Bactrian camels (Camelus bactrianus) have long been recognized in China as key agents of long-distance connectivity, based largely on iconographic and textual evidence, while osteological data have rarely been incorporated into discussion. Because these data have seldom been examined within a unified analytical framework, current knowledge of the development and shifting patterns of camel–human relationships remains fragmentary. To address this gap, the present study provides a detailed analysis of available camel osteological material from archaeological contexts in northern China and integrates it with broader archaeological and historical evidence. Our results identify diverse forms of interaction across time and space, including camel exploitation for transport and labor, consumption, funerary practices, and craft production. Spatiotemporal patterns indicate a persistent concentration of osteological remains in China’s northern frontier zones, whereas the record remains sporadic in central regions despite increasing camel representations in material culture and texts. This enduring distribution reflects ecological suitability and sustained economic integration in arid zones. The absence of such conditions in Central China meant that camels were never fully incorporated into local everyday life; instead, they primarily operated within imperial logistical and political systems and came to be culturally important through their role in broader exchange networks.

Periodontitis in human skeletal remains: The relationship between CEJ-AC distance and alveolar bone defects in a modern forensic collection of low socioeconomic status individuals from Yucatan, Mexico.

The detection and recording of tens to hundreds of centimetre-scale features in archaeological sites represent a challenge in data collection during field work. Traditionally, archaeological field documentation relies on sketches and line drawings made by hand. Sensors facilitate the characterization, mapping, and quantification of millimetre-scale features, which are otherwise difficult to detect with naked eyes. High-resolution terrestrial laser scanning is an optimal method for documenting cultural heritage sites due to its transportability and efficient collection time; while processed 3D models facilitate detailed analysis. To demonstrate this approach, a Late Bronze Age Mycenaean cemetery in Greece was selected as a study site due to its size and active excavation status despite ongoing looting activities. The cemetery consists of several chamber tombs, which were hewn from a soft marl hillside using sharp tools. Chisel marks were observed in one of the chamber tombs. The cemetery was surveyed, resulting in point clouds with 0.7 mm spacing. The resulting 3D point cloud model was analyzed as a proof of concept to test the semi-automatic detection of the observed chisel marks. Two separate, but complimentary methods, were applied to one surveyed tomb, resulting in the identification of 39 chisel marks divided into four linear feature families. Future work can improve efficiency of detection as well as further classification of features, especially in sites where natural and anthropogenic features need differentiation or to reconstruct the sequence in which features were created.

The human mandibular symphysis concentrates multiaxial loads during function and remodels throughout growth, but the precise mechanisms underlying cortical bone shape during growth remain relatively unexplored. Approaches based solely on thickness or external cortical contours provide only partial insights and do not capture the functional, genetic, and allometric interactions driving morphogenesis. In this study, we analyzed symphyseal cross-sections from 63 subadult mandibles from two French archeological assemblages using elliptic Fourier analysis. Micro-computed tomography volumes were reconstructed, and external and internal cortical outlines digitized and quantified with Fourier descriptors. Principal component analysis summarized shape variation, and linear models tested the effects of size, age, total cortical area, and geographic origin on each outline. A similar workflow was applied to the size variable expressed as the logarithm of centroid size to test the following predictors: age, total cortical area and archeological site of origin. Across cortical outlines, symphyseal shape was governed primarily by allometry, with a smaller additional contribution of total cortical area. Age significantly affected the inner cortical outline but not the outer one, and geographic origin had no detectable influence. Individuals examined before and after eruption of the first permanent molar occupied largely overlapping morphospaces, indicating a continuous developmental trajectory rather than a shift at eruption. Collectively, the results support bone-tissue remodeling that progresses throughout growth and is dominated early by size-related change, with the hypothesis that inter-individual divergence emerges later. The approach provides a reproducible, resolved framework for quantifying bone remodeling across ontogeny and for testing form-function relationships.

Abstract. Low-cost and consumer-grade 3D surveying technologies are increasingly employed in cultural heritage documentation, particularly in archaeological contexts where ideal control conditions and professional instrumentation are often unavailable. In this contribution, we report and critically assess an integrated 3D survey conducted on Insula IV within the archaeological site of Tindari (Italy), developed under constrained technical and operational conditions. The survey was based on the combined use of UAV and terrestrial photogrammetry as the primary metric framework, selectively complemented by LiDAR data acquired with the integrated sensor of an iPad Pro 11” to improve geometric completeness in areas affected by occlusions and limited accessibility. A scale-controlled image-based workflow was adopted, where metric reliability was established through internal consistency checks and an extensive set of independent control measurements rather than through a full geodetic reference network. The resulting multi-source 3D model was evaluated in terms of metric consistency and usability for architectural and archaeological analysis. The study demonstrates that, despite non-optimal scale constraint distribution and the exclusive use of low-cost sensors, it is possible to obtain traceable and metrically coherent 3D documentation suitable for detailed planimetric restitution, elevation extraction, and stratigraphic interpretation. Rather than proposing a perspective methodology, the paper provides a transparent and reproducible account of the adopted acquisition, processing, and validation strategy, offering a practical reference for similar heritage survey projects developed under limited resources.

Abstract. This study investigates the potential of UAV-based multispectral imagery to support vegetation management in archaeological contexts where structures are preserved underground and direct intervention is limited. The analysis focuses on the grassland covering the buried Roman theatre within the Archaeological Park of Castelleone di Suasa (Italy), exploring the relationship between vegetation spectral responses and the Deteriogenic Index (DI), an indicator that indirectly expresses vegetation-related pressure on buried remains. Vegetation indices derived from multispectral data acquired at two distinct moments within the same vegetative season were analysed in relation to plot-based DI values obtained from floristic surveys. Results show that vegetation dynamics, rather than single-date conditions, provide more consistent information, with inter-seasonal indices highlighting vegetation persistence associated with higher deteriogenic pressure. The calibrated relationship was used to derive a spatial proxy of DI, offering a synthetic and non-invasive tool to support spatially informed and adaptive vegetation management strategies in archaeological parks and contributing to the development of integrated information systems for the analysis and sharing of multidisciplinary environmental data.

This research investigates the influence of seabird guano on agriculture in the Chincha Valley of southern Peru through multi-isotopic, archaeological, and historical data. We conduct stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur analyses of 35 late pre-Hispanic maize (Zea mays) cobs and 11 seabirds from archaeological contexts spanning the late Formative period (c. 200 BCE – 150 CE) to the Colonial period (1532–1825 CE). We report the strongest evidence yet for pre-Inca use of marine fertilizers in Chincha. Isotopic and radiocarbon data corroborate colonial-era records and regional avifauna iconography and assemblages, indicating that Indigenous communities fertilized maize with guano by at least 1250 CE. Maize δ15N values are consistent with archaeological studies on guano manuring in Chile, expanding the known geographical extent of this agricultural practice. Maize δ34S values overlap with experimental field data but are not enriched in 34S, possibly reflecting various environmental and cultural variables. We suggest that seabird guano fertilization played an important role in the sociopolitical and economic expansion of the Chincha Kingdom, and its eventual relationship with the Inca Empire. Our findings carry significant implications for the broader Andes, nuancing understandings of agricultural production in coastal environments while drawing attention to marine fertilizers as a potentially widespread driving force of social change among pre-Hispanic societies.

This research investigates the influence of seabird guano on agriculture in the Chincha Valley of southern Peru through multi-isotopic, archaeological, and historical data. We conduct stable carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur analyses of 35 late pre-Hispanic maize (Zea mays) cobs and 11 seabirds from archaeological contexts spanning the late Formative period (c. 200 BCE - 150 CE) to the Colonial period (1532-1825 CE). We report the strongest evidence yet for pre-Inca use of marine fertilizers in Chincha. Isotopic and radiocarbon data corroborate colonial-era records and regional avifauna iconography and assemblages, indicating that Indigenous communities fertilized maize with guano by at least 1250 CE. Maize δ15N values are consistent with archaeological studies on guano manuring in Chile, expanding the known geographical extent of this agricultural practice. Maize δ34S values overlap with experimental field data but are not enriched in 34S, possibly reflecting various environmental and cultural variables. We suggest that seabird guano fertilization played an important role in the sociopolitical and economic expansion of the Chincha Kingdom, and its eventual relationship with the Inca Empire. Our findings carry significant implications for the broader Andes, nuancing understandings of agricultural production in coastal environments while drawing attention to marine fertilizers as a potentially widespread driving force of social change among pre-Hispanic societies.

ABSTRACT The golden masks unearthed from the Sanxingdui and Jinsha sites, as iconic artifacts of ancient Shu civilization, reveal through their craft differences not only technological evolution but also profound transformations in the belief system of the ancient Shu people. Taking the construction of divinity as its core perspective, this study compares the differences between the gold masks from these two sites in terms of material selection, manufacturing techniques, and morphological characteristics. Combined with archeological context and documentary records, it unveils the intrinsic correlation between craft evolution and belief systems. The research finds that Sanxingdui gold masks, through their attachment-based craftsmanship, reinforced the unity of divine authority and kingship, while Jinsha gold masks, through the technological breakthrough of creating independent objects, accomplished a transformation of belief from symbols of deities to vessels of ancestor worship. This process both perpetuated the core spirit of ancient Shu civilization and adapted to the demands of social structural changes, providing crucial clues for undserstanding the ancient Shu pathway within the pluralistic yet unified pattern of Chinese civilization.

ABSTRACT This paper explores new historical evidence for a pre-colonial ruler of Dongola, the former capital of the Christian kingdom of Makuria, during Sudan’s Islamisation. Central to this study is a newly excavated Arabic document discovered in an élite residence. This document, ordering the exchange of textiles and livestock, was issued in the name of King Qashqash, a figure previously considered semi-legendary. Combining numismatic evidence, radiocarbon dating, and written sources, this research investigates rulership, social interactions, and Arabisation in Dongola during the Funj period. Key comparative sources include documents from Qasr Ibrim and an indigenous literary work, Kitāb al-Ṭabaqāt by Wad Ḍayfallāh, along with supplementary accounts by foreigners such as Krump and Poncet from around 1700. Earlier, Leo Africanus’s remark that the ‘king of Nubia was always at war’ contrasts with the king’s order from Old Dongola, revealing a pre-colonial ruler’s involvement in governance and micropolitics, elucidating his everyday work. The paper offers new insights into Dongola’s socio-political history, emphasising its importance at the intersection of Ottoman Egypt and the Sultanate of Sennar before colonialism.

Abstract Since the 1970s, the concepts of ‘systemic context’ and ‘archaeological context’, developed within the framework of behavioural archaeology by Michael Schiffer, have significantly influenced archaeological reasoning and language. However, these fundamental theoretical foundations have undergone few substantial changes over the years, and a re-evaluation of the notion of systemic context could prove beneficial, especially for archaeologists working on deeply stratified sites that have hosted human occupation for centuries, such as urban sites. This paper proposes a shift from the current understanding of systemic context to a palimpsestic perspective, wherein multiple systemic contexts are viewed as sequential time-slices. Each slice represents a living system within a specific time frame, varying in width depending on the accuracy of our chronological phasing. By replacing a single, non-temporally defined systemic context with a sequence of chronologically framed systemic contexts, each characterized by distinct cultural and ecological attributes, we can better address issues that are typical of studying urban sites from both archaeological (residuality, false residuality, phasing, etc.) and historical perspectives (rhythms of change, urban development or contraction, etc.).

Carnelian beads in high-status burials of the Western Zhou period (ca. 1000-800 BCE) have long been seen as key evidence for long-distance exchange between East Asia and regions to the west, while their geological origins and circulation pathways have remained poorly constrained. Using a newly established geochemical database of 300 geological samples from 27 potential sources across Asia, we conducted trace-element analyses of 11 carnelian beads from the Sanxingdui pits (ca. 1200-1000 BCE), Sichuan Basin, southwest China. Canonical discriminant analysis indicates that the raw materials of these carnelian beads do not primarily derive from south China, but the Yanshan Orogeny, Central Asian Orogenic Belt and some unknown sources that might be close to Hexi Corridor, pointing to raw-material sources located over 1,000 km to the north of the Sichuan Basin. Comparative analyses of contemporaneous beads from Gansu, Shaanxi, and Beijing show similar northern provenance signatures, suggesting a broad and persistent exchange sphere spanning the southern Mongolian Plateau, Loess Plateau, eastern Tibetan Plateau, Central Plains, and Sichuan Basin between 1500-1000 BCE. Our results provide the earliest direct geochemical evidence for long-distance carnelian exchange in Bronze Age China and demonstrate the value of integrating geochemical sourcing with archaeological context to reconstruct ancient interaction networks.

Chemical identification of adhesive remains on prehistoric stone tools is of great interest for archaeologists, as the residues contain interesting information on tool use and the exploitation of natural resources by hominins. Adhesives were used to form a wrapping around the stone tool to protect the hand from the sharp edges and improve grip, or to secure a handle out of organic material to the stone tool. This invention, of adding a handle to a stone tool, marks a fundamental change in prehistoric technology. Adhesives can be manufactured from readily available exudates, like pine resin, but could also be man-made, in the case of birch tar that is obtained by dry distillation of birch bark. The glueing properties of the adhesives could be enhanced with the addition of an additive (e.g. charcoal, ochre, beeswax). Given that adhesive manufacture is considered to indicate planning abilities and complex thought, its identification in archaeological assemblages is important for understanding the evolution of human cognition. However, given long-term burial, organic residues on stone tools are generally significantly degraded, which raises numerous chemical challenges and interpretative difficulties that need to be tackled through close collaboration between archaeologists and chemists. Without this interaction between two vastly different research fields, studies can suffer from an overinterpretation of analytical data or a lack of understanding of the archaeological context. This review discusses the main pitfalls encountered in the chemical analysis of prehistoric adhesives and offers analytical recommendations to avoid them. Applying the analytical practices as proposed here will increase the reliability and credibility of the analytical results and allow a strong chemical foundation for the archaeological interpretations. The main focus is on the use of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for the chemical identification of prehistoric adhesives; however, other commonly used analytical techniques are also briefly discussed.

A molecular finger-imprinting approach for detecting dental enamel amelogenins via surface plasmon resonance and bio-layer interferometry.

MALDI Deamidation Score (MDS): A fast and flexible method for assessing deamidation in ZooMS data and its application to the Denisova Cave bone assemblage.

Initially designed to explore cultural interactions between Phoenicians and local communities in the Iberian Peninsula during the 1st millennium BCE, the work presented in our paper expanded beyond traditional Organic Residue Analysis (ORA), by attempting phytoliths extraction from post-ORA pottery powder. The aim was to assess whether such a methodological integration may enhance the understanding of past correlations between environments and material cultures in terms of pottery making and function, use of plant resources, food preparation, cultural practices, intercultural exchanges and networks. Despite working with limited sample sizes (~1 g per sample), phytolith analysis successfully revealed distinct environmental signatures across different archeological contexts, illustrating the valuable contribution of plant biogenic silica studies within and beyond archeological research. Furthermore, an unexpected positive result in terms of hue detection during the laboratory procedure underscores the research practice as scientific discovery process. By combining archeological, botanical, and chemical perspectives, our study showcases how phytoliths research can extend beyond traditional boundaries and complement established methodologies, reinforcing the necessity of interdisciplinary dialogue and multi-disciplinary approaches to archeology.

The main categories of prehistoric gold artefacts discovered in the eastern part of the Carpathian Basin are represented by jewellery and ornaments. The present study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the Late Bronze Age hair rings, which are characterised by their unique design comprising two leaf-shaped sections connected by a circular gold wire with a circular cross-section. Despite being referenced in specialized literature, these artefacts have not been precisely typologically classified, and their geographical distribution has not been examined. For this category of ornaments, we have proposed the name “Sântana-Șărmășag type hair rings”. This group includes a series of typologically similar artefacts made of both gold and bronze. Consequently, following a thorough analysis of the artefacts, their archaeological contexts of discovery have been identified, the typological classification has been clarified, and the distribution area of these hair rings has been established.

Elemental analysis of archaeological hair compared to soil composition: A case study of a child and adult female from LaGrange Place, PA

ABSTRACT Pearl, a representative natural inorganic–organic composite, has long been regarded as one of the most valued gemstones in human history. Apart from the decoration, it also carries deep religious symbolism. However, the quantity of pearls recovered from archaeological contexts contrasts sharply with the abundance documented in historical records, primarily because pearls are too fragile to withstand long-term preservation in the archaeological record. However, hundreds of pearls were found in the 2018 Excavation of Xuewei Tomb No. 1 of the Reshui Tomb in Dulan County, Qinghai Province, China, identified as the mausoleum of the Tuyuhun king during the Tibetan Empire (mid-8th century CE). A large number of pearls exhibit a whitish, lusterless crust on their surface, having lost their characteristic nacreous sheen. Studies addressing pearl weathering and conservation are scarce, as archaeological discoveries of pearls are quite rare. A pearl retaining both its nacre and the white crust was selected as a sample to study the underlying weathering mechanism. Considering the rarity and irreplaceable nature of unearthed pearls, priority is placed on non-destructive techniques, including X-ray computed tomography (X-CT), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and Raman spectroscopy. Moreover, minimally invasive methods, including attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), were also employed in this study. The results revealed numerous microcracks surrounding the drilling holes, especially their entry and exit points, which can be attributed to drilling processes, usage, and subsequent burial-related corrosion. SEM-BSE images revealed that CaCO3 crystallite tablets are well-aligned in the preserved regions, whereas the weathered areas display loose and disordered tablet structures. Both the nacreous and weathered regions are primarily composed of aragonite. Furthermore, variations in organic peak intensities indicate that the lustrous regions retain an organic matrix, while lacking the lusterless regions. The current findings indicate that the decomposition of the organic component within pearls contributes to a decline in structural strength. Moreover, the disordered aragonite tablets result in the loss of luster and iridescence. Since organic loss primarily occurs at the surface, applying special treatments is neither necessary nor advisable; maintaining pearls under stable temperature and humidity conditions is sufficient for their preservation. Hence, this research improves the current understanding of pearl weathering mechanisms and provides insights into broader patterns of organic material degradation.

‘Cervified’: a new method for the morphometric identification of red deer (Cervus elaphus), fallow deer (Dama dama), and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) postcranial bones from European archaeological contexts