Archaeological Fieldwork Research Articles

Animals in Mortuary Practices of Bronze-Age Pastoral Societies: Caprine Use at the Site of Dunping in Northwestern China.

The late second and first millennium BC witnessed extensive economic, cultural, and political exchanges between pastoralists and sedentary farming states in East Asia. Decades of archaeological fieldwork across northern China have revealed a large number of burial sites associated with pastoralists during the first millennium BC. These sites were characterized by the inhumation of specific animal parts in burials, predominantly the skulls and hooves of sheep, goats, cattle, and horses. However, the selection preference for these animals and how they were integrated into the mortuary contexts of these pastoral societies remain poorly investigated. Here, we report a preliminary analysis of caprine remains from 70 burials at the site of Dunping in the southern Gansu region of northwestern China, dated to approximately the seventh to fourth centuries BC. Based on an examination of species composition, post-depositional effects, traces of human alteration, skeletal element representation, and age at death, we discussed the selection, slaughtering, and inhumation of caprines concerning the mortuary practices at the site. Comparisons between Dunping and several other contemporaneous burial sites in neighboring regions, specifically in terms of the mortality profiles, further highlight distinct patterns in the selection of caprines for mortuary purposes among pastoral societies. These differences suggest varying degrees of emphasis placed on the economic and social significance attributed to caprines. Our findings provide new insights into the roles that caprines played in both ritual performances and subsistence practices among pastoralists in East Asia during the first millennium BC.

Towards a Growing Interest in the Urban Archaeology of Early Modern Towns in Finland

Research in historical periods has always had a strong tradition in Finnish archaeology. Past studies and archaeological fieldwork have mostly focused on medieval times; however, in the past 20 years, investigationsof early modern towns (1520–1721 AD) have taken place more often in Finland and have changed the tide.Most archaeological excavations in Finland are currently carried out owing to infrastructure and constructionprojects and can therefore be regarded as contract archaeology. First, this article aims to examine and providean overview of past research in Finnish urban archaeology focused on early modern towns. Second, currentresearch trends are discussed with an emphasis on the possibilities offered by multidisciplinary approaches.Recent research conducted in Turku serves as a case study to illustrate these developments. The article concludes by touching upon the persistent challenges faced by research, primarily stemming from the contractual nature of most archaeological investigations.

Milpa ecologies: Transgenerational foodways in Tlaxcala, Mexico

Through a case study born from archaeological fieldwork in Tlaxcala, Mexico, this article provides an example of place-based foodways that have been used to transmit belief systems and ways of life that resist dominant frameworks of power across time. Foodways, as a site of daily engagements with the full food cycle, can be used to concretize dominant systems of power (e.g., industrial agriculture) but can also be used to build countersystems. Using the example of milpa agriculture and “Maíz Culture,” this case study demonstrates how key ecological philosophies have served as effective and resilient adaptive strategies from which to respond to shifting threats across time—from Aztec and Spanish colonialism to contemporary resistance to neoliberalism. Although agroecology is rooted in indigenous origins, the global adoption of agroecology often focuses heavily on what is planted but fails to center the how—the relationships and values that indigenous ecologies embody. To adopt the planting principles of agroecology without centering indigenous philosophies results in food systems that replicate colonial extraction. While these philosophies are rooted in locally defined practices, they also serve to support a broader unlearning of colonial worldviews within the systems that overshadow the day-to-day experiences of researchers. Using foodways to bridge the time between the archaeological past and agroecological present unmasks normalized worldviews, such as capitalism, neoliberalism, and industrialism to show that, while they are dominant, they are not inevitable nor singular. Please refer to Supplementary Materials, Full text Spanish version of this article, for a full text Spanish version of this article.

A fieldwork manual as a regulatory device: Instructing, prescribing and describing documentation work

Research on how archaeological fieldwork manuals, a sub-category of methods handbooks, regulate research documentation is limited. Qualitative content analysis of 25 English-language archaeological field manuals from the early 1900s to 2010s showed that they instruct how to describe the documentation work, prescribe practices and workflows, and function as often pre-coordinated descriptions of work. A manual forms a ‘working space’ that is sometimes adopted as such by following the detailed advice given in some of the texts but likely more often used as a more general point of reference. The fact that many manuals do not provide exact recipes for the fieldwork as a whole means that they function as comprehensive representations and documentation (paradata) of actual fieldwork practices only when read in parallel with field documentation.

Static Archetypes and Mobile Mountains: Upland Landscapes in the Historical Mediterranean

Deep-seated mythologies and powerful stereotypes have driven perceptions of mountain landscapes for millennia. Particularly damaging is the concept that mountains and mountain societies are static and stable, in both time and place. A critical approach replaces static and simplistic models of mountain practices with interaction among human and ecological communities within lively mountain landscapes. There are challenges to doing archaeological fieldwork in the mountains, but recent projects have shown how rich highland and rugged landscapes can be in archaeological material, particularly when systematic survey and historical analysis are combined with ethnological and ecological approaches. This is particularly productive when exploring the dynamic relationships among pastoralists, their animals, and their upland grazing grounds. Similarly, focusing on practices and socioecological relationships helps in understanding how human emotional connections with mountains can be expressed through everyday action and performance.

Friction and Contact Temperatures in the Cleaving of Bone and Wood Using Stone Tools – A Case Study in Palaeolithic Tribology

During archaeological fieldwork wedge-shaped quartz stones that show clearly visible "glossy patches" composed of high quartz have been found. It is generally accepted that these tools have been used to cleave or punch wood and bone materials. For the transformation from quartz to high-quartz to occur, the temperature should exceed 574 °C. The hypothesis tested in this manuscript is that the phase change in the stone tool results from frictional heating during the cleaving action. Dry sliding friction measurements were carried out on a reciprocating tribometer using four types of stone, representing the punch tool, and pine, oak and bovine bone, representing the work piece. Measured coefficients of friction were approximately 0.1 on oak, 0.2 on pine and up to 0.35 on bovine bone, with some minor fluctuations for the different types of stone. These coefficients of friction were inserted into a computational model describing the flash temperatures in a moving contact, from which it was shown that the hypothesis might hold in the case of lydite-bone contact. This means that the glossy patches on the stone tools may have been caused by frictional heating during the cleaving of bone.

The Blackwater is not a Back Water: Locating the Mesolithic and its Environment at Eversley Quarry, Fleet Hill Farm, Finchampstead, Berkshire

Archaeological fieldwork at Eversley Quarry, Fleet Hill Farm, Finchampstead, Berkshire documented evidence of Mesolithic activity, associated with paleoenvironmental deposits, on the Blackwater River floodplain, a river for which activity of this period was previously unknown. The discovery evolved from initial recognition of worked flint artefacts across a well weathered, stripped subsoil surface in part of the site. Additional material was collected subsequently from the summit of an adjacent low knoll. The findings were of sufficient extent and importance to warrant supplementary archaeological fieldwork using a gridded test pit strategy to evaluate the Mesolithic potential in remaining parts of the site. This resulted in the identification of additional clusters of worked flints, which were preserved in situ.The clusters were predominantly of Mesolithic date but also included Neolithic and Bronze Age artefacts, indicating prolonged use of the landscape. Concentrations were consistently located on slightly elevated sand bars flanking palaeochannels of a formerly braided river system. The contemporaneity of the palaeodrainage and Mesolithic activity has been confirmed by radiocarbon dates from peat that formed during the Holocene. The collective results mark a significant contribution to knowledge of the Blackwater River valley, a major communications artery in the Mesolithic period linking the west end of the Wealden Greensand to the Rivers Thames and Kennet. These findings also highlight the importance that river valleys can make to locations that have been less well studied but nevertheless enjoyed prolonged use.

Circular Economy in the Roman Period and the Early Middle Ages – Methods of Analysis for a Future Agenda

Abstract In recent years, studies on reuse practices in premodern societies have multiplied. Nonetheless, a linear model (production – usage – discard) is still widely employed for describing past economic systems. Integrating it with a circular model, instead of assuming that products were discarded after their usage, would greatly benefit our knowledge of ancient and medieval economies. In this work, we present a model of circular economy and define the terms used in this context. Thereafter, a possible agenda on how to study circularity both through archaeological material and written sources is traced. This covers archaeological fieldwork methods, as well as the process of interpretation and the re-evaluation of old data. It also proposes new strategies to use and read written sources to explore reuse practices. If different theoretical and methodological approaches are combined, a more holistic and vivid picture of premodern economies can be gained and help our understanding of how past societies used the resources available to them.

A multi-stage Bayesian modelling for building the chronocultural sequence of the Late Mesolithic at Cueva de la Cocina (Valencia, Eastern Iberia)

This paper presents a refined Mesolithic chronocultural sequence as a result of matching data provided by the set of archaeological research conducted at Cueva de la Cocina (Valencia, Spain) in the 20th and 21st centuries and the new radiocarbon dates record. Because available data are of different quality, we apply a methodological framework based on Bayesian modelling approaches. To do this, we systematically order each one of the archaeological registers and then combine the information in a unitary general chronology. Our novel approach introduces Bayesian modelling from a double analytical procedure: using Bayesian chronological models applied to the stratigraphic sequence of Pericot's excavation in Cocina cave we build a general phase model using data from multiple years of archaeological fieldwork. One the most reliable layers have been defined, we use this information to define the rest of the sequence through a Predictive Bayesian approach. This approach sheds light on evolutionary questions from a macroscale regarding the socioecological dynamics of the last hunter-gatherers and their role for explaining the subsequent agricultural spread.

МЕТОДЫ ПРОВЕДЕНИЯ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ ПЕЩЕРНЫХ МОНАСТЫРЕЙ В ЦЕЛЯХ ИХ СОХРАНЕНИЯ

The tasks of research of cave temples and monasteries include the analysis of the condition of the studied objects and the adjacent natural and anthropogenic landscape.
 The article discusses the scientific methods by which it is necessary to conduct archaeological research in accordance with the established procedure at the stages of pre-project analysis, design, as well as any construction and repair and economic activities on the territory of the location of objects of archeology and cultural heritage. In order to conduct a comprehensive analysis of cave monasteries and compare their characteristics, criteria for assessing their condition have been developed. The procedure for conducting archaeological research according to approved scientific methods in the process of pre-project surveys, design, reconstruction, any construction and economic activity is given. The optimal non-destructive research methods are named, which are aimed at collecting scientific information without destroying the object of research itself, and their advantages are revealed. The method of laser scanning of caves is described as an inseparable and promising part of engineering geodesy in the field of architecture, construction and historical and cultural heritage. An example of its approbation is given, on which the advantages of this method are revealed. Analysis and structuring of research methods and their advantages ensures the greatest safety of the object under study during rescue archaeological field work.

МЕТОДЫ ПРОВЕДЕНИЯ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ ПЕЩЕРНЫХ МОНАСТЫРЕЙ В ЦЕЛЯХ ИХ СОХРАНЕНИЯ

The tasks of research of cave temples and monasteries include the analysis of the condition of the studied objects and the adjacent natural and anthropogenic landscape.
 The article discusses the scientific methods by which it is necessary to conduct archaeological research in accordance with the established procedure at the stages of pre-project analysis, design, as well as any construction and repair and economic activities on the territory of the location of objects of archeology and cultural heritage. In order to conduct a comprehensive analysis of cave monasteries and compare their characteristics, criteria for assessing their condition have been developed. The procedure for conducting archaeological research according to approved scientific methods in the process of pre-project surveys, design, reconstruction, any construction and economic activity is given. The optimal non-destructive research methods are named, which are aimed at collecting scientific information without destroying the object of research itself, and their advantages are revealed. The method of laser scanning of caves is described as an inseparable and promising part of engineering geodesy in the field of architecture, construction and historical and cultural heritage. An example of its approbation is given, on which the advantages of this method are revealed. Analysis and structuring of research methods and their advantages ensures the greatest safety of the object under study during rescue archaeological field work.

Creating large, high-quality geospatial datasets from historical maps using novice volunteers

Unlocking data from historical maps for landscape analysis is costly. Automatic extraction using Machine Learning (ML) requires extensive preparation and expertise. Crowdsourcing scales better than direct digitisation by experts, but requires an appropriate platform and the technical skills to adapt it. Existing research provides little guidance as to when investments in these approaches become worthwhile. Here we present a customisation of the Field Acquired Information Management Systems (FAIMS) Mobile platform tailored to offer a streamlined, collaborative system for crowdsourcing map digitisation by volunteers with no prior GIS experience. Deployed in Bulgaria as an ancillary activity during 2017–2018 archaeological fieldwork, FAIMS Mobile was used to digitise 10,827 mound features from Soviet military topographic maps. This digitisation required 241 person-hours (57 from staff; 184 from novice volunteers), with an error rate under 6%. The resulting dataset was consistent, well-documented, and ready for analysis with a few hours of processing. A conservative estimate based on our work suggests our crowdsourcing approach is most efficient for digitisation projects of 10,000–60,000 features, but may offer advantages for datasets as small as a few hundred records. Furthermore, it indicates that systems designed for field data collection, running on mobile devices, can be profitably customised to serve as participatory geospatial data systems accessible to novice volunteers.

Counter-archives as heritage justice: photography, invisible labor and peopled ruins

This article critically engages with photographs, the institutions that archive and curate them, and the uses to which they are put in the work of heritage preservation, with particular attention paid to the ways in which these have been mobilized in Middle Eastern heritage debates. Photographs, often depicting uninhabited rather than populated heritage landscapes, in effect weaponize heritage preservation, ignoring the fact that individuals and communities have always had their own ways of preserving and engaging with the material past. The authors therefore seek to reconsider the disciplinary genealogies embedded in a photographic archive shaped by instruments of Western ideology and power – archaeological fieldwork, surveys and museum-building – to question the uncritical use of photography for the assessment of heritage significance, the construction of heritage value and management of heritage assemblages today. They argue that identifying and creating counter-archives is necessary to contribute to more inclusive narratives fostering heritage justice, including a deeper engagement with archaeology’s long-standing entanglements with exploitative labour.

“Bamanaya is so difficult to leave behind”

Islamization in Mande West Africa gradually accompanied the expansion of mercantile groups and was surprisingly accommodating via syncretic processes with local spiritual traditions. Elites of the Empire of Mali were amongst the first to embrace Islam and mediate between it and indigenous earth religions. Yet this process was patchy across different cultural sectors and from the seventeenth century onwards there were upswellings of Bamanaya, earth religions, in open conflict with waves of Islamic jihadism (e.g. the Umarian movement). Thus, historic polities could retain both mosques and non-Islamic shrines, and maraboutic practices incorporated forms of local magic. This article considers results from “Project Segou”: historical and archaeological fieldwork undertaken between 2005 and 2013 in the Segou region of Mali, stretching approximately from Sinsanni in the east to Nyamina in the west. As a heartland of the Empire of Mali (c. AD 1235–1500) and the core of Bamana Segou (c. AD 1700–1861), its oral and archaeological sources inform our deep time appreciation of ideological and spiritual change at the margins of the Middle Niger from the thirteenth through nineteenth centuries AD.

Micromorphological and archaeological approaches to identifying pastoralist lifeways in the archaeological record: A Prehispanic case study from Viejo Sangayaico, Peru

Frequently, archaeologists working in the Andes have found it challenging to identify the distinct material correlates of farming and herding in the archaeological record. Researchers have often inconclusively linked settlement location, structure, and architecture to these economic activities. Drawing on data from Viejo Sangayaico, a late Prehispanic and early colonial settlement (CE 1000–1615), located in the Upper Ica drainage of the south-central Peruvian Andes, we suggest that micromorphological analysis – with its ability to characterize the use of space at multiple scales – provides a robust approach to understanding economic life in Andean settlements. At Viejo Sangayaico, our use of micromorphology, in combination with archaeological fieldwork data, enabled us to move beyond thinking of pastoralism principally as a mode of production towards a consideration of the broader practices – economic, religious – that a pastoralist lifestyle would have encompassed. The micro-traces micromorphological analyses revealed were often invisible in the field, making micromorphology a valuable analytical tool in teasing out new data on past lifeways.

New Evidence for Rural Anglian-Era and Early Medieval Settlement in the Lothians, at Burdiehouse, Edinburgh

The results from archaeological fieldwork between 2014 and 2016 at Burdiehouse, Edinburgh, have revealed evidence of structures, pits and enclosures related to rural settlement and activity ranging across the Early Medieval period from the 7th century AD up to the 12th century AD. A suite of features included a truncated stone platform, remains of a small post-built building with a hearth and numerous pits, postholes and curvilinear ditches. In addition, a circular clay-lined kiln was recorded. Radiocarbon dating indicates that while the building and hearth, the stone platform and numerous of the pits, postholes and linear features related to activity between the 7th and 10th centuries AD, the kiln was a later feature, dated to the 12th century AD. The evidence for rural Early Medieval settlement sites as identified at Burdiehouse is limited but recent work has emphasised how important they are for understanding everyday activity in this period.

Monumental Stone Structure Archaeology in Northwest Saudi Arabia: New Investigations from the Al Ha’it Oasis

ABSTRACTIncreased archaeological fieldwork in Saudi Arabia is contributing toward a more precise general idea about ancient Arabia. Moreover, the history of Arabian archaeology demonstrates that major discoveries and advances have been achieved as a result of systematic field enterprises. However, several regions in Saudi Arabia remain unstudied. One such major area is Ha’il in the north. Our intensive desktop-archaeological survey using remote sensing revealed the region’s archaeological richness. Several monumental structures were observed in the al Ha’it oasis. Based on those findings, we conducted an archaeological survey and excavations, resulting in the discovery of eight new archaeological sites. Three major types of funerary stone structures identified in this area include pendants, tumuli, and tower tombs. In addition, we encountered mustatils and kites of the Neolithic and Bronze Age. This article presents the investigations carried out in these new sites and places them within the context of Arabian archaeology.

Source discrepancies in post-medieval archaeology – a case study of crypt burials at Seili church, Finland

ABSTRACT The island of Seili, in the south-western archipelago of Finland, is famous for its history as a leprosy colony and mental asylum. The island formed a small, hierarchical community run by priests and hospital officials. In this article, we examine the history of the burial crypt in Seili church by comparing information from historical documents and observations made during archaeological fieldwork. The material gathered from these two sources is conflicting, suggesting an interesting history in the use of the burial crypt. It seems that women’s coffins could easily be moved elsewhere from the crypt when new coffins belonging to males were interred. It is argued that identifying the buried individuals would be necessary for a taphonomic study of the mummification processes and ensuring that the information about the crypt is based on facts. However, the identification is difficult due to inconsistent historical records. This underlines the importance of Post-Medieval archaeology in studying sites connected to family histories.

The whole is other than the sum of its parts: the untapped potential of spatial data from archaeological fieldwork

Spatial data is fundamental to documenting our past, underpinning research questions and informing the decisions we – and others – take in the protection, understanding and stewardship of the historic environment. Investing in organising and sharing spatial data typically delivers a benefit to cost ratio of up to sixteen times the outlay. In contrast, existing practices are saturated with inefficiency. Even if the spatial data reaches an archive, it can be hard to find, access and use. It is often in the wrong format and incompatible with similar data from different projects. Through the European Union Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) Directive curators of protected sites data (scheduled monuments, listed buildings etc.) are required to publish metadata, view and download services. In contrast to these ‘curated’ datasets there is neither the mandate, nor the mechanisms to coordinate, curate and share, data created through archaeological fieldwork and research. The degree of standardisation in documenting fieldwork recording and archival deposition varies considerably, posing challenges to the reuse of data. Both are key factors in not realising the potential of ‘collated data’ from multiple sources. The opportunities to develop a consistent approach for making greater use of data routinely created through fieldwork and research are explored using case studies from Scotland. Despite the obvious benefits of developing a consistent approach to spatial data from fieldwork, the framework, standards, specifications, guidance and infrastructure to realise that potential are absent. Archaeological data can and should contribute to delivering wider societal benefits, including environmental monitoring, digital twins and climate change. To contribute meaningfully to these and other societal challenges, archaeological data needs to be accessible and consistent.

Unveiling the Legacy of Bronze Age Arrow Weapons in Southeast Asia: Function, Technology, and Cultural Significance

This research delves into the intricate past of Bronze Age arrow weapons in Southeast Asia, offering a multifaceted examination of their function and technology. Through archaeological fieldwork, material analysis, comparative studies, and ethnographic research, we illuminate the advanced metallurgical knowledge that allowed the precise blending of copper and tin to create durable bronze alloys. These findings underscore the technological expertise of Bronze Age societies, providing valuable insights into the historical development of metallurgy. Moreover, this study unveils the multifunctional nature of arrow weapons, which played pivotal roles in hunting, warfare, and ceremonial practices, exemplifying the adaptability of Bronze Age communities. The intricate designs and decorations on arrowheads reveal the cultural and spiritual significance of these artifacts, emphasizing their role in belief systems and rituals. Additionally, our research suggests cross-cultural interactions and influences, positioning Southeast Asia as a vital crossroads for ancient trade networks and cultural exchange. This interdisciplinary approach brings together archaeology, materials science, and ethnography, highlighting the potential of collaborative research in unraveling the complexities of ancient societies. Ultimately, this study not only contributes to our understanding of arrow weapons but also underscores their broader implications for the fields of archaeology, anthropology, and the study of material culture. It reaffirms the enduring value of historical research and the significance of preserving and comprehending the material heritage of diverse regions, illuminating the rich tapestry of human history.