Manufacture Of Artifacts Research Articles

Human–environment interactions at regional scales: the complex topography hypothesis applied to surface archaeological records in Australia and North America

AbstractWe match stone artefact distributions and assemblage compositions at the local geographical scale to measures of both complex topography and environmental history, as suggested by the work of Bailey and King. By comparing two study regions that have different topographic complexity measures, one in western New South Wales, Australia, and the other in Oglala National Grassland, North American Great Plains, we show that people created distinct long‐term landscape use histories in both regions. While stone artefact manufacture and use, and indeed the transport of stone artefacts over great distances, feature in both areas, the accumulation of stone artefacts in different places leads to a quite different site use history in each of the case study regions.

Stratigraphic lithic assemblages from shell middens on the northern coast of Santa Cruz (Patagonia, Argentina)

Results of the study of artifact lithic assemblages recovered from systematic excavations of shell middens on the northern coast of Santa Cruz (Patagonia Argentina), are presented. The characteristics and composition of lithic assemblages are analyzed to discuss functionality and integrity of the archaeological sites, and also to evaluate general trends of the technological organization of human groups that inhabited the area. This work represents an initial approach to the interpretation of the archaeological record of coastal shell middens from the study of lithic artifact assemblages recovered in stratigraphic contexts.The evidence from the artifact assemblages allows discussion of the activities that hunter gatherers carried out on shell middens, as well as issues of technological organization of manufacture of stone artifacts and the strategies related to exploitation of lithic raw materials in the study area. Coastal shell middens are places were multiple activities were performed. Regarding lithic technology, the manufacture and maintenance of stone tools, the use thereof, and the discarding of tools and debitage are the activities most represented.

Laser microsampling and multivariate methods in provenance studies of obsidian artefacts

AbstractThe provenance of obsidian artefacts and raw materials was studied by the multivariate statistical analysis of forty-five samples using elemental composition data obtained by laser ablationinductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). One ICP-MS instrument equipped with a quadrupole mass filter and the other based on a time-of-flight analyser were coupled to the same type of laser ablation device (Nd:YAG 213 nm), thereby affording a comparison of the different mass spectrometers in terms of precision and verification of the consistency of the results. The influence of surface roughness (polished raw material vs artefact) and microinhomogeneity on the LA-ICP-MS signal was studied under the optimised working conditions of the laser ablation device. Principal component analysis, correspondence analysis, independent component analysis, multi-dimensional scaling, Sammon mapping and fuzzy cluster analysis were applied and compared in order to reveal statistically significant compositional differences between particular geological sites and to disclose the provenance of the raw materials used in manufacture of the artefacts. Twenty-seven artefacts and eighteen raw material samples from natural resources in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Greece, Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Mexico and Nicaragua were examined with special attention focused on samples from Moravia (Czech Republic) and some Near East sites (Tell Arbid, Tell Asmar). The Carpathian origin of the obsidian artefacts was investigated in the Moravian samples using the Pb, Rb and U contents. The Near East samples were classified according to their Sr, Ba, Zr and REE contents as per-alkaline obsidians (Bingöl A/Nemrut Dağ) originating from Southeast Anatolia.

Perishable Fiber Artifacts and Paleoindians: New Implications

Recent research demonstrates that perishable industries—notably including the manufacture of textiles, basketry, cordage, netting, and sandals—were a well-established, integral component of the Upper Paleolithic technological milieu in many parts of the Old World. Moreover, extant data suggest that these technologies played a vital and, hitherto, utterly unappreciated role in the ecological success of late Pleistocene populations, including the first Americans. This article explores the varied roles of early fiber technology in the New World and specifically examines the adaptive qualities, impact on social organization, and alteration to food procurement strategies implicit in this innovative and intensive series of interrelated industries. It is suggested that the manufacture of perishable fiber-derived artifacts was far more important in the successful colonization of this hemisphere than any of the more durable artifact classes, particularly stone.

Chert raw materials and artefacts from NE Bulgaria: A combined petrographic and LA-ICP-MS study

In the present study two analytical methods are applied to characterize chert artefacts and raw materials from northeastern Bulgaria (Ludogorie region): petrographic observation and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). Archaeological samples from 12 Chalcolithic sites from Bulgaria are analyzed as well as raw material from 6 outcrops in northeastern Bulgaria are identified and documented during a survey in 2012 when many raw material samples were collected. The chert raw material mostly occurs in various Quaternary secondary deposits, originating from destruction and disintegration of the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) limestones in the area. The paper is aimed at tracing the provenance of the artefacts based on their petrographic characteristics and geochemical composition. The archaeological evidence shows a wide distribution of the Ludogorie chert throughout the country. On the basis of micropetrographic observations, Gurova and Nachev (2008) described two main chert types (Ravno and Kriva Reka). Our petrographic study confirmed the previous results and an additional chert type was distinguished, originating from primary and secondary deposits (quarries in Koprivetz and Krasen villages) and is represented by silicified limestones (bioclastic-peloidal packstones or grainstones). It is noteworthy that the first two types of chert were largely used for prehistoric artefact manufacturing while the last one is not attested among studied assemblages at all.

Mechanical and toxicological evaluation of concrete artifacts containing waste foundry sand

The creation of metal parts via casting uses molds that are generally made from sand and phenolic resin. The waste generated after the casting process is called waste foundry sand (WFS). Depending on the mold composition and the casting process, WFS can contain substances that prevent its direct emission to the environment. In Brazil, this waste is classified according to the Standard ABNT NBR 10004:2004 as a waste Class II (Non-Inert). The recycling of this waste is limited because its characteristics change significantly after use. Although the use (or reuse) of this byproduct in civil construction is a technically feasible alternative, its effects must be evaluated, especially from mechanical and environmental points of view. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the use of WFS in the manufacture of cement artifacts, such as masonry blocks for walls, structural masonry blocks, and paving blocks. Blocks containing different concentrations of WFS (up to 75% by weight) were produced and evaluated using compressive strength tests (35MPa at 28days) and toxicity tests on Daphnia magna, Allium cepa (onion root), and Eisenia foetida (earthworm). The results showed that there was not a considerable reduction in the compressive strength, with values of 35±2MPa at 28days. The toxicity study with the material obtained from leaching did not significantly interfere with the development of D. magna and E. foetida, but the growth of the A. cepa species was reduced. The study showed that the use of this waste in the production of concrete blocks is feasible from both mechanical and environmental points of view.

X-RAY TOMOGRAPHY STUDIES OF PREHISTORIC CERAMIC ARTIFACTS

X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) is a powerful non-destructive technique that can yield interesting structural information not discernible through visual examination only. This paper presents the results of the CT scans of four objects belonging to the Romanian cultural heritage attributed to the Vinča, Cucuteni and Cruceni-Belegiš cultures. The study was performed with an X-ray tomographic device developed at the Department for Applied Nuclear Physics from Horia Hulubei National Institute for Nuclear Physics and Engineering in Măgurele, Romania. This apparatus was specially designed for archaeometric studies of low-Z artifacts: ceramic, wood, bone. The tomographic investigations revealed the internal configuration of the objects and provided information about the degree to which the previous manipulations affected the archaeological items. Based on the X-ray images resulting from the CT scans, hints about the techniques used in the manufacturing of the artifacts were obtained, as well as some indications useful for conservation/restoration purposes.

The distinctive grave goods from Palhais (Beja, Portugal). New insights into the metallurgical evolution under Orientalizing influence in the southwestern end of Iberia

Grave goods from the Early Iron Age necropolis of Palhais offers a unique opportunity to study the metallurgy introduced in Southern Portugal by Orientalizing influence. Metals include two sets of instruments for body grooming, an “Alcores fibula” and a belt-lock, whose typology and/or decoration shows an Orientalizing inspiration. The composition and manufacture of artefacts is determined by conventional EDXRF, Micro-EDXRF, SEM-EDS, optical microscopy and Vickers microhardness testing. Elemental compositions indicate low tin bronzes (4.4 ± 2.4%) evidencing significant use of scrap as inexpensive raw-material or intentional alloying with low tin amounts for economical or technological reasons. Post-casting work involved hammering and annealing operations showing that these grave goods were produced as functional artefacts. A comparison with Late Bronze Age and Early Iron Age artefacts from Southern Portugal shows that the low tin contents are common among the Phoenician bronzes. Moreover, an assessment of the coeval metals from the Southwestern Iberian Peninsula identifies other features of the Orientalizing metallurgy, such as an increase in unalloyed coppers and leaded bronzes, which can be related to the diversification of the bronze production methods during this period.

Flint Artefact Manufacture Techniques at the Palaeolithic and Mesolithic Settlements at Aukštumala in Lithuania, and Traceological Studies of them

The set of Palaeolithic and Mesolithic artefacts from Aukstumala consists exclusively of flint manufactured items. This paper presents exhaustive data on studies of the flint artefacts, and on the reconstruction of their manufacture technique, based on observable characteristics of their manufacture. The functions of the artefacts found in the settlements were established at the Archaeological Material Research Laboratory at Klaipėda University, by means of an Olympus SZX16 microscope, and simultaneously their typology and the chronology of individual items were revised. Key words: Aukstumala, flint technique, flint tools, functional analysis, micro-trace analysis, Palaeolithic, Mesolithic, Lithuania. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/ 10.15181/ab.v20i0.816

Stone Tool Manufacture Strategies and Lithic Raw Material Exploitation in Coastal Patagonia, Argentina: A Multivariate Approach

This paper seeks to characterize strategies of artifact manufacture and lithic raw material exploitation along San Matías Gulf coast, Argentina, using multifactorial and cluster analysis. Multifactorial analysis is a relatively new method that has yet to be used for archaeological analysis; it has the advantage that it allows us to describe data using different groups of qualitative or quantitative variables at the same time. Additionally, cluster analysis was conducted on multifactorial axis in a bid to identify grouping patterns. The results obtained from the combination of these two methods suggest that they may be useful in characterizing technological strategies in the study area. Furthermore, they may also be a powerful exploratory and characterization tool able to generate explanations at low spatial scales. The application of these methods on San Matías Gulf study case suggests that along the western and northern coasts of this Gulf the most important variables in determining differences in resource use were the fragmentation ratio and lithic raw materials used in artifact manufacture.

Microscopy characterization of metallurgical production evidences from Vila Nova de São Pedro (Azambuja, Portugal)

The Castro de Vila Nova de São Pedro (VNSP) is an emblematic settlement located at Azambuja (Portugal), occupied predominantly during the Chalcolithic period. A large and diversified metallurgical collection was recovered from this settlement which includes artefacts, crucibles and other metallurgical production remains, like slags and droplets. The chemical and microstructural characterization of this metallic collection aims to contribute to a better comprehension of the early copper-based metallurgy on the Portuguese Estremadura, the degree of knowledge of the ancient metallurgists and the role of the metallurgical activities in Chalcolithic societies.A group of 53 selected copper-based fragments of artefacts plus metallurgical production remains (12 crucibles and 20 slags and droplets), all belonging to VNSP, were characterized by using different analytical techniques: EDXRF and micro-EDXRF spectrometry, optical microscopy (OM) and SEM-EDS. The EDXRF and micro-EDXRF spectrometry gives the elemental composition of the artefacts and metallic nodules. The microscopy techniques play a fundamental role in the chemical and microstructural characterization of artefacts and metallurgical remains. The OM allows the identification of different phases, inclusions and thermomechanical processes applied during the shaping of the artefacts. The SEM-EDS plays an important role in the determination of main chemical phases present in the metal alloy and slags, and also in the distribution of chemical elements and minerals in the inclusions. The combination of these two microscopy techniques gives indication of the processes used in the reduction of minerals in order to obtain the metal and also allows the characterization of the operation chain, regarding the production of artefacts.The research that has been carried out by us offer indications concerning the provenance of the arsenic, the technological choices involved in the production of an arsenical copper alloy and how it was recognized by ancient metallurgists. Results obtained on the elemental composition of the metallurgical production remains are consistent with copper and arsenical copper (As > 2 %) artefact production. Crucibles and slags analysed indicate melting and smelting operations (of copper ores or copper/arsenic ores). A statistically significant association was found between copper alloyed with arsenic and artefacts classified as tools/weapons (arrowheads, daggers and knives). In several cases, the presence of arsenic rich phases in the microstructure, resulting from an inverse segregation phenomenon, shows no evidence of chemical homogeneity control during the artefact manufacture. Microstructural analyses also show that the majority of the artefactual group was shaped with forging plus annealing operation cycles and 23 % of the artefacts received a final forging treatment. This final treatment was associated to artefacts presenting higher arsenic contents.This research work has been financed by the Portuguese Science Foundation (FCT-MCTES) through the EarlyMetal project (PTDC/HIS-ARQ/110442/2008) and the PhD Grant SFRH/BD/78107/2011 (FP). The financial support of CENIMAT/I3N through the Strategic Project-LA25-2011-2012 (PEst-C/CTM/LA0025/2011) is also acknowledged.

On the hot pressing of coloured high-gold alloys powder compacts applied to the manufacturing of innovative jewellery items

Innovative design through colour has always been a very important feature in decorative items, jewellery inclusive. The use of coloured gold alloys (e.g. red, white, green) in the manufacture of jewellery artifacts is nowadays generalized, and one can often see jewellery items that combine more than a single colour. However, multi-coloured jewellery artifacts are generally made of parts produced separately and bonded together in a later step. The ability to produce jewellery sub-components or final pieces using a powder metallurgy process aimed at producing innovative multi-coloured gold jewellery items with colour gradients is explored in this paper. Four 19.2 ct coloured gold powders (yellow, green, red and white) were hot pressed at different times and temperatures and the resulting samples were analyzed in terms of their microstructure, hardness, porosity, microstructure and optical properties. A manufacturing route to obtain multi-coloured jewellery pieces with colour gradients is also presented.

The role of arsenic in Chalcolithic copper artefacts – insights from Vila Nova de São Pedro (Portugal)

The Castro of Vila Nova de São Pedro (VNSP) is an emblematic settlement located at Azambuja, Portuguese Estremadura. It was occupied during the third and second millennia BC, predominantly during the Chalcolithic period. A diversified collection of 53 copper-based artefacts (most part in a fragmentary condition), belonging to an extensive metallic collection recovered during excavations carried out in VNSP, was studied using micro-EDXRF spectrometry, optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. Additionally, Vickers microhardness measurements were performed to establish the effectiveness of the thermomechanical treatment in the hardness of the artefacts. Results show that the Largo do Carmo, artefact collection is mainly composed of copper or arsenical copper, being 37% of the artefacts made of copper alloyed with arsenic (As > 2%). A statistically significant association was found between copper alloyed with arsenic and artefacts classified as tools/weapons (arrowheads, daggers and knives). In several cases, the presence of arsenic rich phases in the microstructure, resulting from an inverse segregation phenomenon, shows no evidence of chemical homogeneity control during the artefact manufacture. Microstructural analyses also show that the majority of this group (73%) was shaped with forging plus annealing operation cycles and 23% of the artefacts received a final cold hammering after the forging and annealing. An association between the presence of a final forging treatment and artefacts presenting higher arsenic contents was also identified. Nevertheless, no direct correlation was found between the arsenic content of the alloy and its hardness. Also no direct correlation was found between the hardness and a final forging operation. However, it was observed that a harder forging was applied to the cutting edge of the artefacts and consequently a high hardness in this area was obtained despite the arsenic content of the alloy. Concerning arsenical copper alloys, all evidences point out that the potential for obtaining a harder material was not recognized by the ancient metallurgists and the selection of the alloy was possibly made based on colour.

Nondestructive analyses of carbonate rocks: applications and potentiality for museum materials

The preciousness of historical artifacts leads to the performance of nondestructive and/or microdestructive analyses, especially when the archeological finds are stored in museums. The PXRF spectrometry represents a powerful technique for the chemometric study of the materials, in alternative to the more usual destructive X‐ray‐based methods. A large set of limestones belonging to several formations cropping out in the Hyblean area (south‐eastern Sicily, Italy) was analyzed by means of a PXRF instrument. The main goal was to test the PXRF potentiality for the discrimination of rocks with similar features and to create a chemical database of carbonate rocks, which were commonly used in the past in the manufacturing of sculptures and stone artifacts. Fluorescence data were processed by means of multivariate statistical analysis. In particular, principal components analysis and linear discriminant analysis were applied. The results allowed us to classify the samples belonging to different formations and to distinguish different rock typologies within each formation.Finally, the investigation showed that the analytical PXRF data can be suitable for a substantial characterization of stone materials and this could be extended to museum materials belonging to cultural heritage. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Bronze production in Southwestern Iberian Peninsula: the Late Bronze Age metallurgical workshop from Entre Águas 5 (Portugal)

Archaeological works at Entre Águas 5 (Portugal) uncovered a seasonal LBA settlement with significant metallurgical remains (crucibles, moulds, prills and a tuyere) related to bronze production. Radiocarbon dating ascribes an occupation period (10th–9th century BC) previous to Phoenician establishment in Southwestern Iberia. In spite of the proliferation of metal artefacts during LBA, the production of bronze alloys is still poorly understood. An integrated analytical approach (EDXRF, optical microscopy, SEM–EDS, micro-EDXRF and Vickers microhardness) was used to characterise this metallurgy. Crucibles show immature slags with copious copper nodules, displaying variable tin content (c. 0–26 wt.%), low iron amount (<0.05 wt.%) and different cooling rates. Certain evidences point to direct reduction of oxide copper ores with cassiterite. Scorched moulds with residues of copper and tin indicate local casting of artefacts. Finished artefacts also recovered at the site have an analogous composition (bronze with ∼10 wt.% Sn and low amounts of Pb, As and Fe) typical of coeval metallurgy in SW Iberia. Some artefacts reveal a relationship between typology and composition or manufacture: a higher tin content for a golden coloured ring or absence of the final hammering for a bracelet. An uncommon gilded nail (gold foil c. 140 μm thick; 11.6 wt.% Ag; ∼1 wt.% Cu) attests the existence of evolved prestige typologies. This LBA settlement discloses a domestic metallurgy whose main features are typical in Iberian Peninsula. Finally, it should be emphasized that a collection as comprehensive and representative of a single workshop has rarely been studied, enabling a deeper understanding of the various operations involving the bronze production and manufacture of artefacts.

THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF SOME ARCHAEOLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT FLINT FROM DENMARK AND SWEDEN

Flint was one of the most widely employed raw materials for artefact manufacture in Denmarkand Sweden during the Stone Age, and it continued to be used during subsequent periods.Prehistoric flint m ...

La Dolina de l’Esquerda de les Alzines (Macizo del Garraf, Barcelona): un yacimiento del Pleistoceno superior al aire libre con industria lítica paleolítica

Dolina Esquerda de les Alzines is the only known site in Garraf massif where abundant Palaeolithic artifacts have been recovered. However, the chronological framework and technological traits cannot place the site amongst one of the Upper or Middle Palaeolithic tool groups. Its singularity is in the location, inside a dissolution doline, a rare deposit in the Middle and Upper Palaeolithic sites in Iberian Peninsula. The lithic assemblage is homogenous, 1,067 artifacts have been analyzed to determine their characteristics and the most significant feature of this assemblage is the dominance of flake-bearing core reduction methods and the manufacture of artifacts showing convergent morphologies. The recovery of some artifacts commonly found in Upper Palaeolithic assemblages should also be stressed.

PERISHABLE RITUAL ARTIFACTS AT THE WEST RUIN OF AZTEC, NEW MEXICO: EVIDENCE FOR A CHACOAN MIGRATION

Recent research with the perishable collections from Chaco Canyon and the West Ruin of Aztec has identified a wide range of wood, basketry, and fiber artifacts that probably served as ritual paraphernalia within these communities. In this article, I describe some of these perishable artifacts, their spatial patterning, and their close association with probable ritual storerooms. Employing the concept of technological style, I use similarities in artifact styles and the low-visibility attributes of artifact manufacture to argue for a migration of religious specialists and the transfer of ritual knowledge from Chaco to Aztec during the early twelfth century.

A Twenty-First Century Archaeology of Stone Artifacts

Archaeologists today, as in the past, continue to divide their stone artifact assemblages into categories and to give privilege to certain of these categories over others. Retouched tools and particular core forms, for instance, are thought to contain more information than the unretouched flakes and flake fragments. This reflects the assumption that information to be gained from stone artifacts is present within the artifact itself. This study evaluates a continued interest in the final form of stone artifacts by first considering ethnographic accounts of stone artifact manufacture and use in Australia and then by utilizing the patterns observed in these accounts to investigate assemblage patterning within an Australian archaeological case study. Reading the ethnographic accounts provides no indication that Aboriginal people valued more or less complex artifacts, in uniform ways, in every situation. In fact, the opposite is true. Stone artifacts were always valued in some sense but which ones, and in which ways, depended on the situations the people who needed the artifacts found themselves in. Aboriginal people were quite capable of making and using expedient and informal artifacts in complex ways. The significance of these observations is considered for stone artifact studies in general and in relation to a case study from western New South Wales, Australia.

Obsidian types from Holocene sites around Lake Turkana, and other localities in northern Kenya

Obsidian has been widely used by early Holocene hunter-gatherers and succeeding Pastoral Neolithic peoples in northern Kenya. Here we report the results of over 2000 electron microprobe analyses of artifactual and non-artifactual obsidian from the greater Lake Turkana region. Of the 15 compositional types of obsidian observed, a preponderant type is widespread across the region from the Barrier in the south to Ileret in the north and east as far as Kargi. This obsidian is the principal type at Lowasera and most Pastoral Neolithic sites, including the Jarigole Pillar site and Dongodien (GaJi4). The source of this obsidian is not known, but based on its distribution the source may be located on the Barrier or in the Suguta Valley immediately to the south of Lake Turkana. Although there are several possible sources of local obsidian identified for minor types, in stark contrast to the central part of the Kenyan Rift, major sources of obsidian available for artifact manufacture are not known in the Lake Turkana region. The lack of obsidian from demonstrable Ethiopian Rift and central Kenyan Rift sources, and the absence of obsidian with compositions found at the Turkana area sites in assemblages in the central part of the Kenyan Rift suggests that the earlier Pastoral Neolithic peoples around Lake Turkana interacted with each other, but perhaps not as strongly with people farther south along the Rift Valley, even as herding practices were expanding to the southward into central Kenya.