Archaeological Applications Research Articles

Multi-frequency satellite radar imaging of cultural heritage: the case studies of the Yumen Frontier Pass and Niya ruins in the Western Regions of the Silk Road Corridor

ABSTRACTSynthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) remote sensing is increasingly favoured in archaeological applications. However, the effectiveness of this technology for archaeological prospection has so far not been fully assessed. In this study, an integrated single-date and multi-temporal SAR data-processing chain was proposed to sharpen archaeological signs and hence their detection and monitoring. In total, 14 scenes of X-band Cosmo-SkyMed, C-band Sentinel-1 and L-band PALSAR data covering the Western Regions of the Silk Road Corridor in China were employed for two important archaeological sites including the Yumen Frontier Pass with emerging archaeological traces and Niya ruins with subsurface remains. The results pointed out that single-date satellite radar data were useful for the identification of subsurface traces buried under desert in the landscape-scale, whereas for the identification of emerging monuments, Sentinel-1 was limited by its lower spatial resolution compared to TerraSAR and PALSAR data. Multi-date products, such as interferometric coherence, the averaged radar signatures and RGB multi-temporal composites, were effective to sharpen archaeological traces as well as for change detection in Yumen Frontier Pass. This study presents a pilot assessment of satellite SAR data for the analysis and monitoring of archaeological features in the predominantly arid-sandy environmental characteristic of investigated sites.

A New Approach for the Characterization of Organic Residues from Stone Tools Using GC×GC-TOFMS

Headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) have traditionally been used, in combination with other analyses, for the chemical characterization of organic residues recovered from archaeological specimens. Recently in many life science fields, comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC×GC-TOFMS) has provided numerous benefits over GC-MS. This study represents the first use of HS-SPME-GC×GC-TOFMS to characterize specimens from an experimental modern reference collection. Solvent extractions and direct analyses were performed on materials such as ivory, bone, antlers, animal tissue, human tissue, sediment, and resin. Thicker film column sets were preferred due to reduced column overloading. The samples analyzed by HS-SPME directly on a specimen appeared to give unique signatures and generally produced a higher response than for the solvent-extracted residues. A non-destructive screening approach of specimens may, therefore, be possible. Resin and beeswax mixtures prepared by heating for different lengths of time appeared to provide distinctly different volatile signatures, suggesting that GC×GC-TOFMS may be capable of differentiating alterations to resin in future studies. Further development of GC×GC-TOFMS methods for archaeological applications will provide a valuable tool to uncover significant information on prehistoric technological changes and cultural behavior.

Evaluations on multi-scale camera networks for precise and geo-accurate reconstructions from aerial and terrestrial images with user guidance

During the last decades photogrammetric computer vision systems have been well established in scientific and commercial applications. Recent developments in image-based 3D reconstruction systems have resulted in an easy way of creating realistic, visually appealing and accurate 3D models. We present a fully automated processing pipeline for metric and geo-accurate 3D reconstructions of complex geometries supported by an online feedback method for user guidance during image acquisition. Our approach is suited for seamlessly matching and integrating images with different scales, from different view points (aerial and terrestrial), and with different cameras into one single reconstruction. We evaluate our approach based on different datasets for applications in mining, archaeology and urban environments and thus demonstrate the flexibility and high accuracy of our approach. Our evaluation includes accuracy related analyses investigating camera self-calibration, georegistration and camera network configuration.

High-resolution serial sampling for nitrogen stable isotope analysis of archaeological mammal teeth

We present the results of an archaeological application of a rapid method for high-resolution stable nitrogen isotope (δ15N) measurements of time-series samples of tooth dentine. Over 250 analyses of samples of untreated dentine powder taken at continuous millimeter intervals along the growth axis of archaeological pig tusks were compared to results from a subset of tandem δ15N measurements of extracted and purified tooth collagen from the same teeth. Samples were also taken at 0.25 mm depth intervals to test the effect of depth with respect to temporal resolution of diet. Results show that δ15N measurements of untreated dentine powder from well-preserved archaeological teeth provide: 1) broadly comparable δ15N values to extracted and purified collagen, and 2) a rapid method of assessing dietary change over much shorter time intervals than is possible using extracted collagen. Analyses also show that large changes in δ15N values can occur across the thickness of a tooth due to the inclusion of multiple growth layers and/or secondary dentine, which results in a significant time−averaging lag in dietary representation, as demonstrated by samples that analyze collagen from the full width of the tooth wall. This method will also be useful for initial prescreening of samples to select for specimens of interest before undertaking further, more rigorous, sample pre−treatment and measurement.

The Early Bronze Age/Middle Bronze Age transition and the aquifer geography in the Near East

Groundwater often remains a neglected natural resource in archaeological studies in the Near East. Here we examine the potential role of aquifers in transitional phenomena in the eastern Mediterranean at the Early Bronze Age (EBA) – Middle Bronze Age (MBA) boundary using geographic relations between aquifers and archaeological settlements. As a basis for this analysis, the aquifer areas within buffers zones of 5, 10 and 20 km around the sites were used. For comparison, the total watercourse lengths within the same zones were calculated. Although no substantial changes in watercourse lengths could be found, the aquifer geography around EBA and MBA sites did show regional differences. The proportion of settlements with aquifers in upper Mesopotamia and the northern Levant doubled during the transition from EBA to MBA, whereas in the southern Levant this proportion decreased. We propose several explanatory models for these results: environmental (desiccation regional trend around 4.2 ka BP), non-environmental (changes in strategic importance, subsistence economy or hygienic requirements) and combined (human-induced transformation in the vegetation, changes in soil properties or changes in human perception of the environment followed by changes in behavioral attitudes). This study further emphasizes the potential of GIS-based spatial analysis applications in archaeology.

Pastarųjų dešimties metų pokyčiai Lietuvos archeologinio paveldo apsaugos teisinio reglamentavimo srityje

Pastarasis dešimtmetis paveldo apsaugos srityje yra susijęs su 2005 m. įsigaliojusiu Nekilnojamojo kultūros paveldo apsaugos įstatymu. Ryškiausi pokyčiai vyko archeologinio paveldo apskaitos, apsaugos reikalavimų įteisinimo bei archeologinių tyrimų reglamentavimo srityse. Apskaitos problematika aptariama vertinimo, paveldo objektų gradacijos ir paveldosauginių apribojimų taikymo aspektais. Straipsnyje taip pat nagrinėjamos šios archeologinio paveldo apsaugos priemonės: informavimas apie žemės plotui taikomusarcheologinio paveldo apsaugos apribojimus; galimų veiklų ir sąlygų archeologinio paveldo objekto teritorijoje ir apsaugos zonoje nustatymas; archeologinių tyrimų privalomumo atvejų apibrėžimas. Aptariamas rcheologinių tyrimų reglamentavimas, archeologinio paveldo apsaugos in situ klausimas.

Preliminary analysis of dental cementum of Lama guanicoe for the estimation of age and season at death: Studies of modern specimens and further archaeological applications

Cementum increment analysis has been applied with success in mammals since several decades for both current wildlife studies and studies of fauna from archaeological sites. This method provides estimations about the age and the season at death of ungulates recovered at archaeological sites and can be used to explore important issues such as hunting or herding strategies, settlement patterns and mobility.Over the past 30years cementum studies have expanded the range of mammalian species for which the method can be applied in archaeology. However, very few data are today available about the guanaco (Lama guanicoe) which was the dominant large ungulate in South America in prehistoric and historical times. The purpose of our project is to develop and improve the cementum increment analysis for this species using modern reference data sets before its application to archaeological assemblages. The present paper presents the preliminary results obtained from the study of canines and incisors of modern specimens and will discuss the potentiality and limitations of the technique.

An isotopic generation: four decades of stable isotope analysis in African archaeology

ABSTRACTThe application of stable isotope analysis in African archaeology has a long and distinguished pedigree. Many new developments were inspired by questions in the archaeology of the continent, helped considerably by the availability of African landscapes as natural laboratories for providing the essential underpinning of isotope ecology systematics. Stable isotopes are now regularly built into multi-disciplinary archaeological projects spanning the very long temporal and geographical span of human history on the African continent. On the fiftieth anniversary of Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa we evaluate these endeavours — the achievements, problems, constraints and potential of stable isotopic research in African archaeology. We begin with a discussion of the continent's role in developing understandings of stable carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and strontium isotope systematics, as used to interpret change in the archaeological record. We discuss the application of these principles within several areas of archaeological research, drawing on case studies from among late Pleistocene/Holocene hunter-gatherers, early food producers, complex societies of the African Iron Age and the individual life histories of the African slave trade. There is clearly much potential for further application in African archaeology.

Distribution of Design: The Rayed Circle

The importance of the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) in archaeological applications has been demonstrated previously. The value of using a GIS approach is an ability to conduct multivariate spatial analyses in order to visualize complex social relationships, interactions, and distributions across a broad cultural landscape. Within Caddo archaeology, the utilization of GIS functionality to explore spatial phenomenon has been employed in a variety of ways, such as site organization and interaction, material distribution and exchange, and environmental modeling and landscape reconstruction, to name a few. The following report adds to the growing list of GIS-based case studies in Caddo archaeology with preliminary results of an on-going project evaluating the distribution of visual imagery depicted on a select corpus of whole Caddo ceramic vessels.

PPP Yönteminin Arkeolojik Amaçlı Ölçme Uygulamalarında Kullanılabilirliği: Şapinuva Kazı Alanı Örneği

PPP Yönteminin Arkeolojik Amaçlı Ölçme Uygulamalarında Kullanılabilirliği: Şapinuva Kazı Alanı Örneği

Oxygen isotope composition of North American bobcat (Lynx rufus) and puma (Puma concolor) bone phosphate: implications for provenance and climate reconstruction

Feline carnivores are threatened by illegal wildlife trade. Tracing the provenance of unknown felid tissues via stable isotope analysis could provide important information in wildlife crime investigations. The oxygen isotope composition of mammalian skeletal phosphate (δ18Op) is widely applied to trace the origin of animal remains and to reconstruct migratory patterns in palaeontological, archaeological, ecological and wildlife forensic applications. Teeth and bones of terrestrial mammals form at constant body temperature in isotope equilibrium with body water, which is predominantly controlled by ingested meteoric water (δ18Ow) that varies systematically with latitude, altitude and climate. Here we analysed δ18Op of 106 North American puma and bobcat bones of known geographic origin to establish the first δ18Op−δ18Ow regression for feline carnivores: δ18Op = 0.40(±0.04) * δ18Ow + 20.10(±0.40) (R2 = 0.46, n = 106). This was compared with those from their respective prey species (deer and rabbit), a canid carnivore (fox) and other placental mammals. Effects of species, sex and relative humidity on the feline δ18Op−δ18Ow correlation were analysed and additional intra-individual tissue comparisons (hair δ18Oh vs. bone δ18Op) were performed for some bobcat individuals. Bobcats and pumas exhibited only a moderate δ18Op−δ18Ow correlation, which differed from canid carnivores and other placental mammals. However, feline δ18Op values revealed a moderate relation with δ18Ow, which lacks for the δ18Oh of hair from the same bobcat individuals. This indicates a difference in oxygen isotope routing from body water to bioapatite and hair. Most herbivores and omnivores track δ18Ow in their bioapatite δ18Op values much better, whereas δ18Op and especially δ18Oh values of feline carnivores are less precise proxies for meteoric water δ18Ow values and thus for provenance determination in wildlife forensics and palaeoclimate reconstructions. Oxygen isotope fingerprinting of bobcat and puma is biased by factors related to their diet, behaviour and metabolism that need to be better understood.

A Cephalometric Study of the Sella Turcica in a 7–13‐Year‐Old Group: A Proposal for Age Estimation in Badly Preserved Sub‐Adult Skeletal Remains

Age estimation is a relevant field of application in archaeology, which is often limited by the fragmentation of recovered skeletal remains. There is therefore an urgent need for the development of novel methods. A potentially useful bone district is the sella turcica. The aim of this study was to evaluate the metrical standards of three different measurements of the sella turcica (length, depth and diameter) in 177 lateral cephalometric radiograms belonging to male and female individuals aged between 7 and 13 years, in order to find standards useful for age estimation. The results were evaluated by two‐way ANOVA. There was no significant interaction between sex and age in any variable. The linear regression model fitted to the age and diameter measurements yielded the following equation: age (years) = 4.14*diameter (cm) + 5.76. Slope and intercept 95% CIs were, respectively, 4.64–7.61 years per centimetre and 2.34–5.28 years. The relevant coefficient of determination was R2 = 0.15, while the root mean square error was 1.74 years. The present results provide a novel method that is useful for the age estimation of skeletal remains recovered in archaeological contexts: further studies are needed in order to improve the method on a larger sample.

Assessing urban fortunes in six late medieval ports: an archaeological application of assemblage theory

ABSTRACT:Variations in the fortunes of six late medieval ports in Sussex are considered using data derived from archaeological excavations. Several indicators are used to assess differences in urban fortunes and to critique the concept of urban ‘decline’. The interpretive framework of assemblage theory is then used to examine why the fortunes of these ports varied. The article argues for a turn from discussions of decay and decline towards considerations of changes, continuities and transformations in urban life in late medieval England.

The Basics of Least Cost Analysis for Archaeological Applications

AbstractLeast Cost Analysis (LCA) is a geospatially focused quantitative approach that can help archaeologists better understand how people may have moved across a landscape. At its core is the assumption that humans make decisions about movement as fully rational actors with complete knowledge of the landscape, attempting to minimize the cost of that movement as they travel from one location to another. LCA is most often used to construct a small number of hypothetical routes between locations of interest and, when used effectively, can even lead to the creation of entire transportation networks. Desktop GIS software packages, both commercial and open source, make running LCA relatively straightforward, but that does not necessarily mean that the output is informative or accurate. The following tutorial is designed to expose the reader to the foundational steps required to complete an LCA workflow, along with the scientific rationale behind each step and how to avoid potential pitfalls that one might run into along the way. Relevant literature is cited throughout the tutorial in order to provide context for the technical methods that underpin available tools, to suggest various ways that LCA can be used to solve archaeological problems, and to show the art of the possible.

Using Airborne LiDAR Survey to explore Historic-era archaeological landscapes of Montserrat in the Eastern Caribbean

This article describes what appears to be the first archaeological application of airborne LiDAR survey to historic-era landscapes in the Caribbean archipelago, on the island of Montserrat. LiDAR is proving invaluable in extending the reach of traditional pedestrian survey into less favorable areas, such as those covered by dense neotropical forest and by ashfall from the past two decades of active eruptions by the Soufrière Hills volcano, and to sites in localities that are inaccessible on account of volcanic dangers. Emphasis is placed on two aspects of the research: first, the importance of ongoing, real-time interaction between the LiDAR analyst and the archaeological team in the field; and second, the advantages of exploiting the full potential of the three-dimensional LiDAR point cloud data for purposes of the visualization of archaeological sites and features.

ON THE USE OF UAVS IN MINING AND ARCHAEOLOGY - GEO-ACCURATE 3D RECONSTRUCTIONS USING VARIOUS PLATFORMS AND TERRESTRIAL VIEWS

Abstract. During the last decades photogrammetric computer vision systems have been well established in scientific and commercial applications. Especially the increasing affordability of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in conjunction with automated multi-view processing pipelines have resulted in an easy way of acquiring spatial data and creating realistic and accurate 3D models. With the use of multicopter UAVs, it is possible to record highly overlapping images from almost terrestrial camera positions to oblique and nadir aerial images due to the ability to navigate slowly, hover and capture images at nearly any possible position. Multi-copter UAVs thus are bridging the gap between terrestrial and traditional aerial image acquisition and are therefore ideally suited to enable easy and safe data collection and inspection tasks in complex or hazardous environments. In this paper we present a fully automated processing pipeline for precise, metric and geo-accurate 3D reconstructions of complex geometries using various imaging platforms. Our workflow allows for georeferencing of UAV imagery based on GPS-measurements of camera stations from an on-board GPS receiver as well as tie and control point information. Ground control points (GCPs) are integrated directly in the bundle adjustment to refine the georegistration and correct for systematic distortions of the image block. We discuss our approach based on three different case studies for applications in mining and archaeology and present several accuracy related analyses investigating georegistration, camera network configuration and ground sampling distance. Our approach is furthermore suited for seamlessly matching and integrating images from different view points and cameras (aerial and terrestrial as well as inside views) into one single reconstruction. Together with aerial images from a UAV, we are able to enrich 3D models by combining terrestrial images as well inside views of an object by joint image processing to generate highly detailed, accurate and complete reconstructions.

Empirical study of the effect of count time on the precision and accuracy of pXRF data

As a cost-effective and non-destructive method for multi-element analysis, portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) has the potential for broad archeological application; however, recent applications of pXRF remain inconsistent. For example, sourcing studies using pXRF have irradiated artifacts and geologic source materials for widely varying amounts of time. In this study, we investigate the effect of count time on the precision and accuracy of pXRF data obtained for two geologic standards, as well as for obsidian, fine-grained volcanic (e.g., andesites, dacites), metamorphic, and chert specimens from the North American Great Basin. We find that the precision and reliability of pXRF data does not improve significantly at count times greater than 180s. Our analysis also indicates that count time has little bearing on the accuracy or validity of pXRF data, as expected from the mathematical relationships between count time, intensity, and concentration. Finally, we demonstrate that a well-calibrated pXRF instrument generates compositional data comparable to data obtained using other analytical methods. We offer this study as a step toward the development of a consistent and rigorous analytical protocol for archeological applications of pXRF.

The implication of varying 14C concentrations in carbon samples extracted from Mongolian iron objects of the Mongol period

Accelerator mass spectrometric (AMS) radiocarbon measurements were performed with carbon samples extracted from cast iron and steel artifacts excavated in the 13th to 14th century Karakorum site of the Mongol period. The 14C levels in most specimens were too low to represent the real age of the given artifacts, particularly in cast iron objects, whose 14C concentrations were negligible. This discrepancy was much less pronounced in steel objects, but still quite significant. One notable exception was found, however, in a steel artifact whose radiocarbon date was consistent with its known age. These AMS data suggest that mineral coal was employed primarily for the smelting of cast iron while charcoal served as the major source of fuel for other iron and steelmaking processes. This can explain the significant variation in 14C concentrations for steel products that were fabricated by treating cast iron in a charcoal-fired environment, as confirmed in some of the artifacts examined. This variation may have important archaeological applications in characterizing technological transitions associated with the use of fossil fuels in preindustrial iron industry.

Problematizing Bayesian approaches to prehistoric chronologies

In recent years Bayesian exploration of radiocarbon datasets has been employed widely in prehistoric archaeology. Pertinent especially to major biogeographic and behavioural changes such as human dispersals and extinctions, the spread of agriculture and culture change, the method can offer a powerful means to improve considerably the precision of prehistorians’ investigation of some of the most major questions in human prehistory. As such its potential is profound – it has even been regarded as the third radiocarbon revolution – but its appropriateness is dependent on the assumptions that must be made of the samples selected for dating. How sound are these assumptions, and therefore how reliable are Bayesian analyses? Here, we introduce some aspects and assumptions that underline Bayesian modelling of radiocarbon measurements, and we problematize their application in Palaeolithic archaeology. We conclude that many existing models are faulty, and suggest some criteria for quality control in this field.

Curating Archaeological Knowledge in the Digital Continuum: from Practice to Infrastructure

AbstractAs a “grand challenge” for digital archaeology, I propose the adoption of programmatic research to meet the challenges of archaeological curation in the digital continuum, contingent on curation-enabled global digital infrastructures, and on contested regimes of archaeological knowledge production and meaning making. My motivation stems from an interest in the sociotechnical practices of archaeology, viewed as purposeful activities centred on material traces of past human presence. This is exemplified in contemporary practices of interpretation “at the trowel’s edge”, in epistemological reflexivity and in pluralization of archaeological knowledge. Adopting a practice-centred approach, I examine how the archaeological record is constructed and curated through archaeological activity “from the field to the screen” in a variety of archaeological situations. I call attention to Çatalhöyük as a salient case study illustrating the ubiquity of digital curation practices in experimental, well-resourced and purposefully theorized archaeological fieldwork, and I propose a conceptualization of digital curation as a pervasive, epistemic-pragmatic activity extending across the lifecycle of archaeological work. To address these challenges, I introduce a medium-term research agenda that speaks both to epistemic questions of theory in archaeology and information science, and to pragmatic concerns of digital curation, its methods, and application in archaeology. The agenda I propose calls for multidisciplinary, multi-team, multiyear research of a programmatic nature, aiming to re-examine archaeological ontology, to conduct focused research on pervasive archaeological research practices and methods, and to design and develop curation functionalities coupled with existing pervasive digital infrastructures used by archaeologists. It has a potential value in helping to establish an epistemologically coherent framework for the interdisciplinary field of archaeological curation, in aligning archaeological ontologies work with practice-based, agencyoriented and participatory theorizations of material culture, and in matching the specification and design of archaeological digital infrastructures with the increasingly globalized, ubiquitous and pervasive digital information environment and the multiple contexts of contemporary meaning-making in archaeology.