Archaeological Contexts Research Articles

8 Greek art: recent developments and current trends

This review essay focuses on recent developments and trends in the study of ancient Greek art. The publications covered date primarily to the period beginning in 2017–2018, though selected earlier works have been included where considered to be of particular merit or importance. Examples have been chosen to span and represent the long Archaic to Hellenistic phases (eighth–first century BC), and a full range of artistic categories and media have been featured in the discussions. In order to structure the large quantity of bibliography available, the presentation is divided into several broad categories according to themes (e.g. sites, reports, guides; exhibitions, conferences, Festschriften) or materials (e.g. sculpture and terracottas; metals, coins, gems, and jewellery). Where possible, digital resources applicable to the discipline have also been mentioned and cited. By way of conclusion, some general observations are made about the subjects of Greek art that seem not only to be the most prevalent in recent scholarship, but also transcend artistic medium, style, and scale – among them the body and adornment, senses and emotion, aesthetics and beauty, religion and performance, and archaeological contexts and intercultural connections.

Samian Ware in Early Roman Contexts at Capidava

The present paper is part of a series of publications related to the research carried out in the last decade in the early Roman contexts from Capidava (Constanța County), as well. The subject of the article is a batch of 17 fragmentary ceramic vessels, belonging to the terra sigillata category. Of these, the first 16 items (Cat. nos. 1-16) are fragments of imported vessels produced in the famous ceramic production centre of La Graufesenque, in South Gaul. The last vessel, Cat. no. 17, is of local production, from the category called Pontic sigillata decorated by the barbotine technique. The entire batch of ceramic material was discovered during the archaeological excavation carried out at the Late Roman headquarters building (principia), during which the foundations of this building were also excavated. Beneath these foundations were discovered the ruins of an early Roman habitation level represented by military barracks-type buildings, a stone-paved street, a well, a rubbish pit and a waste drain that led to that pit. The material presented by us comes from this earliest context, respectively from all the urban planning elements listed above, especially from the waste drain and the rubbish pit. The dating of the material is early, namely the Flavian era until the end of Trajan’s reign. From this point of view, the ceramic material presented here completes the picture provided by other categories of material previously published from the same archaeological context.

Genetic Analysis of Mingrelians Reveals Long-Term Continuity of Populations in Western Georgia (Caucasus).

To elucidate the population history of the Caucasus, we conducted a survey of genetic diversity in Samegrelo (Mingrelia), western Georgia. We collected DNA samples and genealogical information from 485 individuals residing in 30 different locations, the vast majority of whom being Mingrelian speaking. From these DNA samples, we generated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences for all 485 participants (female and male), Y-short tandem repeat haplotypes for the 372 male participants, and analyzed all samples at nearly 590,000 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) plus around 33,000 on the sex chromosomes, with 27,000 SNP removed for missingness, using the GenoChip 2.0+ microarray. The resulting data were compared with those from populations from Anatolia, the Caucasus, the Near East, and Europe. Overall, Mingrelians exhibited considerable mtDNA haplogroup diversity, having high frequencies of common West Eurasian haplogroups (H, HV, I, J, K, N1, R1, R2, T, U, and W. X2) and low frequencies of East Eurasian haplogroups (A, C, D, F, and G). From a Y-chromosome standpoint, Mingrelians possessed a variety of haplogroups, including E1b1b, G2a, I2, J1, J2, L, Q, R1a, and R1b. Analysis of autosomal SNP data further revealed that Mingrelians are genetically homogeneous and cluster with other modern-day South Caucasus populations. When compared with ancient DNA samples from Bronze Age archaeological contexts in the broader region, these data indicate that the Mingrelian gene pool began taking its current form at least by this period, probably in conjunction with the formation of a distinct linguistic community.

Contextualising Counterfeits: Roman Coin Moulds in Britain and the Channel Islands

AbstractThis paper addresses the archaeological contexts of the clay moulds used to produce copies of Roman coins in third-century Britain. Previous research has focused primarily upon the technology and chronology of the use of moulds to produce coins with the discarded remains of the used moulds considered as ‘waste’ items from an industrial process. This paper focuses attention on the deposition of the moulds. Using the best-recorded finds, it builds upon earlier suggestions that disused moulds were regularly discarded in boundary locations (settlement boundaries, field boundaries, drainage features, shafts/wells, coastal locations and disused structures). It proposes that the magical and ritual associations of production meant that the clay moulds, in addition to the coins that were produced, required careful handling.

Identifying non-anthropogenic accumulation in zooarchaeological assemblages using naive Bayesian classifier: A trace-oriented actualistic taphonomic approach in the hyperarid coasts of the Atacama desert

The taphonomic evaluation of zooarchaeological assemblages is paramount for compelling interpretations of past subsistence strategies, palaeoecological interactions and overall biasing of the anthropogenic bone deposition and modification by non-anthropogenic agents. A recent trend in this field, has focused on bone surface modifications (BSM) to successfully generate reference frameworks for critical evaluation of the interpretive potential of selected zooarchaeological samples by examining BSM patterns produced by known agents in experimental settings. These approaches compare anthropogenic and non-human generated patterns using different machine learning (ML) algorithms, classifying and assigning sets of traces to specific processes such as gnawing, scoring or intentional fracture. We propose a simplification in two key aspects to make this new arising area of ML assisted taphonomic interpretation more accessible for zooarchaeologists. First, we encourage a trace oriented multivariate data recording protocol for taphonomic analysis including the most commonly recorded BSM plus others such as shape modification, penetrative modification and element or tissue loss modifications thus expanding comparative potential. Second, we offer a ML approach based on Naïve Bayes Classifier (NBC) that discriminates each given observation by comparing to actualistic taphonomic patterns to determine the average percentage of non-anthropogenic modification within zooarchaeological samples. To illustrate the potential value of these proposals for taphonomical interpretation, we analyzed seven different Mid to Late Holocene assemblages containing avian and mammal remains from the coastal platform in the hyperarid core of the Atacama Desert. We compared their alteration with a local sample of actualistic data recovered to characterize regional taphonomic patterns. A NBC was trained with a 75% random selection of the total archaeological and actualistic samples. Afterwards we tested the remaining sample, achieving over 90% accuracy in determining whether a random specimen from any sample corresponded to an actualistic or an archaeological context implying key differences in taphonomic trace patterns.

DATING OF WOODEN HERITAGE OBJECTS IN THE GLIWICE 14C AND MASS SPECTROMETRY LABORATORY

ABSTRACT We present case studies on three objects of high importance for cultural heritage in southern Poland, dated in years 2018–2022 at the Gliwice 14C and Mass Spectrometry Laboratory with radiocarbon (14C) and dendrochronology methods. The first was a richly ornamented wooden cane, discovered during excavations on the market in Bytom city. The cane can be associated with medieval court proceedings. The archaeological context indicates the 13th century AD, and the 14C result corresponds perfectly with this time, confirming that it is the oldest object of this type in Poland. The second was a 4-m-tall oak column from St. Leonard Church in Lipnica Murowana, a UNESCO heritage site. The local story said it was previously devoted to Światowid, a pagan deity. Our analysis excluded the pre-Christian age, as the tree was felled no earlier than the late 15th century, which is in agreement with historical records. The third was a wooden Saint Lawrence Church in Bobrowniki. The presbytery was covered with up to five layers of polychromic paintings, some of high artistic value. We dated three samples from the original wooden board, and by wiggle-matching, the calibrated age interval was narrowed to 1731–1754 cal AD.

Method assessment and observer variation in age estimation: A comparative analysis of the Suchey-Brooks and the İşcan methods on an archaeological medieval population

Age-at-death estimation methods have faced challenges in their applicability to past populations. This study aims to evaluate the assessment and observer variability of the Suchey-Brooks (SB) and İşcan methods within archaeological contexts. Our sample consisted of 400 individuals from the medieval cemetery of the Dunes Abbey in Koksijde, Belgium. The skeletal remains exhibited good preservation, especially for the İşcan methods, which showed higher sensitivity to preservation conditions.Intra- and inter-observer variation were investigated using Spearman correlation coefficients, Wilcoxon paired ranks test, and Cohen's kappa test. The Spearman coefficient revealed a strong positive correlation, with a moderate to almost excellent kappa coefficient for both intra- and inter-observer error. Overall, the SB method displayed better inter-observer agreement, while the İşcan method presented better intra-observer agreement. Applying these methods to younger individuals resulted in less variability. Certain descriptive phase categories, such as phase III for the SB method and phase 3 and 4 for the İşcan methods, seemed problematic.Only 188 sufficiently preserved individuals could be scored using both the SB and the İşcan methods. They were classified into age groups, and the methods assessment were evaluated using the same statistical approach. The Spearman correlation coefficient indicated consistent age group attribution between the two methods (rho = 0.92), with a moderate to almost excellent agreement (k = 0.45; wk = 0.91). Overall, the two methods mainly differ by only one age group, except for older adults. The SB method tended to assign older age groups compared to İşcan's method, leading to effective overestimation.

ACHIEVING LOW BACKGROUNDS DURING COMPOUND-SPECIFIC HYDROXYPROLINE DATING: HPLC COLUMN EFFECTS

ABSTRACT Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon (14C) dating is central to the development of robust chronologies in archaeological and paleoenvironmental contexts spanning the last 50,000 years. For dates to be accurate, samples must be free of exogenous carbon contamination. At the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit (ORAU), considerable advancements in the dating of bone collagen have been made through the development of a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the dating of the amino acid hydroxyproline, which can mitigate the effects of carbon contamination. However, recent changes in ligand manufacturing methods for the mixed-mode column used in the ORAU protocol (Primesep A, SIELC Technologies; IL, USA) have resulted in unacceptably high analytical backgrounds. Prior to the manufacturing change, backgrounds of > 50k BP were achievable. Since the manufacturing change, a mean background of 32.5k BP has been measured. Due to column bleed, the Primesep A is therefore no longer suitable for 14C measurement of hydroxyproline from older material. Here, we present background data and the chromatography conditions used to isolate hydroxyproline using an alternative column, a preparative-scale Newcrom AH, which shows promising potential as an alternative for the routine isolation and AMS dating of hydroxyproline—especially approaching the age and mass limits of the method.

A natural death assemblage of fishes from an early modern archeological context in Antwerp (Belgium)

AbstractAn unusual concentration of tens of thousands small fish remains discovered during rescue excavations in the town of Antwerp, Belgium, is described. The material was found in a small depression with no associated archeological material but could be dated to the first half of the 16th century based on its stratigraphic position. About 3500 freshwater fish were found in articulating position and it is shown that they died naturally during a single depositional event after an exceptional flood. The species spectrum and the reconstructed fish lengths make it possible to document the season when the catastrophic mortality occurred. This assemblage differs from the few assemblages of natural mortality reported in the literature, which are all of the attritional type.

A performance test of archaeological similarity-based network inference using New Guinean ethnographic data

Network analysis has become increasingly common within archaeological practice, yet little consensus exists as to what networks based on material culture actually reveal about ancient social life. One common approach to archaeological network inference relies on constructing similarity networks based on shared material types or stylistic categories between archaeological sites or contexts. Many studies implicitly or explicitly assume that the topology of similarity networks is a useful proxy for underlying patterns in ancient social networks, yet this basic assumption has not been rigorously evaluated. Here, I present a preliminary test of how well network measures inferred from material culture—in this case, bone daggers made on the island of New Guinea between 1845 and 2002—predict network measures derived from ethnographic accounts of social engagement between 1720 New Guinea communities. In this case study network distance partially predicts material similarity, and neighborhood/cluster identification algorithms partially identify similar patterning in underlying patterns of inter-community engagement. However, most commonly applied network measures of centrality are not strongly predicted by material cultural similarity. Similarity based network analysis is a powerful means of visualizing and exploring data, and can help in formulating archaeological hypotheses, but may be problematic as a direct inference procedure.

Harbour geoarchaeology of Lechaion (Corinth area, Greece) sheds new light on economics during the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age transition

Lechaion in Corinth, Greece, is the largest ancient port in Greece. Harbour geoarchaeological investigations, based on 14C-dated palaeoenvironmental archives taken from a well-studied inner basin (Basin 3) and a still unknown outer basin (Basin 4), revealed anthropogenic lead excesses starting from the 12th century BCE, associated with brown coal fragments, for the first time discovered in such an ancient archaeological context. Given that historical sources trace the foundation of the port back to the 7th century BCE, these results attest to protohistoric industrial use of the site and push back its chronology by over five centuries. The existence of such ancient port activity not only extends the chronological horizon for harbour activity in the Corinthian area, but also provides new insights for the Late Bronze Age/Early Iron Age (LBA/EIA) transition, including potential trading routes that may have transited through Lechaion, likely spanning across the Gulf of Corinth and possibly even beyond, to western Mediterranean urban centers.

Low-active forms of cellulosolitic microorganisms in archaeological contexts

This article presents the results of the study on low-active forms of cellulosolitic microorganisms in the soils of archaeological sites. The objects of the study were soils with traces of wooden structures in Vyatichi burials (12th century). To date, traces of wood are not visible at the macro level. The data obtained are compared with the results of a laboratory experiment to determine rates of cellulose decomposition in soils from various archaeological contexts. Cellulosolitic activity was determined by the application method. It has been shown that the cellulase activity of soils with traces of burial wooden structures is 20% of the level of modern soils. This suggests the awakening or presence of living, low-active microorganisms that have survived in the soil for 800 years.

Dental health in Roman dogs: A pilot study using standardized examination methods

ObjectiveTo utilize standardized clinical veterinary methods to analyze dental health in a series of Roman dog maxillae and mandibles and to compare results to modern clinical data. Materials28 skulls of juvenile and adult dogs from three archaeological sites in Switzerland and Germany dating to the Roman period. MethodsStandardized examination was carried out, which included metric radiographic assessment to diagnose oral pathology and estimate age at death. In one case, CT analysis was undertaken. ResultsThe estimated average age at death was between three and four years old. Tooth fracture, periodontal disease, the presence of non-vital teeth, and brachycephalic skull form were found in the sample. Tooth resorption was unexpectedly noted. ConclusionThe study provides valuable insights into the dental health of dogs in the Roman era. Compared to modern dogs, Roman dogs examined in this study appear to have a shorter lifespan but display a high rate of pathological dental disease, while disease patterns were very similar to those of modern dogs. Dogs with pronounced brachycephalic features were found. SignificanceThis pilot study is the first to use standardized clinical examination and recording techniques to assess dental health in dogs from archaeological contexts. It provides insight into the dental health of Roman era dogs and offers data upon which cross-populational studies can be initiated. LimitationsThe sample size and geographic location of the archaeological sites were limited. Suggestions for further researchSubsequent standardized studies, preferably in as many different Roman Empire regions as possible, are recommended.

Disentangling the origins of viticulture in the western Mediterranean

We present direct evidence of early grape domestication in southern Italy via a multidisciplinary study of pip assemblage from one site, shedding new light on the spread of viticulture in the western Mediterranean during the Bronze Age. This consist of 55 waterlogged pips from Grotta di Pertosa, a Middle Bronze Age settlement in the south of the Italian peninsula. Direct radiocarbon dating of pips was carried out, confirming the chronological consistency of the samples with their archaeological contexts (ca. 1450–1200 BCE). The extraordinary state of conservation of the sample allowed to perform geometric morphometric (GMM) and paleogenetic analyses (aDNA) at the same time. The combination of the two methods has irrefutably shown the presence of domestic grapevines, together with wild ones, in Southern Italy during the Middle/Late Bronze Age. The results converge towards an oriental origin of the domestic grapes, most likely arriving from the Aegean area through the Mycenaeans. A parent/offspring kinship was also recognised between a domestic/wild hybrid individual and a domestic clonal group. This data point out a little known aspect of the diffusion of the first viticulture in Italy, and therefore in the western Mediterranean, which involved the hybridization between imported domestic varieties with, likely local, wild vines.

New considerations on the acropolis of Butrint during the Archaic age

The paper discusses the current state of research in relation to the archaic phases of Butrint (Southern Albania), one of the few sites of ancient Epirus with important archaeological evidence dating back to the Archaic period. The international archaeological missions that have investigated the acropolis of the site over the last century have brought to light few but clear traces of frequentation of the area. Pottery, an ash altar and roof tiles suggest that this was probably a cult place: the proximity and control of Corcyra over the mainland makes it plausible that the island had a role in shaping its appearance, however its features are still debated. The recent excavations and topographical surveys of the University of Bologna offer the opportunity for a new analysis of the historical and archaeological context in which Archaic Butrint is framed, as well as, at the same time, put forward open research questions that will need to be developed by future excavation campaigns.

In the quest for historical Lisbon through 17th century Millefiori glass

Being Lisbon one of the world’s most important trading port and a place where historical documents attest the presence of at least four glass furnaces working between the 16th and 17th centuries, the authors decided to investigate one of the most luxurious coeval glass decorative techniques (millefiori) found in Lisbon to try to understand the trade route and raw-materials provenance of these artefacts.For this work, two Lisbon archaeological contexts were selected: Largo do Chafariz de Dentro (LCD) and Santana Convent (LCS) due to their significant amount of interesting millefiori fragments (eight fragments) and the presence of production waste (one in LCD and three in LCS). The analysis, comparison and discussion of glass production waste (PW) and archaeological glass artefacts will be carried out for the first time.For this work, macroscopic and microscopic observations were combined with the chemical characterization of colourless and coloured glass to make the morphological characterization and to determine which raw materials were employed in its production. The chemical characterization was made by using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to obtain the major, minor and trace elements composition, including rare earth elements (REE).The chemical composition of the selected samples revealed that all the millefiori glasses are of soda-lime-silica type (part of them made with Levantine ashes and the other part with barilla) while the glass type of PW is was not attributed.Regarding the Lisbon millefiori glass fragments, there is a notable relation between the concentration of major components associated with the silica source, namely SiO2, Al2O3 and TiO2. Moreover, upon analysing the geochemical patterns exhibited by the production waste found in LCS context and comparing it with the pick-up glass fragments, a consistent trend emerges, implying that both were made by using either the identical silica source or, at the very least, a closely related silica source. For this reason, the possibility of a Portuguese local production may be proposed, especially when some decorative patterns are clearly from Portuguese inspiration (e.g. caravel and cross of Christ), while the authors admit that more data analysis is still required to prove this hypothesis.

Long‐term processes between Classic and Postclassic populations in the Mexico basin

AbstractThe study of nonmetric traits is useful for establishing biological differences or affinities between populations. This study considered 12 nonmetric cranial characters. The objective is to compare five series of two different cultural horizons: three populations of the Teotihuacán Classic period and two of the Mexica Postclassic period. For the selection of nonmetric traits, those not altered by intentional cephalic modification were considered. From the sample of materials, it was assessed whether the populations of the Classic period could have biological and cultural affinity between them, making a migratory interpretation which indicates differences in nonmetric characters between them. The mean measure of divergence (MMD) was considered as bio‐distance. The distance matrix was analyzed using the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean and nonmetric multidimensional scaling. Frequencies were studied using the principal component analysis. Mantel test and partial Mantel test were used to compare the distance matrix obtained with the MMD with sites geographical distance matrix, type of settlements matrix, and period of the site's matrix. In none of those cases were found a correlation at the level. Making more plausible that the results of the nonmetric traits MMD matrix agree with a migration process. All methods agree on separating Classical populations into one group and Postclassic populations into another. The archeological contexts, and the study of the material culture found, agree with the analysis of nonmetric characters.

Hafting adhesives from the final Later Stone Age layers at Sehonghong, Lesotho: a case study and commentary on the use of imported resources by nineteenth-century San

ABSTRACT There is longstanding evidence in the archaeological record of southern Africa for the application of hafting adhesives in the production of composite tool technology. Despite the limitations in the preservation of organics in archaeological contexts, the preservation of these materials can inform us about aspects of technological production and function, including hafting arrangements, adhesive production and resource acquisition. In some instances where we see the prevalence of organic materials that are at odds with the ecological landscape, these same materials can also elucidate social interactions between cultural groups. This paper presents the results of the analysis by microscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) of hafting residues from stone tools from the ceramic final Later Stone Age assemblages at Sehonghong, Lesotho. It argues that an adoption of novel resources including Pinus sp. resin, castor oil and paraffin by nineteenth-century San facilitated the continued existence of hunter-gatherer lifeways in increasingly marginalised circumstances amid tense relationships between the last hunter-gatherers of the Maloti-Drakensberg, newly arriving Basotho communities and European colonists.

Low Activity Forms of Cellulosolitic Microorganisms in Archaeological Contexts

Low Activity Forms of Cellulosolitic Microorganisms in Archaeological Contexts

A Case of Systemic Connective Tissue Disorder in a Pazyryk Male from the Altai Mountains

We present the results of an anthropological and paleopathological study of a male skeleton from a Pazyryk kurgan 1 burial 1 at Ak-Alakha-1, the Altai Mountains. The archaeological context testifi es to a rather high social status of this person. His appearance was modeled using a modern facial reconstruction method. The combination of craniometric and anthropometric traits indicates a brachycranic Caucasoid type, which predominated in the male population of the Volga-Ural region and Western Kazakhstan in 600–200 BC. The individual suffered from a systemic disorder of the connective tissue affecting virtually all parts of the skeleton. The case is unique, and the condition is diagnosed as DISH—diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, possibly caused by grave metabolic and endocrine disorders. Judging by his physical type, the male was not native to the Altai Mountains and belonged to a population that was not genetically adapted to that region. This may account for the severity of the rheumatoid disorder, which was aggravated by 4th degree osteoporosis of lumbar vertebrae and pelvic bones and by traumatic lesions of the shoulder girdle.