Artifact Assemblages Research Articles

Profiling an unlocated source: Group 3d obsidian in prehistoric and early historic near East

Provenancing of obsidian artefacts has become an increasingly common practice in Near Eastern archaeology. However, knowledge of the geological sources of obsidian remains variable. The Group 3d source remains the prime example; it was identified as chemically distinct in the 1960s and can be recognised as eastern Anatolian but it still lacks a specific geological location and has remained a minor detail in most publications. This article draws attention to the previously underappreciated importance of the source in later prehistoric periods, profiling assemblages of Group 3d obsidian artefacts from Ubaid and Chalcolitihic Kenan Tepe and Halaf Domuztepe in south east Turkey, as well as more isolated artefacts from a further twelve sites. It reviews our knowledge of the chemical composition of Group 3d obsidian and its physical characteristics. The article also explores the spatial and chronological distribution of this type of obsidian, which had a particular significance from the 7th millennium cal. BC onwards.

Provenance of tin in the Late Bronze Age Balkans based on probabilistic and spatial analysis of Sn isotopes

We report the largest published dataset to date of Sn-isotopic compositions of Bronze Age artifacts (338) along with 150 cassiterite samples (75 new) from six potential tin ore sources from which the tin in these artifacts were thought to have likely originated. The artifacts are from a broad area, Central Europe through the Central Balkans, and the six tin sources are Cornwall, three sites in the Erzgebirge, and two sites in Serbia. A clustering analysis on mean site-level isotopic values of δ124Sn identifies regional variation that can be attributed to the use of different tin ore sources in different regions. Therefore, geographically meaningful regions were identified to group the Bronze Age artifact assemblages and a probabilistic, Bayesian analysis was performed to determine the proportional contribution of each tin source to each regional assemblage. Artifacts enriched in heavy isotopes (δ124Sn > 0.7‰) that cluster in west-central Serbia are likely associated with the ores from Mt. Cer in west Serbia. Mixed artifact assemblages (high and low δ124Sn) in this region are attributed to the use of cassiterite from the two Serbian sites (Mt. Cer and Mt. Bukulja). Moderate composition artifacts that occur north of the Middle Danube in Vojvodina, Transylvania, and Central Europe are likely associated primarily with ores from the West Pluton of the Erzgebirge. Compositionally light bronzes (δ124Sn < 0.2‰) in southern Serbia and the lower Danube river valley cannot be linked to a documented ore source. There is no indication of the use of ores from Cornwall or the East Pluton of the Erzgebirge in Central Europe and the Balkans during the Late Bronze Age.

Evidence for Middle Palaeolithic occupation and landscape change in central Armenia at the open-air site of Alapars-1

AbstractHere we report the findings from excavations at the open-air Middle Palaeolithic site of Alapars-1 in central Armenia. Three stratified Palaeolithic artefact assemblages were found within a 6-m-thick alluvial-aeolian sequence, located on the flanks of an obsidian-bearing lava dome. Combined sedimentological and chronological analyses reveal three phases of sedimentation and soil development. During Marine Oxygen Isotope Stages 5–3, the manner of deposition changes from alluvial to aeolian, with a development of soil horizons. Techno-typological analysis and geochemical sourcing of the obsidian artefacts reveal differential discard patterns, source exploitation, and artefact densities within strata, suggesting variability in technological organization during the Middle Palaeolithic. Taken together, these results indicate changes in hominin occupation patterns from ephemeral to more persistent in relation to landscape dynamics during the last interglacial and glacial periods in central Armenia.

A new proposal for the technological analysis of lithic points: Application for understanding the cultural diversity of hunter gatherers in Eastern South America

The lack of a standard protocol for analyzing and comparing multiple assemblages of lithic artifacts has hindered the advance of a better understanding of the cultural diversity associated to prehistoric hunter-gatherer groups. This was the case of Brazilian archaeologists that for many decades associated lithic stemmed point assemblages to a cultural entity known as “Umbu Tradition”. However, most associations of assemblages to this “tradition” have been made regardless of the type of lithic points, as well as ignoring other elements related to the lithic industry, settlement patterns, among others. As a result, since the 1980s, several studies have been questioning the validity of such Tradition. Recent research has proposed new definitions for the previously associated Umbu Tradition lithic industries based on the stemmed points typology. However, no raw data on the technological analysis of such points have ever been presented. This article proposes a protocol for the technological study of lithic points that allows the application of descriptive statistics and multivariate analysis to verify if these types present or not significant differences. We present new data on the technological analysis of 501 lithic points from sites located in the supposed Umbu Tradition coverage area and period, as well two new Early Holocene C14 dates for one of the studied sites (Caetetuba site). Our results corroborate previous propositions of discarding Umbu Tradition as a valid cultural entity, as well as new typologies for the points. We also show that our protocol is suitable to unravel potential cultural patterns regarding many attributes in lithic points as well as to explore if there are significant differences among previously defined types.

The archaeology of the ‘Secret War’: The material evidence of conflict on the Queensland frontier, 1849–1901

Although the historical record relating to nineteenth century frontier conflict between Aboriginal groups and Europeans in Queensland has been clearly documented, there have been limited associated archaeological studies. As part of the Archaeology of the Queensland Native Mounted Police (NMP) project, this paper canvasses the physical imprint of frontier conflict across Queensland between 1849 and the early 1900s, focusing specifically on the activities and camp sites of the NMP, the paramilitary government-sanctioned force tasked with policing Aboriginal people to protect settler livelihoods. At least 148 NMP camps of varying duration once existed, and historical and archaeological investigations of these demonstrate some consistent patterning amongst them, as well as idiosyncrasies depending on individual locations and circumstances. All camps were positioned with primary regard to the availability of water and forage. Owing to their intended temporary nature and the frugality of the government, the surviving structural footprints of camps are generally limited. Buildings were typically timber slab and bark constructions with few permanent foundations and surviving architectural features are therefore rare, limited to elements such as ant bed flooring, remnant house or yard posts, stone lines demarcating pathways, and stone fireplaces. Architectural forms of spatial confinement, such as lockups or palisades, were absent from the camps themselves. The most distinctive features of NMP camps, and what allows them to be distinguished from the myriad pastoral sites of similar ages, are their artefact assemblages, especially the combined presence of gilt uniform buttons with the Victoria Regina insignia, knapped bottle glass, and certain ammunition-related objects.

Flint ‘figurines’ from the Early Neolithic site of Kharaysin, Jordan

During the Early Neolithic in the Near East, particularly from the mid ninth millennium cal BC onwards, human iconography became more widespread. Explanations for this development, however, remain elusive. This article presents a unique assemblage of flint artefacts from the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B (eighth millennium BC) site of Kharaysin in Jordan. Contextual, morphological, statistical and use-wear analyses of these artefacts suggest that they are not tools but rather human figurines. Their close association with burial contexts suggests that they were manufactured and discarded during mortuary rituals and remembrance ceremonies that included the extraction, manipulation and redeposition of human remains.

Greek magic on the Atlantic? Homeric potions and mystic cults beyond the Pillars of Herakles. New comparanda and new interpretations

The article reviews the evidence for cultic activity at the Orientalizing settlement of Alcácer do Sal (Portugal). It offers new comparanda for the assemblage of cultic artefacts identified at two locations and then interprets it in the broader context of Mediterranean interconnections. It is suggested that a cult brought by Phocaean Greek merchants, perhaps from southern Iberia where such cults are archaeologically attested during the same period, may explain the evidence better than the hypotheses so far formulated.

Confirming a Cultural Association at the La Prele Mammoth Site (48CO1401), Converse County, Wyoming

Archaeologists have long subjected Clovis megafauna kill/scavenge sites to the highest level of scrutiny. In 1987, a Columbian mammoth (Mammuthus columbi) was found in spatial association with a small artifact assemblage in Converse County, Wyoming. However, due to the small tool assemblage, limited nature of the excavations, and questions about the security of the association between the artifacts and mammoth remains, the site was never included in summaries of human-killed/scavenged megafauna in North America. Here we present the results of four field seasons of new excavations at the La Prele Mammoth site that confirm the presence of an associated cultural occupation based on geologic context, artifact attributes, spatial distributions, protein residue analysis, and lithic microwear analysis. This new work identified a more extensive cultural occupation including the presence of multiple discrete artifact clusters in close proximity to the mammoth bone bed. This study confirms the presence of a second Clovis mammoth kill/scavenge site in Wyoming and shows the value in revisiting proposed terminal Pleistocene kill/scavenge sites.

Railroads, Recycling, Waste Disposal, and Remnant Refuse: Factors Affecting the Structure and Composition of Historical Archaeological Sites

The integrity of surface artifact assemblages on historical sites can be highly variable. Some sites are virtually barren, while others are awash in refuse. Why? This article explores the impact of rail access, wartime recycling, and differential access to consolidated refuse disposal on surface artifact assemblages found at historical sites in the American West. Sites that lacked rail access and did not participate in wartime recycling are most likely to be intact. In addition, assemblage effects due to differential access to consolidated refuse-disposal protocols are also examined. A suite of 10 historical sites, distributed across three states and dating between 1879 and 1960, is used to illustrate the variable effects of these three factors on surface refuse at historical sites in the West.

Core stratigraphy constrains Bed IV archaeological record at HEB site, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

The Olduvai Gorge deposits contain a rich archaeological record documenting the evolution of hominin behavior over the last 2 million years. While archaeological assemblages in the lower sedimentary layers (Beds I-II) are well preserved in relatively secure chronostratigraphic contexts, the age of overlying beds is poorly constrained due to discontinuous exposures and lack of marker horizons, abundant erosional contacts and lack of unweathered, dateable material. As a result, Beds III-IV and the Masek Beds, have yet received little attention compared to the underlying beds. Recently, the Olduvai Gorge Coring Project (OGCP) acquired high resolution, stratigraphically continuous sedimentary cores of Palaeolake Olduvai through scientific drilling, in order to improve the geological and palaeoenvironmental contexts of the hominin record. While other studies reported in this volume have used palaeoenvironmental datasets from the cores to refine the Beds I-II records, this study combines outcrop and core stratigraphic methods to improve the chronology of Bed IV archaeological sites. Our recent excavation at HEB site demonstrates the importance of this approach to improve the stratigraphic positioning and relative age of Bed IV archaeological materials. Our results suggest that the HEB site is younger than previously thought because it was formed after depositional fill of an incised valley, which substantially removed much of lowermost Bed IV in the HEB area. The lithofacies at this site indicate lake expansion and development of Ngorongoro Highland sourced braided streams near the lakeshore at this time, which coincided with rich assemblages of artifacts, fossil fauna, and bones bearing butchery marks. This setting likely afforded a variety of resources to hominins including potable water, raw materials, refuge trees, and animal food, making HEB an important site for inferring the cultural and feeding behaviors of Homo erectus.

Barozh 12: Formation processes of a late Middle Paleolithic open-air site in western Armenia

Barozh 12 is a Middle Paleolithic (MP) open-air site located near the Mt Arteni volcanic complex at the margins of the Ararat Depression, an intermontane basin that contains the Araxes River. Sedimentology, micromorphology, geochronology, biomarker evidence, together with an assessment of artifact taphonomy permits the modelling of site formation processes and paleoenvironment at a level of detail not previously achieved in this area. Obsidian MP artifacts were recovered in high densities at Barozh 12 from four stratigraphic units deposited during marine oxygen isotope stage 3 (MIS 3) (60.2 ± 5.7–31.3 ± 3 ka). The MIS 3 sequence commences with low energy alluvial deposits that have been altered by incipient soil formation, while artifact assemblages in these strata were only minimally reworked. After a depositional hiatus, further low energy alluvial sedimentation and weak soil formation occurred, followed by higher energy colluvial (re)deposition and then deflation. Artifacts in these last stratigraphic units were more significantly reworked than those below. Analysis of plant leaf wax (n-alkane) biomarkers shows fluctuating humidity throughout the sequence. Collectively the evidence suggests that hunter-gatherers equipped with MP lithic technology repeatedly occupied this site during variable aridity regimes, demonstrating their successful adaptation to the changing environments of MIS 3.

Indicadores tecnológicos de colonización en contextos de superficie del Macizo del Deseado (Santa Cruz, Argentina)

Los conjuntos líticos del Macizo del Deseado correspondientes a la transición Pleistoceno-Holoceno temprano han sido caracterizados por la presencia de artefactos unifaciales, elaborados sobre lascas grandes, generalmente espesas y formatizados mediante retoque marginal. Estas características tecnológicas fueron registradas en diferentes contextos del Macizo del Deseado, como Los Toldos, Piedra Museo, Cueva Maripe, entre otros; como así también en el noroeste santacruceño. En este trabajo evaluamos conjuntos líticos de contextos estratigráficos y de sitios en superficie con el objetivo de identificar indicadores de estas tecnologías tempranas. Observamos que tanto en los conjuntos del Pleistoceno final - Holoceno provenientes de sitios en estratigrafía, como en contextos en superficie sin control cronológico, se repiten ciertas características tecnológicas y morfológicas. Estas características hablan de preferencias tecnológicas (presencia de determinados grupos tipológicos, selección de formas base, técnicas de manufactura y acondicionamiento de las herramientas) que pueden ser tenidas en cuenta a la hora de evaluar conjuntos artefactuales de superficie.

Geoarchaeological investigations at the Ryan‐Harley Paleoindian site, Florida (8JE1004): Implications for human settlement of the Wacissa River Basin during the Younger Dryas

AbstractRyan‐Harley (8JE1004) in the Wacissa River of North Florida is one of few sites in the Eastern United States that contains an unfluted lanceolate point component (Suwannee) in a buried context. Extinct and extirpated faunal remains found within the Suwannee artifact layer at Ryan‐Harley have been cited as evidence of a Pleistocene faunal refugium in the Southeastern United States. In 2015, geoarchaeological excavations were undertaken to determine if the Ryan‐Harley Suwannee assemblage is culturally discrete and associated with Pleistocene fauna. Geoarchaeological data demonstrate that the archaeological component was exposed until ~8,000 calbp on a relict eolian landscape before burial. No radiocarbon ages were obtained on either extinct or extant faunal material from the site, and the excavated portion of the geologic stratum containing the artifact assemblage is devoid of other datable organics. Therefore, no unequivocal conclusion can be reached about the association of the extinct faunal material with the Suwannee artifacts. However, multiple lines of evidence fail to reject the hypothesis that the Ryan‐Harley lithic assemblage represents a single occupation of Suwannee point makers. Multiple lines of evidence suggest that the Suwannee occupation of Ryan‐Harley most likely occurred during the Younger Dryas (~12,900–11,700 calbp).

The Hidden Midden: Geoarchaeological investigation of sedimentation processes, waste disposal practices, and resource management at the La Tène settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik (Switzerland)

AbstractTo interpret artifact assemblages, it is necessary to understand the processes that have formed and influenced them: layer formation processes, cultural practices, and the way resources were used. In this study, we present our results of micromorphologically analyzed pits, ditches, house floors, and occupation layers found within the younger Iron Age settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik. We defined 11 microfacies types and put them into a spatial and stratigraphic context. In addition, we quantify waste categories according to the archaeological features and microfacies types. Our results suggest that some ditches played a role in the spatial organization of the settlement, others were used as water canals. Several pits show a secondary use as roofed construction in the context of handicrafts. In addition, mapping the microfacies types reveals a differentiated use of space. Finally, differences between waste categories are visible. Dung was used as fuel and probably as fertilizer, whereas animal bone fragments and ceramic sherds have been stored on rubbish dumps, where they were available as raw material. These new insights into the use of pits, ditches, and settlement areas as well as the handling of resources provide an important basis for understanding everyday life in the settlement of Basel‐Gasfabrik.

Lithic artifact assemblage transport and microwear modification in a fluvial setting: A radio frequency identification tag experiment

AbstractRiver processes are widely assumed to have impacted the integrity of lithic assemblages when artifacts are found in fluvial sediments, but the specifics of these influences remain largely unknown. We conducted a real‐world experiment to determine how the initial stages of fluvial entrainment affected lithic artifact assemblages. We inserted replica artifacts with radio frequency identification tags into a gravel‐bedded river in Wales (UK) for seven months and related their transport distances to their morphology and the recorded streamflow. In addition, nine artifacts were recovered at the end of the experiment and analyzed for microwear traces. In sum, our results show that in a gravel‐bedded river with a mean discharge of 5.1 m3/s, artifact length and width were the main variables influencing artifact transport distances. The experiment also resulted in characteristic microwear traces developing on the artifacts over distances of 485 m or less. These results emphasize the multifaceted nature of alluvial site formation processes in a repeatable experiment and highlight new ways to identify the transport of replica Paleolithic material.

Characterization of stone artifacts from the Middle and Late Neolithic to the Chalcolithic deposits of Drakaina Cave, Kephalonia, Ionian Islands: a mineralogical-geochemical approach for determination of local and “exotic” raw materials and their sources

This work presents the results of the mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical study carried out on representative samples from the large assemblage of the Neolithic stone artifacts found in Drakaina Cave, at Kephalonia island, western Greece. The aim of this study is the determination of the raw materials used for the manufacture of lithic/stone implements, as well as their possible sources. Of the artifacts under study, the chipped stone tools were manufactured on cherts from local sources, while the ground stone edged tools on gabbro and the discoid stone beads on talc, both imported in the Ionian Islands. Geochemical analyses indicate that the most probable source for the gabbro artifacts is the Pindos Mountains. Limestones and sandstones, used by the Neolithic stone workers for the production of various ground stone tools, such as grinding slabs, grinders, abraders, polishers and hammer stones, were acquired exclusively from local sources, as they are the predominant rock types of the island. The raw material for the manufacture of a zoomorphic vessel of white marble was most probably originated from Naxos, an island of the Cyclades complex in the south Aegean Sea.

The Brian D. Jones Site (4-10B): A Multi-Component Paleoindian Site in Southern New England

ABSTRACTThe Brian D. Jones Site (4-10B), in Avon, Connecticut, provides important information about subsistence, settlement patterns, and tool technology in the Early Paleoindian period in the American Northeast. Flaked lithic technology dominates the artifact assemblage, but large numbers of formal flaked tools and expedient tool forms, as well as charred botanicals and calcined bone fragments, were also recovered. Research is ongoing and is focused on understanding site-formation processes, raw-material procurement, tool production, and paleoenvironmental reconstruction to situate the site within its regional context.

The point of pearling: Colonial pearl fisheries and the historical translocation of Aboriginal and Asian workers in Australia’s Northwest

In this work we present findings from historical archaeological work on Barrow Island, Northwestern Australia. We provide the first evidence for the translocation of Australian Aboriginal people to Barrow Island as part of historical maritime industries, probably pearl fisheries, suggesting the presence of unfree labourers and raising the spectre of colonial slavery. Assemblages of glass points and artefacts found on the island are assessed against previous explanations for this artefact type. We provide new insights into the relationship between materiality and survival strategies for people coerced to work on this remote off-shore island.

On the Edge of Empires: Exploring an Ottoman Legacy on the Venetian Frontier

ABSTRACTThe Ottoman Empire swept across southeastern Europe in the 16th century a.d., testing the boundaries of Venetian-controlled territories in the eastern Adriatic. In an area known as Ravni Kotari along Croatia’s central coast, Ottoman governance lasted about a century, but little is known about the material manifestation of conquest in the area. Here, we summarize the results of recent archaeological work at Nadin-Gradina, a hilltop settlement centrally located within Ravni Kotari. In addition to historic records, we rely upon artifact assemblages and the ruins of two monumental structures—a fortress and a mosque—to assess the material expression and consequences of Ottoman authority. Despite more than a century of Ottoman control, the artifactual record portrays a complicated and porous situation along the border, where commercial exchange continued with the west with only scant evidence of products introduced from eastern workshops. In this scenario, the mosque likely served as the most conspicuous indicator of territorial control in this contested frontier setting.

Human behavioral responses to the 8.2 ka BP climatic event: Archaeological evidence from the Zhongshandong Cave Site in Bubing basin, Guangxi, southern China

As one of the most pronounced climatic episodes during the Holocene, the impact of the 8.2 ka BP cooling event was felt throughout the Northern Hemisphere. However, human behavioral responses to this climatic episode has only recently begun to be documented in different areas of the world. Southern China is one region where these human behavioral responses have yet to be clearly identified. Here, we present a recent discovery of stone artifacts from the Zhongshandong (ZSD) Cave Site, which is located in Bubing Basin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. The cultural deposits within ZSD have been tentatively dated to the 8.2 ka BP cooling event. The ZSD Cave is a narrow, low ceiling cave about 60 m in length. Sixty-one stone artifacts were surface collected in the extremely dark terminal chamber in the back of the cave. One stone artifact was found in situ in the same area of the cave. The overlying stalagmite was U-series dated to 8130 ± 430 years BP and charcoal found below the artifact was AMS dated to 8242 ± 54 years BP. The stone artifact assemblage is comprised of cores, flakes, choppers, and scrapers produced on locally available river cobbles, an artifact collection normally assigned to the eastern Asian Early Paleolithic. Charcoal fragments are abundant in the cultural layer, implying that fire was possibly used for lighting and/or warmth. Interestingly, given the dimensions of the inner chamber and the fact that the cultural deposits sit about 60 m inside the cave, this would not be considered a typical area that would be suitable for long term human occupation. Although other possibilities may exist, one possible explanation may be that, due to the cold winter and/or harsh environment during the 8.2 ka BP climatic event, these hunter-gatherers were forced deeper inside the cave to set up their temporary campsite. This is a hypothesis that needs further testing.