Early Historic Sites Research Articles

Plant Preservation and the Content of Paleobotanical Samples: A Case Study

Paleobotanical samples recovered from the floors of three domestic structures at an early historic (A.D. 1550-1700) site in northwestern Georgia are here compared. Several factors-excavation procedures, duration of structure occupancy, functional nature of structures, nature and timing of structure abandonment-which probably contributed to inter-sample variability are discussed. Consideration of the frequency of individual plant species in the samples and of the ethnohistorical evidence for aboriginal plant processing leads to the conclusion that most variability can be attributed to whether or not structures burned and when during the year burning occurred. The analysis demonstrates that the manner in which plant parts become carbonized has a major impact on the accuracy with which paleobotanical remains reflect actual plant utilization.

Rājagriha: An early historic site in East India

Abstract The paper briefly reviews the basic archaeological data on ancient Rājagriha, modern Rajgir, an early historic site in East India famous for its close association with the Buddha and mentioned in a wide variety of ancient literature. It suggests, among other things, that the stone fortification wall along the top of the Rajgir hills may be dated before the beginning of the historic period at the site, and that the current distinction between an old and a new Rājagriha seems unjustified. It also comments on the present state of historic archaeology in India.

Summer Island III: An early historic site in the upper great lakes

Summer Island III: An early historic site in the upper great lakes

A Preliminary Report on Two Sites at Piney Creek, Wyoming 48J03Ll and 48J031

During the summer of 1964, the University of Wyoming and the Wyoming Archaeological Society conducted exploratory excavations in two sites near Buffalo, Wyoming. Site 48J03ll consists of a number of stone circles and is apparently a camp site and site 48J0312 is a bison kill and butchering site. Artifact assemblages suggest an affiliation with late prehistoric and early historic sites in the Yellowstone River drainage.

Tata Institute Radiocarbon Date List III

In this paper are reported C14 dates of archaeologic samples from the Neolithic, Harappan and Early Historic sites of India. C14 activity was counted in an Oeschger-Houtermans’ gas proportional counter. The counting gas, acetylene, was synthesized using the technique described earlier (Kusumgar and others, 1963). The dates presented here are based on 5568 yr for the half-life of C14. The conversion to A.D./B.C. scale has been made using a.d. 1950 as the reference year.

Animal Bones from Archæological Sites in Britain

IN the course of the last forty years, animal bones found in numerous archæological excavations in Britain have been sent to Dr. J. Wilfrid Jackson, of Manchester University Museum, for investigation and report. In most cases the excavators allowed Dr. Jackson to retain the material, and he has thus been able to build up an extensive and unique collection of dated skeletal remains of animals hunted or husbanded by man down the ages. The English part he has now presented to the British Museum (Natural History), where, in the Osteological Section of the Department of Zoology, it will serve as the basis of a central reference collection of dated mammalian bones from prehistoric and early historic sites in Great Britain. This collection will be in the charge of Dr. F. C. Fraser. It is understood that Dr. Jackson is presenting material from Welsh and Scottish sites to the respective national museums.

Sir John Marshall, C.I.E

Sra JOHN H. MARSHALL, it is reported by the Bombay correspondent of the Times, has been awarded the triennial gold medal for historical research by the Royal Asiatic Society of Bombay. Sir John Marshall, who was director-general of the Archæological Survey of India from 1902 until 1931, was formerly ar scholar of King's College, Cambridge, and was a student of the British School of Archaeology at Athens in 1898–99. He was Prendergast student in 1900–1 and Craven student in 1901–2, while in 1927 his old college made him an honorary fellow. Under his directorship, the work of the Archæological Survey of India has been much stimulated, especially in the direction of excavation of prehistoric and early historic sites. It was due to him that the work was undertaken which led to the epoch-making discovery of the prehistoric sites in the Indus Valley at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, and on his initiative that the co-operation of investigators from outside the service, experienced in the exploration of the sites of Mesopotamia and with knowledge of the cultures of that area, was invited.