Excavation Campaigns Research Articles

Abundant blade segments at Shuidonggou, Locality 1: Intentional or accidental?

Blades in the Initial Upper Paleolithic assemblages from Shuidonggou, Locality 1 (SDG1) are frequently fragmented. Complete blades are rare and proximal, medial and distal blade segments are abundant in the collections from various excavation campaigns at the site. Using a large sample of artifacts from 1963 excavations at the SDG 1 site, this paper evaluates the hypothesis that blades were intentionally broken into regular sections, perhaps to facilitate their insertion into armatures of composite tools. The scarcity of traces of percussion and hafting-related modification, and the non-standardized lengths of segments do not suggest intentional human intervention in sectioning the blades. Instead, the strong correlation between segment length and a measure of blade strength suggests that most if not all blade sections resulted from accidental breakage.

GROTTA ROMANELLI (SOUTHERN ITALY, APULIA): LEGACIES AND ISSUES IN EXCAVATING A KEY SITE FOR THE PLEISTOCENE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN

Grotta Romanelli, located on the Adriatic coast of southern Apulia (Italy), is considered a key site for the Mediterranean Pleistocene for its archaeological and palaeontological contents. The site, discovered in 1874, was re-evaluated only in 1900, when P. E. Stasi realised that it contained the first evidence of the Palaeolithic in Italy. Starting in 1914, G.A. Blanc led a pioneering excavation campaign, for the first-time using scientific methods applied to systematic paleontological and stratigraphical studies. Blanc proposed a stratigraphic framework for the cave. Different dating methods (C 14 and U/Th) were used to temporally constrain the deposits. The extensive studies of the cave and its contents were mostly published in journals with limited distribution and access, until the end of the 1970s, when the site became forgotten. In 2015, with the permission of the authorities, a new excavation campaign began, led by a team from Sapienza University of Rome in collaboration with IGAG CNR and other research institutions. The research team had to deal with the consequences of more than 40 years of inactivity in the field and the combined effect of erosion and legal, as well as illegal, excavations. In this paper, we provide a database of all the information published during the first 70 years of excavations and highlight the outstanding problems and contradictions between the chronological and geomorphological evidence, the features of the faunal assemblages and the limestone artefacts.

Pré Peyret 1 (Gresse-en-Vercors, Isère, 1 620 m). Une station mésolithique de montagne

Located on the “ Hauts plateaux”, a large area selected as a natural reserve in the center of the “ Parc naturel régional du Vercors”, the “ Pré Peyret 1 and 2” mesolithic settlements have been discovered in 1998 by Regis Picavet and Sébastien Bernard-Guelle, during an archeological survey sponsored by the natural Park. During the year 1999, several survey tests were realized, revealing us an important mesolithic occupation. During the years 2007-2008, two archeological excavation campaigns have been organized at the “ Pré Peyret 1” settlement, located on a tiny hill, directed by Régis Picavet. Twenty square meters have been excavated and the numerous lithic artifacts have been assigned to the first and second Mesolithic cultures. These conditions allow a palethnographic approach, which yet remains incomplete. The “ Pré Peyret 1” settlements belong to a large series of human occupations in altitude already known on the “ Hauts Plateaux” area and more generally in the alpine world, participating at a seasonal system of mountain attendance. Interrelations may be founded with the “ Grande Rivoire” (580 m asl.), mesolithic settlements giving us lots of cultural and archeobiological informations which are missing in open air sites.

Castro de Monte Mozinho: Cerâmicas de Paredes Finas

In this paper we present the thin-walled ware found in Castro de Monte Mozinho, in the excavations campaigns dated from 1974 to 1998. We identify all the sectors covered by the work and we sum up the stratigraphic contexts in which the findings of the thin-walled ware occurred, highlighting their relation to other contemporary materials. We then present the productions according to their type and fabric, having been able to identify two distinct ones. On the one hand, we verified the existence of Italic thin-walled ware manufactured both in the Central North region (Etruscan coast) and in the Central Western area of the Po Valley and, on the other hand, and in a more significant number, we recognised peninsular productions from the Baetica and Lusitania, with emphasis to the ones produced in Merida.

Architectural fragments from Callatis. New discoveries of Doric architecture

Eight Doric architectural fragments have been discovered recently in a rescue excavation campaign in Mangalia, re-used in the structure of an Early Christian cist grave. Their stylistic and morphological characteristics suggest a provenance from the same monument or built environment as the other two known fragments of architrave-friezes, incorporated in the permanent exhibition of the Archaeological Museum of Callatis. The inventory of fastening cuttings and tool traces indicated several hypothesis regarding their assemblage and preliminary observations on the architectural characteristics of the provenance monument. The discovery of this homogenous group of architectural blocks thus confirms and strengthens the perspective of an important Hellenistic Doric monument or architectural ensemble in Callatis, supporting the older hypothesis regarding a dominant presence of the Doric in the left Pontus cities.

Исследование скального навеса Малишина Стена в Черногории в 2018 году

Исследование скального навеса Малишина Стена в Черногории в 2018 году

THIRTY YEARS OF ACTIVITY AT ETHNO-ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORY MUSEUM FROM ICLOD VILLAGE

On the 14th of May, 1987, when it was founded, the unique Ethno- Archeology and History Museum from Iclod had 3 exhibition rooms; nowadays, it has had 12 exhibition rooms. The „soul” of the Museum is the teacher, choreographer and historian Aurel Ioan Bulbuc. During 30 years of activity, the Museum has hosted research teams during excavation campaigns, symposiums, seminars, and conferences – national and international, many celebrations, festivals, puppet shows, film screenings, poetry recitals and readings. The result of the scientific research and of the excavation made by several teams of specialists from Germany, from the University of Kiel, University of Iasi, University of Cluj-Napoca, Institute of Archeology Cluj-Napoca, determined that a fortified city existed 6850 years ago on the territory of Iclod village.

Murgie: the fortified Bruttian site (Crotone, Calabria)

We have begun this work in the hopes of studying the specifics of all the previous investigations of archaeological excavations and historical cartography sites, according to the information provided by the common technical offices of Strongoli and tools used in the province of Crotone, such as aerial photography, blueprints and all of the cartography related to the plateau of Murgie and all areas within its limits. The area of Murgie was first identified by Juliette De La Genière in 1971 and later some recoveries were made by the superintendent for archaeological heritage in 1976 and by regular excavations in 1983, 1988 and 1990.The oldest recovered items in the plateau probably date back to the end of the Paleolithic era, in addition to some fragments of the flint industry. As far as the 4th – 3rd centuries B.C. are concerned, they are the most prolific in producing artifacts and in terms of demographical growth of the area. The most recent evidence is a whole brick found during a survey and it can be compared to other examples which come from Crotone’s higher topographical areas dating back to the 2nd century B.C.. To carry out this analysis we used sophisticated tools such as centimetric GPS and total stations. Through this work, we have investigated and identified all the Bruttian era’s defense systems, and moreover we have investigated how it relates to the plateau and its building methods.
 During the survey in the field, many obstacles turned up because of the thick vegetation and the cultivation in this area, treating of agricultural grounds, and changes in the ground because of the use of mechanical means in the area. This research has given new data and information which has added to the research carried out last century and that should be completed with a real campaign of stratigraphic excavation.

Amphitheater of Volterra: Case Study for the Representation of Excavation Data

The work presented wants to show how different techniques of expeditious relief can be combined together in order to better describe the subject studied. Techniques of digital projection as laser scanner, topography and Structure from Motion can be used simultaneously and interact with each other to create a rich database of colorimetric and metrics information. Methodologies that, at the same time, present the peculiarities and errors of peculiar relief of the technology employed.The case study examined in this type of research is the discovery of the amphitheater of Volterra. Discovered in July 2015 during the phases of reclamation of a stream, is located close to Porta Diana and a few hundred meters from the Roman Theater discovered in the last century. An excavation campaign undertaken Between October and November 2015 has allowed us to bring to light the crests of the supporting walls of the structure, revealing the presence of the three orders and a depth of about ten meters.The step of post processing has finally seen the use of three-dimensional models acquired both for the creation of images metrics necessary to the study of the stratigraphic units, both for studying a mobile application, 3D models and data of the excavation, easy to use for transmitting the information collected.

Socio‐cultural innovations of the Final Umm an‐Nar period (c.2100–2000 BCE) in the Oman peninsula: new insights from Ra's al‐Jinz RJ‐2

AbstractThe Early Bronze Age site of RJ‐2, located close to the coastal village of Ra's al‐Jinz on the eastern Omani coast (Niyabat Ra's al‐Hadd), was the focus of archaeological investigations for over two decades. The latest campaigns of excavation unearthed an architectural complex (Building XII) dated to the very end of the Umm an‐Nar period (Final UaN, c.2100–2000 BCE), previously attested on site by poorly preserved remains. This paper presents the remains explored during the most recent fieldwork, focusing on the stratigraphic‐structural sequence and the spatial layout. It also considers the transformations affecting structural evidence and material culture during this period, at both local and regional level, highlighting their significance for a comprehensive assessment of the last occupations related to the Early Bronze Age in south‐eastern Arabia. The paper concludes by showing how the Final Umm an‐Nar phase represents an age of substantial socio‐cultural innovations, which most likely shaped the transition towards the following Wadi Suq period.

The Early Bronze Age at Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath

In 1899, Bliss and Macalister launched a brief but intensive campaign of excavation at the site of Tell eṣ-Ṣâfi/Gath and uncovered evidence for a large-scale fortification system and thick deposits...

Стратиграфия и культурная последовательность стоянки Толбор-21 (Северная Монголия): итоги работ 2014–2016 гг. и дальнейшие перспективы исследований

Стратиграфия и культурная последовательность стоянки Толбор-21 (Северная Монголия): итоги работ 2014–2016 гг. и дальнейшие перспективы исследований

Apotropejska i rodna simbolika nakita iz groba 134 na Štrbincima kod Đakova

U grobu 134 na kasnoantičkom groblju na Štrbincima kod Đakova, datiranom od sredine 4. stoljeća do ranog 5. stoljeća, u kojemu je bilo pokopano dijete od 2 do 3 godine starosti, nađeni su sljedeći prilozi: bula od bakarne slitine, polumjesečasti privjesak od bakarne slitine, polumjesečasti privjesak od srebra, slabo sačuvano oglavlje (dijadema) načinjeno od tri približno kvadratne pločice od prozirnog žućkastog stakla koje su najvjerojatnije bile pričvršćene na podlogu od pozlaćene bakarne slitine, 65 perli od bjelkastog, plavog i zelenog stakla, narukvica od bakarne slitine, glineni vrč. Grob je prethodno bio objavljen u sklopu objave iskopavanja iz 2007. i 2008. na Štrbincima, ali bez detaljne rasprave o pojedinačnim nalazima. U ovome radu o tim se nalazima raspravlja s aspekta apotropejske i rodne uloge u grobnom kontekstu, sa zaključkom da je dijete najvjerojatnije bilo ženskoga roda, pokopano s velikom pažnjom i željom da mu se osigura najveća moguća zaštita u onostranosti.

The Cave of Pan, Marathon, Greece—AMS Dating of the Neolithic Phase and Calculation of the Regional Marine Reservoir Effect

AbstractThe Cave of Pan is located on the N/NE slope of the hill of Oinoe (38°09′31.60′′N, 23°55′48.60′′E), west of modern Marathon. In rescue excavation campaigns during the last three years, among other finds, charcoal and seashell samples were also collected. The purpose of this study is the accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dating of the cave’s anthropogenic deposits and the calculation of the regional marine reservoir effect during the Neolithic period. For that purpose, 7 charcoal pieces and 1 seashell were dated. Our results show that the cave was used from the second quarter of the 6th millennium (Middle Neolithic period) until the beginning of the 5th millennium BC. Additionally, one sample collected from a depth of 2 cm from the present surface of the cave yielded an age falling within the 6th century AD, giving thus the absolute time span of the cave use. Moreover, the radiocarbon (14C) ages of one pair of charcoal-seashell samples showed that the marine reservoir age R(t) in the estuarine Marathon Bay region during the 5th millennium BC is 775±57 yr and the local sea surface reservoir deviation ΔR is found to be 402±6314C yr (within 1σ).

Crack Monitoring of Operational Wind Turbine Foundations.

The degradation of onshore, reinforced-concrete wind turbine foundations is usually assessed via above-ground inspections, or through lengthy excavation campaigns that suspend wind power generation. Foundation cracks can and do occur below ground level, and while sustained measurements of crack behaviour could be used to quantify the risk of water ingress and reinforcement corrosion, these cracks have not yet been monitored during turbine operation. Here, we outline the design, fabrication and field installation of subterranean fibre-optic sensors for monitoring the opening and lateral displacements of foundation cracks during wind turbine operation. We detail methods for in situ sensor characterisation, verify sensor responses against theoretical tower strains derived from wind speed data, and then show that measured crack displacements correlate with monitored tower strains. Our results show that foundation crack opening displacements respond linearly to tower strain and do not change by more than ±5 m. Lateral crack displacements were found to be negligible. We anticipate that the work outlined here will provide a starting point for real-time, long-term and dynamic analyses of crack displacements in future. Our findings could furthermore inform the development of cost-effective monitoring systems for ageing wind turbine foundations.

Geoarchaeological evaluation of ground penetrating radar and magnetometry surveys at the Iron Age burial mound Rom in Norway

AbstractFollowing magnetometry and ground penetrating radar surveys, a geoarchaeological field evaluation was carried out at the Iron Age burial mound of Rom in Slagendalen, Vestfold County, Norway, in order to assess the accuracy of the geophysical data interpretation and to investigate specific questions that have arisen during data interpretation. The evaluation was conducted within the framework of an archaeological excavation campaign in 2013, which enabled direct access to the subsurface materials. The archaeological stratification was recorded by laser scanning using a three‐dimensional (3D) single‐surface approach, permitting a virtual reconstruction of the excavated part of the mound and facilitating the comparison between excavation and prospection data. Selected sediment sequences were targeted with in situ and laboratory‐based measurements for correlation purposes, including magnetic susceptibility, electrical conductivity and water content measurements. Here we present the methodological approach and the results of the geophysical prospection surveys, followed by a geoarchaeological evaluation and a discussion of the impact on the overall archaeological investigation.

The Late Antique Church of Saint Lawrence, Banjol (Island of Rab, Croatia) - Results of the First Two Archaeological Campaigns (2015-2016)

Preliminary results of the first excavation campaigns at the site of Saint Lawrence in Banjol on the island of Rab are presented. These excavations revealed the remains of two consecutive churches,...

Los ‘hallazgos excepcionales’ de Iruña-Veleia (Álava): sintaxis de una falsificación arqueológica

In 2006, news broke of the discovery of ostraca bearing text in Latin and Basque, as well as Christian drawings, during the 2005 and 2006 excavation campaigns at the Iruna-Veleia site in Alava, Spain. In 2008, these pieces were shown to be fakes. The ‘Iruna-Veleia case’, as it has come to be known, has been the subject of several partial studies, primarily focused on the forgeries. This paper will analyse it from a contextual perspective. To this end, it first defines the general pattern, or ‘syntax’, followed by historical forgeries. It then applies this syntax to the Iruna-Veleia case, reviewing how it unfolded in the academic, political, institutional and social spheres. In each one, the syntax showed certain oddities, mainly due to the social context in which the events took place and their link to nationalist identity, a subject related to the content of the forged specimens. Despite this link, however, in this case it cannot be concluded that nationalism was the driving force behind the forgery.

EKSPLOITASI FAUNA DI SITUS LIANGAN, TEMANGGUNG: KAJIAN ARKEOZOOLOGI

Liangan is a settlement site of Old Mataram in periodic of VI-X AD. Various aspects of ancient Javanese culture has been recovered from Liangan site, but has never been examined the relationship between human and fauna in the past. The study aims to determine the pattern of faunal exploitation through archaeozoological approach, which use ecofact (faunal bones and teeth) that were found in the 2016 excavation campaign. This study conducts qualitative analysis of morphological character of the bones and teeth. Archaeozoological study is covering biological aspects of fauna, and cultural aspects related to human activity. These aspects are including anatomical preservation condition, taphonomy (deposition process), taxonomy (species), age estimation and faunal diet pattern. In the result, mainly bones and teeth are identified as buffalo (Bubalus sp). Taphonomical preservation condition of buffalo bone indicating faunal exploitation for human consumption. The climatic condition of Sindoro highland which is not buffalo’s natural habitat indicates an intensive human intervention as domestication. This study shows that buffalo on Liangan site eat more leaves as browser which probably supplied by human.

2016 Excavations at Poggio Civitate and Vescovado di Murlo

AbstractThis report details excavations carried at at the site of Poggio Civitate and Vescovado di Murlo during the 2016 excavation campaign. Work both clarified aspects of the form and date of a monumental palazzo originally revealed during the previous season’s excavation and also clarified the architectural details of a small, later, potentially domestic structure located within the earlier building’s confines. Excavation at the associated site of Vescovado di Murlo revealed the presence of a significant defensive work and associated moat, apparently destroyed in the early years of the 4th century BCE.