Chronology Dates Research Articles

THE MENSIOCHRONOLOGY ANALYSIS SUPPORTED BY NEW ADVANCED SURVEY TECHNIQUES: FIELD TESTS IN MILANESE AREA

Abstract. Mensiochronology of brickwork, even in areas where reference curves have been constructed and well tested, requires precise measurements and a representative amount of data due to the many factors affecting the reliability of the measurements, such as the defects caused by the time and the environment that changed the geometry of the bricks (deformation or lack of material along the edges), as well as the operators’ skills. Sometimes, the number of measurable bricks is limited in a wall, or in a stratigraphic unit. Furthermore, if a scaffolding is not available, the analysis is concentrated only on the lower courses of the bricks, being not possible to directly measure the bricks of the higher levels. In order to implement the number of bricks taken into account for this study, a comparison from direct measurements and indirect measurements is here proposed.The aim of this paper is to explore the applications of photogrammetry for undertaking brick measurements for chronological dating: its advantage and drawbacks. Using high-resolution digital rectified pictures, the masonry texture of some well-documented building prospects was scaled into vector graphic software for recording the measures of the bricks. The results presented here by the authors are an attempt for validating this method for future applications. In detail, three case studies are analysed in the historic centre of Vimercate (Italy) testing the effectiveness of the presented method on dated buildings that display diverse features, including the presence of reused bricks, possibly coming from dismantled pre-existing structures. The results proved that the proposed geomatics method entails an accuracy that does not affect the usability of data for the investigation of buildings and the material culture inbuilt.

THE PASTYRSKE HILL-FORT: CERAMIC COMPLEX FROM THE BACKFILL OF THE INTERNAL MOAT (ACCORDING TO RESEARCH IN 2017)

The article is devoted to the ceramic complex from the inner moat of the Pastyrske hill-fort (plot, investigated in 2017). At the site fragments are at least 20 ceramic vessels — 16 hand-made vessels and 4 whell-made vessels. Chronological indicators found on the object allow to determine the chronological date of creation of the complex within the middle of the 7th — the middle of the 8th century.
 The nature of the layer in which the ceramics was found indicates that the ditch was purposefully filled in a short time after the fire on the territory of the settlement. This ceramic crockery is most likely to come from structures located on the territory of the «citadel» of the settlement and were destroyed during a fire.

Changes in the Near Eastern chronology between the 5th and the 3rd millennium BC: New AMS 14C dates from Arslantepe (Turkey)

In recent years the chronological framework provided by the AMS 14C dating has had a great impact on archaeological studies in the Near East, also affecting the previous synchronization of cultural events across the Mediterranean region. Here we present a consistent set of 14C dates from the site of Arslantepe (Turkey) between the 5th and the 3rd millennium BC. A total of 86 samples of charred wood remains were previously dated by the beta counting method, already providing a general framing to this exceptionally long sequence. However, the stratigraphy of building levels still needed a more accurate analysis, distinguishing sub-phases within the occupational periods. 13 new samples of mainly charred seeds and fruits from the Late Chalcolithic to the Early Bronze I levels have been dated by means of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) A tendency towards older radiocarbon ages is recorded. The new site chronology dates the post-Ubaid levels during the mid-5th millennium BC, well corresponding to the Late Chalcolithic cultures of northern Mesopotamia. The last phases of the Late Chalcolithic were found in quick succession between 3600 and 3200 years BC, confirming the correlation with the Late Uruk culture in southern Mesopotamia. Lastly, the Early Bronze Age I levels appear to be earlier than the previous beta counting chronology. This indicates that the events following the collapse of the Late Chalcolithic Arslantepe society all belong to a very short period of time.

Sumerian Pottery Technology Studied Through Neutron Diffraction and Chemometrics at Abu Tbeirah (Iraq)

Pottery is the most common material found in archaeological excavations and is used as the main tool for chronological dating. Due to the geopolitical instability of the Middle East during the latter part of the last century until recent years, Sumerian pottery studies and analyses are limited. The resumption of archaeological excavations in Iraq during the last ten years allows the acquisition of new information and the study of archaeological material excavated through modern stratigraphic methodologies. This paper presents the results of the non-destructive analyses of Abu Tbeirah Sumerian pottery (Iraq) from the 3rd millennium BC and is aimed at analysing the crystallographic composition of ceramic material, therefore contributing to fill a gap in the knowledge of early Southern Mesopotamian pottery production, shedding new light on details of ancient technology and manufacturing techniques. Among the wide range of analytical techniques available, neutron-based ones have been chosen, obtaining detailed analyses in a non-destructive manner. Non-destructive and non-invasive neutron diffraction (ND) was applied in combination with chemometrics such as Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA). ND confirms a general uniformity of the raw materials and a local Mesopotamian provenance through a comparison with modern local clay. Moreover, secondary minerals and their marker-temperature formation imply two different ranges of firing temperature that never exceeded 1000 °C, a temperature easily reachable through pit-firing techniques.

Archaeological evidence of early settlement in Venice: a comment on Ammerman et al. (2017)

Abstract

P–T–time (phengite Ar closure) history of spatially close-outcropping HP and UHP oceanic eclogites (southwestern Tianshan): implication for a potential deep juxtaposing process during exhumation?

ABSTRACTThe Chinese southwestern Tianshan HP–UHP/LT metamorphic complex possesses well-preserved mafic layers, tectonic slices/blocks, boudins/lens of different sizes, and lithology embedded within dominant metavolcanoclastics. A recent study on the ultra-high pressure (UHP) eclogite revealed a short timescale of exhumation (≤10 Ma, ~315 ± 5 Ma). However, controversies still exist on some key questions: (1) the reasonable interpretation of spatially close-outcropped high pressure (HP) and UHP slices with respect to regional geodynamics, and (2) if the previous regional scatter Ar–Ar ages proved the existence of internally coherent sub-belts or troubled by dating on samples with notable 40Ar retention. This study focusses on detailed P–T–time (phengite Ar closure) recovery of samples from a HP eclogite lens and its host rock, the UHP thick-layered eclogite. Based on data from bulk–rock, microprobe analysis, and muscovite Ar–Ar chronological dating, we link phengite growth to potential garnet growth stages via thermodynamic modelling. Facilitated by the P–T–Ar retention% graph, we collect all the regional muscovite Ar–Ar data together with results in this study for evaluating the significance of regional muscovite Ar–Ar ages and set back to geodynamics. According to modelling results, the HP lens eclogite reached peak metamorphism at ~550°C, 2.50 GPa with an Ar–Ar muscovite plateau age of 316.9 ± 1.0 Ma that could date the mass phengite growth event during prograde metamorphism. In contrast, the UHP layered eclogite experienced UHP peak burial at ~510°C, 2.95 GPa, and then to HP peak metamorphism at ~560°C, 2.60 GPa with ~311.6 ± 0.7 Ma plateau age that may constrain the cooling age during early exhumation. Noteworthy, both of them share a quite similar early exhumation path despite bearing contrasting prograde metamorphic experiences. With considering updated regional exhumation pattern, this might imply the existence of a potential deep juxtaposing (capture) process between HP slices and exhumating UHP complex, at about 45–60 km depth along subduction plate interface.

The presence of the brown bear Ursus arctos in Holocene Britain: a review of the evidence

Abstract The brown bear Ursus arctos was Holocene Britain's largest carnivoran and has appeared in recent rewilding discussions. Despite widespread interest, we know very little about the species in Holocene Britain, as few studies have been undertaken. This paper draws together information on the brown bear to examine its presence and extinction through evaluation of the archaeological and palaeontological evidence. Data were collected from published literature and museum catalogues. Information on the chronological date of archaeological sites, the number of bear specimens, and the body parts present were particularly sought. A total of 85 sites were identified, 57 are well‐dated, 25 are of uncertain date but are likely to be Holocene, and three have uncertain species identifications. Very few specimens from non‐anthropogenic sites (e.g. fens and caves) are well‐dated, skewing the data towards anthropogenic sites such as settlements and graves. Analysis of body part representation shows that the bear bones found in the Bronze Age, Iron Age, and most of the early medieval period are largely phalanges or metapodials, which are likely to be derived from skins. Other body parts are present during the Romano‐British, medieval, and post‐medieval period, indicating that live bears were present and were probably imported for entertainment. It seems that the brown bear was rare in Britain throughout the Holocene, and, based on current evidence, two extinction scenarios can be put forward: extinction in the late Neolithic/early Bronze Age, or extinction in the early medieval period.

Tree rings and rainfall in the equatorial Amazon

The Amazon basin is a global center of hydroclimatic variability and biodiversity, but there are only eight instrumental rainfall stations with continuous records longer than 80 years in the entire basin, an area nearly the size of the coterminous US. The first long moisture-sensitive tree-ring chronology has been developed in the eastern equatorial Amazon of Brazil based on dendrochronological analysis of Cedrela cross sections cut during sustainable logging operations near the Rio Paru. The Rio Paru chronology dates from 1786 to 2016 and is significantly correlated with instrumental precipitation observations from 1939 to 2016. The strength and spatial scale of the precipitation signal vary during the instrumental period, but the Rio Paru chronology has been used to develop a preliminary reconstruction of February to November rainfall totals from 1786 to 2016. The reconstruction is related to SSTs in the Atlantic and especially the tropical Pacific, similar to the stronger pattern of association computed for the instrumental rainfall data from the eastern Amazon. The tree-ring data estimate extended drought and wet episodes in the mid- to late-nineteenth century, providing a valuable, long-term perspective on the moisture changes expected to emerge over the Amazon in the coming century due to deforestation and anthropogenic climate change.

Tell el-Dabca and Byblos: New Chronological Evidence

This article is one of several, which aimed to synchronise major excavation sites along the Levantine coast with the relative chronology of Tell el-Dabca. Research was done in the frame of the EU MSCA project “Egypt in the Levant”. While the main part of this studies was to synchronise newly excavated sites with Tell el-Dabca, also promising museum material from old excavations was taken into consideration. As the Byblos area was one of the most important trading partners for Tell el-Dabca, it was decided to re-investigate the Royal Tombs of the Middle Bronze Age and try to synchronise their material with the stratigraphy of Tell el-Dabca. Since their discovery in the early 1920s, there is an ongoing debate about their chronological dating, which was strongly influenced by the appearance of Egyptian prestige objects naming the kings Amenemhet III and IV inside two of these tombs (tomb I and II). With a few exceptions, most of the scholars tend to date the bulk of these burials into the MB IIA period, with the tombs I and II being contemporaneous with the reign of these late 12th Dynasty kings. The re-investigation of the Egyptian, Egyptianising and local material from the Royal Tombs I, II and III as well as their synchronisation with the Tell el-Dabca stratigraphy is presented in this study.

Chronological Dating of the Duchy of Courland’s Colonial Policy

Chronological Dating of the Duchy of Courland’s Colonial Policy

PHOTOGRAMMETRY AS A TOOL FOR CHRONOLOGICAL DATING OF FIRED BRICKS STRUCTURES IN GENOA AREA

Abstract. The aim of this paper is to explore the applications of photogrammetry in the field of archaeology of architecture. Specifically, to test possible advantages in adopting this tool for undertaking brick measurements for chronological dating of fired bricks historic structures. Mensiochronology analysis is a direct and non-destructive method providing an absolute dating of stratigraphic units. It is based on direct inspection and survey of bricks. Depending on the accessibility of the surface being studied, mensiochronology is suitable for vertical structures of limited height or relies on the availability of scaffolding and lifting equipment. There are several advantages in applying photogrammetry to brick measurement, among them: the possibility to undertake measurements of every kind of surface; the reduction of on-site survey time; the opportunity to repeat measurements off-site; the possibility to increase the number of measured elements in subsequent phases and by different operators. To explore the application of photogrammetry for mensiochronology three case studies are analyzed, testing the effectiveness of this tool on buildings displaying diverse features (e.g. handmade and industrial bricks) and dating back to different periods.

Sediment transfer at different spatial and temporal scales in the Sichuan Hilly Basin, China: Synthesizing data from multiple approaches and preliminary interpretation in the context of climatic and anthropogenic drivers

Quantifying sediment production and transfer at different spatial and temporal scales in a changing environment is critical in understanding the potential effects of climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Accordingly, estimates of soil erosion and sediment production at hillslope field, first-order small catchment (<0.25km2) and river basin scales in the Sichuan Hilly Basin of Southwestern China, generated using a variety of techniques, including fallout radionuclide tracing, runoff plot observations, core chronology dating and conventional sediment flux monitoring, were synthesized and interpreted in the context of potential climatic and human controls. Mean annual soil erosion rates ranged from 800Mg·km−2·yr−1 to 4500Mg·km−2·yr−1 on the basis of fallout radionuclide tracing and from 600Mg·km−2·yr−1 to 3300Mg·km−2·yr−1 using runoff plot monitoring on selected cultivated hillslopes. A high slope-channel sediment delivery ratio was observed, meaning that a substantial proportion of eroded sediment was delivered into downstream drainage channels. An obvious temporal trend of decreasing sediment transfer to the river channels in the first-order catchments was identified, which may be driven by change in regional precipitation regime and the implementation of multiple soil conservation and reforestation practices over recent decades.

A tree‐ring chronology and paleoclimate record for the Younger Dryas–Early Holocene transition from northeastern North America

ABSTRACTSpruce and tamarack logs dating from the Younger Dryas and Early Holocene (YD–EH; ∼12.9–11.3k cal a BP) were found at Bell Creek in the Lake Ontario lowlands of the Great Lakes region, North America. A 211‐year tree‐ring chronology dates to ∼11 755–11 545 cal a BP, across the YD–EH transition. A 23‐year period of higher year‐to‐year ring‐width variability dates to around 11 650 cal a BP, infers strong regional climatic perturbations and may represent the end of the YD. Tamarack and spruce were dominant species throughout the YD–EH interval at the site, indicating that boreal conditions persisted into the EH, in contrast to geographical regions immediately south and east of the lowlands, but consistent with the Great Lakes interior lowlands. This infers that Bell Creek was at the eastern boundary of a boreal ecotone, perhaps a result of its lower elevation and the non‐analog dynamics of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. This finding suggests that the ecotone boundary extended farther east during the YD–EH transition than previously thought.

Temporalising the house: exploring alternative perspectives on time and the archaeological record within Danish settlement archaeology

This article calls for a renewed debate on the role played by time and temporality within Danish settlement archaeology. Recent theoretical debate has challenged the conventional way of thinking about time in archaeology by drawing attention to the multitemporal character of the archaeological record. In the article, the temporalisation of the archaeological record of the house is discussed based on a critical review of the archaeological process. The analysis shows how basic excavation and archiving practices favours a temporalisation of the house based on the chronological date and, at best, downplays other temporalities. The inherent temporalities of the archaeological record of the house, particularly the posthole, are discussed, and it is argued that the posthole should both be perceived as an object and a process in order to create space for alternative temporalities. Instead of seeing stratigraphy as a property of the posthole, the postholeshould be seen as an assemblage made up of the events and materials that created the stratigraphy, a process which is directly related to the life history of the house. It is argued that amultitemporal perspective is a prerequisite for new and fruitful ways to understand the house as an archaeological and cultural phenomenon.

Human trace on the landscape during the Holocene at El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain): The palynological evidence

The archaeological research focusing on El Mirador Cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain) has revealed a succession of occupation levels in a dung layers context that span from the early Neolithic to the middle Bronze Age. The robustness and coherence of the chronological dates of the sequence have contributed to framing the beginning of farming practices on the northern Plateau of the Iberian Peninsula. This study focuses on the palynological analysis of the sedimentary sequence, spanning from ca. 7970–7770 to ca. 3390–3070 cal. yr BP. The results have allowed us to identify a landscape of mixed forest with evergreen and deciduous oaks and pinewood. Despite the discontinuities in such sediments, some fluctuations between different categories of anthropogenic taxa can be observed throughout the sequence, illustrating greater or lesser pressure from livestock or agriculture. From the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, we documented a reduction in the tree cover because of increased human pressure typical of the Neolithisation process, while the relationship between environment and society changes.

Temporalising the house: exploring alternative perspectives on time and the archaeological record within Danish settlement archaeology

ABSTRACTThis article calls for a renewed debate on the role played by time and temporality within Danish settlement archaeology. Recent theoretical debate has challenged the conventional way of thinking about time in archaeology by drawing attention to the multitemporal character of the archaeological record. In the article, the temporalisation of the archaeological record of the house is discussed based on a critical review of the archaeological process. The analysis shows how basic excavation and archiving practices favours a temporalisation of the house based on the chronological date and, at best, downplays other temporalities. The inherent temporalities of the archaeological record of the house, particularly the posthole, are discussed, and it is argued that the posthole should both be perceived as an object and a process in order to create space for alternative temporalities. Instead of seeing stratigraphy as a property of the posthole, the posthole should be seen as an assemblage made up of the eve...

Multi-century humidity reconstructions from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau inferred from tree-ring δ18O

We present two new multi-century long tree-ring δ18O chronologies from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. The longer chronology dates back to 1353CE, representing the longest annually resolved δ18O chronology in the region, covering 660years (1353–2012CE). Both chronologies show strong relations to summer season precipitation, relative humidity, and temperature. We applied linear transfer functions and developed a summer season precipitation and a summer season relative humidity reconstruction. Moisture conditions during the past six centuries were characterized by a more humid period during 1700–1850CE and a drying trend since the mid-19th century. Spatial correlations between the δ18O chronologies and gridded reanalysis data (ERA-20C) revealed strong regional and remote associations to west central Asian, northeastern Europe, and to the western equatorial Pacific. These findings imply a potential influence of (i) atmospheric wave trains emanating from the North Atlantic and (ii) equatorial Pacific sea surface temperatures on the moisture variability over southeastern Tibet.

A Test of Time and A Test of Time Revisited: The Volcano of Thera and the Chronology and History of the Aegean and East Mediterranean in the Mid-Second Millennium BC

A Test of Time and A Test of Time Revisited: The Volcano of Thera and the Chronology and History of the Aegean and East Mediterranean in the Mid-Second Millennium BC

Reconsidering the Interpretation and Dating of Ancient Coins: the case of Bronze Coins from Dodona in the Name of Menedemos Argeades

In the sanctuary of Dodona a series of bronze coins were minted in the name of ΜEΝEΔΗΜΟΣ ΑΡΓEΑΔΗΣ ΙEΡEΥΣ (PRIEST MENEDEMOS ARGEADES). The iconography of this substantial coinage follows the traditional types struck by the Epirote mints, such as Dodonaios Zeus and his eagle, Artemis and her attributes (arrow and quiver). Franke, the first scholar who studied them, from historical events proposed a date in the period 168-148 B.C. In this paper a new chronological date for these coins is proposed, from style, epigraphic and the metrological observations, combined with the ancient sources. Specifically, the style of these issues echoes the types of silver denarii minted during the late republican period. The bust of Dodonaios Zeus bears a resemblance to the relevant type of Roman denarii of Lucius Staius Murcus (42-41 B.C.) and the hairstyle of Artemis to Dianaʼs as the latter is depicted on the silver coins of Gaius Hosidius Geta (68 B.C.), and mainly of Caesar’s followers, Gaius Antius Restio (47 B.C.) and Titus Carisius (46 B.C). In the Augustan era, this hairstyle for Diana is abandoned. For research, a puzzling issue concerns the denominational system of the heavy bronze coins, which were applied to the Greek mints, as the type C of the series of Dodona. Burnett observed the distribution of this practice during the Second Civil War, which he attributed to the Roman officers of Marcus Junius Brutus, Marcus Antonius and Gaius Octavius. Nevertheless, Kremydi-Sicilianou concluded, by examining the monetary production of Dion, that Julius Caesar was the mastermind behind the foundation of the Roman colony (Colonia Felix Diensis), although it was established after his assassination. Another colony founded by Julius Caesar, was Colonia Iulia Felix Sinope, where this new monetary system was also applied. The omission of the ethnikon on Dodona’s bronze coins is unique in Greek numismatics. Franke first linked the name Argeades to the royal dynasty of Macedonia. The extent of the inscription is reminiscent of those on the coins of the Macedonian kings from the time of Alexander the Great and his successors. The mysterious identity of Menedemos Argeades seems to unfold through lines in Caesar’s Civil War and Ciceroʼs in correspondence. In a passage in the Civil Wars, Caesar made a reference to Menedemos, princeps of Macedonia libera, as an ally of his. However, Cicero provided crucial data related to Menedemos and Petraeosʼ activity in political strife. According to his narration, both became intimate followers of Caesar and both were granted the privilege of Roman citizenship. During Caesar’s autocracy, the Thessalian league minted silver and bronze coins in the name of (strategos) Petraeos, while Menedemos contributed financially to the sanctuary of Dodona for the emission of these bronze issues. He proudly presented himself as priest of Dodonaios Zeus and descent of the royal branch of Argeades reflecting the morale of his era. His political activity did not continue for long. A year after the brutal assassination of Caesar, he was executed together with Petraeos by Marcus Junius Brutus

Re-evaluating the Neolithic: The Impact and the Consolidation of Farming Practices in the Cantabrian Region (Northern Spain)

Research projects undertaken in the Cantabrian region since 1980 have produced new, high-quality information about the neolithisation process(es) in this area. It is now necessary to review this archaeological information and test the main hypotheses put forward to explain it. This paper presents an update on the archaeological evidence (sites, chronological dates, archaeozoological, archaeobotanical and technological information) for the early Neolithic in the Cantabrian region. It summarizes recent research on neolithisation in the region, and assesses the impact of this process during the early Neolithic, and its later consolidation. Although the available information is still incomplete, it is now possible to identify the focal point of the introduction of elements characteristic of the Neolithic way of life in the region. Current evidence suggests that it is in the eastern sector, where the earliest arrival of domesticates and new technologies such as pottery has been attested. The existence of continuities—such as sustained reliance on hunting and gathering and the coexistence of old and new funerary rites—suggests the persistence of native populations, which gradually participated in the neolithisation process after an ‘availability phase’.