Archaeological Research Research Articles

The design and implementation of a new travelling museum initiative to bring heritage to people in Southern Africa

ABSTRACT Traditional museums are faced with many challenges in Africa. One of these is the public's ability to access museum collections as well as heritage sites. This problem is worsened where physical barriers, such as distance, and financial constraints inhibit people's ability to view, visit, and engage heritage, resulting in a growing void. To overcome this, we developed and are testing a travelling museum initiative that presents the findings of an active archaeological research project currently underway in northern South Africa's middle Limpopo Valley. This paper presents the travelling museum and its theoretical underpinnings from inception to production. We provide details regarding the design and development of the museum and discuss the initial limitations and challenges. Our intention is to outline the details of this initiative because we believe that it may be of interest to others who wish to use similar approaches for their own community engagement programmes.

Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) in Kedah, Malaysia, as a sustainable heritage tourism product

Archaeological research at the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) has revealed evidence of iron smelting workshops, river jetties, port management buildings, and ritual and Buddhist sites across an area of 4 km2. These features were developed into a heritage tourism product in the Kuala Muda district. To support heritage tourism, the data collected through field studies were processed into a 3-dimensional form via CorelDraw X7 (64-bit) and 3ds Max software. The Living Culture Gallery at the SBAC develops heritage tourism by applying digital technology such as VR, AR, hologram fans, and QR codes. Therefore, it directly contributes to the promotion of tourist sites and ensures their sustainability.

Advances in phytolith research in archaeology and paleoecology: developments and applications

Advances in phytolith research in archaeology and paleoecology: developments and applications

Refuse or Ritual Deposit? The Complexity of Wari Household Archaeology

The excavation of residential areas is a growing focus of research in Andean archaeology. Studies reveal that interpreting household remains from some prehispanic societies can be complex because of the nature of abandonment ritual, which may involve burnt offerings, the placement of valuables on floors, or the purposeful destruction of ceramic vessels that are distributed in patterned ways. The goods that constitute these offering practices can be confused with post-occupation refuse, especially when excavation units are relatively small. In this paper, I discuss the importance of assessing site formation processes in residential spaces and illustrate how different modes of household abandonment can make comparative analysis a complex exercise. I describe and compare several examples from Wari-affiliated residences at the sites of Cerro Baúl and Cerro Mejía, located in the department of Moquegua, Peru, to show how ritual depositions corresponding to house abandonment might affect the interpretation of daily domestic life. In particular, I examine how ritual assemblages have been interpreted as evidence of feasting to support propositions regarding the Wari political economy. I advocate that archaeologists interested in domestic areas, lifeways, and the political economy engage in large-scale horizontal excavations to ensure they can correctly distinguish between the remains of quotidian practices, the goods associated with ritual depositions, and refuse resulting from feasting, which is best substantiated with features and facilities to host empowering events.

Rapid screening of pottery lipid residue profile via comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography.

Pottery lipid residue analysis has been extensively practiced worldwide as an important part of archaeometry studies, but in some cases, the complexity of archaeological residue cannot be fully revealed by one-dimensional gas chromatography (1D GC) separation. Although the development of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography (GCxGC) has offered another way to achieve better separation and higher resolution, GCxGC separation has rarely been applied to pottery residue analysis. Clearly, GCxGC separation needs to be explored to examine and scrutinize the complexity of pottery lipid residue profile as well as rapid data treatment workflow. We analyzed pottery residue via comprehensive gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GCxGC/MS), through which a thorough understanding and deeper insight into their constituent complexity were obtained. The merits of GCxGC/MS separation were illustrated by a structured layout of different series of compounds on a 2D contour plot, with a detailed examination of the distributions of linear and branched fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) congeners, dimethyl esters (DIMEs) congeners and ω-(o-alkylphenyl)alkanoic acids (APAA) congeners with similar structures. The results showed that 2D analysis increased the number of chemical signatures, especially those at a trace level, which can be favorable for fingerprinting and identification. Additionally, the ordered group featured layout in the 2D profile leads to easy and quick location and identification of compound series as well as individual compounds, together with the use of high-quality mass spectra, facilitating a more rapid and reliable identification workflow. The improved characterization of aquatic biomarkers such as APAAs provides a more detailed discussion of ancient aquatic culinary and dietary practices. The complexity of isomerism and the number of congener patterns within pottery residues are illustrated for the first time, and 2D separation is beneficial for the analysis of pottery residues as well as other complex archaeological residues in cultural heritage and archaeological research. The 2D analysis built a visualized color plot with a structured layout of different compound series that simplified the analysis workflow, in which the archaeologist can visually compare the complexity of the sherd residue not attainable in the 1D analysis workflow. The improvement in sensitivity also enables the detection of trace-level compounds, which, in some cases, constitute key information in ancient diet studies.

Raman Spectroscopy and Imaging Techniques Applied to Neolithic Artefacts as a Valuable Contribution to the Archaeological Research on Piacentine Sites

Archaeologists and conservation scientists join interdisciplinary projects aiming at the in-depth analysis of artefacts and the resolution of new archaeological issues, overcoming the common limits of mesoscopic observation. The aim of this research is to perform multidisciplinary research, adapting imaging techniques (RTI imaging and 3D photogrammetry) and Raman spectroscopy from their conventional field of application to study and valorise neolithic archaeological findings from Piacentine sites (Emilia-Romagna, Italy). RTI images enable the detection of a comprehensive framework of anthropic and natural traces on the object surfaces to support the hypothesis of the intended usage of artefacts. Combining qualitative and quantitative Raman spectra analysis, the specific lithological characterisation of each fragment is conducted, thereby the understanding of their probable geographic provenance is enhanced. This contributes to the identification of the External Ligurian Units as a possible primary supply area, along with the already known outcrops in the Mont Viso Massif and Voltri Group. Their potential as a powerful instrument for conservation and valorisation has been revealed by 3D models. In fact, they may enrich museum exhibits, enhancing visitors’ experience through interactive engagement and guarantee the examination of artefacts by experts across the globe through online sharing, without the need for transportation and excessive manipulation.

Amino acid stable carbon isotopes in nail keratin illuminate breastfeeding and weaning practices of mother - infant dyads.

Compound-specific stable carbon isotope analysis of amino acids (CSIA-AA) is widely used in ecological studies to analyze food-webs and is gaining use in archaeology for investigating past diets. However, its use in reconstructing breastfeeding and weaning practices is not fully understood. This study evaluates the efficacy of stable carbon isotope analysis of amino acids in early life diet reconstruction by analyzing keratin from fingernail samples of three mother-infant pairs during late gestation and early postpartum periods. Our results show that stable carbon isotope ratios (δ13C) of glycine, and to a lesser extent glutamate, effectively trace the onset of exclusive breastfeeding and the end of weaning in infants. We propose that glycine's 'conditionally essential' metabolic pathway during infancy allows it to reflect maternal glycine δ13C, indicating breastmilk consumption. Subtle changes in glutamate δ13C likely result from its 'non-essential' status. Additionally, δ13C values of glycine and glutamate indicate maternal physiological and pathological stress due to catabolic effects such as gluconeogenesis. These findings have significant implications for ecological and archaeological research using CSIA-AA for dietary reconstructions. They highlight the need to understand how metabolic pathways affecting δ13C of amino acids may change over an individual's lifespan or be altered due to various forms of stress.

Are We Metamodern? The Structure of Today’s Archaeology from the Perspective of Cultural Studies

As of today, archaeological theory is represented by numerous simultaneously developing approaches. Some of them feature the ways archaeological theory conceptualizes the past. Others are self-reflexive and explore the political and social dimensions of contemporary archaeological practice. However, these different ways to discuss today’s archaeology rarely approach it in a holistic way, while recent advances in the studies of arts and culture, namely metamodern studies, suggest another perspective and foster looking at archaeology as a whole, drawing connections between the philosophical aspects of archaeological knowledge and the social and cultural features of archaeology as practiced by 21st-century scholars. This paper tests metamodernism as a theory capable of structuring and coherently describing contemporary archaeological practice. After outlining the most prominent structures of feeling of the 20th century – modernism and postmodernism, – it introduces metamodernism as a theoretical framework that describes the culture and society of 21st century. While this framework does not present any novel paradigm or suggest any new way of conducting archaeology, it aims to structure the existing practices more clearly. This paper explores the capacity of metamodern concepts to bridge posthumanism, actor-network theory, and epistemic scaffolding and reveals their logical connection to the structure of today’s archaeological research.

“Open Sourcing” Workflow and Machine Learning Approaches for Attributing Obsidian Artifacts to Their Volcanic Origins: A Feasibility Study from the South Caucasus

Traditionally, reliable obsidian sourcing requires expensive calibration standards and extensive geological reference collections as well as experience with statistical processing. In the South Caucasus — one of the most obsidian-rich regions on the planet — this combination of requirements has often restricted sourcing studies because few projects have geological reference collections that cover all known obsidian sources. To test an alternative approach, we conducted “open sourcing” using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) analyses of geological specimens with three key changes to the conventional method: (1) commercially available calibration standards were replaced with a loanable Peabody-Yale Reference Obsidians (PYRO) set, (2) a comprehensive geological reference collection was replaced with a published dataset of consensus values (Frahm, 2023a, 2023b), and (3) processing in statistical packages was replaced with two semiautomated machine-learning workflows available online. For comparison, we used classification by-eye with JMP 17.2 statistical software. Furthermore, we propose a new method to evaluate calibrations, which streamlines comparisons and which we refer to as a symmetric difference ratio (SDR). The results of this feasibility study demonstrate that this “open sourcing” workflow is reliable, yet currently only in combination with classification by-eye. When the consensus values were combined with the machine-learning solutions, the classification results were unsatisfactory. The most encouraging aspect of our alternative “open sourcing” workflow is that it enables correct source identification without physically measuring reference collections, therefore surmounting an obstacle that, until now, has severely limited archaeological research. We anticipate that rapid developments in machine-learning will also soon improve the workflow.

The Characterization of the Lower Town of the UNESCO Archaeological Site of Arslantepe (Malatya, Türkiye) Using the Geophysical E-PERTI Method (Extended Data-Adaptive Probability-Based Electrical Resistivity Tomography Inversion Method)

The UNESCO site of Arslantepe is located in Eastern Anatolia in the Malatya Plain (Türkiye) about 10 km from the Euphrates River. Here for about a century archaeological excavations have been carried out, reconstructing a long sequence of human frequentation starting from 5000 years BC up to the Middle Ages. The settlement, one of the most important and largest in the region, has undergone numerous changes over time, resulting in a complex superposition of structures, palaces, temples, and burials concentrated on the hill. With the aim of extending the knowledge of the site, in 2022, geophysical surveys were carried out through the application of electrical resistivity tomography, covering a surface of approximately 4300 m2 in an unexplored area at the foot of the hill. In this paper, the Extended data-adaptive Probability-based Electrical Resistivity Tomography Inversion approach (E-PERTI), recently published as a development of the probability tomography imaging approach, has been applied to a large apparent resistivity field dataset, providing the best estimate of the most probable estimate of the resistivity distribution through an intrinsic linear regression model implementing standard least squares routines. The results seem to prove the effectiveness of the E-PERTI approach in noise dejection, enhancing associated resistivity highs that can be ascribable to the trace of a potential fortification. The obtained information represents new, unexpected data that open new frontiers of archaeological research, adding value to the knowledge of the site.

The Cross-Israel Highway and Archaeological Research (pp. 1–2)

The Cross-Israel Highway and Archaeological Research (pp. 1–2)

Radiocarbon dating in South America and the impact of the continent's first 14C‐AMS facility to archaeological research

AbstractDue to the lack of formal historical records, the pre‐Columbian history of the American continent is often referred to as prehistory. The large population decline following the arrival of Europeans, mainly due to the extinction of several cultural groups, combined with the lack of written records, means that researchers may often have to rely primarily on archaeological evidence. For this reason, the radiocarbon dating technique has been crucial for deciphering America's pre‐Columbian history. Technical advances impacted the accessibility of radiocarbon dating, but the influence of in‐house facilities cannot be overlooked. This short review explores the evolution of radiocarbon dating in Brazil, where Latin America's first 14C‐AMS facility, LAC‐UFF, emerged, fostering collaborations within South America and overseas. Besides facilitating analyses and reducing costs, the LAC‐UFF has empowered a new generation of radiocarbon researchers and aided archaeologists through workshops, summer schools, and training programs. Some recent case studies are discussed as examples of the diversity of applications developed by the LAC‐UFF group. Sustained public investment in cutting‐edge technology and interdisciplinary research is a key factor in ensuring a bright future for radiocarbon dating in South America, strengthened by international collaborations.

Burials in the territory of the Vilnius Kalnų (Hill) Park

In 1989 Daiva Misiukaitė (Daiva Luchtanienė) conducted exploratory archaeological research in the Vilnius Kalnų (Hill) park – teritory in which, it is believed, one of the main medieval castles of Vilnius – the Crooked Castle was located. Graves were discovered in three places: in the northwestern part of the Dainų Valley, near the current parking lot, on the The Hill of Gediminas’ Grave and in the southern part of Altana hill. In the latter place, archaeological research was carried out again in 2021. In the first two burial sites, no finds allowing dating of the graves were found - the chronology remained unclear. In the third place, finds were found in only three graves - the graves were tentatively dated to the 17th century and associated with the events of the 1655-1661 when Vilnius was occupied for the first time by Russian army. In 1989 anthropological examination of the discovered graves was not carried out, but all osteological material was kept at the Faculty of Medicine of Vilnius University until now. It was decided to conduct these studies in 2021. 14C dating of samples taken from 14 graves was also carried out. The purpose of this article is to clarify the chronology of graves by using statistical modeling, to assess the general archaeological and historical context, to publish the results of anthropological research and laboratory dating.

The earliest development of the Vilnius Franciscan Church and monastery area

When the German Town (a settlement of Catholic merchants and craftsmen) began to emerge in the western part of the present Old Town of Vilnius in the last decades of the 14th century, the Catholic community relocated to this area. St Nicholas Church was built here before 1387 and it was the first Catholic church in the Old Town, around which the German City was established. However, in addition to this house of worship, there was another in the Catholic part of the city – the Franciscan Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Maria and a monastery.This monastery is considered to be the oldest one in Vilnius, however, the exact time of its construction, as well as that of the church, has not been determined. Due to the lack of historical sources and precise dates, the construction has been dated by different researchers from the first half of the 14th century to the beginning of the 15th century, i.e., with an error of 100 years. Archaeological investigations in the vicinity of the church and the monastery, which have been carried out since 1993, have provided some new hypotheses concerning the chronology and the earliest nature of human activity in this territory. The most recent excavations took place here in 2023, providing new insights into the development of the area through the discovery of objects and interdisciplinary research (radiocarbon dating, analysis of archaeobotanical remains, architectural research). This paper discusses the chronology and nature of the earliest development of the Franciscan church and monastery area, based on the available historical sources, archaeological and architectural research, including the results of most recent investigations.

Design and Archaeology for the Communication of Tangible and Intangible Content Between Real and Digital

In the digital transition scenario, a new culture emerges in which the humanities and scientific disciplines merge and are sometimes contiguous and overlap in terms of expertise, thus opening new lines of research that are strongly interdisciplinary. In the complex process of archaeological research, innovative digital tools define new ways of communicating archaeological contexts through the synergy of technologies, languages and creativity. The paper highlights the dialogue between design and archaeology with reference to the relationship between past and present in the physical-digital space of fruition. In this regard, a reflection on the representation and interpretation of the fragmented nature of archaeological knowledge and the restitution of invisible contexts, artifacts and processes is proposed. This is to foster new configurations by linking physically inaccessible real spaces to usable virtual environments that are enduring over time.

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.

Exploring early Acheulian technological decision-making: A controlled experimental approach to raw material selection for percussive artifacts in Melka Wakena, Ethiopia.

The evolution of human behaviour is marked by key decision-making processes reflected in technological variability in the early archaeological record. As part of the technological system, differences in raw material quality directly affect the way that humans produce, design and use stone tools. The selection, procurement and use of various raw materials requires decision-making to evaluate multiple factors such as suitability to produce and design tools, but also the materials' efficiency and durability in performing a given task. Therefore, characterizing the physical properties of various lithic raw materials is crucial for exploring changes in human interactions with their natural environment through time and space and for understanding their technological behaviour. In this paper, we present the first step in an ongoing program designed to understand the decision-making criteria involved in the use of raw materials by the early Acheulian tool-makers at the Melka Wakena (MW) site-complex, located on the Ethiopian highlands. We present the results of the first experimental step, in which we identified and measured the engineering properties of raw materials in the lithic assemblages. These data serve as an objective, quantifiable baseline for natural experiments as well as archaeological inquiries into the technological decision-making processes of early Pleistocene hominins in Africa.

Incised stone artefacts from the Levantine Middle Palaeolithic and human behavioural complexity

In recent years, archaeological research has demonstrated the presence of abstract non-utilitarian behaviour amongst palaeolithic hominins, fuelling discussions concerning the origin and implications of such complex behaviours. A key component in these discussions is the aesthetic and symbolic character of intentionally incised artefacts. In this study, we emphasize the geometry of the incisions as clues to intentionality. Using 3D surface analysis, we characterised incisions found on a Levallois core from Manot cave, and on a flake and retouched blade from Amud cave. In addition, we applied the same methodology to the previously published engraved Levallois core from Qafzeh and the plaquette from Quneitra. The incisions on the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts show similar geometric characteristics. Notably in each of these cases, the incisions form patterns that align with the artefact’s surface topography and shape. In contrast, the incisions on the Amud artefacts are shallower, with no clear orientation or patterning. The methodology applied thus creates a comparative context for MP incised items, reinforcing the interpretation of the Manot, Qafzeh and Quneitra artefacts as deliberate engravings, whereas the marks on the items from Amud are consistent with their functional use as abraders. While the Qafzeh, Quneitra and Manot items are isolated initiatives in their chronological and geographic contexts, the shared traits of the intentional engravings underscore their predetermined nature.

Table Wine Meets Cocktail Culture at Alma College: Jesuit Tradition and Post-War American Society at a California Seminary

Abstract: Archaeology of college campuses is a small but growing field and has contributed to understanding the role of landscape and material culture in negotiating aspects of daily life in institutional settings. However, to date little archaeological research has been conducted on Jesuit or other Catholic schools. Data from recent excavations on a domestic refuse dump at Alma College, a twentieth-century Jesuit seminary in California, offers a window into everyday material life, with a focus on alcohol consumption. Research themes highlight intersections between Jesuit traditions and patterns of early post-World War II American society, interweaving archaeological data with primary and secondary historical research on Alma College, Jesuit training, the archaeology of institutions, and American popular culture. Archaeological and archival data on alcohol consumption reveal that Alma College residents maintained core elements of Jesuit tradition, notably a predominance of wine during daily meals. However, they also embraced trends in contemporary American society, including regular consumption of beer and cocktails on special occasions.

The Herring Cask and its Sign System as Witnesses to a Growing Fishing Industry in Fifteenth-century Flanders

ABSTRACT Archaeological research in the Low Countries regularly uncovers medieval herring casks. They usually show a wide range of marks and symbols. Herring casks are the bearers of a sign system that had relationships with other forms of writing that played a role in the management of a growing fishing industry and the food supply of the urbanised population. The signs on the casks are prominent witnesses to the important fourteenth- and fifteenth-century historical developments in the production and consumption of sea fish in the county of Flanders and the neighbouring regions. For historical research into the system of signs on the herring casks, I venture into the fields of not only maritime and economic history but also palaeography and semiotics, arguing that signs on the casks played a role in the scaling up and individualisation of the marine fishing economy and the conflict management it required.