discovery of a Gallic wall made of earth, wood and stone (murus gallicus) probably indicates the oppidum status of Lyon before the Roman colonisation. Fine-textured, organic and hydromorphic sediments containing a variety of artefacts (fine wares and amphora fragments) and abundant palaeoecological indicators (seeds, fruits, wood and charcoal fragments, pollen, shells, and parasites), were preserved at the foot of the rampart. A multidisciplinary study of these remains reveals the presence of a former hilltop pond surrounded by riparian woodlands with multi-proxy evidence of arable land or gardens, discharge from human settlements (consumption wastes, human parasites), and grazed areas (faecal inputs, animal parasites and plants tolerant to trampling). After several episodes of sediment inputs and backfill, the palaeoenvironmental record ended at the beginning of the Roman Empire, when a defensive wall was built over the site.

ABSTRACT The Carpathian Basin witnessed several migration events throughout its history. The plains between the Danube and Tisza Rivers, and those stretching east from the Tisza gave home to groups under the umbrella demonym ‘Sarmatian’ from as early as the first century AD. It has been hypothesised that the subsistence strategy of these populations was influenced by their traditions and the knowledge of the conquered indigenous peoples. This paper presents the archaeobotanical and the archaeozoological results of a fourth–fifth century Sarmatian settlement, and delineates a complex view of its subsistence strategies. The results show that the main vegetable pillar of subsistence was cereals. However, cereal consumption did not seem to be uniform across Sarmatian sites, with differences in the cereal crops identified. The appearance of grapevine might be considered as evidence of Roman influences. Despite the diverse environmental setting, gathered wild plants were not a significant part of everyday diet. The local subsistence strategy was also characterised by the dominance of cattle, followed by other small ruminants and pigs. The presence of wild terrestrial and aquatic species – collected or hunted – in the close proximity of the village could also be proved, suggesting intensive exploitation of the quite diverse environment.

ABSTRACT This paper provides an overview of rural surveys and environmental archaeology studies on Sicily, Cyprus and Crete during the Byzantine Empire. It re-evaluates traditional interpretations of agricultural settlement patterns, ecosystems and populations from Late Antiquity to the early Middle Ages (late sixth to late ninth century). The prevailing narrative that these islands were devastated by Arab incursions, leading to widespread depopulation, economic collapse and abandonment of rural sites in favour of fortified hilltop settlements, is questioned. Instead, the study employs a comparative and interdisciplinary approach, combining environmental and climatic data with historical and archaeological evidence. This method offers a more nuanced understanding of how insular rural societies adapted to changing environmental and human conditions during the Byzantine Empire's transition from an economically unified region to a fragmented Medieval Mediterranean. The findings highlight the resilient nature of land use and rural settlement patterns amidst the transformation of the empire's political, military and administrative structures.

ABSTRACT 185 pairs of δ 13C and δ 15N values for aurochs, cattle and sheep bones from the northern Netherlands were studied to establish the influence of salt marsh grazing on bone δ 13C and δ 15N values. The observed values proved significantly increased compared to livestock that grazed inland. The δ 13C and δ 15N values of animals grazing former salt marshes were significantly less increased than those grazing the unembanked salt marsh. Absent regular salt marsh flooding may explain the reduced δ 13C increase in bones of animals grazing there. The δ 15N values of ruminants grazing the embanked salt marshes continued to be increased, presumably due to persisting saline water at shallow depths. The δ 13C values of the salt marsh grazing ruminants correspond with a δ 13C increase of 5‰ compared to eleven modern salt marsh plants from Schiermonnikoog studied in this paper. The δ 15N values of the eleven Schiermonnikoog salt marsh plants proved variable, on average too low to explain the observed 3.5‰ increase in δ 15N values. This suggests that vegetation δ 15N values cannot be the only cause of the high δ 15N values observed in salt marsh ruminants. Other processes may be responsible for the high δ 15N values of salt marsh grazing ruminants as well.

ABSTRACT The first Russian settlers developed relatively large cities and a new phenomenon called ‘urban habitat’ to the north of Western Siberia. This article presents the results of a study on soil samples taken from the cultural layer of Berezov city during excavations of the city’s kremlin, or civic centre, posad, or town settlement area, and the farmstead within the posad. The samples are dated from the XVI to the end of the XVIII century. Examination of the samples revealed 12 types of parasite eggs from both humans and animals. The city's cultural layer was found to be relatively highly contaminated with parasite eggs. The species composition of parasite eggs in samples collected from the cultural layer varied according to land use, i.e. whether public, communal, or livestock, or sanitary condition in Berezov city. An analysis of historical and archaeological data enabled the reconstruction of certain nutritional aspects of the population in Berezov city at the time. Additionally, certain cultural and abiotic factors contributing to the high parasite infestation of humans and domestic animals were identified, and similarities can be found in the research of other Russian cities of Siberia in the XVI–XIX centuries.

ABSTRACT The contribution of plants to the diets and wider economies of most prehistoric foragers is inadequately studied and poorly understood, also in comparison with other aspects of their economies and with prehistoric plant economies from the Neolithic onwards. This situation even applies to the Mesolithic of southern Scandinavia, which is a particularly intensely studied prehistoric forager sequence. In this paper we consider taphonomic, methodological and ideological reasons for the relative lack of research focus, after which we discuss the potential of strategic bulk sampling for plant macroremains at submerged sites. We then briefly present a pilot study of such macroremains obtained from the submerged site Hjarnø Sund, Denmark, and discuss next steps, including methodological initiatives to improve the distinction between anthropogenic and non-anthropogenic material. We conclude that the potential of this type of site in the effort to understand the dietary and wider economic roles of plants in the Mesolithic far exceeds the general level of attention that they have received so far. Accordingly, we argue for increased focus, strategic sampling and a sustained, longer-term research effort in order to improve our understanding of this central aspect of prehistoric forager life and culture.

ABSTRACT While there are many techniques for estimating age-at-death in archaeological dogs, the pulp cavity/tooth width ratio is considered one of the most accurate methods. This study adapts this technique for application to MicroCT imaging, a non-destructive methodology that is rapidly gaining ground in faunal analysis. Mandibular first molar and upper and lower canine teeth recovered from two Late Classic-Early Postclassic period sites in the Maya highlands, Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, were imaged using a SCANCO μCT35 MicroCT scanner. The widths of tooth roots, pulp cavities, cuspal enamel thicknesses, and enamel attrition measurements were then taken using both the scanner’s post-processing system and 3D Slicer, an open-access programme designed for imaging biomedical scans and other 3D files, and pulp cavity infilling ratios were calculated to obtain an age-at-death estimates in months for each specimen. Based on these, this study presents preliminary interpretations of canid age-at-death patterns at Moxviquil and Tenam Puente, including a range of juvenile specimens from a funerary cave context at Moxviquil.

ABSTRACT Despite the extended application of GC-MS for detecting organic residues from archaeological ceramics, the potential of gas chromatography – high-resolution and accuracy mass spectrometry (GC-HRAMS) has not yet been fully explored. This study conducted lipid residue analysis (using an Exactive Orbitrap GC-MS system) of dolia and jars from two Early and Middle Bronze Age (2200-1450 BC) archaeological sites in south-eastern Sicily, comparing chromatograms obtained by both GC-HRAMS and GC coupled to quadrupole, low-resolution MS (GC-LRMS). The archaeological question aimed at verifying the use of the selected vessels for cooking purposes and exploring hypotheses concerning their employment in different cooking methods (boiling or roasting) based on the analysis of morphological features and burning traces on the surfaces. The results showed clear advantages of using GC-HRAMS in targeted and untargeted approaches.