Archaeological Significance Research Articles

Diversity and structure of soil fungal communities unveil the building history of a burial mound of ancient Japan (Tobiotsuka Kofun, Okayama Prefecture)

Kofuns are burial mounds of ancient Japan (3rd-7th century CE, defined as Kofun Period). The construction history and archaeological significance of Kofuns of the Late Kofun Period (6th-7th century) still need to be characterized. This study dealt with Tobiotsuka Kofun (Okayama Prefecture, Japan) and aimed to investigate if diversity and structure of soil fungal communities, and their relationships with soil characteristics, beyond reflecting present vegetation, may be informative on the construction history of the burial mound. In particular the analyses aimed to verify the supposed presence of a boundary between the original hill and the potential anthropic backfill. Soil fungal communities were characterized by high-throughput sequencing (Illumina MiSeq technology), at the ground and through different archaeological soil layers. Approximately 1.5 × 106 high quality ITS2 sequences, clustered in 1875 OTUs, were obtained from 59 sampling points, distributed inside the burial chamber and on the Kofun external slopes. Heterogeneity and vertical distribution of fungal communities, considered in terms of taxonomic and trophic groups, generally showed a compatible pattern with present-day topographic conditions and vegetation. However, the chemical soil analyses and fungal distribution with depth, in particular that of saprotrophic fungi, cannot be explained by natural soil development and ecological context only, and point towards the presence of a former topsoil layer that was disturbed and at least partially buried by the Kofun construction.

Volcanic native sulphur pebbles excavated from the near-shore deposits of Hakata Bay, Kyushu, Japan: Their formation, preservation and archaeological significance

Several archives written in Japan, China and Korea during medieval times document markedly elevated demand for native sulphur which was an ingredient of gunpowder and a key resource during times of war in east Asia. According to historic documents, numerous macroscopic sulphur pebbles (up to about 20 mm in diameter) with distinct lemon-yellow color were excavated from the coastal deposits of Hakata Bay, northern Kyushu (Japan). Radiocarbon (14C) dating using high-resolution accelerator mass spectrometry of intercalated charcoal remains indicates deposition during the late 11th to early 12th century CE. The age of these deposits indicates the earliest industrial use of native sulphur in the world. The isotopic composition of the excavated sulphur pebbles is consistent with the values obtained for the native volcanic sulphur from the active geothermal regions within Kyushu. Often and very intimately associated opal-CT, cristobalite/tridymite and tridymite fragments were found with the sulphur pebbles, which reinforce the proposed provenance of high-temperature volcanic fumaroles. A possible mechanism for the long-term preservation of the sulphur pebbles within the sediments is discussed on the basis of the isotopic signatures of the easily oxdizable sulphide-sulphur in the matrix. The reduction of marine sulphates in the brackish pore-waters in association with the decay of organic debris, which act as electron donors for microbial reduction of marine sulphates provides a favorable environment for prolonged reducing conditions. Such conditions limited microbial oxidation of the native sulphur pebbles by sulphur-oxidizing bacteria and fungi. Spillage of the pebbles during cargo handling and their incorporation within the sediments and other debris drifting along the near-shore of Hakata Bay is the most plausible explanation for this unusual occurrence of sulphur pebbles.

Demonstrating the potential of amberat middens for understanding late Quaternary palaeoenvironments in the Central Pilbara, western Australia

The Pilbara region in Western Australia (WA) is of high biological and archaeological significance, though our understanding of its environmental history is limited. Potentially valuable palaeoenvironmental archives exist throughout the Central Pilbara in caves and rockshelters in the form of amberat middens (crystallised animal urine), which are known from elsewhere to preserve botanical and faunal remains. Here we report a pilot study aimed at assessing how a multiproxy analysis of these middens could be used to infer past environmental change in response to climate change and therefore help to characterise the nature of past human-environmental relationships in the Pilbara region. Findings show that rockshelters of the inland Pilbara contain some of the oldest known amberat middens in Australia, extending fully back to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Well preserved pollen and macrofossils in the middens tentatively suggest that vegetation throughout the late Pleistocene was likely dominated by an open woodland with a shift after 6000 BP to a more heterogenous pattern of vegetation with the increasing dominance of grassland communities. Several hiatuses in midden accumulation are apparent, which are tentatively interpreted as indicating that the region was affected by prolonged dry periods in the past. This may help explain concomitant patterns of decreased human occupation in the corresponding archaeological record. This pilot study has demonstrated the value of amberat middens for providing much needed local paleoenvironmental data in arid and semi-arid regions of Australia.

The Chronology of Neolithic-Eneolithic in the Steppe Zone of the Volga Basin

Introduction. The steppe zone of the Volga basin is interesting in connection with the study of the Orlovskaya, Cis-Caspian, and Khvalinskaya cultures. These cultures have an important significance for the prehistorical archaeology of Eastern Europe. The Orlovskaya culture is characterized by the appearance of the most ancient ceramics in the region, early signs of domestication are connected with the Cis-Caspian culture but the earlier metal items were found in the Khvalinskaya culture. Together with the main features of these cultures, the important question is a determination of reliable boundaries of them. From 2007 more than 60 radiocarbon dates were obtained. The basis consisted of the materials of the Varfolomeevskaya site. The most of dates had been done on the organics from ceramics. That was under dispute. Methods and materials. During the last eight years, more than 30 radiocarbon dates were obtained on the different organic materials (charcoal, animal bones, and food charred crusts) from new open stratified sites – Algay and Oroshaemoe. This set of dates gave the possibility to develop a reliable chronological schema for the Neolithic-Eneolithic in the region under consideration. The comparison of dates on the different organic materials has been done. Results. The chronological framework of the Orlovskaya culture, the Cis-Caspian culture of transition period and the Eneolithic Khvalinskaya culture for the steppe zone of the Volga basin was determined. The place of the Orlovskaya cultural antiquities among of Neolithic cultures of neighboring regions was established. The age of transitional Neolithic-Eneolithic Cis-Caspian culture with the earliest pieces of evidence of domestication in Eastern Europe was definite. The chronological framework of the Khvalinskaya Eneolithic culture in the steppe zone was considered and made the comparison with the Cis-Caspian culture. Authors’ contribution. A.A. Vybornov is prepared the archaeological part of the article and did analysis and their interpretation of the radiocarbon dates on the Neolithic of the steppe zone of the Volga basin. F.F. Giljazov collected all dates of the Orlovskaya culture of the Algay and Oroshaemoe sites. N.S. Doga did an analysis of dates of the Cis-Caspian and Khvalinskaya cultures on these sites. M.A. Kulkova obtained the radiocarbon dates for different layers of the Algay and Oroshaemoe sites and did the correlations on the different organic materials. B. Philippsen obtained the AMS dates on charcoal, bones, charred crusts and did their correlation.

Colours of Gemmy Phosphates from the Gavà Neolithic Mines (Catalonia, Spain): Origin and Archaeological Significance

In the Neolithic Gavà mines, variscite and turquoise were exploited for ornaments manufacturing, although some prospective pits and tunnels were dug on other similar greenish minerals such as smectite or kandite. A 3D study of the distribution of mineral phases allows us to determine the parameters involved in variscite colours. Methods are comprised of quantitative colourimetry, thin section petrography, SEM-BSE-EDS, EMPA, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, and 57Fe Mössbauer spectrometry. Mapping of the mines indicates that colour is not directly dependent on depth. Although variscite from Gavà is poor in Cr3+ and V+3 compared with gemmy variscite from other localities, the deep green samples content has the highest values of Cr3+. In the case of cryptocrystalline mixtures with jarosite, phosphosiderite, or goethite, variscite tends to acquire a greenish brown to olivaceous hue. If white minerals such as quartz, kandite, crandallite, or alunite are involved in the mixtures, variscite and turquoise colours become paler.

Geological origin of the archaeological obsidian artifacts from the Holocene sequences of Mochena Borago and Yabello, southern Ethiopia

Obsidian archaeological artifacts from the Holocene occupation sequences at the contemporary sites of Mochena Borago and Yabello, southern Ethiopia, have been characterized using electron microprobe analysis. Results show the artifacts of each site were partially procured from two separate but known sources, Bantu and Chebe. The inhabitants of both sites also seem to have used obsidian from another, as yet unknown, source. This is interesting as the inhabitants of each site pursued different life ways: one entirely dependent on wild animals and the other incorporating domestic fauna. In spite of the analysis of many geological sources in the Ethiopian Rift System, the unknown sources cannot yet be determined. Despite erupting from several vents, one of the sources, Chebe, has uniform elemental chemistry, representing an exception to the widely held assumption that every eruptive sequence has unique chemistry, the archaeological significance of which should be further explored.

How do visitors perceive the significance of tangible cultural heritage through a 3D reconstructed immersive visual experience at the Seokguram Grotto, South Korea?

ABSTRACT Sustainable heritage tourism is recognized as an economic activity that can ensure the careful management of tangible cultural heritage sites for future generations, and attract visitors to experience their cultural, historical, and archaeological significance. The use of 3D immersive cultural heritage visualization presentations can enhance a visitor’s perceived experience and motivation, and have received growing interest in the tourism literature. However, the impact of these cultural heritage presentations on visitor perceived experience with regard to certain psychological and social factors has not been fully explored. This study aims to fill this gap in the literature by investigating how 3D immersive visualization experiences enhance the significance and value of tangible cultural heritage sites, through considering significant factors. A cross-sectional study was conducted with visitors who experienced a 3D reconstructed immersive visual experience of the Seokguram Grotto World Heritage Site. The results showed that the 3D reconstructed immersive visualization contents increased the significance and value of the tangible cultural heritage site, by influencing visitors' perceived experiences using certain psychological factors. These findings will contribute positively to the sustainable heritage tourism development literature.

UThwigl — An R package for closed- and open-system uranium–thorium dating

For several decades, uranium–thorium (U–Th) dating has allowed geochronologists to precisely date geological materials, providing invaluable geochronological constraints on Quaternary processes. Open-system dating of bones and teeth has also provided ages of human and faunal remains of archaeological significance. To facilitate access to closed- and open-system U–Th dating to the broad scientific community, here we provide an R package, named UThwigl . Description of input and output parameters is given, as well as a guide for running the model. The package can be used three different ways: (i) as a web application, (ii) through a web browser with an internet connection, or (iii) in R (most efficiently with RStudio). Examples of application of the model are also provided, showing that it yields ages within error of previously published values.

Ultrasensitive dual enhanced electrochemical immunosensor to detect ancient wool relics.

The identification of ancient wool is of great significance in archaeology; however, conventional methods are unwieldy or even ineffective when testing contaminated or severely degraded ancient samples. Therefore, it is highly desirable to develop an ultrasensitive detection method for ancient wool. In this study, an ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor is proposed and developed to detect ancient wool, where graphene oxide (GO), aldehyde-functionalized ionic liquid (AFIL) composites and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are synthesized as efficient signal amplifiers. With their large surface area and excellent electron transfer efficiency, the combination of GO-AFIL and AuNPs endows the immunosensor with excellent electrochemical properties. The fabricated immunosensor measures over a wide linear range of 0.01-100 ng mL-1 with a low detection limit of 0.9 ± 0.2 pg mL-1. Moreover, the immunosensor demonstrates excellent performance for detecting ancient wool. The identification of wool fabrics unearthed from Xinjiang, Tibet and Kazakhstan supports the historicity of prosperous sheepherding and wool trade in Central Asia during the Bronze Age.

Геоинформационное моделирование проекта экогеологического парка в сложных социальных и экологических условиях центра г. Тюмени

In the center of the city of Tyumen, there is a valley of the river, unique in its hypsometric characteristics for this natural zone, Tyumenka, which is characterized by complex social and environmental conditions. Today it is characterized by abandonment, degradation of slope natural-territorial complexes, social, historical and archaeological significance for the territorial community of people. All this significantly complicates the development of a mutually acceptable solution for all parties on the arrangement and operation of space. The territory is lands of non-delimited state property, in which scattered land use has developed over the centuries, which requires integrated state management. The authors used the geoinformation modeling method to design an ecogeological park in the Tyumenka river valley. The combination of geoinformation software, information resources of various thematic and temporal divisions (including the use of publicly available Earth remote sensing materials, multi-temporal thematic maps, specialized field surveys and surveys using an unmanned aerial vehicle), spatial development of compromise solutions for all interested parties—all these competitive advantages of geoinformation modeling have made it possible to reach and position comprehensive proposals for the general public. As a result of the study, for the first time, the territory for the initiated creation of an ecogeological park was outlined and functionally delimited. Three zones of promising functional use of the Tyumenka River valley in the format of an eco-geological park have been identified: historical-archaeological, geological and landscape-ecological. Each of the designated areas received its own territorial representation, argued by the current characteristics of the landscape, the social and environmental demands of the society, and the technological requirements for the placement of the relevant engineering facilities. The spatial placement of objects based on geoinformation modeling is presented. Heterogeneous, multitemporal data are systematized within the framework of one project, which made it possible to take into account various constraints. In the conditions of work with sites characterized by a situation of abandonment in the center of Tyumen, which is unique for Tyumen, and high social tension, the use of geoinformation modeling made it possible to obtain clear and verified spatial proposals.

Anatomical classification of animal bone relics excavated from the well area of Gasan-ri in Jinju

The classification of the bone pieces excavated from Gasan-ri archaeological site Ⅰ in Jinju, presumed to be relics was investigated macroscopically. The remains of the animal bone were 3 classes (Mammalia, Aves, Amphibia), 5 orders (Carnivora, Artiodactyla, Passeriformes, Rodentia, Salientia), and 6 species (Sus scrofa, Cervidae sp., Nyctereutes procyonides, Passeriformes sp., Rattus norvegicus caraco, Rana nigromaculata). The total weight of the animal bone remains was 1,002.80 g, with the identified bones comprising 975.30 g and an identification rate of 97.26%. A total of 447 animal bone fragments were identified, including 204 bone pieces of S. scrofa (468.00 g, 47.99%), 102 bone pieces of Cervidae sp. (453.79 g, 46.53%), 68 bone pieces of R. nigromaculata (4.69 g, 0.48%), 59 bone pieces of N. procyonides (47.14 g, 4.83%), 9 bone pieces of Passeriformes sp. (0.98g, 0.10%), and 5 bone pieces of Rattus norvegicus caraco (0.70 g, 0.07%). The bone pieces of the animal relics consisted of 81 skull (18.12%), 161 axial skeleton (36.02%), 64 forelimb (14.32%), and 141 hindlimb (31.54%) fragments. The archaeological significance of the animal bones excavated in this investigation was that wild boars and deer were presumed to have been mainly used animals in the Gasan-ri area of Jinju during the Three Kingdoms period.

Geochronological aspects of terminal Late Fort Ancient sites in the Little Miami-Ohio Rivers confluence area and their archeological significance

A geochronological approach is used to examine the temporal and spatial parameters of terminal Late Fort Ancient (∼1450 –1750 CE) habitation sites in the Little Miami-Ohio Rivers confluence area. We use a Bayesian analysis of radiocarbon dates, microtephrochronology, a biostratigraphic indicator ( Bison bison), and ethnohistorical records to examine terminal Late Fort Ancient sites in this region. Circular, stockaded villages (≤ 5 ha), consisting of single-family dwellings were replaced with large linear villages (≤ 8 ha), consisting of multifamily longhouses constructed parallel to the Little Miami and Ohio rivers. Smaller contemporary habitations and a plethora of underground maize silos suggest a seasonal pattern of population fission and fusion. At the time of Hernando de Soto's military conquests, ∼350 km to the south, terminal Late Fort Ancient villages in this region were increasing in number and size.

Boom and Bust Archaeology

As a discourse analysis of historical resource assessment documents and interviews with professional archaeologists, this study aims to inspect and critique the production of value in the Alberta historical resource value (HRV) system. The system of evaluation for historical value creates what can be described as a presence-absence model of archaeological significance that limits the ability for archaeologists to interpret and subjectively determine the historical value of materials. In addition, current systems often rely on a contractual relationship between archaeologists and industry to produce these reports, and rarely incorporate indigenous perspectives of significance. With a focus on the assumptions and functional result of HRIA assessments, we can examine the repercussions of the contemporary archaeological evaluative model within Alberta. A goal of this nascent assessment is to provide the opportunity for evaluation of a system that largely exists below the surface of public interest but has vast implications for future access to shared historical resources.

Emblematic objects for societies in transition. An archaeological and archaeometric study of the sword of Serral de ses Abelles (Puigpunyent, Mallorca)

This paper presents the study of a sword found in Talayot del Serral de ses Abelles (Puigpunyent, Mallorca). The remarkable state of conservation of this sword and the fact that it is the only item of its kind documented in the 21st century in an archaeological excavation make it an exceptional find. The main purpose of this research is to characterise its technological and archaeological significance. The analytical information presented (14C, XRF, ICP-MS, radiography, metallography, micro-hardness and LIA) makes possible the dating of one of these objects for the first time, and provides important information to understand the manufacturing process of this sword, its functionality, its social significance, as well as aspects related to the provenance of the copper ores used. Thus, our research provides essential information to understand these objects as emblematic items rather than functional weapons, and contextualises them within the Balearic Late Bronze Age societies and broader Western Mediterranean trading routes.

Disentangling Human–Plant–Animal Dynamics at the Microscale: Geo-Ethnoarchaeological Case Studies from North Africa and the Near East

Livestock dung is a suitable material for delineating the complexity of interactions between people, plants and animals as it contains critical information on environmental and ecological issues as well as socio-economic dynamics and cultural lifeways. However, animal faecal remains and other coprogenic materials are commonly overlooked in most archaeological research programs due, in part, to methodological challenges in its recovery and identification. This paper evaluates the contribution of integrated geoarchaeological approaches, together with comparative reference ethnoarchaeological records, to interdisciplinary microscopic analyses on the identification of animal dung and its archaeological significance within farming built environments. It brings together records from a selection of recent geo-ethnoarchaeological case studies across the Near East, one of the heartlands of plant and animal domestication, and from northern Africa, an understudied key area with critical implications for neighbouring regions such as the Sahara. This article examines the state-of-the-art of dung material identifications within agricultural and pastoral settlements and their potential for tracing ecological diversity, animal management strategies, penning, grazing and foddering, seasonality, and dung use. This review highlights the value of modern reference frameworks of livestock dung as a primary source of information for disentangling human–plant–animal dynamics through time and space.

Mydan Mishan: A Newly Found Parthian Bas-Relief in the Alvand Range, Hamadan, Western Iran

ABSTRACT Hamadan province in western Iran has always been of particular archaeological significance mainly because of its administrative centre Ecbatana, modern Hamadan. In 2005 a bas-relief dating to the Parthian period was found in the southern highlands of Alvand, in the Yakhchal valley. Recently, a second relief, very similar to the Yakhchal one, has been found at Mydan Mishan. This relief depicts a person lying on a klinè with his legs stretched out and resting his left elbow on a cushion. The figure holds a flowerlike object in his right hand and what looks like a goblet or a drinking bowl in his left hand. A comparison with other similar examples such as the relief of Heracles at Behistun and the Elymaean rock carvings of Tang-e Sarvak seems to suggest that the figure represented could be a Parthian high-ranking officer, a noble or a dignitary in a banqueting scene.

Selective Memory and the Legacy of Archaeological Figures in Contemporary Athens: The Case of Heinrich Schliemann and Panagiotis Stamatakis

The legacy of antiquity has loomed large over the Greek capital since thefoundation of the modern Greek state. Archaeologists have served as the main catalysts in the country’s endeavour to connect antiquity and modernity. Thus, the legacy of deceased archaeologists is tangible in many parts of Athens and a reminder of the significance of archaeology as a discipline in modern Greece. This article examines how the memory ofHeinrich Schliemann and Panagiotis Stamatakis has been appropriated (or misappropriated) in the Greek capital. They worked together to bring to light treasures from Mycenae (1876) but shared a contemptuous relationship for the remainder of their lives. We aim to understandhow society and the state treated not only the mortal remains of these two individuals but also their legacies. Hence, the abundance or absence of material evidence in Athens related to the maintenance of their memory will reveal how the archaeologists themselves worked to preserve or erase their posthumous legacy and how this has been appropriated.

Origin and provenance of Red Clay in north Hunan Province, China: Inferred from grain-size analysis and end-member modelling

A number of open-air Paleolithic sites have been found and excavated in South China, and are characterized by Red Clay deposits. A detailed knowledge of the Red Clays is crucial for better understanding the archaeological significance of the sites and the paleoenvironments during hominin occupation. However, the origin and provenance of the Red Clays is debatable. Here, three sediment sequences from two Paleolithic sites (Wuyashan and Sandinggai) on fluvial terraces in north Hunan Province, China, were investigated using grain-size analysis and end-member modeling. The spatial distribution and grain-size characteristics of the Red Clays reveal their aeolian origin. The end-member modeling demonstrates that the Red Clays consist of two end-members (EM1 and EM2 with mode sizes of 5.6 and 11.2 µm, respectively). The south-eastward-fining trend indicates that the EM1 component (fine dust) was transported from North China. We deduce that the EM2 component (coarse dust) is mainly from the nearby desiccated fluvial systems of the Yangtze River. The change in grain size with depth in the Red Clay sections may be caused by chemical weathering. The aeolian origin of the Red Clays may imply that the highlands occupied by hominins in the study region were not inundated with floods.

A TYPOLOGICAL AND FUNCTONAL ANALYSIS OF BONE TOOLS FROM CHALCOLITHIC GULPINAR IN NW ANATOLIA

This work focuses on the examination of bone tools recovered from the Chalcolithic phases at the northwestern Anatolian site of Gülpınar in terms of typology and function. A total of 263 bone tools were retrieved from phase II representing the early Chalcolithic 2 period and the succeeding phase III, belonging to the Middle Chalcolithic period at the site. These specimens help us to establish a typology and allow an assesament regarding the pattern of bone tool use at the site. Bone tools are viewed as objects of archaeological significance in elucidating aspects of household life and domestic production activity. Results of the analysis show that tools fashioned from discarded animal bones may have been used in domestic crafts such as mat and basket making, pot manufacturing, and hide processing.

Archaeological significance and chemical characterization of the obsidian source in Kirigamine, central Japan: Methodology for provenance analysis of obsidian artefacts using XRF and LA–ICP–MS

The Kirigamine area is one of the major obsidian sources in the Chubu-kanto region of central Japan, and is regarded as an important archaeological study area for improving the understanding of historical changes in human–environment interactions related to obsidian procurement activities during the Upper Paleolithic. Previous studies have presented a model for the relationship between human activities and the paleoenvironment, but there is a need for further understanding based on data related to the sourcing of obsidian in the Kirigamine area. This study aimed to establish a method for provenance analysis of obsidian artefacts based on chemical compositions. The chemical compositions of 13 groups of obsidian sources in the Kirigamine area were determined by WDXRF and LA–ICP–MS analyses, and discrimination diagrams proposed. For verification purposes, provenance analyses of obsidian artefacts excavated at the Hiroppara prehistoric site were undertaken using these discrimination diagrams. We yielded the same results of provenance analysis among the WDXRF and LA–ICP–MS methods, and the discrimination methods described may be applied to further provenance analysis of obsidian artefacts using nondestructive EDXRF and pXRF, and micro-destructive LA–ICP–MS analyses.