Archaeological Research Articles

Rural Settlement Dynamics in a Rapidly Urbanizing Landscape: Insights from Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeological Field Surveys in Zanzibar, Tanzania

ABSTRACT In Africa, rapid urbanization covers archaeological sites and limits the utility of traditional archaeological field survey methods. This is not only a crisis for archaeological heritage conservation, but it also distinctly impacts anthropological understandings of African urban trajectories since much evidence for precolonial urbanism lies within areas of rapid expansion. However, high-resolution multitemporal satellite data may facilitate reconstructions of urban growth in African cities, enabling archaeological surveys to target undeveloped areas for prospection within the interstices of modern urban development. This paper describes an application of satellite remote sensing for archaeological prospection within the rapidly urbanizing hinterland of Zanzibar Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Survey results reveal settlement trajectories around the city over the last millennium, drawing attention to the role of rural agricultural land as a factor in the emergence of precolonial urbanism and the continued significance of rural places as urbanization progressed into the Colonial era.

Objects, affordances, and material histories in Roman Palestine: a case study on Northern Collar-Neck Lamps and their uses in early Jewish Sources

Abstract This article seeks to contribute to the growing scholarship on object-focused Roman histories by expanding the conversation to previously overlooked archaeological finds from Roman Palestine. This case study focuses on “Northern Collar-Neck Lamps,” which have been found throughout Roman Galilee and date to the first two centuries CE. I argue that their distinctive high collar, perhaps designed to reduce spillage, also served as an affordance that invited additional modes of interaction, namely placing a supplemental reservoir for oil – such as a pierced eggshell – over the filling hole. Once set up, this would allow for a slow drip of oil to prolong illumination time without human intervention. This usage is suggested from chronologically and geographically proximate sources, namely early rabbinic literature: Hebrew and Aramaic writings from the first centuries that reference physical details and uses of hundreds of objects and could prove helpful for future material histories of the Roman era.

How Did Rituals Change with the Changing Ritual Places During the Second Millennium BC in Southwest England?

This study explores the transformation of ritual spaces in southwest England during the second millennium BC, focusing on the transition from monumental structures to residential settlements. Initially, ritual activities predominantly occurred within barrows and ring-cairns. By the Middle Bronze Age, however, these activities shifted towards houses and settlements, reflecting broader changes in architectural practices and social dynamics. This research examines the implications of these shifts through archaeological findings and literature review, highlighting how rituals became integrated into daily domestic spaces and the continuity of ritual practices through the reconfiguration of abandoned settlements into monument-like structures. The findings suggest that the evolution of ritual spaces was closely tied to the socio-spiritual landscape of the community, revealing significant insights into the cultural and social dynamics of prehistoric Europe.

Landscape Histories and the Search for Early Settlements along Louisiana's Bayous

Abstract Historical changes from shifting land use, the natural meandering of waterways, and the aftereffects of erosion complicate modern environments and obfuscate precontact landscapes. Although archaeologists can create stratified sampling models or employ systematic surveys, traditional field methodologies are often not suitable for site discovery, thereby limiting knowledge of ancient cultural landscapes. Many water systems in southern Louisiana, and in many parts of the world, have been covered or concealed in backswamps by natural geomorphological processes, development, or environmental degradation. Investigation standards that do not account for these changes will not be effective at identifying archaeological sites in such transformed landscapes. Discoveries made during ongoing archaeological research in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, provide examples of what can be missed and offer solutions through changes in archaeological field methods. This article advocates for a mixed-methodology approach, drawing from historical research and shallow geophysics to look at landforms and landscape changes. Strictly following state survey guidelines can muddle the archaeological record, particularly in places subject to significant landscape change from historical land-use alteration. By applying these approaches, we offer a way to reconstruct ancient landscapes and landforms that are culturally significant but often missed given the nature of modern environmental conditions.

Soil Bacteria in Archaeology: What Could Rank Abundance Functions Tell Us About Ancient Human Impacts on Microbial Communities?

Metagenomic analysis of soil bacterial communities based on 16S rRNA reflects a typical community composition containing a low number of high-abundance types and a very high number of low-abundance types. Here, the formation of characteristic rank order functions of bacterial abundance is investigated by modelling the dynamics of soil bacterial communities, assuming a succession of different bacterial populations that grow rapidly and decay more slowly. We found that the characteristic shape of typical rank order functions is well reflected by simulations. In addition, our model allowed us to investigate strong disturbances in the soil, which could be expected in cases of strongly changing local environmental conditions in soil, e.g., after translocation and covering of soil material. Such events could lead to the formation of shoulders in the rank order functions. Abundance rank orders observed in cases of some archaeological soil samples do indeed show such a shoulder and could be well interpreted by simulated rank order functions. As a result, it can be concluded that the investigations herein support our hypothesis that abundance rank orders contain information about the temporal order of developing bacterial types in changing communities and thus store information about local environmental conditions in the past, including ancient humans’ impact on soil. This information can be used for interpretation of archeological findings and for reconstruction of different former human activities, as well as knowledge on the translocation of soil material in the past.

Dune activity history in China's east dunefields over the past millennium

ABSTRACTDune activity encompasses both activation and dune stabilization processes, with the former potentially threatening the sustainability of global ecosystems and human societies. Research on historical dune activity has raised concern among environmental scientists and serves as a foundation for assessing recent and future changes in arid and semi‐arid ecosystems. Disagreements related to the causes of historical dune activation persist because of the lack of a more detailed dune activity history for China's east dunefields. Based on stratigraphic evidence, historical documents and archaeological discoveries in the Mu Us and Horqin dunefields, this study presents a detailed dune activity history as well as the forcing mechanisms for China's east dunefields as a whole over the past millennium. The results revealed that two episodes of extensive dune activation (from 800 to 940 ce and from 1300 to 2000 ce) occurred in China's east dunefields, accounting for 69% of the past millennium. The proportions of extensive dune activation driven by a cold and dry climate (from 800 to 940 ce and from 1300 to 1730 ce), strong human activity (from 1900 to 2000 ce) and their combined impacts (from 1730 to 1900 ce) were approximately 68%, 12% and 20%, respectively. Thus, China's east dunefields were in a state of extensive dune activation for most of the past millennium, and most extensive dune activation was driven by climate. Local or sporadic dune activation occurred from 940 to 1300 ce and since 2000 ce in China's east dunefields, which was caused by strong human activity.

Identifying Anthropogenic Versus Natural Submerged Prehistoric Landscapes: Two Case Studies from the Sicilian Channel

In submerged landscapes, distinguishing anthropogenic features versus natural ones is often challenging. We have developed a set of criteria to validate the identification of submerged anthropogenic remains that include examining the geological context, sea-level considerations, associated archaeological finds (including coastal survey), and documenting the broader archaeological context. Furthermore, our experience demonstrates that, while progress has been made in applying remote-sensing technologies to detect anthropogenic features on the seabed, there is no substitute for direct, visual assessment by an underwater archaeologist for verification of their anthropogenic status. We have applied these criteria to examine two published case studies detailing suspected anthropogenic stone features on the seabed in the Sicilian Channel. Our examination has led us to conclude that both localities are not anthropogenic features. The Pantelleria Vecchia Bank features represent natural outcrops on a submerged paleo-landscape that were shaped by depositional and erosional processes during transgression and regression periods. The suspected Lampedusa cultic site comprises natural features that are located on a submerged neo-landscape formed due to erosion and retreat of the coastal cliff since the mid-Holocene, when the sea level reached its present level.

O Bixiga em disputa: ambiente, cultura, memória e interesses imobiliários

Bixiga is currently experiencing a critical situation that threatens the preservation of what constitutes its most unmistakable cultural and environmental heritage, associated with the strong impact caused by the advance of real estate interests, announced by new buildings recently approved by Conpresp in its territory. Particular concern is the vulnerability to which the area known as Grota do Bixiga is being exposed, despite the existence of protective legislation agreed since the early 2000s. Concern is intensified by the fact that these developments create reckless precedents for others to be approved in the near future, thus putting an end to the possibility of preserving what remains of Grota do Bixiga. This approach allows us to look at a whole process of study, inventorying and consolidation of knowledge produced within the Historical Heritage Department, which began in the 1980s, linking architectural assets to the structuring elements of the urban fabric and to the social relationships that not only populate the memory of the place, but are kept alive in the cultural practices of the present. It also allows us to deal with the impasses between cultural heritage preservation policies and urban policies of a broader nature. It also allows us to deal with the impasses between cultural heritage preservation policies and broader urban policies. Finally, it allows us to analyze another layer of latent memory, unveiled by the discoveries linked to the excavations carried out for the construction of the Orange Line Subway Station. The recent archaeological finds have sparked an important debate about the origin of occupation of the neighborhood associated with the presence of the Quilombo Saracura, strengthening the memory of the black population, due to its representativeness and its persistence over time, as an essential element of the culture of the place, which cannot be erased or made invisible.

Navigational Insights during the Reign of Cyrus the Great: A Comprehensive Examination Based on Archaeological Findings Such as Clay Tablets, Reliefs, and an Analysis of Historical and Literary Texts

One of the earliest indications of Iranian navigation during the Achaemenid period is a relief found in the audience hall of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae, bearing the appellation “God of Water and Sea.” The primary focus of this article is to investigate whether navigation and maritime activities during the reign of Cyrus the Great were influenced by and expanded upon Phoenician techniques and Mesopotamian regions. Prior studies have generally taken a historical and overarching approach to this subject. Since complete trust cannot be placed in historical references and texts, and given the existence of certain deficiencies and even contradictions in the writings of ancient historians such as Herodotus, Xenophon, and others, this research aims to shed new light on the obscure aspects of navigation and seafaring during this era, relying on archaeological findings such as the clay tablets, relief, and a reexamination of previous literary and historical texts. This article employs an analytical-descriptive methodology and a library-based approach. Among the archaeological findings from this period, a total of two reliefs in Pasargadae and two clay tablets are subject to investigation and research. The examination of the artifacts and findings from Pasargadae demonstrates that the Achaemenids indirectly came under the influence of Phoenician art and Mesopotamian regions concerning navigation. Furthermore, in the pursuit of maritime development, trade, and shipping, they were directly influenced by the Phoenicians. With the acquisition of maritime power, they successfully annexed many neighboring lands to their powerful empire.

Holocene shoreline displacement, land‐cover change and human settlement distribution on the southeast coast of Sweden

ABSTRACTIn this study, we investigate the interplay between relative sea‐level changes, the development of human settlements and land‐cover changes in the Västervik–Gamlebyviken region on the southeast coast of Sweden, an important archaeological area from the Mesolithic until recent times. The reconstruction of shore displacement was based on diatom analysis of radiocarbon‐dated sediment cores from three lake basins combined with previously published lake isolation data. The resulting curve was used to construct palaeogeographical maps for selected time windows. Land‐cover changes were inferred from pollen data from three lakes using the Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm with its two models REVEALS and LOVE. Our data suggest that people took advantage of the land gained due to an overall fall in relative sea level from ~35 to ~3 metres above sea level (m a.s.l.) over the last 10 000 years, interrupted by periods of transgression and highstands. A sea‐level regression of ~16 m occurred between 10 000 and 8500 cal a bp followed by an ~3–4‐m sea‐level rise, reaching ~22 m a.s.l. at ~7500 cal a bp, which corresponds to the maximum Littorina Sea shoreline in the area. The available archaeological findings for the Mesolithic and Early Neolithic (8950–5450 cal a bp) agree well with the shore displacement curve showing that settlements and human activities were concentrated along or above the shorelines as defined from our study. During the transgression after 8500 cal a bp, however, seasonal settlements were submerged (as shown by findings of polished stone tools and hearths buried in sand) and used again during the subsequent regression after 4600 cal a bp. The Iron Age (2450–900 cal a bp) corresponds partly to a highstand at ~11 m a.s.l. between 3600 and 2000 cal a bp and partly to a rapid regression of ~8 m between 2000 and 1500 cal a bp, and both periods coincide with known human activities along the contemporaneous shoreline. The rapid regression after 2000 cal a bp corresponds to an increase of both regional and local landscape openness and the beginning of a continuous record of crop cultivation.

Stick Fighting and Stick Fencing in Ancient Egypt and Their Impact On the Present Day

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of stick fighting or stick fencing-like activities in ancient Egypt on modern sport. In the study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to investigate stick fighting and fencing activities in ancient Egypt and their impact on contemporary sport. The literature review focused on historical documents, tomb paintings, hieroglyphs and archaeological findings from the ancient Egyptian period from 3000 B.C. In ancient Egypt, stick fighting was a widely practised sport alongside wrestling. In ancient Egypt, stick fighting was a rivalry between two players. Although stick fencing is a very popular attraction for exhibition fights, it is sometimes not seen as a fight against an opponent, but rather as a dance performance. It is said that the stick or club wielders wore masks during the matches. The fencers had to bow to the audience before the fight. They then held their sticks in a crossed position. It is assumed that there was a scoring system for fighting with sticks. Although in ancient Egypt fighting with sticks or acrobatic movements with sticks were used for demonstration purposes such as dance events, this could have been the origin of modern fencing and combat training. The aesthetic movements and manoeuvres with sticks and the wearing of masks by the athletes are similar to today's fencing. In ancient Egypt, stick fighters can be seen as stick fencers. In African and Middle Eastern cultures, stick fencing is still widespread and is reflected in the traditions.

Geology, Archaeology, and Historical Studies of the Late 16th Century Plinian Eruption of Raung Volcano: A Potential Case for Disaster Geotourism in Ijen UNESCO Global Geopark, East Java, Indonesia

The enigmatic major eruption in the late 16th century, believed to have originated from Raung, the most active stratovolcano in the Ijen UNESCO Global Geopark in East Java, Indonesia, has ignited significant debate among researchers and historians due to its profound impact on the region. This research aims to substantiate Raung as the likely source of the major eruption by integrating geological, archaeological, and historical data. This study synthesizes current findings and explores ongoing debates surrounding historical volcanic activities. Eruption parameters suggest that the late 16th century eruption exhibited a Plinian type, characterized by an explosive eruption column reaching the stratosphere, widespread pumiceous tephra fallout, and pyroclastic density current (PDC). Stratigraphic succession reveals that the eruption occurred in five phases, with deposits from 10 eruptive units. These deposits are mainly concentrated on the northwestern flank of Raung. Archaeological findings, historical records, and local legends converge to pinpoint the occurrence of this catastrophic event in the late 16th century. These diverse sources estimate that the eruption resulted in approximately 10,000 casualties, marking it as one of the most significant volcanic disasters in the past 500 years. The implications of this eruption extend beyond historical documentation, providing a critical case study for advancing disaster mitigation strategies through geotourism in the geopark area. Moreover, the eruption record outcrops identified in this study can be proposed as potential new geosites within the Ijen UNESCO Global Geopark, enhancing its educational and touristic value. We propose the Jebung Kidul, Alas Sumur, and Batu Sappar sites as potential disaster-based geosites, considering that these sites record the eruption process and preserve archaeological structures. This addition would not only commemorate the historical event but also promote awareness and preparedness for future volcanic activities in the region.

Haghia Triada = da-wo or pa-i-to?

Abstract The data provided by the Linear B tablets from Knossos concerning the toponyms da-wo and pa-i-to, compared with the archaeological finds at the site of Haghia Triada - in the Cretan Messara Plain - strongly suggest that the Linear B name of this site was da-wo, while pa-i-to indicated only Phaistos.

Call for a responsive approach in Danish field archaeology

This article advocates for the formal adoption of a responsive approach in Danish field archae-ology, utilising a recent case study to exemplify its practical application. In contrast to adhering strictly to predetermined strategies, responsive archaeology underscores the importance of ongoing evaluation and prioritisation during fieldwork to optimise knowledge acquisition and research potential. Despite the informal practice of a responsive approach in many museums within Danish field archaeology, it lacks formal recognition as a legitimate working approach. To accommodate the continual assessment of features, structures, and contexts throughout excavation, guiding methodological choices and preferences, the proposed solution recommends incorporating a prioritisation field into our on-site recordings and then transferring these entries into our archaeological databases and GIS repositories. This would allow archaeologists to self-assess and document the priority assigned to each target during fieldwork, for better post-excavation analysis. This adaptive approach aims to empower excavation teams, enhance transparency, and unlock new potential for future research and excavation strategies.

PROVENIR DEL PORVENIR

In Provenir del porvenir Urbano hovers through the fields of sociology, archaeology and philosophy while reflecting on the different mediations of the work: the guided tour, the performance lecture and the video essay. The exposition is based on a speculative artistic-historiographic project where the artist, in the context and aesthetics of the Museum of History, connects her own genealogy with the North. The investigation is a response to recurrent question to people of color living in Scandinavia: “Where do you come from?” This question leads to an epistemological enquire, discussing the limits of knowledge production on a scientific basis versus knowledge production on an artistic basis.

Лепная посуда могильника Алмалык-Дере

The article describes the molded dishes of the burial ground of the 4th-7th centuries. AD Almalyk-dere, located in the South-Western Crimea. A comparative typological analysis of this group of archaeological finds, in general, demonstrates its general cultural unity with molded dishes from other Crimean burial grounds of the late Roman and early medieval times, with the presence of certain differences. Common features are manifested in the technique and technology of production of stucco products, as well as in the composition and structure of the ceramic complex, and differences are in the morphology and ornamentation of vessels. The study of Almalyk molded dishes allows us to say that the emergence of the burial ground is associated with the arrival of a group of new population in southwestern Taurica, consisting of the numerically predominant Alans, as well as Germans and, obviously, some part of the Bosporans and late Scythians.

Wine bottle overcapping wax: An aesthetic or functional element?

Archaeological findings indicate that waxes and resins have been used for millennia as sealants to preserve bottled wine. Their use is largely linked to the belief that they limit the exposure of wine to oxygen. However, despite this historical use, the exact role of waxes and resins in limiting oxygen transfer has rarely been studied and even less so considering their ability to serve as overcapping materials to protect food and beverages. Hence, the present work investigated the effect of the presence of waxes/resins as overcapping materials and their impact on oxygen transfer through bottles corked with cork-based stoppers over a 1-year period of storage. The results demonstrated that waxes and resins have oxygen barrier properties which differ according to their chemical composition. For their application as overcapping materials, whatever the type of stopper considered, if the stopper has a lower permeability to oxygen than the wax and a surface treatment that effectively limits the transfer at the glass/cork interface, the wax will play a more aesthetic than functional role.

A Cippus from Turris Libisonis: Evidence for the Use of Local Materials in Roman Painting on Stone in Northern Sardinia

The ancient Roman town of Turris Libisonis was located on the northern coast of Sardinia and was known in the past as an important naval port. Located in the Gulf of Asinara, it was a Roman colony from the 1st century BCE and became one of the richest towns on the island. Among the archaeological finds in the area, the cippus exhibited in the Antiquarium Turritano is of great interest for its well-preserved traces of polychromy. The artefact dates back to the early Imperial Age and could have had a funerary or votive function. The artefact was first examined using a portable and non-invasive protocol involving multi-band imaging (MBI), portable X-ray fluorescence (p-XRF), portable FT-IR in external reflectance mode (ER FT-IR) and Raman spectroscopy. After this initial examination, a few microfragments were collected and investigated by optical microscopy (OM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in ATR mode (ATR FT-IR) and micro-ATR mode (μATR FT-IR) and Scanning Electron Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to improve our knowledge and characterize the materials and to determine their provenience. The results contribute to a better understanding of the provenance of materials and shed light on pigments on stone and their use outside the Italian peninsula and, in particular, Roman Sardinia.

Jejak Okupasi Manusia Prasejarah di Situs Gua Batu Baras, Kalimantan Selatan

Batu Baras Cave, located in Bangkalan Dayak village, is an archaeological site in the limestone hill area of ​​Kotabaru Regency, South Kalimantan. Kalimantan prehistoric times have not been established as well as in Java. Recent publications reveal human occupation in the Preneolithic-Paleometallic period in the Kotabaru karst, including in Batu Cave, Cililin Cave 1, Jauharlin Cave 1, and Batu Baras Cave. This article describes the variability of archaeological findings to reveal that human occupation occurred in Batu Baras Cave. Morphological and stylistic analysis aims to illustrate the variety of archaeological data found. We used several approaches to compile the interpretation, including zooarchaeology, paleoanthropology, and spatial. Our result reveals that human occupation in Batu Baras Cave occurred in the early Prenolithic-Neolithic period in 12,402-4,230 calBP. Batu Baras Cave became a dwelling and burial site for the Australomelanesid population in the Preneolithic. The Austronesians inhabited Batu Baras Cave in the Neolithic.

The archaeology of eastern Lutruwita (Tasmania)

ABSTRACTFifty years have passed since the first systematic archaeological surveys and excavations were conducted in Lutruwita (Tasmania). Despite numerous Late Pleistocene archaeological discoveries in the southwest region, no indisputable pre‐Holocene sites have been found in eastern Tasmania. This profound difference raises questions about how Aboriginal people utilised the Lutruwita landscape; first as a projecting peninsula into the Southern Ocean and then as an island cut off by rising seas c.14000 years ago.To examine the difference between east and west further, legacy data excavated by one of us (RJ) in 1964 at the Oatlands OL1 site and stored at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery (TMAG) has been analysed. The results of pXRF chemical analysis of artefact raw material, radiocarbon dating and studies of faunal remains have produced information that highlights the Holocene interaction between people in eastern Lutruwita. Despite the current lack of Late Pleistocene evidence from eastern Lutruwita, this pattern appears to be different from land use models for Late Pleistocene southwestern Lutruwita. With new information from the OL1 rock shelter site we can now contrast the Late Pleistocene hunting economics with the exceptionally well‐preserved faunal remains found in the Holocene site, OL1.