Early 8th Research Articles

The Process and Current Situation of Islam Localization in Senegal

Islam originated in the Arabian Peninsula and spread to the Maghreb region inhabited by Berbers in the late 7th century and early 8th century, and then spread further to West Africa south of the Sahara from north to south. Around 850 AD, the first group of black Africans converted to Islam. They belonged to the Dya’ogo dynasty of the Tekur Kingdom, which is located in the Senegal River Valley in present-day Senegal. Currently, Senegal is one of the countries with the highest proportion of Muslim population in West Africa, with 94% of its people believing in Islam. Not only that, Senegal has also developed a unique Islamic system dominated by the Brotherhood. This article attempts to sort out the process of Islam localization in Senegal and explain the impact of the Brotherhood on contemporary Senegalese politics and economy.

곡교천 주변지역 신라고분의 전개양상과 영역사적 의미

Most of the Silla tombs in the Gokgyo Stream basin are small stone tombs. Based on the chronology of the excavated pottery, the development process of the tombs can be explained by dividing it into four stages, and the Silla transformation process in the Gokgyocheon basin can be specified according to the distribution and evolution of the tombs. The first stage is from the late 6th century to the early 7th century. Contrary to the existing perception, Silla advanced into the Gokgyocheon basin around the end of the 6th century and came into contact with Baekje, which occupied the west coast. The second stage corresponds to the mid-7th century. After the first stage, the construction of Silla tombs was suspended for a period of time and then resumed. In the first quarter of the 7th century, Baekje crossed Gokgyo Stream and advanced to the vicinity of Jiksan in northern Cheonan to confront Silla. Afterwards, Silla re-entered the Gokgyocheon basin in the mid-7th century and expanded its area starting from Phase I. When they reached the central Asan region, they crossed the Charyeong Mountains and faced Baekje. The third stage corresponds to the late 7th to early 8th centuries. After the annexation of Baekje, counties and prefectures were established in the Gokgyocheon basin, and tombs were spread throughout the Gokgyocheon basin. Stage Ⅳ is a stage in which the construction of tombs rapidly decreases and can be seen as the period from the late 8th century to the early 10th century. Earthen mounds were built along with stone mounds, and from the 9th century, the end of this stage, standardization collapsed, and along with this, Tang-style tombs began to be built during the recession period, which lost regularity. get around.

Palaeodietary reconstruction of wild and domestic goats using dental microwear texture analysis. A case study from two early Neolithic sites in the southern Levant

ABSTRACT Dental microwear (DMA) is a tool used for the palaeodiet reconstruction of animals in Archaeology. The use of this proxy on domestic ungulates provides valuable information to reconstruct livestock strategies, yet it presents several methodological limitations. Most studies have been carried out using low-magnification DMA and the interpretations often relied on comparisons with databases of extant wild ungulates. In addition, several studies have highlighted challenges in discerning diets in extant domestic caprines. In parallel, dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA) – a quantitative methodology based on 3D micro-texture height maps – has shown better discrimination. In this paper, we explore the capacity to distinguish four different management strategies of domestic goats (Capra hircus) and three species of wild ibexes (Capra nubiana, C. pyrenaica and C. ibex) using DMTA. Results revealed good discrimination among extant domestic goat populations and between wild and domestic goats. This new dataset was subsequently used to characterise the palaeodiet of archaeological goats from two Pre-Pottery Neolithic B sites in the southern Levant. Preliminary findings suggest evidence of human intervention in goats at least during the early 8th millennium BCE. In addition, incorporating various current management strategies has enhanced our understanding of early goat domestication in southern Levant.

Fibulae in the Form of Overlays in the Archeology of the Western Balts of the Merovingian Age

The article is devoted to a unique phenomenon in the archeology of the Baltics – Aestii and Prussian brooches imitating belt linings and details of a horse headband. They date from the early 5th – early 8th century AD. According to its shape, these brooches are divided into two variants. Fibulae var. 1 of the early phase of the era of the Great Migration of Peoples are associated with the Aestii of Sambia on the threshold of the emergence of the Prussian archaeological culture, and the clasps of var. 2 came out of the workshops of the western part of the Masurian Lake District in the final phase of the mentioned era. The sizes and shapes of the studied brooches directly point to their prototypes: linings of various accessories. By searching for such analogies, the origin and dating of brooches-overlays obtained as a result of excavations of burial grounds on the western outskirts of the Baltic world is clarified. The brooches of both of the aforementioned variants, belonging to the bearers of the cultures of various Western Baltic tribes, were made over the course of three centuries (with interruptions). Fasteners var. 1 were included in male and female burial complexes. Fasteners var. 2 belonged exclusively to male complexes. The social affiliation of the owners of brooches var. 2 can be defined as members (or relatives) of a squad group. It was professional warriors who had luxurious horse headbands with fours, imitating the Frankish models of the Merovingian era. A similar phenomenon was noted on the example of women’s pendants with retinue symbols in Eastern European antiquities of the Viking Age, which was not previously noted in Russian archeology.

Eastern Middle Sweden, Finland and beyond in the Late Vendel and Early Viking periods

The Scandinavian interest in the Eurasian fur trade started in the early 8th century. Contacts between the Baltic Finns and the Permian groups in the Volga-Kama-Vjatka river region was the impetus for these contacts. The trail is seen in distinct Nevolino belt fittings, chain holders with twin horse heads and glass beads emanating from the East. Scandinavian fur traders established close interaction with the Baltic Finns in what is today Finland and probably Northern Estonia increased from AD 700. Scandinavian glass beads and swords were in use in South-Western Finland in the early 8th c. Finnish A III pottery emerged in Eastern Middle Sweden already in the late 7th c., both as imports proper but also as local products made by Finnish women. In this early phase of interaction personal contacts obviously played a major role. After c. AD 860 these connections changed. The Baltic Finns expressed their cultural identity in a more exposed way. Scandinavian traders turned their attention to the expanding market based on Birka and the Rus’. From c. AD 860 territorial claims in the East were accentuated, leading to the later, bigger Rus’.

Self-Destruction of Idols in Arab Muslim Historiography

Abstract The article deals with a potential source and the subsequent borrowing of the motif of the self-destruction of the pagan idols. This motif is common in Eastern Christian apocrypha and hagiographic tales and also in the Arab Islamic tradition. In Muslim historiography, among stories about the destiny of ancient Arabian images, such a motif is found only twice. Both legends are connected with pre-Islanic Ḥaḍramawt, the autonomous region in Yemen. One legend deals with the idol called al-Djalsad, an object of veneration mostly by a tribe of al-Sakūn. It was represented in the shape of a white anthropomorphic rock with a black head. The other tale narrates about the domestic statue made of cornelian that belonged to the local notable Wā’il b. Ḥudjr. The subject of the spontaneous fall of idols appears to reflect a rivalry, especially in the spiritual sphere, between the tribal confederation al-Sakūn and the descendants of the indigenous sedentary population of Ḥaḍramawt. Their struggle for power in the early Islamic empire manifested in the most apparent way in Egypt, where they could borrow the motif of idols’ self-destruction from the Copts. Thus, in Chapter LXXIX of the Chronicle by John of Nikiu compiled in the late 7th–early 8th century AD obviously in Greek a tale about the childhood of St Theophilus, the Coptic Patriarch in AD 385–412, is preserved. According to it, in his presence, the statues of Artemis and Apollo became overthrown in a shrine situated in the district of Memphis.

Techno-typology and provenance of the obsidian chipped stones from Sofular Höyük, an Early Neolithic settlement near the Kızılırmak in Central Anatolia

Recent excavations at Sofular Höyük (Nevsehir, central Turkey) uncovered Aceramic Neolithic deposits dating to the late 9th and early 8th millennium cal BC and a lithic industry almost entirely made of obsidian. This study focuses on the techno-typology of this lithic assemblage and provides a first look at the material procurement strategies through geochemical characterization. Our results show that Sofular Höyük shares many general techno-typological features with contemporary sites in Central Anatolia, placing the settlement within the locally rooted traditions of the region, while the pXRF analysis of a selection of obsidian artefacts indicates the presence of two Cappadocian sources, namely Göllüdağ and Acıgöl.

Ветхозаветные образы в великом каноне Андрея Критского и в «Книге скорбных песнопений» Григора Нарекаци

The Great Canon, composed in the early 8th century by St. Andrew, the archbishop of Gortyna in Crete, became an integral part of the Great Lent services of the Orthodox Church and thus acquired the status of the main penitential hymnographic work. It abounds with examples from the Old and New Testaments: St. Andrew describes persons and events from biblical history, starting from the creation of the first man, and uses them to reflect the moral state of man, deriving from their actions both warnings and reproofs, as well as examples of hope and trust in the mercy of the Creator. The mystical poem The Book of Lamentations, written by the Armenian hymnographer Grigor, a monk and vardapet of the Narek monastery, in the very first years of the 11th century (presumably in 1002), also sets the incitement of a repentant mood in the soul of the reader together with contrition for sins as one of its aims, in which it intersects very closely with the Great Canon. A certain similarity in the approach to the use of biblical figured between these two penitential works, although belonging to different Christian traditions, had been noted by those few researchers who were familiar with both the Great Canon and The Book of Lamentations, but a closer study of this similarity – or, on the contrary, differences in the approach of the authors – has not yet been undertaken. This paper will attempt to compare the exegetical principles of these great Christian poets on the examples taken from the Old Testament.

Complexes with flat-bottomed pottery from the early 7th millennium BC settlements of the Mergen archaeological microdistrict (the Lower Ishim River basin)

Complexes with flat-bottomed pottery from the early 7th millennium BC settlements of the Mergen archaeological microdistrict (the Lower Ishim River basin)

Survey of the Early (pre-1000 AD) Use of Christian Saints’ Names and Images on European Coins

While the very earliest appearance of a Christian Saint has been well described as Saint Michael replacing winged Liberty on gold Tremisses of Lombardy in the late 7th and early 8th Century, other saints also appeared in multiple places across Europe very soon thereafter. The study goal was to identify and categorize this very early use of Christian saint’s names and images on European coins. In total, 19 numismatic books representing ten geographic regions were analyzed and the appearance of saints, either in the inscription or as a portrait, was noted. A total of 157 coin types mentioning 19 different saints were identified as dating to before the year 1000 AD. Mints in several regions were represented, including parts of Italy, France, England, the Low Countries, and Germany/Austria, with the very first coins minted starting in Pavia and featuring both an image and the name of Saint Michael.

The Organization of the Church Structure in the Armenian Provinces of Byzantium Occupied by Arab Muslims in the second half 7th–8th Centuries

The aim of this article is to restore the church structure in the western lands of Greater Armenia and the whole Lesser Armenia, which, on the eve of the conquests of the Arab Muslims, being part of the Byzantine Empire, belonged either to the Orthodox Patriarchates of Constantinople and Antioch, or to the Armenian Catholicosate of Dwin, and after the start of their conquests they passed in the second half of the 7th c. to the Caliphate. According to calculations by the author, in the early 8th c. there were formed in the lands of the former Armenian provinces of Byzantium three major eparchies of the Syrian Jacobite Church with its see in Antioch, which, like the Armenian Church, firmly adhered to the non-Chalcedonian position and came under the Arabs. Three more Syrian church units were formed in the Armenian lands at the end of the same century. Four of the six Jacobite eparchies were occupied the former canonical territories of the Orthodox Church with Constantinople and Antioch as their sees and two more—the canonical territories of the Armenian Catholicosate in regions of Arzan and Xlat‘.

Pointed bone tools from the Hamangia culture on the Lower Danube: Manufacture and function

This study focuses on the pointed bone tools from the Hamangia culture (Chalcolithic period, late 6th millennium BC - early 5th millennium BC), obtained from the long bones of caprines by quadri-partition with double grooving. The pointed bone tool assemblage from the Hamangia settlement at Cheia-Vatra Satului (Romania) was selected as a case study for analysing technological manufacturing sequences of these specific typological tools. Our study was two-fold: 1. identifying the sequence of the procedures in the chaîne opératoire from the original bone to the finished pointed tool; 2. determining the functionality of these tools (as multipurpose items or designed for a single activity only). For the purposes of this research, we focused on the diagnostic pieces such as preforms, blanks, and manufacturing waste, rather than the finished pieces, in an attempt to reconstruct the entire sequence of the manufacturing procedures, to visualize their transformation from the bone to the finished object. This experimental approach resulted in detailed records of the raw material used, the time necessary for each type of procedure, the tools used, and the results obtained during each operation. Next, the experimental tools were tested in various scenarios, such as hide perforation, bone breaking, shell perforation, wood processing, vegetable fiber production, etc. The active ends of these items were then observed, with variables such as frequency and distribution of polish, micro-topography, pattern of functional striations, presence of microfractures, and use-wear areas. The observations made on the archaeological specimens were compared to those on the experimental replicas in order to test the hypotheses regarding the ways the pointed tools were manufactured and used by the prehistoric communities.

Diet and mobility in Late Antique Sicily: Isotopic data from the catacombs of Santa Lucia, Siracusa (Italy)

The catacombs of Santa Lucia were built during the 3rd century CE in Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, as a burial site for members of the local Christian community until the early 8th century CE. This site is an important cemeterial context of the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. The tombs and artifacts found suggest that individuals of varying wealth were buried in the catacombs. Historical accounts also confirm the presence of a significant Christian community from Syria and the Levant in Siracusa during this period. The objective of this research is to investigate the life histories of the Late Antique community interred in the catacombs using stable isotope analysis. This technique aimed to clarify the dietary differences between individuals of different social status and geographical origins, in order to re-evaluate the data from historical documents. To achieve this, we conducted stable carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen isotope analyses on skeletal samples from 25 individuals recovered from the catacombs of Santa Lucia, using established methods. The results revealed significant dietary diversity among the individuals buried in the catacombs, with evidence of the consumption of both C3 and C4 plants, as well as fish from both freshwater and sea sources.The oxygen isotopes show a particularly broad range in both the small sample set of bones and the larger set of teeth, suggesting a significant degree of mobility for most of the individuals tested. The high variability found in the diet and the evidence of mobility for most of the individuals tested not only between early age and adulthood, but also throughout their lives. It raises new questions and calls for the consideration of the archaeological and historical implications of these novel discoveries.

Isotope and trace element compositions of silver-bearing ores in the Balkans as possible metal sources in antiquity

Ore deposits in the Balkan Peninsula were intensively mined for silver and other metals in the Roman and medieval periods. Coinage mainly issued by tribal groups between the early 5th and the end of the 3rd century BCE provides indirect evidence that silver extraction predates the Roman conquest of the region. However, identification of centers of past metal production and reconstruction of large-scale silver fluxes can only be achieved using a comprehensive geochemical database of potential ores. Here, we present high-precision Pb–Ag–S isotope data and trace element systematics for 128 ore samples from 36 mineralizations from the Balkans as well as one semi-reacted ore from a settlement site (=archaeological sample) and one andesite analyzed as a whole-rock and as a K-feldspar separate. Each ore site was selected for its geological characteristics and documented or assumed historical and/or archaeological significance.The reported data reconstruct the formation of ore bodies from large pre-existing Pb stocks derived from upper crustal sources, modified by tectonic and metasomatic processes, and eventually remobilized by magmatic activity. Lead isotope maps establish distinct isotopic domains which are linked to geological characteristics and enable an enhanced assessment of potential metal sources in provenance studies. Silver isotopes underscore the importance of hypogene ores of hydrothermal origin comprising galena or sulfosalt minerals as the main silver carrier phases and they can circumscribe ore deposits to those actually used as bullion sources of ancient coinage. We show that the Ag isotope signatures and the silver content of the argentiferous galena-rich ores in the Kopaonik and Zletovo districts (Serbia, Kosovo, and North Macedonia), combined with field evidence for historical metal production and geographical considerations, make them the most likely sources of silver which could have been used for coinage issued by mints in the interior of the Balkans.

Stabbed to death: an osteobiography example of violence among Longobards (Povegliano Veronese, Italy, 6th-8th c CE)

Herewe report the reconstruction of the osteobiography of an adult male buried in the Longobard cemetery of Povegliano Veronese (Northern Italy, late 6th – early 8th century CE), who shows signs of interpersonal violence. The palaeopathological investigation reveals sharp force traumas on the body of the fourth lumbar vertebra and on two right ribs. The absence of signs of healing or bone remodelling indicates that the defects were perimortem. The injuries probably affected vital organs, leading to death. Further macroscopic observations of the skeleton suggest horseback-riding activity. Strontium isotope data from tooth enamel indicate a non-local origin of the individual. X-ray and CT scan acquisition and Scanning Electron Microscopy analyses were performed to investigate the bone defects. His osteobiography was interpreted and contextualised in the complex socio-political scenario of post-classical Italy. The results document that he spent his childhood outside the Povegliano Veronese area, that during his life he was likely a horseback rider active in battle, but that his violent death did not happen during warfare/battle. This multi-layered approach, supported by archaeological information, osteological investigation, biomolecular analysis, and virtual imagery, allowed for the extensive reconstruction of an individual's life history.

Lipac – nalazi iz grobova finalnog bronzanog doba sjeverne Bosne

During the final stages of the Late Bronze Age (9th–8th century BC) the territory of northern Bosnia wascharacterised by remarkable cultural dynamics, visible primarily in the distribution of metal finds: weapons, tools,jewellery, and functional costume objects. A new type of funeral practice – inhumation – emerged here, with thisperhaps being an important factor in the formation and social stratification of communities living in this areaat the end of the Late Bronze Age and the beginning of the Early Iron Age. In this paper, a group of remarkableobjects is presented for the first time. The collection of chance finds from Lipac, near Doboj, consists of a groupof metal functional-decorative objects of high craftsmanship, and a smaller group of ceramic vessels, most likelyfound as part of a burial inventory dated to the early 8th century BC. In addition to basic information on thedistribution and chronological framework of certain pieces of ornaments themselves, the grave finds from Lipacprovide us with exceptional insight into possible local technological innovations and adaptations based on localtraditions, models and aesthetic criteria established among communities from this period. Objects in the gravecan be divided into two groups: objects related to food and drink, and bronze ornaments related to personal attire.

Evolution of the figure of the Brahmin in early Muslim writings

When we talk about the caste system today, among other things, we talk about the wily, crafty and the boasting Brahmins who founded and maintained a set of self-serving rules that effectively took the form of the caste system. How do social scientists know about these Brahmins? As a set of new scholars are demonstrating today, the ancient Indian texts - such as the Vedas or the Mahabharata - do not talk about the caste system or the rule-setting priestly class of Brahmins. These texts do not even exhibit an impulse to put into place a system that even remotely resembles the so-called caste system. Whence is this idea of Brahmin then? Ever since Wilhelm Halbfass’s Imagining India (1990), a growing but a small number of Indologists talk about the 11th century Al-Bīrūnī as one of “the greatest scholars ever” to speak about the Indian caste system. There is, however, neither a comprehensive study to show what his contributions measure up to nor any attempt to dig into the Islamic culture that culminates in Al-Biruni’s quite detailed picture of the Brahmin and the caste system. This paper sifts through the earliest available Islamic writings on India, from the early 8th century to Al-Biruni’s time, to chart a genealogy of the figure of the law-making crafty Brahmin that we confront by the 11th century in Muslim writings.

Sorting out problems with Late Roman eastern Mediterranean cooking wares from Tarraco (Tarragona, Spain) combining archaeology and archaeometry

Tarraco was the ancient capital of Hispania Tarraconensis, a Roman province in the Western Mediterranean. It was a strategic enclave and one of the most important ports during the Roman Empire and Late Antiquity. The archaeological record of the city shows a variety of imported products arrived from several regions including a significant amount of eastern Mediterranean wares, amongst which there are fine, table-wares, amphorae, and coarse and cooking wares. This work focuses on the integrated archaeological and archaeometric study of these eastern types of Late Roman cooking wares from the mid-7th century to the early 8th century. In previous works, these products were classified as Aegean and North Palestinian imports. However, for some of these materials a detailed macroscopic study revealed similarities with local/regional products, opening the possibility of regional ware imitating eastern prototypes. An analytical study was carried out, applying a combination of WD-XRF and Optical Microscopy to identify their provenance. The results point to the coexistence of imported eastern Mediterranean wares and local/regional imitations. At the same time, some of the typologies identified as eastern Mediterranean products seem to have been produced locally or regionally.

Glass from the Silk Roads. Insights into new finds from Uzbekistan

The paper provides insights into an assemblage of glass finds from the citadel of Kafir Kala and the site of Cholaktepa both in the proximity of Samarkand (Uzbekistan). Located along one of the major Eurasian branches of the Silk Roads, passing through Samarkand, Kafir Kala is among the most relevant centres to better understand the Islamization of the Middle Zeravshan Valley in the early 8th century. During the excavations, hundreds of fragments of ceramics, and a conspicuous amount of glass finds were recovered. Chrono-typological study allowed identifying objects for everyday use like bottles, cups with handles and bowls with re-folded rims; fragments of decorated bottoms with a honeycomb pattern, showing a distinctive rosette stamp, were also identified. Moreover, glass debris from Cholaktepa, 11 km west of nowadays Samarkand, provided evidence for the occurrence of glass working. Compositional analyses, by electron microprobe (EPMA) for major and minor elements and by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) for trace elements, have been carried out on selected fragments, aimed at investigating the compositional features of finds and their raw materials, to establish comparisons with published assemblages pertinent to neighbouring geographical areas and comparable chronological spans. All the glass fragments are silica-soda-lime in composition, made by using plant ash as fluxing agent, except two samples made by using natron. Compositional data show a link to the Ferghana Valley in Uzbekistan, where a local glass manufacture has been identified.

Od Grgura I Velikog do Sergija I - prilog proučavanju ktitorske delatnosti papa u Rimu i kultova ranohrišćanskih martira

This paper is dedicated to the scholarly examination of the papal ktetorship endeavors in Rome, spanning from the late 6th century to the early 8th century, in the context of the systematic development of the cults of early Christian martyrs who, through their suffering, sanctified the eternal city. Research has shown that it was the cults of early Christian martyrs that were used as the fundamental strongholds of the personal, almost ruling authority of the popes, which shaped the identity of the city as the universal center of the entire Christian ecumene. Throughout the early Middle Ages, the popes, as the main ktetors and bearers of artistic production, created the city's identity by expanding the network of temples which, in a significant number of cases, were dedicated to the members of the early Christian congregation-the princes of the apostles Peter and Paul, but also other martyrs whose relics, systematically or magically, were discovered inter or extra muros. The discoveries of graves, remains or other relics of early Christian martyrs represented significant incentives for papal ktetorship activity, renovations of already existing and construction of new churches, and the formation and consecration of altars and oratories, all for the purpose of highlighting Rome, the papal city, as the nucleus of the Christian universe. In the paper, special attention is devoted to a deeper consideration of the documented temples, chapels and oratories dedicated to the martyrs in Rome, which were restored or newly built thanks to the merits of the popes. Considering the socio-political and cultural-historical circumstances of the pontificate of the popes who reigned during the specified period, along with the predominant concepts that influenced early medieval collective and private piety towards martyrs, this work is dedicated to showcasing the most outstanding examples of art and visual culture in the eternal city. Furthermore, the phenomenon of assimilating martyrs, whose veneration did not adhere to ad sanctos, but instead represented instances of importing martyr cults from various regions of the Christian world, is a specific focus of our examination. Accordingly, the paper presents conclusions regarding the systematic expansion of the network of temples dedicated to martyrs in the sacred topography of Rome, the essence of which, above all, was papal propaganda aimed at emphasizing the axiomatic primacy of the city, but also the institution of the papacy within the boundaries of the Christian universe.