Archaeological Value Research Articles

Staging Statecraft: Dance Festivals and Cultural Representations in Konark, Odisha, India

This essay argues that dance festivals are choreographed spaces that shape cultural heritage. The Konark Dance Festival in Odisha, India, is an annual program situated around the Konark Sun Temple, a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site. The following explores the interrelationship between the modern space of the temple monument and the modern format of festival dances in Konark. The festival project juxtaposes the monument’s archaeological value with the dances’ cultural value in choreographic neatness, which requires a critical interrogation to determine the negotiations, appropriations, and discomfort these processes otherwise entail. This article also branches out into cultural discourses beyond the stated festival that examine the historical, diplomatic, and touristic networks the dance festival often encompasses. Following the creation of the modern state of Odisha (in 1936) and of the independent nation of India (in 1947), Odisha regional dance forms were remodelled to produce the state dance Odissi, which gained national “classical” recognition in the 1960s and subsequent international repute. Odissi dance has subsequently been formulated and globally circulated as an anthropomorphic symbol of the geopolitical state of Odisha. Through ethnography, visual study, and choreographic analysis, this essay explores the (re)presentational aspects of the region-state in and through dance, which rhetorically inform the staging of the Konark Dance Festival.

Some first observations on ant-nest morphology and micromorphology, the effects of wildfires, and their implications for the understanding of archaeological features

Ants are among the soil mesofauna that cause significant bioturbation at the location of their nests. They can have significant impact on the preservation of soil features and on post-depositional artefact distribution. Moreover, there is discussion on the natural or anthropogenic nature of so-called ‘pit-hearth’ features dating to the Mesolithic. Such features are common in parts of the Netherlands, NW Belgium, and NW Germany, and form an important body of evidence in the study of hunter-gatherer landscape use. However, it has been hypothesized that these features represent ant nests burnt due to climate-related wildfires, instead of anthropogenic pit hearths, and are therefore of little archaeological value, other than as a potential proxy for climate conditions. Considering the lack of direct evidence on underground characteristics of ant nests, we investigated the characteristics of two wood ant nests: Oone abandoned and one accidently burnt in a wildfire c. 10 years earlier. We trenched through the ant nest remains and used micromorphology to study the characteristics of the ant-influenced soil profiles. The surface domes of the ant nests had disappeared, leaving behind a bowl-shaped depression. In the burnt ant nest, a thin band of charred litter-like organic material was all that was left over from the burned superstructure. These depressions seem not to reach deeper than the top of cemented podzol Bhs-horizons. Surrounding and underneath the depression, extensive networks of tunnels and chambers were found in the B- and C-horizons. If archaeological artefacts had been present on the site, they would have become buried and moved to the top of the B-horizon. Any soil features would have been destroyed. Moreover, the extensive tunnel and chamber network extending from the depression would potentially affect the botanical record and the OSL signal of the deposits.Comparison of our results with Mesolithic pit-hearth features shows substantial differences between the two types of remains. Ant nest depressions do not extend into (cemented) podzol B horizons, whereas Mesolithic pit hearths typically have their base in the C horizons. The extensive tunnelling in B- and C-horizons of large ant nests has not been observed in Mesolithic pit-hearth features. On the other hand, the large amount of charred humus and charcoal fragments in Mesolithic pit hearths are lacking in the burned ant nest we studied. We therefore conclude that Mesolithic pit-hearth features are not the result of the burning down of ant nests, but should be regarded as anthropogenic features.

Maatschappelijke doelgroepen en activiteiten van het project De Start van Veeteelt in Nederland

Societal target audiences and activities of the project the Emergence of Domesticated Animals in the Netherlands (EDAN)This contribution presents the societal outreach activities that are part of the 2020-2024 EDAN project. We present the ambition to have an impact on farmers because they play an important role as caretakers of archaeological values in the soil. To this end, we organized an exhibition in the Rundveemuseum in Aartswoud and produced a freely available module for students in animal husbandry.

Disasters and Archaeology: A Remote Sensing Approach for Determination of Archaeology At-Risk to Desertification in Sistan

Desertification in semi-arid environments poses a significant risk to the archaeology within arid and semi-arid regions. Due to multiple political and physical barriers, accessing desertification-prone areas is complex, complicating pathways towards generating a hands-on understanding of the time–depth and distribution of archaeology throughout these regions. This research developed a remote sensing methodology to determine the areas of Sistan experiencing the highest levels of desertification and the threat of that desertification to known and potential archaeology. As desertification processes are occurring rapidly, this work’s methodology is straightforward and efficient. In a region of vast archaeological value, desertification threatens to prevent archaeologists from potential insight and discovery. This work showcases the opportunity for remote sensing to work as a tool for accessing archaeology in physically inaccessible desertification-prone regions.

충주 계족산 城址의 현황과 성격

This article presents an in-depth analysis of the recently revealed status of the Chungju Gyejoksan fortress site. This site is presumed to be an ancient Chungjuseong Fortress, where Chungju military officer, Kim, Yun-Hoo won in battle during the 1253 Goryeo Dynasty war against the Mongolian invasion. Gyejoksan fortress site encircles a valley formed between two peaks of Gyemyeongsan mountain (774.3 meters above sea level). The first peak (703 meters), is positioned to the south of the summit, while the second peak (709 meters), lies to the east of the first peak. The fortress wall is predominantly characterized by outer walls constructed using the Naetak technique, supplemented by sections of double walls. Noteworthy is the variance of the height of the walls, with the highest point being 709 meters and the lowest point 450 meters, exhibiting an elevation difference of approximately 259 meters. The fortress perimeter spans about 3km, demonstrating an adept utilization of environmental features such as cliffs and steep terrain in its construction. The walls, ranging in height from 2 to 4 meters, are constructed using irregular-shaped stones assembled with a rubble work technique and finished with wedge stones. Artifacts recovered from within the fortress site date primarily to the mid to late Goryeo Dynasty Period, including a significant quantity of rooftop tiles adorned with diverse patterns such as plain, fishbone, lattice, and compound designs. Gyejoksan fortress site shares similarities with several other fortresses, including Chenryongsanseong Fortress in Chungju, Samaksanseong Fortress in Chuncheon, Hangyesanseong Fortress in Inje, Gwongeumseong Fortress in Sokcho, Suinsanseong Fortress in Jangheung, Cheongnyangsanseong Fortress in Bonghwa, and Ipamsanseong Fortress in Jangseong. Given its strategic position as a backdrop mountain fortress to the Chungju town center, the Gyejoksan Fortress site is believed to possess significant historical and archaeological value. It is thought to have played a pivotal role in the Goryeo Dynasty's resistance against Mongol incursions, forming an interconnected defensive network with nearby mountain fortresses such as Namsanseong and Daerimsanseong.

Developing a 3D strategy: Pipelines and recommendations for 3D structured light scanning of archaeological artefacts

Archaeology has faced increased pressure to digitise collections and make artefacts available and accessible to a wider audience. 3D imaging involves producing a 3D digital or printed model of an object or site. 3D models have the potential to augment the traditional approaches to museum engagement whilst breaking down the barriers to access, whether through providing 3D printed proxies in museums or sharing digital models online. 3D imaging has clear value in archaeology and public engagement but there is no standardisation or accessible pipelines available for achieving professional 3D imaging output. There is very little consensus in 3D modelling and worldwide, digital collections are being created with no methodological consistency. This research observed each stage necessary for producing high-quality 3D models with structured light scanning (SLS) technology. SLS was effective on a range of textures that may be encountered in archaeological scenarios, although highly reflective objects, or pale objects with black areas, may fail to be captured even with an altered strategy. In order to make the 3D model most representative of the archaeological find, it is recommended that a range of scanner settings such as brightness or shutter speed are tested on the object before committing these settings to the rest of the scans. Generalised 3D scanning pipelines are provided to inform archaeological teams on a 3D digital and printing strategy.

Digital measurement of deciduous tooth dimensions in China: A cross-sectional survey

ObjectiveCrown dimensions data of deciduous teeth hold anthropological, forensic, and archaeological value. However, such information remains scarce for the Chinese population. This multi-center study aimed to collect a large sample of deciduous crown data from Chinese children using three-dimensional measurement methods and to analyze their dimensions. DesignA total of 1592 children's deciduous dentition samples were included, and the sample size was distributed according to Northeast, North, East, Northwest, Southwest and South China. Digital dental models were reconstructed from plaster dental models. Independent sample t test, paired t test, principal component analysis (PCA), and factor analysis (FA) were used to analyze the tooth crown dimensions. Result18,318 deciduous teeth from 1592 children were included. Males exhibited slightly larger values than females. The range of sexual dimorphism percentages for each measurement was as follows: mesiodistal diameter (0.40–2.08), buccolingual diameter (0.13–2.24), and maxillogingival diameter (0.48–3.37). The FA results showed that the main trend of crown dimensions changes was the simultaneous increase or decrease in mesiodistal diameter, buccolingual diameter and maxillogingival diameter in three directions. ConclusionThis is the first large-scale survey of deciduous tooth crown dimensions in China, which supplements the data of deciduous tooth measurement and provides a reference for clinical application.

Unsettled Responsibilities: Antiquity, Resistance, and Rubble in Mandate Palestine

ABSTRACT The 1927 Jericho earthquake caused widespread damage across Palestine and Transjordan, both ruled at the time by Britain. The worst-hit city was Nablus, where the Old City’s historic buildings became a field for conflict. Drawing on G. Gordillo’s differentiation between ruins and rubble and his analysis of colonial anxiety, power, and oppression, this article considers local and colonial reactions and competition over the material heritage of Nablus, particularly in the city’s Samaritan Quarter and the Crusader wall of the Great Mosque. Entangled in these are definitions of antiquity and ideas of archaeological value for the Ottoman and British rulers of Palestine. Decisions made and contested in Nablus and Jerusalem highlight the fine line between ruin and rubble, the mechanisms by which the mandatory administration sought to tame the built environment and indigenous communities of Nablus, and the way their confrontations reverberated in the city’s rebellious history and insurrectionary future.

Storytelling about Shipwrecks and Scuttled Ships from the 17–19th Century in the UNESCO World Heritage Site ‘Naval Port of Karlskrona’ in Sweden

Abstract Shipwrecks obviously have stories to tell. Combined with a UNESCO World Heritage site and its Outstanding Universal Value, storytelling becomes a powerful tool for discussions about the preservation, usage, and development of cultural heritages. Within or near the World Heritage the Naval Port of Karlskrona, there is a large number of wrecks and scuttled ships (deliberately sunken ships). The article aims to share examples of how mainly scuttled ships can be used to arouse interest and how their stories can be displayed with different methods. For a long time, scuttled ships have been dismissed with arguments that there are no artefacts left and therefore of less archaeological value. In the Naval Port of Karlskrona, these ships have instead been shown to have an important role in understanding and strengthening the Outstanding Universal Value.

Does archaeology deliver evidence about the past or co-create contemporary values?

The paper focuses on heritage value systems, particularly investigating the archaeological understanding of heritage values and evaluation. The literature review shows that the postmodern archaeological paradigm predominantly covers the topic, while the perspective of the intrinsic value is less explored. The starting point of our research is the thesis that archaeological paradigms obstruct better public support if they refrain from using axiological considerations. By archaeological paradigm, we refer to the processual and post-processual ones (the latter focusing on understanding past social phenomena). Axiology, as the theory of values, developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its approach is now used in many areas of social sciences (for example, education and medical care). Public archaeology is more open to societal needs than processual and post-processual archaeology but has yet to apply a values-based approach consistently. To clarify our thesis, we analyse the theoretical and practical considerations on the values of (archaeological) heritage, including the issues of the categorization of values, reflection on who assigns values to heritage and how this affects the reception of archaeological knowledge in society. The paper addresses some critical aspects of the evaluation in archaeological heritage conservation, management and building alliances with locals and communities who identify with heritage. I outline a comprehensive archaeological evaluation system considering systemic, extrinsic and intrinsic archaeological values in the conclusions.

Náměstí Nového Města v Praze. Archeologické hodnoty historických veřejných prostranství a jejich preventivní památková ochrana

Náměstí Nového Města v Praze. Archeologické hodnoty historických veřejných prostranství a jejich preventivní památková ochrana

3D digital analysis for geo-structural monitoring and virtual documentation of the saint Michael cave in Minervino Murge, Bari (Italy)

The presence of caves and, in general, of subterranean landforms produced by karst processes is among the most typical geological features of the territory of Apulia, southern Italy. Several examples can be counted throughout the region, especially in the Murge area. The need to perform geo-structural analysis aimed at evaluating the stability conditions is especially significant for those caves open to the public. In the Murge area, the cave of Saint Michael at Minervino Murge is among the most famous. Beside the religious and historical interests, the whole cave needed a detailed analysis of the rock mass stability, both for protection of its architectural and archaeological values, and for safeguard of the visitors. At these aims, we performed various digital surveys by means of laser scanners and drones equipped with high-resolution cameras, in order to understand the geological setting of the entire cave and to identify unstable blocks.

Archaeological approaches to RNA virus evolution.

Studies with RNA enzymes (ribozymes) and protein enzymes have identified certain structural elements that are present in some cellular mRNAs and viral RNAs. These elements do not share a primary structure and, thus, are not phylogenetically related. However, they have common (secondary/tertiary) structural folds that, according to some lines of evidence, may have an ancient and common origin. The term 'mRNA archaeology' has been coined to refer to the search for such structural/functional relics that may be informative of early evolutionary developments in the cellular and viral worlds and have lasted to the present day. Such identified RNA elements may have developed as biological signals with structural and functional relevance (as if they were buried objects with archaeological value), and coexist with the standard linear information of nucleic acid molecules that is translated into proteins. However, there is a key difference between the methods that extract information from either the primary structure of mRNA or the signals provided by secondary and tertiary structures. The former (sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis) requires strict continuity of the material vehicle of information during evolution, whereas the archaeological method does not require such continuity. The tools of RNA archaeology (including the use of ribozymes and enzymes to investigate the reactivity of the RNA elements) establish links between the concepts of communication and language theories that have not been incorporated into knowledge of virology, as well as experimental studies on the search for functionally relevant RNA structures.

PREREQUISITES FOR THE CREATION OF ETHNOGRAPHIC PARK "SHKODOVA MOUNTAIN" IN ODESSA

The article examines ethnographic parks, open-air museums and cave settlements of Ukraine for the relevance of creating an ethnographic park in Odessa.
 Tourist centers of territorial tourism systems are, as a rule, historical settlements that have valuable objects of cultural heritage and are determined according to the List of Historical Settlements of Ukraine. The role of tourist centers, in addition to historical settlements, is played by almost all regional cities, which, in addition to monuments, also have notable objects of modern architecture. Most ethnographic parks and open-air museums are located in the northwestern part of Ukraine. One of the most famous open-air museums of our country is the National Museum of Folk Architecture and Life of Ukraine, better known as the Pirogov Museum, which is located in the village of Pirogov, Kyiv region. The open-air Ethnographic Museum "Frumushyka-Nova Bessarabian Village" (2008) has only recently appeared in Odessa region. Another interesting type of settlement found on the territory of our country is Cave settlements (fortresses, cities and monasteries), the most famous "Cave Cities" are located in Crimea. On the mainland of Ukraine, cave settlements are mainly represented by "Cave monasteries". Odessa "Shkodova Mountain" is the center of Usativ culture, on the top of the mountain there is the Usativ cemetery and the Usativ burial mound, at the foot of it – another Cossack cemetery and the famous "Cave Houses" – unique historical monuments of the end of the 18th century, which need to be preserved as a unique cultural heritage of the Cossack era in Odessa. This territory, with appropriate natural and landscape resources within the settlement, which has a natural landscape, historical monuments, a beach and bathing area (a good location on the shore of the Khadzhibey estuary) and the presence of recreational facilities (Sanatorium "Kuyalnik"), can become a wonderful a short-term recreation area for tourists and residents of Odessa.
 All this indicates the urgency of creating an ethnographic museum in the city of Odessa called "Shkodova Mountain", taking into account the historical and archaeological value of this territory.

An object of great archaeological value in the Museum of Mitrovica

Archeology is the science that allowed us to know the past of human societies and brought to light many exhibits, whether movable or static. However, random finds are just as valuable as those that are made with purpose and prepared, such as archaeological expeditions.
 The Muse statue in Mitrovica was accidentally discovered during the excavation of the foundations for the construction of the city's gymnasium, but its value is extremely high since it is unique in Kosovo, while in other countries it is very rare.
 The statue of the Muse is made of lead, which shows us that this region knew the processing of metals very early, it also gives us information that apart from exploitation, the craft of metal processing was also very well known.
 The statue of the Museum in Mitrovica is one of the most precious exhibits that is kept in the city museum, this exhibit also has a special security, while its copy is presented to the public in the museum exhibition.

The social imagination and its representations in the paintings of students of the Department of Art Education

The aim of this research is to identify how to employ the social imagination and its representations in the paintings of the students of the Department of Art Education. Students of the Department of Art Education in the light of this tool, and the researcher reached a number of results, the most important of which are:1. The indicator of the social imagination in the excitement of the artist and the recipient, because the representations are embodied in forms within the painting and close to reality.2. An artistic sample of the representational imagination and the creative imagination was found to be more than the imaginary imagination.3. Individual symptoms related to the term.4. The representations of the social imagination were able to focus on social values and reject archaeological values, eliminating the positive energy of the artist and the audience.The research concluded with a review, recommendations and a list of references

Archaeology in Botswana's history

AbstractIn this paper, we argue that archaeology plays a significant role in promoting history, and the two disciplines complement each other. The study uses archaeological monuments and sites to assess how these can be used to effectively enhance the transmission of history to the public. This paper demonstrates the tremendous value of historical archaeology beyond colonial records as a source of data for the voiceless. Our study concludes that well‐researched and packaged historical and archaeological information is essential to the promotion of the heritage tourism industry as part of the knowledge‐based economy.

Discussion of the Non-Destructive Testing Possibilities for the Study of the Great Pyramid of Giza

Many constructions built by ancient civilization hold many mysteries and attract the attention of historians, archaeologists and tourists from all over the world. The most famous and enigmatical among them is the Great (Khufu’s-Cheops’) Pyramid on the Giza plateau in Egypt. The assignment, construction methods and especially the inside structure of the Pyramid have been the cause of heated debate among historians and researchers since ancient times. Unfortunately, not only researchers are interested in ancient structures and excavation sites of archaeological values, but also robbers and illegal seekers of archaeological values. This led to the partial destruction of the Pyramid by the order of the Arab caliph Al-Ma’mun in the 9th century AD. From the middle of the last century, the point of view has prevailed that only non-destructive testing methods are acceptable when examining ancient structures. In the 1960s, a technology was proposed for transilluminating the pyramids of Giza by muons, which are generated by cosmic rays in the Earth’s atmosphere. This method gave promising results. Other means were also proposed, which include radar, as well as gravitational and vibration technologies. However, despite numerous attempts to use them, no significant success or discovery has been achieved. A discussion of these methods, their applications and partial successes is the subject of this article.

أثر المكان على السياحة

Most communities seek, which possesses a cultural legacy to communicate with the past and to reach the best possible legislation to help them protect their cultural. Tourism as the economic development based on the data in light distinct places, including traditional and historical environments requiring activated and revived in my adopting the concept of transnational Revival Tourism. Through the survey data in environments where conventional and (historical - Sensationalism) theoretically and practically, it was drawn from a number of indicators truth spatial phenomenon and the phenomenon depends show and try on a number of variables and interventions including historical and philosophical interpretations of those facts, in addition to theoretical and policy orientations or local government. Those indicators were tested on four samples were Aleppo castle and its surroundings, and the old city of Aleppo and its surroundings, adopted by the state of research as a cultural one and intertwined with historical and archaeological values and traditional surroundings, to explore the values underlying facts percentage-active (frozen), which show depends on the ability and activate planned and designed urban and domestic policies on the understanding and use of historian , archeologist and sociologists. . The percentage values College Library 42% in the four samples relative values but they must be significant and have an impact in increasing the visibility and location in the event activated.

Camp Archaeology at the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice (Formerly Lamsdorf), Poland

Since June 2022, the Central Museum of Prisoners-of-War (Poland) has been carrying out a multidisciplinary research project entitled “Science for Society, Society for Science at the Site of National Remembrance in Łambinowice.” The aim of this article is to discuss the preliminary results of selected non-invasive and invasive archaeological and ethnographic research realized during the first months of the field activities. Additionally, they show the value of so-called community archaeology in which the participation of local inhabitants in field research is an important element of applied methodology.