Excavation Campaigns Research Articles

Une occupation de l’extrême fin du Paléolithique dans la vallée de l’Escaut à Proville (Nord) « le Bois Chenu »

At the end of the 1960s, pedestrian surveys yielded a homogeneous lithic assemblage from the bottom of a silty slope in contact with the alluvial plain of the river Scheldt. The morpho-technological features of the industry allowed it to be assumed that it belonged to the Epi-Ahrensburgian culture, a tradition mainly represented from the Loire Valley in France to northern Germany and southern England, from the end of the Younger Dryas to the early Pre-Boreal. The surveys undertaken in 2008, on a cultivated field south of the collection site, now urbanized, revealed a series of occupations at the bottom of this slope dating from the Late Palaeolithic to recent protohistoric periods. A concentration of lithic artefacts undoubtedly belonged to the same technical tradition as the series found on the surface. The excavation campaigns in 2009 and 2010 helped to define a Final Palaeolithic spatial entity and provided elements for technological, chrono-typological and spatial interpretations. The partial refittings of some blocks contribute to a better understanding of the strategy developed for obtaining standardized blades. The careful management of the siliceous material is exclusively oriented towards the production of laminar or lamellar supports. This technical process is highly representative of the ‘ Belloisian’ tradition. The initial blocks were prepared by a specific method using a hard stone hammer (flint). Blades and bladelets were removed by a sandstone hammer according to a bipolar process and after intense preparation of striking platform edges by abrasion. The toolkit refers to a technical environment now better understood thanks to research conducted over the past 20 years with regard to this techno-complex in north-western France and despite the obvious presence of intrusive Mesolithic elements.

Interpreting Radiocarbon Dates from the Paleolithic Layers of Theopetra Cave in Thessaly, Greece

Theopetra Cave is a unique prehistoric site for Greece, as the Middle and Upper Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic periods are present here, bridging the Pleistocene with the Holocene. During the more than 20 yr of excavation campaigns, charcoal samples from hearths suitable for 14C dating were collected from all anthropogenic layers, including the Paleolithic ones. Most of the samples were initially dated using the ABA chemical pretreatment protocol in the Laboratory of Archaeometry of NCSR Demokritos, Greece, and the Radiocarbon Dating and Cosmogenic Isotopes Laboratory of the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel. The 14C results, which were not always consistent versus depth, showed that the earliest limit of human presence is ∼50,000 yr BP, thus reaching the age limits of the 14C dating method. However, 10 TL-dated burnt flint specimens unearthed from the lower part of the Middle Paleolithic sequence of the cave gave ages ranging between ∼110 and 135 kyr ago. These results are in disagreement with the 14C dates, as they support a much later date for these layers. In order to clarify the situation further, charcoal samples originating from hearths were conventionally dated in the Laboratory of Archaeometry of NCSR Demokritos using the ABA pretreatment. Additionally, hand-picked charcoal fragments also underwent 14C dating by AMS in the Oxford Radiocarbon Accelerator Unit using the acid-base wet oxidation (ABOX-SC) pretreatment protocol. The 14C dates from the cave's Paleolithic layers obtained by both pretreatment protocols suggest a probable charcoal diagenesis affecting the 14C results of these very old samples. However, the dates obtained with ABOX-SC pretreatment are considered more reliable and in the younger stratigraphic part produced consistent results with the TL dating.

An Interdisciplinary Non‐invasive Approach to Landscape Archaeology of the Great War

ABSTRACTThe prospection and evaluation of former battlefields of the Great War or the First World War (WW I) poses specific challenges. For several reasons, large‐scale excavation campaigns of this conflict landscape are problematic. The vastness of the former Western Front (one of the largest archaeological sites in the world), the large amounts of buried unexploded ordnance and the possible presence of human remains hinder invasive practices. As an alternative, an integrated approach combining a geophysical survey, contemporary aerial photographs and a topographic model is proposed. This approach was evaluated for a 3.2 ha WW I battlefield using a multireceiver electromagnetic induction (EMI) sensor. Integrating multiple apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and apparent magnetic susceptibility (MSa) EMI measurements allowed evaluation of the present WW I remains in the subsoil, while comparison with WW I aerial photographs and a digital terrain model led to a comprehensive understanding of the WW I landscape. It is suggested that this approach may be of value for the investigation of battlefields in other locations and periods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Magical Amulet from Paphos with the ιαεω- Palindrome

During the first excavation campaign of the Paphos Agora Project (3rd July – 6th August 2011), an interesting object was discovered. In Trench II, Area 2 (Room 5), in the upper, late Roman layer, an oval amulet was found (siltstone, 39.41 x 41.32 x 4.81mm). The layer is dated to the 6th century AD, partially due to the presence of ceramic objects of the Cypriot Red Slip Ware type (Hayes form 2, AD 450-550). The obverse of the amulet contains a schematic, simplified figure of a sitting Harpocrates and below the mummy of Osiris in a boat, as well as depictions of animals (a crocodile, a rooster and a snake) and symbolic astrals (a half-moon and a star). On the reverse, however, an eight-line text of the so-called ιαεω- palindrome, consisting of 59 letters of the Greek alphabet, was carved. According to the current state of knowledge, it was translated in the following way: “Yahweh is the bearer of the secret name, the lion of Re secure in his shrine”. Both the depiction and the text carved into the surface of the amulet clearly indicate the influence of the Orient and the context of solar ideas; the object may be dated to the 5th-6th century AD.

Cemeteries of platform cairns and long cists around Sinclair's Bay, Caithness

The cemetery at Ackergill in Caithness has become the type site for Pictish platform cairns. A re-appraisal based on Society of Antiquaries of Scotland manuscripts, together with published sources, shows that, rather than comprising only the eight cairns and two long cists excavated by Edwards in the 1920s, the cemetery was more extensive. Close to Edward's site, Barry had already excavated two other circular cairns, three rectangular cairns and a long cist, and possibly another circular cairn was found between the two campaigns of excavation. Two of the cairns were re-used for subsequent burials and two cairns were unique in having corbelled chambers built at ground level. Other burial sites along the shore of Sinclair's Bay are also examined.

Documentación 3D de pinturas rupestres con Photomodeler Scanner: los motivos esquemáticos de la Cueva del Barranc del Migdia (Xàbia, Alicante)

<p>During the recent campaign of excavation at the Cova del Barranc del Migdia (Javea, Alicante)we have carried out the 3D documentation of the wall painting motifs, which corresponds to the schematic rock art style. To produce the 3D models, we have used Photomodeler Scanner, a commercial digital photogrammetry software with increased use in the cultural heritage sector. The results have been exported to a format compatible with 3D printers, creating a 1/1 scale replica of the original panel. In this paper we describe the typical workflow in a project with Photomodeler Scanner and the results obtained from the x-3 panel.</p>

The Roman Shipwreck of Antirhodos Island in thePortus Magnusof Alexandria, Egypt

Between 1998 and 1999 three excavation campaigns were undertaken on a shipwreck at the now-submerged site of the ancient Portus Magnus, off the coast of Alexandria. The site, close to the island of Antirhodos, was identified through geophysical and archaeological surveys carried out by the Institut Européen d’Archéologie Sous-Marine (IEASM), directed by Franck Goddio. The remains of the ship lie c.5 m deep and are spread over c.350 sqm. No cargo has been found. Artefacts recovered, the details of the ship's architecture and radiocarbon dating all suggest it sunk between the end of the 1st century BCE and the 1st century CE. Its dimensions correspond to those of commercial ships of the Roman era. Identification of the wood used contributes significantly to our knowledge of materials used in naval architecture of this period.

The privileged burial of the Pava Pieve (Siena, 8th Century AD)

The 6(th) archaeological excavation campaign performed at the 'Pieve di Pava' (San Giovanni d'Asso, Siena, Italy) unearthed a privileged stone burial of a single individual (US 2378), covered by a monolithic slab and placed in front of an altar. The skeletal remains of a young male (18-20 years old), not in anatomical connection, were found at the bottom floor of a tomb (160 cm long, 40 cm large and over 70 cm deep). A multidisciplinary study has been carried out concerning that privileged bone burial. The study combines paleopathology studies, stable isotope palaeodietary reconstruction, radiocarbon dating and archaeological analyses. (14) C dating of the skeleton revealed a date between 650 and 688 AD. Stable isotope analysis (δ(18) O, δ(13) C, δ(15) N) attested that he was probably a member of the local population, whose diet was rather rich in animal proteins. The paleopathological study diagnosed a case of acromesomelic dysplasia, a congenital anomaly with disproportion of the limbs. Archaeological evidence regarding the circular delimitation of the bones suggested that the skeleton was a secondary deposition, transported to the church in a sack. We argue that the relic was used for the re-consecration of the church, following the restoration work in the 8(th) century. We conclude that the skeleton belonged to an eminent personage (e.g., either the member of a local elite family or a saint).

Microwave tomography enhanced GPR surveys in Centaur’s Domus, Regio VI of Pompeii, Italy

The archaeological area of Pompeii (Naples, Italy) is known worldwide as one of the most remarkable examples of a Roman Empire town, but its origins are prior to the Roman age and there is a huge archeological interest in discovering the history of the forma urbis. With respect to this framework, the paper presents results from microwave tomography enhanced ground penetrating radar (GPR) surveys carried out in the Centaur’s Domus, Regio VI, one of the most ancient housing areas of Pompeii. The GPR prospections aimed at addressing and driving the archeological excavation campaign performed in this area in October 2010. The results of stratigraphic assays are used to assess the reliability of the tomographic images obtained.

New material of Chalicotheriidae (Perissodactyla, Mammalia) from the Late Miocene of Axios Valley, Macedonia (Greece) with the description of a new species

Chalicotheriids are rare in the late Miocene mammal localities of Axios Valley, Macedonia (Greece). The new campaign of excavations, since 1972, has provided some specimens, which are studied in this article. They are coming from two different localities. The late early Vallesian locality of Pentalophos 1 (PNT) has provided a skull and a mandible of an Ancylotherium. The morphological characters of the PNT material as the small size, the long snout, the shallow mandibular corpus, the strong cingulum in the teeth, the short tooth rows and the short M3/m3 indicate that it differs from the known Turolian species A. pentelicum and allow the erection of a new species, named Ancylotherium hellenicum n. sp., which can be used as a biostratigraphic marker of the Vallesian. The middle Turolian locality Prochoma 1 (PXM) has provided only one M3, which is determined to the chalicotheriine Anisodon macedonicus. This species was earlier described from the middle Turolian locality Vathylakkos 3 (VAT) and the late Turolian one of Dytiko 3 (DKO) of Axios Valley. The biogeography and biostratigraphy of the late Miocene chalicotheres of the Greco-Iranian Palaeoprovince (GRIP), as well as their palaeoecology are also discussed. The common chalicothere of GRIP is A. pentelicum, expanded from the Balkans to Afganistan and ranging stratigraphically from the early to the late Turolian. Chalicotherium goldfussi is certainly present in GRIP and it also ranges from the early to the late Turolian; its possible Vallesian occurrence needs confirmation. The other two late Miocene chalicotheres of GRIP A. macedonicus and Kalimantsia bulgarica are restricted to the Turolian of the Balkan Peninsula.

MYNDOS ASAR / TAVŞAN ADASI EKMEK MÜHÜR KALIBI VE HACI PULLARI

The subject of the study is the bread stamp and the two pilgrim tokens found at Myndos Asar/Tavsan Island during the excavation campaign of 2013. As a result of the evaluations made, it is determined that the descriptions on the bread stamp mold and the pilgrim tokens belonged to the saints martyrized for religion and they were used during the Eucharistic Liturgies. These findings, which also made the architectural pattern of the island more meaningful, indicate that the island was used as a cult center during the Early Byzantine Period.

Soilscapes and settlements: remote mapping of activity areas in unexcavated prehistoric farmsteads

It is excellent to be able to present this latest achievement in the onward march of remote mapping, the art and science of exploring archaeological sites without digging them. Using a particularly graphic case study in Hungary, the author shows that deposits characterised by geophysical and chemical means can reveal their plans and the emphasis of their activity in some detail. This is not only a rapid and economic means of landscape investigation, but offers striking research results over a broad canvas, indicative of the numerous small dispersed settlements that so often escape the attention of the great excavation campaigns.

L'embarcation monoxyle assemblée de Doussard / Bredannaz (Lac d'Annecy, Haute-Savoie, France). Batellerie des eaux intérieures à la fin de l'époque médiévale

Yves Billaud, Eric Rieth, with Marc Ginisty, The extended logboat of Doussard/Bredannaz (Lake Annecy, Haute-Savoie). Vessels of internai waters at the end of the medieval period Discovered in 2003 in the southern part of Lake Annecy, the Bredannaz wreck has been entirely cleared during two underwater excavation campaigns that have revealed a good state of préservation. The study, along with complementary observations made on a similar wreck from Lake Annecy, has led to the reconstitution of a vessel some 9 métrés long and 2.30 métrés wide, rectangular in plan and extending to a point at the prow. The architecture is archaic in principal, being of bottom based construction with the structure of an extended logboat/plank boat. Certain cha-racteristics, such as the use of cramps, lead one to question the eventual relations between naval and rural architecture. The craft has also been studied from the point of view of metrology and has revealed the use of the Savoie foot. Its hydrodynamic characteristics have been examined with the aid of naval architecture software. The architectural particularities of the Bredannaz wreck, for which a date of 15th-16th century is proposed, make it an important milestone in our knowledge of the history of watercraft in the Alpine lakes.

Did Neandertals and anatomically modern humans coexist in northern Italy during the late MIS 3?

The main processes invoked to explain the demise of Homo neanderthalensis are the effects of adverse climatic conditions in the northern hemisphere during Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) and the outcome of the interaction with Anatomically Modern Humans (AMHs). Evidence for the co-existence of these two hominins, however, is elusive and, therefore, verifying the role which these processes might have played in the extirpation of Neandertals remains a topic of heated debate. A site which can contribute to throw light on the replacement of H. neanderthalensis by AMHs is Riparo Mezzena, a rockshelter in northern Italy, where late Mousterian lithic industries were found in association with human remains. This paper reviews the results of recent investigations on the lithic assemblages and human bones recovered during excavation campaigns which took place in 1957 and 1977. The study of the physical anthropology of the skeletal remains, in conjunction with palaeogenetic analyses on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, have proven that the occupiers of Riparo Mezzena were Neandertals. The first radiocarbon date for the site, obtained on collagen extracted from a bovid from the lowermost part of the stratigraphic sequence (Layer III) and presented here (34,540 ± 655 14C uncal BP), attests that Riparo Mezzena was occupied during the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition period. The anthropogenic deposits at the site actually accumulated when the nearby site of Grotta di Fumane was occupied by humans who produced Proto-Aurignacian lithic industries. This suggests that Neandertals and AMHs probably co-existed for a short period of time in northern Italy, possibly competing for resources within the confined territory of the Monti Lessini. These findings arising from new research on the collections of Riparo Mezzena have important implications not only for the study of the Middle-to-Upper Palaeolithic transition in Italy, but also for the understanding of the process through which AMHs replaced H. neanderthalensis.

IAEA Activities on Cultural Heritage, Archaeology and other Characterization Applications

Trace element determination is crucial for identifying the provenance and authenticity of intact ancient objects such as cultural and art artefacts, archaeological findings and forensic materials, geological objects, etc. A non-destructive technique suitable for analysis of trace elements in bulk-samples is highly needed. The IAEA initiated a series of coordinated research projects (CRP) to support Member States on their R&D programs. Large Sample Neutron Activation Analysis (LSNAA) is a very attractive non-destructive technique that can be applied without a need for sub-sampling and homogenization. LSNAA can be operated in ‘on-line’ mode which is based on the use of isotopic neutron sources, neutron generators and prompt gamma analysis. An on-going CRP focuses primarily on the application of LSNAA in the area of archaeological and geological programmes. However, further utilization of LSNAA in other subjects of industry and research is promising. Large scale campaigns of archaeological excavations are undertaken in the Mediterranean region. The IAEA is supporting Technical Cooperation projects in the Middle East in view of studying authenticity and origin of objects of art and archaeology, as well as to characterize new elaborated materials or environmental samples, making use of Ion Beam Accelerators (IBA) as nuclear analytical tool and other nuclear analytical techniques. The application of nuclear analytical tools in archaeology is of special concern as many common ancient civilizations are shared by the Mediterranean state. The main IBA techniques to be used are: PIXE, PIGE and RBS, as well as XRF. To take advantage of these nuclear techniques, many researchers from the participating countries have initiated several studies and exchange of experience, knowledge, results and expertise is on-going.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL, STYLISTIC AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON 11TH–13TH CENTURY AD PAINTED FRAGMENTS FROM THE SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA CHURCH IN CEVIO (SWITZERLAND)

The painted fragments collected during the archaeological excavation campaign in the San Giovanni Battista church in Cevio represent a unique patrimony of Romanesque wall painting in Tessin, Switzerland, having a strong stylistic linkage with the Lombardic art of the same period. The archaeological and stylistic research allowed the fragments to be dated between the 11th and 13th centuries ad and to group them in three chronological phases. The scientific research (p‐XRF, OM, SEM–EDS, FTIR and XRD) was aimed at characterizing the pigments and the pictorial techniques used. Important changes occurred in terms of some pigments used during the 11th and 12th centuries: in particular, azurite was used to decorate the earlier wall paintings while lapis lazuli was used for the 12th‐century ones. During the second period, lead‐based pigments (lead white and minium) were introduced into the palette. The use of natural yellow and red ochres and green earth was common for the three periods. The fresco technique was generally used, except for the application of azurite and lead‐based pigments, where the a secco technique was adopted. The integrated research is a contribution to the knowledge of Romanesque art in the Insubric Region.

Taphonomy and Behaviour at the Acheulean Site of Kariandusi, Kenya

In this article, Louis Leakey’s previously unpublished field reports are used to describe the 1929–1931 excavation campaign at the Acheulean site of Kariandusi. Using the sample of artefacts from this campaign housed in the Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford University, I attempt to understand the natural and behavioural factors contributing to site formation at Kariandusi. The matrix adhering to the artefacts and the degree of rounding on the artefacts are used to assess the depositional environments at the site. The artefact types represented at the site are used to reconstruct hominin discard behaviour. Descriptions and measurements of the bifaces are used to determine how these tools were made and whether they were resharpened. In conclusion, I provide a model of the life history of a Kariandusi biface.

The Amarna Stone Village Survey and life on the urban periphery in New Kingdom Egypt

Recent fieldwork at Amarna, the short-lived capital city of Egypt in the late 2nd millennium B.C., added a second area of peripheral settlement, the Stone Village, to the well-known Workmen’s Village, the subject of an intensive excavation campaign in the 1970s and 1980s. Both villages were evidently involved in tomb cutting and/or stone quarrying, but the Stone Village is smaller, conveys a particularly vernacular style of architecture, and seems to have had less state support than the Workmen’s Village. This paper describes the Stone Village as a source for the study of urban life in ancient Egypt. The two village sites offer a case study of the tensions that arose from controlling human populations in a border zone and from longestablished belief frameworks concerning desert landscapes and sacred space.

Palaeoenvironment and palaeoclimate of the Mousterian–Aurignacian transition in northern Iberia: The small-vertebrate assemblage from Cueva del Conde (Santo Adriano, Asturias)

The transition from the Middle Palaeolithic (Mousterian) to the Upper Palaeolithic (Aurignacian) has been one of the prominent themes in the archaeology of the European Palaeolithic for more than 20 years. One of the most controversial questions concerning this period is the extinction of the Neanderthals and their replacement by modern humans. In this context, Cueva del Conde, located in the northern part of the Iberian Peninsula, is an archaeo-palaeontological site that records the Mousterian to Aurignacian transition. It has been excavated since the beginning of the 20th century, first by the Conde de la Vega del Sella and systematically by a team from the University of Oviedo since 2001. Three main zones have been identified: the External Zone, dated to approximately 39 110 ± 520 BP (level N104); the Entrance Platform, dated between 38 250 ± 390 BP and 34 730 ± 500 BP; and Gallery A with a radiocarbon date of approximately 31 540 ± 400 BP (level N2a2). The small-vertebrate assemblages recovered from the water-screening of all sediment from the excavation campaigns represent at least 21 small mammal, amphibian and squamate taxa. The small-vertebrate associations in the three zones suggest a patchy landscape, dominated by humid meadows and woodland areas with the existence of water in the vicinity of the cave. The climate shows a more continental pattern during the Mousterian, though it was milder during the Aurignacian. The small vertebrates of the Cueva del Conde Mousterian and Aurignacian levels suggest a climate that differed from modern day temperatures, between −1.1 and −4.4 °C (mean annual temperature), placing these assemblages during Interstadials 9 to 7 (Is9 to 7).

Small vertebrates (Amphibia, Squamata, Mammalia) from the late Pleistocene-Holocene of the Valdavara-1 cave (Galicia, northwestern Spain)

The Valdavara-1 cave, located in the westernmost part of the Iberian Peninsula, is an archaeological site that has been excavated since 2007. At least two main sedimentary units have been identified: an upper one, 30 cm-thick, that has yielded many fragments of ceramic characteristic of the Recent Prehistory (with a radiocarbon age of 4.490 ± 40 years BP), and a lower one, 90 cm-thick, separated from the upper one by an erosive discontinuity and late Pleistocene in age (radiocarbon ages between 13.770 ± 70 and 15.120 ± 70 years BP). The small-vertebrate assemblages recovered from the sieving-washing of all the sediment from the excavation campaigns include a total of at least 34 taxa (six amphibians, nine squamate reptiles, five insectivores, two chiropterans and 12 rodents). The materials from this locality constitutes the first mention in northwestern Spain for Microtus (Iberomys) cabrerae and Micromys minutus, currently absent from this area, as well as the first mention in the fossil record for Chioglossa lusitanica, Discoglossus galganoi and Chalcides striatus. In both layers, such small-vertebrate associations suggest a patchy landscape dominated by humid meadows and woodland areas, with the existence of water areas in the vicinity of the cave. The climate shows a more continental pattern during the late Pleistocene, as evidenced by the presence of Microtus arvalis, Sorex minutus and Rana temporaria, and was milder during the Recent Prehistory, with the occurrence of typically Mediterranean taxa such as Crocidura russula, Chioglossa lusitanica, Discoglossus galganoi, Rana iberica, Chalcides striatus and Timon lepidus. The amphibian and squamate associations suggest that the climate change recorded at the Valdavara-1 cave between the latest Pleistocene and Holocene levels may correspond to a difference of 0.8 °C in terms of mean annual temperature, although the difference is 2.8 °C for the mean temperature of the coldest month.