Archaeological Excavation Sites Research Articles

Biology of Nicotiana glutinosa L., a newly recorded species from an archaeological excavation site in Egypt

BackgroundDuring a field survey of urban flora in Alexandria city in 2019–2022, an interesting species belonging to the Solanaceae was collected from a newly archaeological excavation site and identified as Nicotiana glutinosa L. Many visits were made to the herbaria of Egypt to confirm the species records, but no single record was found. Reviewing the available literature revealed that this tropical American taxon was never recorded in the flora of Egypt.AimsThe present study was focused on N. glutinosa growth structure and plant macro- and micromorphology.MethodsTen sampling sites were covered for N. glutinosa size structure. Plant samples were examined for stem anatomy, leaf, seed, and pollen morphology.ResultsThe species size structure reveals that the individual size index ranges from 1.33 to 150 cm, while its density ranges from 4 to 273 individuals /100 m−2.N. glutinosa has successfully established itself in one of the archaeological sites in Egypt, showing a “healthy” population with a high degree of size inequality, characterized by a relative majority of the juvenile individuals. Voucher specimens were deposited in the Herbarium of Alexandria University (ALEX) Faculty of Science, another specimen is processed to make herbarium specimens at the Herbarium of the Botanic Garden (Heneidy et al. collection, deposition number. 5502).ConclusionsFrom our observations, N. glutinosa seems to have invasive potential, as it shows characteristics shared by most invasive species that are thought to help in their successful establishment in new habitats. This article emphasizes the importance of monitoring and regularly reporting the threats of alien invasive species to avoid any possible negative impacts on indigenous biodiversity in the future.

Low Abundant Bacteria Reflect Soil Specificity—Analysis of Bacterial Communities from Archaeological Investigation of Pre-Industrial Saline Ash Deposits of Bad Dürrenberg (Germany)

Six soil samples from three layers of an archaeological investigation profile from a pre-industrial ash deposit place have been investigated by NGS analyses of 16 S rRNA. The three pairs of sample originate from top soil (internal reference), from an intermediate ash layer and from a lower ash layer, formed about two centuries ago. In addition to general abundant bacteria, special genera known as halophilic or alkaline-tolerant have been found as expected from the history of the place and from the measured pH-value and conductivity measurements. The close relations between samples of pairs and the differences between the three soil layers are clearly indicated by abundance correlation and PCA-diagrams. Comparative PCA correlation plots including samples from an archaeological excavation site dedicated to pre-industrial coal mining illustrate the high distinguishability of investigated soils. These relations are particular clearly shown when lower abundant bacteria are regarded. The investigations are a further example for the “ecological memory of soil” reflecting the strong human impact on this pre-industrial embossed place.

Retracted: Wireless Intelligent Sensor Network in Dynamic Environmental Monitoring of Archaeological Excavation Site

Retracted: Wireless Intelligent Sensor Network in Dynamic Environmental Monitoring of Archaeological Excavation Site

The contamination of in situ archaeological remains: A pilot analysis of microplastics in sediment samples using μFTIR

BackgroundMicroplastics (MPs) are found in all environments: aquatic, airborne, and terrestrial. While their presence is not disputed, their potential impacts are not yet known. ObjectiveTo undertake a pilot analysis of MP contamination in archaeological sediment samples, taken in the late 1980s from two archaeological excavation sites in the historic city of York (UK) as well as contemporary sources close to the same sites, with respect to the presence (if any), levels, and characteristics of any particles identified. MethodsThis study analysed pre-digested sediment samples as follows: n = 3 from Queens Hotel (QH) site and n = 3 Wellington Row (WR) contemporary core-source, and n = 3 QH and n = 3 WR archival-source samples, alongside procedural controls (n = 8), using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 5 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. ResultsIn total, 66 MP particles consisting of 16 MP polymer types were identified across both site and contemporary/archived samples. The highest levels of MP particles, 20,588 MP/kg was identified at the lowest sample depth (∼7.35 m) at archived WR, 5910 MP/kg in the mid depth layer (∼5.85 m) at the contemporary QH site. Of the MPs detected in sediment samples overall, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polybutylene sulfone (PSU), and polypropylene: polyethylene (PE:PP) copolymer polymer types were most abundant; mainly fragmented and irregular shape. ConclusionsThis is believed to be the first evidence of MP contamination in archaeological sediment (or soil) samples with polymers and size ranges measured and while accounting for procedural blanks. These results support the phenomenon of transport of MPs within archaeological stratigraphy, and the characterisation of types, shapes and size ranges identified therein. Through contamination, MPs may compromise the scientific value of archaeological deposits, and environmental proxies suspended within significant sediment, and as such represent a new consideration in the dynamism of, as well as arguments for preserving, archaeological deposits in situ.

Ascertaining the Ideality of Photometric Stereo Datasets under Unknown Lighting

The standard photometric stereo model makes several assumptions that are rarely verified in experimental datasets. In particular, the observed object should behave as a Lambertian reflector, and the light sources should be positioned at an infinite distance from it, along a known direction. Even when Lambert’s law is approximately fulfilled, an accurate assessment of the relative position between the light source and the target is often unavailable in real situations. The Hayakawa procedure is a computational method for estimating such information directly from data images. It occasionally breaks down when some of the available images excessively deviate from ideality. This is generally due to observing a non-Lambertian surface, or illuminating it from a close distance, or both. Indeed, in narrow shooting scenarios, typical, e.g., of archaeological excavation sites, it is impossible to position a flashlight at a sufficient distance from the observed surface. It is then necessary to understand if a given dataset is reliable and which images should be selected to better reconstruct the target. In this paper, we propose some algorithms to perform this task and explore their effectiveness.

Virtual Reality at a Prehistoric Museum: Exploring the Influence of System Quality and Personality on User Intentions

Virtual Reality (VR) promises many benefits for the tourism industry. However, a review of tourism-related VR research shows that the roles of system quality and user personality remain largely unexplored. This study examines the causal relation underlying VR quality (information quality, interactivity, and visual attractiveness) and the user's personality (openness to experience, conscientiousness, and social influence) in conjunction with usability, attitude, and behavioural intention. We collected user data from a VR tourism experience of the Sangiran museum at Surakarta, Indonesia using a Head Mounted Device VR. The Sangiran museum is an archaeological excavation site recognised as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Two hundred eighteen valid responses were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling. The result suggests that only visual attractiveness positively impacts usability from a VR quality perspective, while openness to experience and social influence show significant positive evidence of attitude. These findings are discussed based on the practical and theoretical implications, including future research opportunities into VR tourism.

A comprehensive evaluation of the development degree and internal impact factors of desiccation cracking in the Sanxingdui archaeological site

Desiccation cracking is a common deterioration that occurs in archaeological excavation sites and greatly threatens long-term preservation. The aim of this research is to comprehensively evaluate the development degree of desiccation cracking (DOC) and explore the relationships between soil properties and its development. Seven indicators are selected to comprehensively describe the DOC, and principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to calculate the weight of each indicator. Linear correlation analysis (LCA) is adopted to calculate the correlations of six soil properties and DOC. The results showed that each indicator has an influence on the DOC. The clay particle content, clay mineral content, and plasticity index showed a positive correlation with the DOC, and the moisture content showed a negative correlation. This research proposed a comprehensive evaluation method to describe the development degree of deterioration at the earthen site, and the results revealed the internal factors influencing desiccation cracking from a qualitative perspective, which can lay a foundation for further conservation research.

A comprehensive assessment method for the health status of bronzes unearthed at archaeological sites

As one of the common physical materials in Chinese archaeological excavations, ancient bronzes are an essential basis for studying the development of Chinese bronze culture, which is of great significance for exploring the development law of ancient human civilization and reconstructing ancient human society. As China’s infrastructure advances, the number of bronzes unearthed by archaeological excavations continues to increase. However, environmental damage to artefacts is very complex, whether the buried environment of the artefacts or the above-ground environment when the artefacts are unearthed, leading to different health problems for the excavated bronzes. A scientific assessment of these bronzes needs to be carried out prior to extraction to inform staff how they should be extracted, moved, and transported and how they should be restored afterwards. In response to the above problems, this paper takes excavated bronzes from archaeological sites as the research object and, by analysing and studying the relevant industry standards and the disease characteristics of bronzes, establishes a three-tier indicator framework for assessing the health of bronzes in a layer-by-layer refinement and proposes quantitative indicators with typical correlations. Through extensive research and testing, we screened out efficient, non-destructive, convenient and reliable assessment and testing methods and assessment models that combine subjective and objective aspects suitable for archaeological sites. On this basis, the paper achieves a scientific and practical assessment of the health status of bronzes excavated from archaeological sites. After repeated experiments, a set of comprehensive methods for quickly and conveniently assessing the health status of excavated bronzes was proposed for the first time and successfully applied to the archaeological excavation site of Sanxingdui site in Guanghan City, Sichuan Province, China.

Landscape dynamics and chronological refinement of the Middle Pleistocene Reinsdorf Sequence of Schöningen, NW Germany

AbstractDetailed sedimentological, geochemical, palynological, and aquatic-microfossil analyses on a new composite profile (Para-Reference Profile Schöningen 13 II and Zeugenblock 13 II [2018]) exposed at the archaeological excavation site of Schöningen 13 II reflect several phases of newly recorded lake level fluctuations and vegetation changes. A pronounced deforestation and the expansion of grasses and herbal plant communities characterize the first steppe (open woodland) phase, which follows the interglacial forest communities. A succeeding tripartite woodland phase predominantly marked by Betula and Pinus is followed by another rather dry steppe phase and a second woodland period, which includes the famous archaeological “spear horizon” 13 II-4ab. Transition into a cold period is indicated by progressive desiccation of the lake and a shift to a steppe/tundra vegetation. Novel 3D images of the 10 most characteristic phases of the Reinsdorf sequence have been constructed based on the botanical data (macro remains as well as palynomorphs), terrestrial vertebrate faunal, geochemical, sedimentological, and previously established data from aquatic microfossils. In addition, a tentative correlation between the post-interglacial phases of the Reinsdorf sequence and Marine Isotope Substages 9d–9a, based on biostratigraphical as well as sedimentological data, is proposed.

Wireless Intelligent Sensor Network in Dynamic Environmental Monitoring of Archaeological Excavation Site

This paper intends to apply the Intelligent Wireless Sensor Network (IWSN) to the archaeological excavation site and make the dynamic site of archaeological excavation can be monitored intelligently in real-time. This paper firstly discusses the structure and function of Wireless Sensor Network (WSN). Secondly, according to the problem of limited dynamic monitoring of WSN, an IWSN is established. The dynamic environmental monitoring of archaeological excavation sites is achieved by using Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing technology combined with IWSN. Finally, this paper analyses the environmental monitoring results of the archaeological excavation site, the dynamic environmental monitoring location of the archaeological excavation site of the IWSN, and the simulation results of the Intelligent Wireless Sensor Network-Geographic Information System (IWSN-GIS) in the dynamic environmental monitoring of the archaeological excavation site. The results show that the Inverse Distance to a Power (IDP) algorithm in temperature and humidity monitoring data on the overall downward trend, the algorithm performance is relatively stable, and the algorithm performance is better than the other two algorithms. The monitoring performance of IWSN-GIS system is better than that of IWSN system. It shows that with the increase in the communication distance of sensor nodes, the relative error of different monitoring systems for the dynamic monitoring position of the archaeological excavation site is decreasing. IWSN-GIS can monitor the environment before, during, and after the archaeological site. This paper realizes the intelligent, scientific, and technological archaeology of archaeological excavation through IWSN, GIS, and remote sensing image technology, and provides technical support for digital archaeology in archaeological research.

Archaeal and Extremophilic Bacteria from Different Archaeological Excavation Sites

Beside natural factors, human activities are important for the development of microbiomes. Thus, local soil bacterial communities are affected by recent activities such as agriculture, mining and industry. In addition, ancient human impacts dating back centuries or millennia have changed soils and can emboss the recent bacterial communities up to now, representing a certain long-term "memory of soil". Soil samples from five different archaeological excavation places were investigated for the presence of Archaea with a Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) analysis of the DNA coding for 16S r-RNA sequences. It was found that the abundance of Archaea differs strongly between less than one and more than 40 percent of bacteria. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of all samples shows that the archaeological excavation places can be distinguished from each other by the archaeal component of soil bacterial communities, which presents a typical pattern for each place. Most samples are marked by the dominance of Crenarchaeota, which are presented mainly by ammonia-related types. High contents of Nanoarchaeaota have been observed in one ash deposit of a historical saline and all samples of a historical tannery area. These samples are also marked by a significant presence of Dadabacteria. The specific abundancies of special Archaea-among them ammonia-oxidizing and sulphur-related types-are due obviously to former human activities and support the concept of the "ecological memory of soil".

Forensic Archeological Analysis on Human Remains from the Peculiar Burial Situation of Archaeological Excavation Site in Joseon Dynasty

Forensic Archeological Analysis on Human Remains from the Peculiar Burial Situation of Archaeological Excavation Site in Joseon Dynasty

Three Soil Bacterial Communities from an Archaeological Excavation Site of an Ancient Coal Mine near Bennstedt (Germany) Characterized by 16S r-RNA Sequencing

This metagenomics investigation of three closely adjacent sampling sites from an archaeological excavation of a pre-industrial coal mining exploration shaft provides detailed information on the composition of the local soil bacterial communities. The observed significant differences between the samples, reflected in the 16S r-RNA analyses, were consistent with the archaeologically observed situation distinguishing the coal seam, the rapidly deposited bright sediment inside an exploration shaft, and the topsoil sediment. In general, the soils were characterized by a dominance of Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Archaea, whereas the coal seam was characterized by the highest proportion of Proteobacteria; the topsoil was characterized by very high proportions of Archaea—in particular, Nitrosotaleaceae—and Acidobacteria, mainly of Subgroup 2. Interestingly, the samples of the fast-deposited bright sediment showed a rank function of OTU abundances with disproportional values in the lower abundance range. This could be interpreted as a reflection of the rapid redeposition of soil material during the refilling of the exploration shaft in the composition of the soil bacterial community. This interpretation is supported by the observation of a comparatively high proportion of reads relating to bacteria known to be alkaliphilic in this soil material. In summary, these investigations confirm that metagenomic analyses of soil material from archaeological excavations can provide valuable information about the local soil bacterial communities and the historical human impacts on them.

Laboratory research of solvent-assisted menthol sols as temporary consolidants in archaeological excavation applications

Temporary consolidation is a quite common practice during archeological excavations nowadays. Melts of cyclododecane or menthol are among the most used consolidants. When using melting protocol to consolidate fragile heritages in archaeological excavation sites, one of the most frequently encountered challenges is the poor penetration of the melt into the heritages, especially in cases of low environmental temperatures, high water content or compact substrates. In this work, we explore the possibility of using solvent-assisted menthol sols as temporary consolidant. Six common organic liquids are individually introduced into menthol at a concentration of 9.1 wt% to formulate room temperature menthol sols. Their potentials as temporary consolidants are systematically investigated. Experimental data indicate that solvent polarity is the most important feature for temporary consolidation purpose and ethanol with medium polarity is among the most appropriate solvents. Laboratory research results show that much better penetration behavior and good consolidation performances can be achieved in menthol-ethanol sol. The as-prepared menthol-ethanol sol is applied in Liangzhu archeological excavation site with satisfactory outcomes. This work shows that menthol-ethanol sol is an excellent temporary consolidation material for archaeological excavation purpose especially in extremely wet condition.

Analysis of Microbial Community Structure and Diversity in Burial Soil of Yangguanzhai Cemetery.

As one of the common physical remains in archaeological discoveries, human bones are important bases for studying the history of human development, which is of great significance for exploring the evolution law of ancient human, reconstructing ancient human society, and tracking the development of human civilization. However, in the process of human bone burial, in addition to being affected by physical and chemical factors, it will also be affected by microorganisms in the buried soil, resulting in a variety of diseases. According to the determination and analysis of the microbial community structure and diversity in the burial soil of Yangguanzhai Site in Gaoling District in Xi’an city, Shaanxi Province, this paper attempts to explore the influence of microorganisms in the burial environment on human bones, in order to provide scientific proof for the microbial prevention and control of bone relics in the archaeological excavation site. For the first time, Illumina NovaSeq high-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the microbial community structure in the burial soil. At the phylum level, there were 8 dominant bacteria species in the soil samples of tombs, which were Firmicutes, Actinobacteriota, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria, Acidobacteriota, Methylomirabilota, Chloroflexi, Bacteroidota. At the genus level, there were 12 dominant species in the soil samples of tombs, including MIZ17, MND1, Gaiella, oc32, Kroppenstedtia, Halomonas, Bacteroides, Dongia, Faecalibacterium, Nocardioides, Pseudomonas, Pseudonocardia. The overall microorganisms in the soil of Yangguanzhai Cemetery were relatively well-distributed, and the microbial community structure near human bones is the most abundant and diverse. Therefore, it is necessary to take some measures to control microorganisms and protect human bones.

Development of Storage and Assessment methods suited for organic Archaeological artefacts (StAr) - JPI-CH project

Abstract StAr project - Development of Storage and assessment methods suited for organic archaeological artefacts – started in 2020 within the framework of Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage and Global Change (JPI-CH) Conservation, Protection and Use. The project arises from the need for chemical-physical stabilization strategies of archaeological finds (mainly wood and leather), for long time (up to several months) in the waterlogged state, i.e., under pre-treatment conditions, without compromising the archaeological and scientific evidences they contain. Several methods of controlling storage conditions will be tested on archaeological wooden and leather objects. The experimentations will entail a systematic chemical analysis and monitoring of the organic materials before, during and after storage in different conditions, both in laboratory and on-field at the Biskupin archaeological excavation site in Poland.

Study on Distortion Compensation of Underwater Archaeological Images Acquired through a Fisheye Lens and Practical Suggestions for Underwater Photography - A Case of Taean Mado Shipwreck No. 1 and No. 2 -

Underwater archaeology relies heavily on photography and video image recording during surveillances and excavations like ordinary archaeological studies on land. All underwater images suffer poor image quality and distortions due to poor visibility, low contrast and blur, caused by differences in refractive indices of water and air, properties of selected lenses and shapes of viewports. In the Yellow Sea (between mainland China and the Korean peninsula), the visibility underwater is far less than 1 m, typically in the range of 30 cm to 50 cm, on even a clear day, due to very high turbidity. For photographing 1 m x 1 m grids underwater, a very wide view angle (180o) fisheye lens with an 8 mm focal length is intentionally used despite unwanted severe barrel-shaped image distortion, even with a dome port camera housing. It is very difficult to map wide underwater archaeological excavation sites by combining severely distorted images. Development of practical compensation methods for distorted underwater images acquired through the fisheye lens is strongly desired. In this study, the source of image distortion in underwater photography is investigated. We have identified the source of image distortion as the mismatching, in optical axis and focal points, between dome port housing and fisheye lens. A practical image distortion compensation method, using customized image processing software, was explored and verified using archived underwater excavation images for effectiveness in underwater archaeological applications. To minimize unusable area due to severe distortion after distortion compensation, practical underwater photography guidelines are suggested.

A review on the relationship between the fish length and otolith biometry

In teleosts, biometric parameters of certain bony structures are used for the age and/or size determination of the fish. Otolith is perhaps the most widely used of these bony structures. There are numerous studies which have shown that otolith biometry is positively and strongly correlated with fish size. In this paper, some recent studies that investigate the relationship between otolith biometry and fish length are summarized. It is possible to estimate fish size and/or age by knowing this relationship. This information can be useful, especially when it is not possible to sample a certain portion of a fish population. Besides, otoliths found in archaeological excavation sites or in the stomachs of predators can provide information about the fish they belong to. These data are useful to taxonomists, paleobiologists, and researchers studying the nutritional biology of predators.

Technique of Temporary Undisturbed Reinforcement Extraction of Fragile Lacquerware from Shipwrecks

A subject of continuous discussion in the field of underwater archaeology is how to safely extract fragile waterlogged artifacts while maintaining their best condition. In this study, lacquerware with fragile wooden body was simulated and extracted, using a triple-package reinforcement technique. Using veratraldehyde as a temporary consolidant, SH-MWCNTs@PU sponge/epoxy resin composite materials as free-form reinforced layers, and double-sided self-adhesive bandages wrapped around the outer layer, the safe underwater extraction and the layer-by-layer removal of the simulated artifacts were studied. The method maximized the preservation of the artifacts’ state and information and minimized their damage during removal and transport. This method can be used as a technique for the extraction of fragile artifacts from underwater archaeological excavation sites.

Synthesis and thermal decomposition kinetics of moisture curable polyurethane films as a reinforcing material for cultural relics

In situ consolidation is the most common treatment to conserve cultural relics, but materials for preserving fragile organic cultural relics in humid archaeological excavation sites are scarce. To solve the problem, a moisture-curable polyurethane (MCPU) prepolymer was synthesized by reacting isophorone diisocyanate with polyethylene glycol 600. The standard acetone–dibutylamine method, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gel chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis were utilized to determine the change in isocyanate groups before and after the reaction, the prepolymer molecular weight, the thermal decomposition kinetic parameters and the MCPU film lifetime. The results showed that the number-average molecular weight of the prepolymer was 749, and the weight average molecular weight was 1684. Isophorone groups in the prepolymer react with moisture in the air to form colorless, transparent, flexible films. The thermal decomposition of the MCPU films was a first-order reaction, and the decomposition process consisted of two stages. The Dakin equation was used to obtain the thermal aging equation lg t = 4600.82/T − 8.07, meaning that at 15 °C, the sample has an approximately 150-year lifetime. A new conservation material was developed, and its thermal decomposition kinetics were studied, which are significant for the conservation of fragile organic cultural relics in humid environments.