Archaeological Material Research Articles

Micro-computed tomography and laser micro-ablation on altered pyrite in lapis lazuli to enhance provenance investigation: a new methodology and its application to archaeological cases

This work presents an upgrade to the methodology adopted to investigate the provenance of the raw lapis lazuli material used in antiquity for carving precious artefacts. Samples from archaeological excavation contexts frequently display superficial degradation processes affecting the crystals of the mineral phases useful for provenance attribution (especially pyrite). To address this issue, an innovative workflow has been developed, centred on the application of X-ray micro-computed tomography (μ-CT) and micro-ablation treatments with a pulsed laser source prior to investigation with ion beam analysis (IBA). High-resolution μ-CT is employed to evaluate the alteration state of pyrite crystals within the entire volume of the lapis lazuli rock, and, if required, to identify the most suitable crystals on the surface for subsequent laser treatment. The micro-ablation procedure aims to create a small breach in the superficial altered layer (the irradiated areas are approximately 65 × 65 μm2), thereby exposing the preserved crystal beneath and allowing for the analysis of its trace element contents with IBA. The methodology of the workflow is presented, together with its first application to archaeological lapis lazuli material: three precious beads from the ancient Royal Cemetery of Ur (Mesopotamia, 3rd millennium BCE). The results are complemented by the application of a provenance protocol already validated that proved, for the first time using a micro-invasive analytical approach, a match between the Afghan quarry district and the raw material used to carve these beads.

История изучения курганных могильников на территории Кабардино-Балкарии в конце 60-х – первой половине 80-х гг. ХХ в.: особенности и итоги

The research aims to characterize the history of the study of Kabardino-Balkarian burial mounds from the late 1960s to the first half of the 1980s, highlighting the features and summing up some results. The scientific novelty of this article is associated with the need for a general modern assessment of the achievements and miscalculations of regional archeology of the period under study. The article analyzes data on the history of field research in the region (including the general organization and methodology of excavations and exploration), as well as the main trends in the practical application of archaeological materials accumulated during this period and in their scientific understanding. As a result of the work, the author comes to the conclusion that large-scale archaeological research conducted in the republic in the late 1960s – first half of the 1980s made a significant contribution to the development of domestic historical science. However, among the local features and results, negative trends and shortcomings were noted. For example, the scale and unseasonal nature of excavations often led to a decrease in their quality (topographic surveys, drawings, photographs, etc.). These shortcomings were specific not only to Kabardino-Balkaria, they were repeated in other regions of the North Caucasus and Southern Russia.

Determining firing temperature of clay‐based archaeological materials with FTIR absorptivity method

Determining firing temperature of clay‐based archaeological materials with FTIR absorptivity method

The Issue of Evidence Strength in Historical Research of Historical Documents, Archaeological Materials, and Technological Testing Evidence

The Issue of Evidence Strength in Historical Research of Historical Documents, Archaeological Materials, and Technological Testing Evidence

Raport preliminar asupra cercetărilor arheologice preventive efectuate în situl de la Covasna-Valea Hankó Valea Porumbeilor

As a result of the preventive archaeological investigations carried out in the town of Covasna, point Valea Hankó/Valea Porumbeilor, in 2022, six archaeological complexes (pits, ditches and an agglomeration of stones) and archaeological materials were discovered spread over the entire area affected by the construction project of a residential house. In S1/2022, the stratigraphic situation indicated that several anthropogenic interventions were made in this area in different periods of time. The culture layer was clearly evident in S2/2022 and is associated with a chronological stage of Bronze Age habitation. The remains found are so far attributed to several occupation phases of the site: Schneckenberg-Jigodin (2700-2400 BC), Monteoru (? - imports), Costișa-Ciomortan (2200-1950 BC - imports), Wietenberg (1950-1550 BC), Gáva (1200-800 BC) and Latène (1st century BC-1st century AD). At the same time, we do not exclude the presence of ceramic materials attributed to a settlement of the Dacian-Roman period, but which are not yet clearly defined. The research of the Covasna-Valea Hankó/Valea Porumbeilor site provides new information on how prehistoric and Iron Age communities arranged their living spaces and fortifications. This research also contributes to understanding the presence of ceramic materials specific to other areas, especially in the outer area of the Eastern Carpathians. Together with the sites of Covasna-Cetatea Zânelor and Covasna-Dealul Sărat, the site of Covasna-Valea Hankó/Valea Porumbeilor represents one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the area of Covasna town in recent years.

A Middle Palaeolithic workshop at Andornaktálya-Marinka site (Northeast Hungary)

AbstractAlthough many Palaeolithic open-air sites are known on the foothills of the Bükk Mountains near Eger, Andornaktálya-Marinka was only discovered in 2014 thanks to new vine plantations on a hilltop. It was prospected regularly until 2019, and a test excavation was carried out in 2018. The archaeological material consists of a few undiagnostic prehistoric ceramic sherds and daub fragments, and 1706 stone artefacts. Except two fragments of polished axes, the lithic assemblage contains knapped stones. The paper presents the analysis of the lithic assemblage. This demonstrates the characteristics of an ‘older’ flake industry using almost exclusively local and regional raw materials, and those of a ‘younger’ blade industry working with long-distance ‘northern’ flints. The ‘older’ can be attributed to the Middle Palaeolithic Bábonyian, while the ‘younger’ should be related to Early Upper Palaeolithic Aurignacian or even to a Late Neolithic or Copper Age occupation.

The Last Period of the History of Olbia: the First Gothic Town

Olbia’s archaeological materials show that after the departure of the Roman garrison and local residents, the city was briefly abandoned (270s – early 280s AD). Then a new barbarian population appeared. It had clear signs of the Cherniakhiv culture, the ethnic basis of which were the Germanic Goths. Probably, at the beginning the only interest of barbarians was the seaport. The last prosperity of the city occurred in the Hunnic period, and it came to the end together with the Cherniakhiv culture in the first third of the 5th century. Olbia was reborn as a small fortified city, a craft and trade centre. The Goths restored the Roman Citadel, as well as several forts on the borders of the former Olbian state. Perhaps here was the military-administrative centre of one of the early kingdoms, which arose after the collapse of the Ostrogothic “power of Ermanaric”, and was dependent on the Hun leaders.

Prehistory of the Omsk fortress based on archaeological, numismatic, written, and carto-graphic materials

The authors examine a complex of materials of various origins that highlight the process of development of the Om River mouth by Russians in the 17th century. We believe that this place, located approximately halfway between the Tara Fortress and Yamyshevskoye Lake, was convenient for resting caravans heading for salt and returning from salt mining. Russian fishermen also were not leaving aside the Om River mouth, as reported in written sources. Perhaps, there was a trade with nomads living along the Om and Irtysh Rivers, which is evidenced by the 17th century coins, struck at Russian and Polish-Lithuanian mints. From the dates of issue of the coins, there were two periods of active penetration of Russians into the area. The first episode occurred at the time of the dispatch of the first caravan for salt in 1601, until 1628, when the “Tara Troubles” occurred. This resulted in a situation where the intentions of the Tara governors to found a city at the mouth of Om turned futile. The second period of deve-lopment of the Om mouth by the Russians began in the middle of 17th century and ended with the construction of the First Omsk Fortress by I.D. Bukholz in 1716.

The Preservation of Cultural Heritage in the City of Durrës as a Challenge for Local and Central Institutions, with a Focus on the Recognition and Practical Implementation of Legal Procedures and Normative Acts in Order to Preserve and Develop Cultural He

The damage done to the archaeological property of the city of Durrës is one of the major damages caused to our cultural heritage after the 90s. The reconstruction projects of buildings destroyed by the earthquake in Durrës, financed by the Albanian Development Fund, are being carried out without archaeological monitoring, destroying traces of ancient monuments. According to the law on cultural heritage, constructions that are carried out in areas with high archaeological intensity, such as the "Dyrrah" boulevard in Durrës, must be monitored by archaeologists, but in the case of the 6-story building, this control was missing. The creation of genuine scientific studies about all the archaeological materials and the very rich cultural heritage of the city of Durres, organizing publications, monographs, articles, inside and outside the country, of the cultural values that the city of Durres carries, the organization of joint workshops with universities different in the Balkans and wider, where the University of Durrës in cooperation with the relevant Departments to promote these studies, through the cooperation of pedagogues - specialists in the field of archeology and Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Institute of Albanian Albanology, to enrich the library of the city with studies Durrës and the National Library. According to the law on cultural heritage, constructions that are carried out in areas with high archaeological intensity, such as the "Dyrrah" boulevard in Durrës, must be monitored by archaeologists, but in the case of the 6-story building, this control was missing. Received: 12 August 2024 / Accepted: 30 October 2024 / Published: 3 December 2024

The urbanization of the Lower Volga region in the Golden Horde era

This work is dedicated to the processes of urbanization, that took place in the Lower Volga region during the Golden Horde period. Based on archaeological materials, that have appeared in recent decades, the opinion formulated in the 1960s, that before the Golden Horde era there was no developed settlement structure in the Lower Volga region and the urbanization of this area began only with the arrival of the Mongols is refuted. In the process of urbanization of the Lower Volga region, two stages are conditionally distinguished, each of which is characterized. The data on the number of archaeological objects of the preMongol period and the Golden Horde epoch are presented. Versions about the location of two capitals – Sarai and Sarai al-Jedid, the names and time of appearance of other settlements are considered.

Use-Wear traces on copper ore processing tools from Late Bronze sites of the Trans-Urals(use wear analysis)

The work is aimed at solving the problem of identifying tools for copper ore processing in tool inventory of the Late Bronze Age settlements in the Trans-Urals. The article presents the results of a series of 11 experiments on smashing and grinding copper-bearing rock. Pebbles and slabs from different types of stone (diorite, flint, silicite, porphyrite, quartzite, granite, quartz sandstone) were used as tools. As a result, use-wear traces on experimental tools were obtained, described in detail and analyzed. It has been established that usewear traces depend on the specific operation, physical properties of the rock, size of the workpiece and the hardness of the processed raw materials. Comparison of the obtained data with archaeological material from the Bronze Age of the Trans-Urals (Ustye I, Kulevchi III, Kamyshnoye I) showed that ore processing tools are represented in small quantity (10 copies), which may indicate the preparation of ore for smelting, mainly outside settlements.

Paisley-shaped antler onlays with fantastic beasts from Veliky Novgorod: issues of functional and stylistic attribution

The article deals with two paisley-shaped antler onlays with fantastic beast drawings. These artifacts were dated to the end of the XIII – first half of the XIV centuries and were found during the archaeological excavations in Novgorod. These finds were made with a high degree of artistic skill and have a number of similar stylistic features, which allow them to be considered in the context of common pictorial tradition. These beast images have stylistic analogies among items of Novgorod antler products of this period, which were created under the influence of Golden Horde art traditions. Another problem deals with the attribution of these objects. According to historiography, paisley-shaped onlays attributed as a decoration of saddles. For the present among the archaeological materials of Novgorod, there are no known finds of saddles with similar decoration preserved in situ. Only similar finds from a nomadic burial nearby the village of Philia (XIII– XIV centuries) make it possible to adhere to this hypothesis.

Фортификационные сооружения Уразгильдинского городища бахмутинской культуры

The work considers the data obtained during the study of Urazgildino hillfort fortifications (Tatyshlinsky District, Bashkortostan). The main archaeological material discovered during the excavations is ceramics, which allows to date the cultural layer and the studied structures back to a wide range of the 4th–8th centuries AD. The fortifications themselves were probably not used for long. The research focuses on fortifications that constituted earth-and-timber structures compiled as hook-type walls. The log wall of the hillfort was reinforced with vertical pillars. The fortifications were packed tightly with soil. Numerous traces of combustion and exposure to high temperatures (coal, burns, baked clay) indicate that the studied structures were destroyed by fire. However, the research failed to reveal any traces of a military conflict. When the founders chose this site to erect a hillfort, they relied on the natural topography of the area. This is typical for most Bakhmutino culture hillforts. It is noteworthy that the fortifications had a rectangular design, which is not traditional for the monuments of the Southern Cis-Urals. There are no similar structures on the territory of the Ufa-Belaya interfluve. The reconstruction of the studied structures makes it possible to assume their high fortification capacity. This is also a standard property for most of the known Bakhmutino culture fortifications. The findings obtained allow to significantly expand the modern understanding of the architecture, construction and defense traditions of the Southern Cis-Urals population during the early Middle Ages.

A world of beads from the Island of Mozambique (16th–20th centuries)

ABSTRACT Hundreds of beads are collected every year on the shores of the island of Mozambique, dating between the 16th and the 20th-century. They are recovered in the sand and strung into neckless to sell for the best offer. More than archaeological artefacts and important historical, social, economic, and cultural items, they have a dominant role in the island’s local economy today. These archaeological materials are dispersed in time but also in space since they originate from Europe, Asia, and Africa. The privileged geographical position turned this African island into a logistical support platform for transoceanic routes, a mandatory crossing point for ships of the Portuguese crown, and for the other European monarchies that traded in the Indian Ocean. The beads are a palimpsest of cultures and trades, not only in the past but also in the present, and they still play an important role in their relationship with local communities.

Exploring the Origins of Hexaploid Wheats: Typification of Archaeological Triticum vulgare var. antiquorum and Description of Modern Triticum sphaerococcum subsp. antiquorum (Poaceae: Triticeae)

This study addresses a critical issue in plant taxonomy and phylogeny: the relationship between archaeological materials and potentially analogous living populations. Given the current limitations in definitively establishing the identity between archaeological and contemporary materials, we propose an intermediate approach. This approach serves as a useful framework while scientific methods advance towards definitively assessing whether an archaeological wheat sample, approximately 5000 years old from Central Europe, belongs to the same species as a modern wheat currently endemic to Central Asia. This approach consolidates the taxonomic validity of both archaeological and living materials, allowing them to be treated as distinct taxa while preserving the possibility of future identification convergence. Triticum vulgare var. antiquorum, an archaeobotanical small-grained, free-threshing wheat, was originally described in 1865. The 1982 discovery of morphologically similar living wheat in Tajikistan raised questions about their taxonomic relationship. Our study reviews the nomenclature of both taxa, designating an illustration from the original description of T. vulgare var. antiquorum as the lectotype to align with the traditional concept of the name. We address the ambiguity surrounding “Triticum antiquorum” as used by Russian agronomists and botanists, proposing a more precise circumscription within the current systematic framework of the genus based on cytogenetic data. Consequently, we describe a new taxon, Triticum sphaerococcum subsp. antiquorum. The holotype, selected from material with available cytogenetic data and grown from Professor Udachin’s original Pamir (Tajikistan) collection, is preserved in the N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (WIR) collection. It is deposited at the I.M. Krasnoborov Herbarium of Central Siberian Botanical Garden SB RAS (NS), with an isotype at the WIR. This taxonomic revision and new subspecies designation provide a robust framework for reconciling archaeological and contemporary wheat diversity, advancing our understanding of wheat evolution and agricultural history.

The Cotton Road

Abstract Cotton is one of the most culturally significant crops in Central Asia today, and it has a complex history, long predating the collective-labour and intensive-irrigation systems of the Soviet period. In this paper, we explore the ancient history of cotton cultivation in Central Asia. We aim to understand when cotton cultivation switched from low-investment to intensive large-scale agriculture and to theorise about the dispersal routes, type of cotton cultivated, and processing systems that existed before the introduction of hybrid forms of cotton from the Americas in the nineteenth century. We incorporate new archaeobotanical data, historical-linguistic evidence and archaeological materials into our discussion. Furthermore, we provide an overview of archaeobotanical evidence from across Europe, Asia and North Africa, aiming to assess common trends in the spread of cotton.

Dating the Egyptian Old Kingdom: The reign of Djedkare (5th dynasty)

Abstract This study aims to discuss the chronology of the Egyptian 5th dynasty of the Old Kingdom and the tentative date of accession of king Djedkare based on material from his royal necropolis at South Saqqara and non-royal cemetery of Abusir South, Egypt. A series of radiocarbon (14C) dates were established through analysis of archaeological material from several monuments at the necropolis, including the king’s pyramid complex, pyramid complex of his queen, and two elite tombs (Isesiankh and Khuwy). In addition, two samples from non-royal tombs in the Abusir South cemetery, were taken into consideration for further precision during the modeling, associated with king Huni (end 3rd dynasty) and king Niuserre (5th dynasty). The contextualized 14C dates together with re-evaluation of historical evidence on Djedkare’s rule, results in a new model of temporal probability density which can be further refined with any new data from archaeological research. It shows that Djedkare’s reign can be currently modelled between 2503 and 2449 BCE (95.4%), thus slightly older than expected by literature. This presented model provides a more precise chronological frame for the late 5th dynasty period of Egyptian history, which was period of a significant socio-economic transformation.

Identifying construction technologies and environmental connections at the Iron Age IIA settlement of Kh. es-Suwweida, Israel: A microarchaeological study

The first season of excavations at Kh. es-Suwweida in northern Israel revealed strata from the late Iron Age IIA consisting of a series of massive fortification walls, rooms and internal compartments with potential floors. A microarchaeological investigation was undertaken to add high-resolution contextual and compositional data to the field evidence and characterize site formation processes, construction materials and technologies, and use of environmental resources. We applied a micro-archaeological approach to study sediments and archaeological materials via micromorphology, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and micro-spectroscopy, and phytolith and pollen analysis. Two main construction technologies were identified: lime plasters produced from mixtures of pyrogenic lime and non-pyrogenic crushed chalk, and mudbricks prepared from sedimentary materials. An in situ lime constructed floor with multiple re-plastering and activity zones associated with the remains of a degraded mudbrick structure was reconstructed in one locality, and a collapsed burnt lime and mudbrick building with a wooden superstructure was reconstructed in another locality. The micro-archaeobotanical analyses identify domesticated barley, the cultural utilisation of grasses on-site, and a hinterland vegetation of open fields. The combined microarchaeological evidence enables a more detailed reconstruction of the variability in construction technologies and the sequence of collapse and degradation processes in an Iron Age settlement.

History of Siberia. VOL. 1. Stone and bronze age. Editor-in-Chief, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences M.V. Shunkov Novosibirsk: Publishing House of the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography SB RAS, 2022. 660 p. History of Siberia. VOL. 2. Iron age and middle ages. Editor-in-Chief, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.I. Molodin Novosibirsk: Publishing House of the

The article presents an overview of new archaeological research materials from the first two volumes of the fundamental “History of Siberia” (Novosibirsk, 2019–2022). The academic publication was prepared exclusively by scientists from Siberia and the Far East. The main authors are specialists from the Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, other academic institutions of the Siberian Branch and Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, classical universities and colleges of Siberia. The first volume is devoted to the Stone and Bronze Ages, the second – to the Iron Age and the Middle Ages. The volumes cover the period from ancient times to the 16th century. Many of the results of these studies have become significant not only for Siberian and Asian archeology, but have also acquired global scientific significance.

Production of glazed ceramics in south-eastern Crimea. Historical background and archaeological context

During the second half of the 13th and throughout the 14th centuries, Crimea was at the epicenter of multi-ethnic and multi-cultural interactions between East and West that contributed to its economic recovery. The production of glazed ceramics became one of the new and intensively developing industries in Crimea and was one of the markers of its economic growth. It is commonly believed that it was local glazed pottery that flooded the markets of Eastern Europe and the Black Sea region for almost two centuries from the late 13th century until the Ottoman conquest of the Black Sea region in the last quarter of the 15th century. These ceramics have usually been joined in the ‘South-Eastern Crimea’ or SEK group, which, as generally considered, combined the products of the big pottery centers in Solkhat, Sougdaia, Caffa, and their vicinity. However, the attempts to identify subgroups associated with each of them are still hypothetical, largely because they are not based on material from the workshops themselves. So, we focused on the study of local glazed pottery manufacturing in Southeastern Crimea by analyzing the historical background of the emergence and development of this industry and by supplementing, clarifying, and detailing the topography, the pottery repertoires, and the chronology for each of the pottery workshops through archaeological materials.