Faunal Material Research Articles

Patterns of pastoralism: Temporal and regional variation within the Indus Valley Civilisation

The archaeozoological study of the Indus Valley Civilisation, particularly in the last few decades, has resulted in a better understanding of human-animal interactions, providing information about species that have been commonly found at Indus Valley sites, both wild and domestic. This is also indicative of the nature of animal-based subsistence at these settlements and the interplay between humans, animals, and the environment. However, these studies have largely been conducted at the level of individual sites, and despite extensive analysis of excavated faunal materials, synthesis of faunal data across different developmental phases of this civilisation and its regions, has rarely taken place. As a result, there exists little understanding of broader animal utilisation patterns within the Indus Valley Civilisation and their relation to climate and landscape. This article produces a comparative analysis of domestic animal utilisation by combining and reanalysing faunal data from different regions of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Our analysis reveals extreme disparity in the spatial and temporal distribution of domesticated animals within this Civilisation. Of the different regions, the amount of data required for interpretation is only available from Haryana and Gujarat, and this largely pertains to the Mature Harappan period, with the Early and Late Harappan phases being grossly underrepresented. Although cattle, buffalo, goats, sheep, and pigs were the primary domesticates across regions, their distribution and economic importance varied and changed over time. This variation may indicate differentiated regional and temporal cultures and adaptations to climatic change.

The subsistence strategy transformation of the Yangshao culture (6900-4800BP) in the Guanzhong Area and Western Henan based on new faunal materials from the Miaodigou site

While the significance of the Yangshao culture in early China is widely recognized, systematic and detailed analysis and discussion of its subsistence strategy are lacking, especially for faunal materials. This paper examines the new and crucial faunal remains that include 3,400 identified specimens from the Miaodigou site unearthed in 2002. At that site, pig husbandry was predominant and wild animals were occasionally hunted as supplemental resources. In combination with published research including zooarchaeology, paleoethnobotany, and carbon and nitrogen stable isotope studies of 29 other sites mainly from the Guanzhong area and western Henan, we argue that subsistence strategy underwent a comprehensive and profound transformation during the middle period of Yangshao culture, namely Miaodigou period, as crop production and pig husbandry flourished in a wide range of areas. Domestic pigs accounted for over 80% of mammals, reaching an unprecedented proportion in the Neolithic age and manifesting a high level of consistency in feeding and slaughtering, and foxtail millet replaced broomcorn to become the most important crop at all sites, both of which demonstrate the breadth and depth of this transformation. The tension between the deterioration of climate, the decrease of surrounding wildlife resources due to excessive development and the continuous growth of the population may have contributed to this transformation. This study enriches our understanding of human-environment interactions in the embryonic stage of Chinese civilization and triggers further thoughts on how culture, society, the environment and subsistence were entangled in the development of civilization.

Herpetofauna diversity from late Holocene wetlands of northeastern Argentina

AbstractThe palaeofauna of the Quaternary is mostly known from the mammals' record, while the herpetofauna is less represented. In the same way, in northeastern Argentina reptile fossils records are scarce, usually represented by preliminary communications. This paper focuses on the study of herpetofauna remains from the Isla El Disparito archaeological site. The faunal materials collected at the site revealed an increase in taxonomic diversity related to the Quaternary herpetofauna in the IED site, with over 50% of the bone remains represented by anurans and at least six recognized squamates taxa. The purpose of this study is to properly identify these new records of herpetofauna remains from northeastern Argentina during the Holocene as well as to provide a dichotomous key of postcranial remains for identifying extant squamates taxa in other Quaternary sites from Argentina. The identified squamate assemblage includes the lizard Ophiodes sp., the snake families Typhlopidae, Dipsadidae, Viperidae and undetermined colubroids, along with anuran bone remains (Anura indet. and ?Hylidae). Additionally, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the herpetological assemblage in Argentina, providing insights into the composition of South American squamates during the Quaternary.

New Findings Relating to Bone Processing from Chernyatino-2, Primorye

The article provides a detailed account of faunal materials from the Chernyatino-2 settlement in Russian Primorye. For the first time, a large series of bone blanks from a Bohai (698–926 AD) site is described, enabling us to reconstruct bone-processing techniques and types of tools used, expanding our knowledge of bone-working craft of that region. A detailed classification of bone and antler artifacts of domestic manufacture is presented. Certain artifacts are quite unusual. There are items relating to winter movement and hitherto unknown musical instruments, extending our knowledge of medieval Far Eastern musical culture. Also, we detail the species composition and proportion of domestic and wild animals. Predominant families and genera of fish are listed. The findings are discussed with reference to the role of environment in medieval subsistence strategy.

Sr/Ca ratios indicate frugivory versus folivory in primates: a case study using handheld XRF in Kibale National Park, Uganda.

Researchers often use trace element concentrations, including strontium-calcium ratios (Sr/Ca), to reconstruct paleodiets. While most commonly used as a proxy for meat consumption, a more appropriate application may be to differentiate frugivory from folivory. Sr/Ca ratios in animal tissue reflect the Sr/Ca ratios of the highest calcium components of that animal's diet. Because plants have much higher concentrations of calcium than meat, meat consumption signals are often overwhelmed by the variation in Sr/Ca ratios coming from different plant parts. This study uses faunal and plant data from Kibale National Park, a protected forest in southwestern Uganda home to numerous primate species (for example, common chimpanzees and baboons), to assess the reliability of Sr/Ca ratios to differentiate between primate dietary groups. We find that leaves consistently have higher strontium and calcium concentrations than fruits and that this is mirrored in higher Sr/Ca ratios in folivorous primates compared to frugivorous primates. Plant species differ widely in both their overall Sr/Ca ratios and the differences between their fruit and leaf Sr/Ca ratios, but this variation does not overwhelm the dietary signal separating frugivores and folivores. Furthermore, this research demonstrates that non-destructive and portable X-ray florescence (XRF) methods are an effective means of gathering Sr/Ca data from plant and faunal material, increasing the opportunities to apply such methods to fossil material in the future.

Livestock management during times of transition. Exploring the relationship between animal size and diet from Roman to early medieval Augusta Raurica (Switzerland)

Zooarchaeological research all over Europe has suggested a generalised pattern of livestock size decrease during the transition between the Roman times and the Early Middle Ages. Different reasons have been proposed to explain this pattern, including a change in management and feeding practices, in the context of a shift of animal husbandry from large to small scale production. This paper is based on faunal material from Roman and early medieval Augusta Raurica, north-western Switzerland, and provides a first attempt to test this hypothesis, by combining zooarchaeological information (taxonomic frequencies and biometrical analysis) and stable carbon and nitrogen isotope data from bone collagen of cattle and pig. The results suggest important changes in livestock management, such as a shift towards pig husbandry, and evidence for increased use of pannage and forest pastures has been found.

A zooarchaeological perspective on late pleistocene/early holocene human behaviour in the Maloti-Drakensberg region, southern Africa: The view from Ha Makotoko and Ntloana Tšoana rock-shelters, Lesotho

Re-excavation of Ha Makotoko and Ntloana Tšoana rock-shelters in western Lesotho, produced abundant faunal remains (both macro and micro) from people using the Robberg technocomplex during the late Pleistocene (Ha Makotoko and Ntloana Tšoana (15.4–13.4 kcal. BP) and early Holocene (Ntloana Tšoana 11.1–10.2 kcal. BP). This faunal material allows us to identify the subsistence strategies they employed, using the unbiased Simpson's evenness index (1-D′), and Shannon's evenness index to track diet breadth. Detailed analyses of the sites' microfauna indicates that eagle owls and/or small carnivores — not humans — were responsible for introducing them into the deposits. A chi-squared test comparing diet breadth across the sites identifies hunting strategy, focused on size 2 and 3 migratory ungulates (equids, suids, and bovids), supplemented with size 1 and 4 bovids. Comparing the evenness values from Ha Makotoko and Ntloana Tšoana to published data from other Robberg-associated sites in the wider Maloti-Drakensberg region (Sehonghong, Rose Cottage Cave and Tloutle) allows variability in subsistence strategies to be addressed. A chi-squared test comparing ungulate size classes, small mammals and fish with the evenness index reveals two important statistical differences: the warm period occupation (16.5–14.3 kcal. BP) at Rose Cottage Cave presents a narrow diet heavily focused on size 3 ungulates (with a lack of fish). At the other end of the climate spectrum, cold conditions at Sehonghong immediately before the Last Glacial Maximum were associated with a narrow diet focused on intensive fishing, with lower-than-expected numbers of size 3 ungulates. The deposits at Ntloana Tšoana, Ha Makotoko, and Tloutle, along with the Younger Dryas-associated assemblage from Sehonghong, on the other hand, present broad diets. Fish and small mammals make more of a contribution to the expanding diet in the highlands. Our approach demonstrates the flexibility that makers of Robberg tools displayed in adapting to the changing climatic and ecological conditions of this high-elevation region in the interior of southern Africa during Marine Isotope Stage 2 and across the Pleistocene/Holocene transition.

ПАВУКИ (ARACHNIDA, ARANEI) ПСАМОФІТНИХ ОСЕЛИЩ УРОЧИЩА ЗМІЇНІ ОСТРОВИ КАНІВСЬКОГО ПРИРОДНОГО ЗАПОВІДНИКА

B a c k g r o u n d . A herpetobius spiders of psammophilic vegetation areas of the sandy coast of the Kaniv Reservoir on the territory of the Zmiyini ostrovy tract, which is part of the Kaniv Nature Reserve, were studied. The variety of natural conditions of the reserve contributed to the formation of a high species diversity of flora and the corresponding complexes of living organisms, inextricably linked to these conditions of existence. All this gives reason to expect that the potential species richness of the local spider fauna of the Kaniv Nature Reserve may be one of the highest among other nature conservation areas of Ukraine. M e t h o d s . As the main collection method pitfall soil traps were used, installed in two periods: 06.06–07.01.2011 and 03–07.07.2017. The experimental plot was located near the sandy coast of the Kaniv Reservoir. The site is sand dunes overgrown with psamophyllous herbaceous vegetation near a pine-oak forest. Geographic coordinates of the experimental hospital: 49°50'28"N; 31°32'26"E. About 160 trap-days were worked, and 25 species of spiders, which are part of 10 families, were discovered. R e s u l t s . The vast majority of species are typical xerophiles that prefer thermophytic, arid or dry, open habitats with high levels of insolation. An annotated list of species is provided, which includes faunal material, geographical distribution, ecological features, and places of finds in the left-bank part of the Forest-Steppe Zone of Ukraine and for the Kaniv Nature Reserve. Among adult specimens, males predominate, their share is 63.5 %, the share of females is 36.5 %. The share of juvenile individuals among the total number of specimens is 38.3 %. A significant percentage of juvenile individuals is determined by the time of field work (during June), when the of spring-summer phenological group species gradually reduces its quantitative and qualitative presence in groups after the reproduction period. C o n c l u s i o n s . Taking into account the results of our research and data from literary sources, the list of spiders of the Snake Islands tract includes at least 63 species from 20 families. For the first time, 15 species of spiders from 8 families are indicated for the fauna of the Kaniv Reserve: Atypus muralis (Atypidae), Berlandina cinerea, Callilepis nocturna, Drassyllus praeficus, Haplodrassus kulczynskii, Zelotes electus, Zelotes longipes, Zelotes petrensis (Gnaphosidae), Alopecosa aculeata, Mustellicosa dimidiata (Lycosidae), Pholcus opilionoides (Pholcidae), Phlegra fasciata (Salticidae), Euryopis quinqueguttata (Theridiidae), Psammitis ninnii (Thomisidae) and Titanoeca spominima (Titanoecidae). For the territory of the Zmiyini ostrovy tract, 5 species of spiders belonging to 3 families were found to be new: Pardosa lugubris, Pirata piraticus, Xerolycosa miniata (Lycosidae), Thanatus formicinus (Philodromidae) and Steatoda albomaculata (Theridiidae). The value of the Shannon index for the grouping of Herpetobium spiders in areas of psammophilous vegetation is given – 3.219 bits. This index for the spider communities of the oak forest litter (fresh silverwood) is 3.738 bits. The value of the Jacquard index for species complexes of spiders of the compared biotopes is only 0.063. The low level of fauna relatedness is explained by the significant difference in the structure of the plant composition and the corresponding microclimatic conditions. Common to herpetobium spiders of both biotopes are 4 species of spiders: Arctosa lutetiana, Crustulina guttata, Drassodes lapidosus and Titanoeca schineri.

Socio-environmental implications of shifting subsistence practices at Diallowali, a Late Stone Age site system in the Middle Senegal Valley

In this paper we present the results of archaeological research at the Late Stone Age site of Diallowali, located along the western edge of the Middle Senegal Valley, northern Senegal. As the occupation spans the period between 3100-2400 years BP, it is contemporary with few other West African sites, and therefore represents a unique – and uniquely detailed – archive. Excavations conducted between 2014–2017 revealed deeply stratified and dense deposits, yielding more than 5,000kg of pottery and 169kg of faunal material – the largest faunal assemblage of any site in West Africa. Thus, the present study focuses on the zooarchaeological data and their implications for shifting environmental conditions, subsistence practices, and social institutions at the site. The faunal assemblage reflects the exploitation of a remarkable diversity of wild animals, including a range of bovids, suids, carnivores, rodents, hippopotami, birds, and various aquatic resources – representing local conditions at the end of the African Humid Period. Interestingly, the consistent presence of domestic livestock, as well as Bos taurus figurines and ceramic ‘arm-bands’ throughout the occupation support a connection to Saharan agro-pastoral communities possibly escaping the Late Holocene aridification. Therefore, the keeping of low numbers of Bostaurus and Ovis/Capra, while maintaining a high reliance on hunting, fishing, and gathering wild plants, likely functioned as a risk-buffering strategy to manage against environmentally unpredictable periods.

Big-cat hunting in the Bronze and Iron Ages of the Near East: a view from Tel Burna

In ancient Near Eastern iconography, panthers and lions were frequently used to express social status. The zooarchaeological remains of panthers and lions found in this region, however, are most commonly interpreted only as evidence for the management of dangerous animals. Starting with the faunal material from Iron Age Tel Burna, the authors collate and analyse zooarchaeological evidence for big cats across the Near East, from the Neolithic to the Iron Age (c. 9500–50 BC). The results show a shift in assemblage composition and find contexts starting in the Chalcolithic period, indicating the display of these animals by political leaders. The results also urge caution in the use of archaeological remains for reconstructing the natural ranges of big cats.

The Hālawa dune site, Moloka‘i, Hawaiian Islands: New excavations, redating, and new interpretations

The Hālawa dune site on Moloka‘i Island has played a key role in understanding early Hawaiian history. Initially excavated in 1969–1970 and regarded then as dating to the early phase of Hawaiian settlement, the site yielded a diverse artifact assemblage and the first evidence for round-ended house foundations in Hawai‘i. Prior attempts to refine the site’s chronology yielded inconsistent results. Renewed excavations and re-analysis of previously excavated collections from the site have allowed for recovery of a stratigraphically controlled sample of faunal materials and charcoal. AMS dating of candlenut endocarp indicates initial use of Mound A cal AD 1366–1610, with occupation continuing into the post-contact period. Matched pairs of candlenut and marine mollusk shell dates allow for the derivation of a Hālawa-specific marine reservoir value (ΔR = −267), in turn permitting the calibration of 12 dates on marine mollusk shells excavated from Mound B in 1970. Faunal materials from the 2020 Mound A excavation add new information on patterns of marine exploitation, and on a trend of increased frequency of domestic pig and dog over time. Charcoal identified from Mound A indicates largely native forest taxa, but with several Polynesian-introduced plants as well, including candlenut, breadfruit, and mountain apple.

Regional differences in water beetle communities networks settling in dystrophic lakes in northern Poland

The relationships between the species that form the networks in small dystrophic lakes remain poorly recognised. To investigate and better understand the functioning of beetle communities in different ecosystems, we created three network models that we subjected to graph network analysis. This approach displays correlation–based networks of connections (edges) between objects (nodes) by evaluating the features of the whole network and the attributes of nodes and edges in the context of their roles, expressed by centrality metrics. We used this method to determine the importance of specific species in the networks and the interspecific relationships. Our analyses are based on faunal material collected from 25 dystrophic lakes in three regions of northern Poland. We found a total of 104 species representing different ecological elements and functional trophic groups. We have shown that the network of relationships between the biomass of species differs considerably in the three study regions. The Kashubian Lakeland had the highest cohesion and density, while the network in the Suwalki Lakeland was the thinnest and most heterogeneous, which might be related to the fractal structure and the degree of development of the studied lakes. Small–bodied predators that congregated in different clusters with species with similar ecological preferences dominated all networks. We found the highest correlations in the Masurian Lakeland, where we obtained the highest centralisation of the network. Small tyrphophiles typically occupied the central places in the network, while the periphery of the network consisted of clusters with different habitat preferences, including large predators. The species that were most important for network cohesion and density were mainly tyrphophilous species, such as Anacaena lutescens, Hygrotus decoratus, Enochrus melanocephalus and Hydroporus neglectus. The values of attributes determining the role of species in community networks were influenced by both biotic and environmental factors.

The Kushevat Site and the Paleogeographic Context of the Initial Peopling of Northern Urals

On the basis of new materials excavated in 2019–2021 from the Upper Paleolithic site of Kushevat, this study addresses the problem of initial human occupation of the Subpolar Urals. Geological and geomorphological fi ndings are presented along with new chronological and paleogeographical data. Archaeological and faunal materials are described, and result s of the traceological analysis of reindeer antlers with cut and chop marks are presented. The fi ndings suggest that Kushevat was a pioneer settlement of the northern Ob region. The obtained luminescence and radiocarbon ages suggest that the peopling of the Lower Ob region occurred prior to 30 ka BP. Climatic conditions during the fi rst half of the Upper Paleolithic (55–25 ka BP) were favorable for humans in the subpolar zone. Geological and geomorphological situation at the Upper Paleolithic sites of northwestern Urals (the Pechora and Kama basins) can be used as a paleogeographic analogue of the conditions in the Lower Ob region during the Pleistocene. The principal Upper Paleolithic sites in the region are associated with accumulations of megafaunal remains in the mouths of ancient gullies. Archaeological sites apparently consisted of two areas differing in location, economic specialization, and toolkit. Areas of the fi rst type include residential zones on leveled areas of the second river terraces adjacent to the ravines. Those of the second type are estuarine zones of modern valleys of streams and rivers, where huge accumulations of megafaunal remains are preserved at the bottoms of ancient ravines.

Late-Medieval Animal Remains in Grave-Like Pits: A Case Study of Rituals in 15th-Century Finland

DURING ARCHAEOLOGICAL EXCAVATIONS at the site of Kärsämäki manor garden in Turku, SW Finland, the team found clusters of oblong pits resembling human graves in an area between the manor and a late-medieval village. No human remains were recovered from these pits; instead, some of them contained bones of domestic animals (cattle, horse and pig). The radiocarbon dates of the animal bones placed them roughly in the 15th century. This paper analyses the Kärsämäki faunal material using a taphonomical and contextual approach. The questions for which answers have been attempted concern the nature of the site and the interpretation of the animal deposits. The results suggest the presence of selected animal parts in certain pit features was a result of deliberate placement. Deposition of animal remains into grave-like pits have been recorded at other late-medieval sites in Finland, but the bones themselves have not been radiocarbon dated. The Kärsämäki site seems to be a location for different types of ritual activities involving animal remains.

Spatial analysis and site formation processes associated with the Middle Pleistocene hominid teeth from Q1/B waterhole, Boxgrove (West Sussex, UK)

Boxgrove is a key locale for our understanding of Middle Pleistocene human behaviour in Northwestern Europe. It provides high-resolution evidence for behaviour at scale in fine-grained sediments, dating from the end of the MIS13 interglacial at around 480,000 years ago. Excavations at this site in the last quarter of the twentieth century have provided a large body of interdisciplinary data, comprising stone artefact assemblages, well-preserved faunal remains and paleoenvironmental archives, from over 100 test pits and larger excavation areas. The excavation area designated Q1/B was excavated between 1995 and 1996 and provided a particularly deep and complex record of early human activity centred upon a pond or waterhole within the wider landscape. In this work, we present a new analysis of spatial data from a single sedimentary unit (Unit 4u) at the Boxgrove Q1/B site. We consider the spatial disposition of lithic and faunal materials, fabric analysis and the role of the palaeotopography in their distribution. The results indicate that, although the dynamic fluvial depositional environment had an undeniable role in the distribution of materials, the scale and nature of post-depositional movement are consistent with the artefacts being preserved within an autochthonous depositional context, not reworked from an earlier sedimentary unit or subject to long-distance transportation. These results are consistent with previous analysis which suggests that the overall lithic assemblage can be directly compared with others from the wider landscape in compositional terms to interpret the behavioural controls over site formation behind the Q1/B archaeology.

GC–MS analysis of soil faecal biomarkers uncovers mammalian species and the economic management of the archeological site "Le Colombare di Negrar"

The identification of the mammalian species based on faecal sediments in modern and ancient environments is the aim of the research of archaeologists, forensic scientists and ecologists. Here, we set up and validated an optimized gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) method, characterized by a time-saving sample preparation protocol, for the simultaneous analysis of faecal biomarkers (6 sterols/stanols and 5 bile acids) in 14 soil samples from the archaeological site of “Le Colombare di Negrar” in northern Italy. Although the archaeological sediment samples examined are numerically exiguous, a comparative reading of our faecal biomarkers findings with new studies on faunal materials collected in the same stratigraphic detail during recent excavation campaigns will allow to better clarify the economic interest of the animal species farmed in the Colombare site (such as bovines, goats, sheep and pigs) and to shed light on the management of breeding. Together with archaeozoological and archaeobotanical analyses, the investigation of faecal biomarkers can increase our knowledge of how ancient local communities exploited natural resources and may allow us to deduce what their impact on the landscape was.

Animal management in the fortified palace Felix Romuliana – Gamzigrad (Serbia) throughout the Late Antique and the Early Byzantine periods

This paper represents the first results of zooarchaeological analysis of animal remains from the fortified palace Felix Romuliana – Gamzigrad in eastern Serbia. The faunal material derives from the Late Antique (the second half of the 4th and the 5th centuries) and the Early Byzantine (the end of the 5th to the beginning of the 7th century) contexts investigated in the tower 15 of the later fortification which was built during the reign of Emperor Galerius (293–311) in the first decade of the 4th century CE. According to the results, some similarities and differences were noted between the periods in question. Namely, during both periods the most important animal was pig and the patterns of exploitation were similar. Cattle exploitation was oriented towards secondary products in both phases of the settlement, however, there is a slight decrease in cattle ratio and its size during the Early Byzantine period which could suggest the decline in the importance of this species though time. Regarding caprines, in the Late Antique period the local community mainly exploited secondary products, while in the Early Byzantine period the focus shifted to meat exploitation. Furthermore, the increase in numbers of indicated species was observed during the Early Byzantine period. The low amount of wild animal and fish remains suggests that hunting and fishing were periodically practised by the local population.

The Study of Fish Remains from the Late Roman Era from Argamum, Tulcea County

The studied fish remains come from the excavations carried out by the Ștefan Honcu archaeologist between 2017 and 2020 within the Argamum archaeological site. The study methodology consisted mainly of anatomical and taxonomic identifications based on archaeozoological atlases, quantification of the data, taphonomical evaluation, osteometry, size and weight estimation, and energy yield estimation. The archaeozoological material represents food waste. The only osteological remains registered with butchering marks was a fragment of a caudal vertebra from Silurus glanis (catfish). The studied material consists of 72 fish remains coming from carp – 28 fragments, catfish – 19 remains and the rest of 25 fragments couldn`t be identified up to species level. The faunal material is dated as follows: second half of the V century level – 9 remains, 4 remains from carp, a fragment from catfish and 4 fragments from unidentifiable fish; first half of the VI century – 17 osteological remains coming from carp – 7 remains, catfish – 8 remains and two unidentified fragments; second half of the VI century were discovered the most fish remains – 41 osteological fragments; late VI – early VII century – 5 fragments, 2 remains coming from carp and 3 remains from catfish. Most of the carp individuals range between 60-80 cm and 80-100 cm. For catfish, most of the individuals have sizes between 220 -240 cm. Based on the estimated amount of meat for each species, the energy yield (kcal) was calculated, the assemblages dated to the VI century being the richest.

Animal Classification in Central China: From the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age by Ningning Dong

Reviewed by: Animal Classification in Central China: From the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age by Ningning Dong You Yue Animal Classification in Central China: From the Late Neolithic to the Early Bronze Age. Ningning Dong. Oxford: BAR Publishing, 2021. 144 pp., 55 figures, 37 tables, bibliography. Paperback US $45, ISBN 9781407357928. Dong Ningning’s prominent contribution to the field makes a breakthrough in constructing animal classifications, human categories, and social conceptions associated with taxonomies in the past. Dong Ningning is a member of the Department of Cultural Heritage and Museology at Fudan University; she acquired her doctorate degree in Archaeology from the University of Cambridge in 2017. This research expands on Dong’s doctoral dissertation on the topic of animal classifications in ancient China. Her book consists of eight chapters: chapters 1 and 2 present research questions and methodologies; chapters 3–6 introduce the archaeological background and present three case studies of Neolithic and Bronze Age sites; and the last two chapters cover three classification topics and synthesize the findings into the broader archaeological context. Using archaeological materials and lexical evidence, Dong proposes that people in ancient China often classified animals and humans by age and by other factors that are quite separate from traditional categories employed by zooarchaeologists. To explain the motivations behind this book, Dong puts forward the view that ancient people were unlikely to encounter the concept of “species” as we think of it today (p. 1). The established model of classifying animals as wild or domestic, applied by most researchers in China, identifies animals according to Linnaean taxonomy; this system has influenced discourses surrounding the origins, appearance, and utilization of domesticated animals, as well as the exploitations of domesticated and wild animals for human subsistence. Dong points out the problems of applying Linnaean taxonomy to archaeological materials, including the over- or under-identifications that result from structural differences between taxonomic systems (p. 7). Then, in chapter 2, the author explains that, as material representations, archaeological depositions themselves reflect categories. Dong proposes an integrative methodology that includes reanalyses of faunal materials, isotope data, textual records, contextual analysis of spatial distributions, and so on. While recognizing how collating existing archaeological data relies on an etic construct, Dong seeks to connect archaeological assemblages and the understanding of taxonomies exerted by ancient humans from an emic perspective. Chapter 3 briefly but comprehensively introduces the cultural sequences and social developments of the Central Plain, including typical pottery types, ritual relics, burials, economic subsistence, handcraft development, settlement patterns, and regional networks of the Late Longshan (2600–1900 b.c.e.), Xinzhai (1850–1750 b.c.e.), Erlitou (1900–1500 b.c.e.), and Erligang (1600–1400 b.c.e.) periods. Highlighted alongside these other periods in Table 1.2, I expected the Late Shang Dynasty Yinxu period (1400–1050 b.c.e.) to be covered in more detail because the Late Shang was discussed in the synthesis in chapter 7. However, the introductions to the four key periods are sufficient for readers to immediately grasp the archaeological background and profiles of these sites from the Late Neolithic to Early Bronze Age. The zooarchaeological case studies of Wadian, Wangchenggang, and Xinzhai in chapters 4–6 were selected for their relatively good preservation conditions, rich contextual information, and cultural continuity of the sites. These sites played an important role in the formation and development of the early states. Some Chinese archaeologists believe Wangchenggang was the capital of the early Xia dynasty (Beijing and Henan 2007) and Xinzhai also dated to the early phase of Xia (Beijing and Zhengzhou 2008), so these sites [End Page 123] have been a major focus of academic attention over the past three decades. However, some scholars doubt the historicity of the Xia dynasty and attribute it to legend (Allan 1984, 2017). Thus, the materials in this book are relevant to one of the active academic debates in the field of Chinese archaeology. By compiling the available data, Dong delivers a comprehensive analysis that includes the location and excavations, “chronology and phasing,” and “spatial layout and feature types” of each site, in addition to regional networks where relevant. After summing up “previous zooarchaeological studies,” she conducts classification research...

Sedimentary evolution of lagoons along the Namibian coast reveals fluctuation in Holocene biogeographic faunal provinces, upwelling intensity and sea level

Within the wave-dominated and high-energy depositional environment of the hyper-arid Namibian coast, lagoons and related saltpans represent one of the few regional settings in which sediments originating from both marine and terrestrial sources can accumulate under sheltered conditions. This allows for an approximately continuous depositional record of mid to late Holocene coastal evolution. For this paleoenvironmental reconstruction, 26 sediment cores from six coastal (paleo-)lagoons were taken and investigated along a 430 km-long latitudinal gradient. Based on 56 age determinations of sediments and shell material, the initial formation of the studied lagoons can be dated back to 6.0–5.3 cal kyr BP. The sediment cores present different types of lithoclastic sediments which can be assigned to five sedimentary facies ranging from sand spit sediments rich in shell material to eolian dune sands and evaporites. From these cores, 221 samples of macrobenthic faunal material have been collected and determined to possess 46 shallow marine species. Biogeographic analyses have resulted in the identification of 10 (sub-)tropical warm water species that are not part of the regional benthic fauna in the present upwelling system. Age determinations of the shell material revealed four phases of biogeographic range expansion/shift into the study area, at 5.3 cal kyr BP, 2.8 cal kyr BP, 1.2–0.9 cal kyr BP, and 0.36–0.12 cal kyr BP from both the northern tropical Angola Current as well as from the southern subtropical Agulhas Current. The combination of datasets from this study with published datasets of regional sea-level fluctuations and upwelling intensities presents an apparent correlation between both processes and presumably an additional linkage to the ENSO and Benguela Niño variability.