Archaeological Issues Research Articles

Cultural evolution as inheritance, not intentions

Cultural inheritance is a central issue in archaeology. If variation were not inherited, cultures could not evolve. Some archaeologists have dismissed cultural evolutionary theory in general, and the significance of inheritance specifically, substituting instead a view of culture change that results from agency and intentionality amid a range of options in terms of social identity, cultural values and behaviours. This emphasis projects the modern academic imagination onto the past. Much of the archaeological record, however, is consistent with an intergenerational inheritance process in which cultural traditions were the defining characteristics of behaviour.

Democratically digging together: A study of archaeology and civil society

Protecting archaeological sites increases the sense of belonging among the population. Political culture in authoritarian countries limits citizens’ opportunities for freedom of action and civic engagement. The authorities may perceive such engagement as a threat to the regime. Nevertheless, civic activism in protecting archaeological sites can provide an opportunity to increase the role of civil society in policymaking. This article interrogates civil society’s role concerning archaeology and its preservation in Kazakhstan. It considers three cases of how local communities participate in archaeological projects and their protection. It concludes that the degree of community involvement and the number of people involved in rural and urban settings differ. Kazakhstan occasionally manifests vigorous civic activity on archaeological issues at the national level. However, a certain level of resistance may demonstrate the potential for democratic development, with archaeology as one of the practical tools of civil liberty at the grassroot level.

New achievements and related issues of Paleolithic archaeology in western China

New achievements and related issues of Paleolithic archaeology in western China

Mobility, Seasonal Encampments, and Temporary Dwellings of Charcoal Burners: New Insights from an Ethnoarchaeological Study in Morocco

ABSTRACT Pre-industrial economic activities related to the seasonal exploitation of forest resources, including charcoal production, are associated with temporary settlements and mobility in European and Mediterranean outlands. Because they have left few, ephemeral traces in the archaeological record, these temporary dwellings and the itinerant lifestyles associated with them are largely unknown. To better detect and interpret such remains, we conducted an ethnoarchaeological study in Morocco, where some charcoal burners still maintain an itinerant lifestyle. We first examine the types of seasonal temporary encampments of contemporary charcoal burners in two regional contrasting regions, Gharb and Middle Atlas. We then address three archaeological issues: 1) the individual variation and the skills and dispositions of charcoal burners in adapting the architecture and organization of their encampments, 2) the impact of natural and anthropogenic post-depositional processes on site formation, and 3) the difficulty of associating a temporary dwelling with a particular economic activity.

Handheld XRF in ceramic research: a case study from the Lower Guadalquivir region

Handheld X-ray fluorescence spectrometer in the last 15 years become very popular and nowadays is a wellestablished device in archaeometry. This paper presents reflections based on the practice of using a spectrometer over the last years, trying to highlight both the advantages and disadvantages of this tool. To illustrate the potential of the device for research on more general than technical issues in archaeology, the results of spectroscopic analyses from two, closely located archaeological sites in western Andalusia, Setefilla necropolis and Setefilla settlement, is presented. Thanks to the potassium-titanium test it can be noticed that the results vary for each site, and the differences in elemental composition are interpreted as manifestations of the intentional use of different paste recipes for specific social practices.

Settlement Pattern and Periodization of the Jordanian Badia Early PPNB: A Fresh Approach to the PPNA/PPNB Transition Issue in the Southern Levant

Abstract. The recent excavations at Harrat Juhayra 202 and Mushash 163 in southern Jordan produced lithic assemblages marked by the predominance of Helwan-type points and the increasing use of naviform blades, which can be dated to the first half of the 9th millennium cal. BCE on the basis of a few dozen 14C dates. The upper limit dates of the two key sites are not only several centuries earlier than those of Early PPNB (hereafter EPPNB) sites in the southern Levantine Corridor but also contemporary with, or even slightly earlier than, those of EPPNB sites in the northern Levantine Corridor. Similar assemblages have been attested at Jilat 7, Abu Hudhud, Jabal `Ainab 1, and Jebel Queisa, suggesting that another EPPNB cultural entity existed in the drylands to the east of the Levantine Corridor. If so, the question is the relationship among the three EPPNB cultural entities, which is expected to shed new light on the dynamics of the PPNA/PPNB transition, a long-standing issue of the southern Levantine Neolithic archaeology. This paper approaches it from the viewpoint of the settlement pattern and periodization of the newly defined Jordanian Badia EPPNB. Research evidence suggests that the transition took place twice over, each time in a different context: first, the appearance of the Badia EPPNB (probably in a local context) at the very beginning of the 9th millennium cal. BCE and, second, the formation of the southern Levantine Corridor EPPNB (through the westward retreat of the Badia EPPNB and the southward diffusion of the northern Levantine Corridor EPPNB) in the middle of the same millennium.

1 Introduction and overview

This introduction presents the structure and contents of the current issue of Archaeology in Greece. It also offers an overview (not meant to be exhaustive) of archaeological activity in Greece over the past 12 months, focusing on major exhibitions and other cultural events as well as on important recent publications.

Tracing ephemeral human occupation through archaeological, palaeoenvironmental and molecular proxies at Łabajowa Cave

AbstractConfirming ephemeral human occupation is a crucial issue in cave archaeology. The project ‘Tracing human presence in caves of Polish Jura’ focuses on the application of molecular methods to decode the history of past human activities in cave sediments in the Kraków-Częstochowa Upland. The results will be compared with archaeological and palaeoecological proxies.

The Dawn of Everything: A View From the Water

The historiography of maritime archaeology is one of margins and peripheries. Linked to the development of underwater archaeology, efforts to advance theoretical frameworks within the discipline have been slow at best. There remains a widespread assumption—even among archaeologists—that maritime archaeology deals mostly with shipwrecks and underwater sites, and as such, has little to contribute to broader debates in archaeology. Archaeology remains a terrestrial affair that rarely engages with water worlds, and when it does, it retains its feet firmly on ground. So what do a land archaeologist and an economist have to offer to the world of maritime archaeology? In spite of its terrestrial focus, The Dawn of Everything speaks to a number of recurring issues in maritime archaeology, where scholars worry about the relationship between terrestrial states and maritime worlds. Such concerns are central to the very constitution of maritime societies: are they hierarchical or heterarchical; are they the same as, or different from the wider societies in which they sit? In the maritime discourse, environmental determinism takes a greater role than Graeber and Wengrow would admit in their book. Graeber and Wengrow’s interest in fluid societies that have the capacity to construct and deconstruct themselves seasonally find their best laboratory in maritime cultural worlds. Both the ancient past and the ethnographic present provide us with an opportunity to understand the contingency of power and decision-making, all within the framework of a seasonal environmental landscape. If nothing else, The Dawn of Everything encourages us to look at each society on its own terms, so let us start by getting our feet wet.

Geophysical Prospecting of the Coptic Monastery of Apa Moses Using GPR and Magnetic Techniques: A Case Study, Abydos, Sohag, Egypt

As a result of new discoveries, there is a greater opportunity for development and investment in the Al-Arraba EL-Madfuna region of Abydos, Sohag Governorate, Egypt, which benefits tourism and increases the national economy. The Coptic monastery, which was originally established by Apa Moses, the patriarch of the Coptic Church during the ancient Roman Empire, has vanished inside the current market on this site, along with numerous tombs. As a result, the primary goal of this work is to prospect on this site for these potential archaeological features. Ground magnetic and ground-penetration radar (GPR) surveys were employed for discovering these archaeological issues. This work was done in coordination with the Supreme Council of Antiquities. Ground magnetic and GPR surveys were implemented using the G-857 proton-precession magnetometer and GSSI SIR 4000 with a 200 MHz antenna. The data were processed and interpreted using Geosoft Oasis Montaj and REFLEXW v.5.8 software packages. The magnetic data were filtered to separate the shallower anomalies representing the archaeological remains from those of the deeper ones. Butterworth high pass filter, first vertical derivatives, analytical signal, and tilt derivative were employed to carry out the processing stages. The results were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively to describe these anomalies and determine their locations, geometrical shapes, and depths. The source parameter imaging technique and 3D Euler deconvolution were used to calculate the depths. The analysis of magnetic maps shows that the study site is characterized by a number of anomalies that occur and have geometric squares and rectangle shapes with depths ranging from 0.7 m to ≈4 m. Some of these anomalies are related to potential archaeological objects. GPR findings reveal considerably scattered hyperbolas along several profiles, which may indicate the presence of potential buried objects. The integration of magnetic and GPR results showed that there is some consistency in the identification of the locations of the likely buried archaeological objects and their depths (0.7 to 3 m) for the majority of the discovered targets. The findings of this study suggest excavating at this location and relocating the market in order to protect the buried antiquities from being lost to be safeguarded as a tourist destination target.

Researcher of the civilization of the ancient slavs

The article is dedicated to the anniversary of Liubomyr Pavlovych Mykhailyna – a world-renowned researcher, Ukrainian archaeologist, doctor of historical sciences, leading researcher of the National Preserve «Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra», local-lore historian, historian, a connoisseur of monuments, as well as a tireless searcher of Slavic antiquities. The scientist is known to the general public for numerous archaeological discoveries, studies of the Khotyn fortress, restoration works and Ukrainian studies at the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra.The scientific work of Liubomyr Pavlovych Mykhailyna was analyzed. Attention was focused on innovative research on issues of Slavic archaeology summarized in individual and collective monographs «Population of the Upper Popruttia of the 8th-10th Centuries» (1997), «Bukovyna. Historical Essay» (1998), «Slavs of the 8th-10th Centuries between the Dnieper and the Carpathians» (2007), «Essays on the History of the Khotyn fortress. Facts, Legends, Hypotheses» (2011), «The Archaeologist Who Became a Legend» (2019).During the years of work, Liubomyr Mykhailyna trained thousands of first-class history teachers, for many of whom archaeology and local-lore history became not only a passion for the whole life, but also determined their future scientific destiny. He established cooperation with local history teachers, which made it possible to protect effectively archaeological antiquities on the territory of Bukovyna from damage and destruction. A number of young scientists received a ticket to great science from the light hand of the scientist; in particular, researchers of archaeological antiquities Bohdan Ridush, Yuliia Mysko and Maryna Yagodynska successfully defended their PhD theses under his guidance.Currently, Liubomyr Mykhailyna has several individual and collective monographs, more than two hundred scientific articles, reports, and reviews. We wish Liubomyr Pavlovych Mykhailyna good health, many years and new scientific achievements and the realization of all plans.

Temporary solidification and extraction of marine archaeological wood underwater at a depth of seven meters: A further contribution

In-situ solidifying extraction of large-volume and severely damaged underwater fragile artifacts is still one of the major issues in underwater archaeology. Recent evidence suggests that veratraldehyde can be used to temporarily solidify artifacts underwater; however, it is still challenging to use it in actual archaeological sites. This prospective study was conducted in a seven-meter-deep pool wherein veratraldehyde was used to solidify and extract waterlogged ship wood from the “Nanhai I” shipwreck. The entire underwater extraction process was recorded using a camera. The change in the wood surface color before and after extraction was relatively minor. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed that the wood microstructure was not significantly damaged, while nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed no residues of veratraldehyde and its oxidation products. Overall, the proposed method utilizes a set of scientific techniques for successful in-situ solidifying extraction of underwater fragile wooden artifacts.

Ancient Human Mitogenome of the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego): An Argentine Collaborative Project

AbstractThe increasing use of massively parallel sequencing in the study of current and ancient human populations has enabled new approaches to bioanthropological and archaeological issues; however, its application to archaeological samples requires the use of technologies that are not easily accessible outside US and European research centers. To obtain an ancient mitogenome in Argentina, several institutions collaborated to apply massively parallel sequencing and bioinformatic methodologies on an enriched ancient DNA library of an individual from the Beagle Channel (dated 1504 ± 46 years BP), a region of particular interest for this line of inquiry. Phylogenetic reconstruction showed a close relationship with a Yamana from Navarino Island and an individual from Hoste Island (Chilean Antarctic Province): the three shared an ancestor who lived between 203 and 4,439 years ago. These three have mutations reported only for current and ancient individuals from the Beagle Channel, and their relationship with the rest of the D1g sub-haplogroups is unclear. The results obtained here are consistent with the reduction of mobility in the Fuegian archipelago around 4500 years BP that has been proposed based on archaeological evidence.

Issues of ubiquitous music archaeology: Shared knowledge, simulation, terseness, and ambiguity in early computer music

The reconstruction of tools and artworks belonging to the origins of music computing unveils the dynamics of distributed knowledge underlying some of the major breakthroughs that took place during the analogue-digital transition of the 1950s and 1960s. We document the implementation of two musical replicas, the Computer Suite for Little Boy and For Ann (Rising). Our archaeological ubiquitous-music methods yield fresh insights on both convergences and contradictions implicit in the creation of cutting-edge technologies, pointing to design qualities such as terseness and ambiguity. Through new renditions of historically significant artefacts, enabled by the recovery of artistic first-hand sources and of one of the early computer music environments, MUSIC V, we explore the emergence of exploratory simulations of new musical worlds.

Reflections on Franz Boas’ Anthropology and Modern Life

This paper critically engages with the book Anthropology and Modern Life by Franz Boas, which was originally published in 1928. The paper discusses a number of themes addressed in the book and assesses their relevance to current challenges for anthropological research and public engagement. An important element of Boas’ book is his critique of racist thinking as a basis to understand human actions and other aspects of human variability. Even though Boas’ treatment of racism is not entirely unproblematic itself, his critical contributions remain deeply relevant today in light of a resurgence of related ideas in current public discourses and anthropological research contexts. Even though Boas’ views of education appear to be quite eclectic, they can still serve to support a holistic and reflexive approach towards learning, which are aspects that also come under increasing pressure in higher education contexts in many countries right now. Finally, some consequences of Boas’ arguments for current aspects of archaeological issues are discussed, even though archaeology did not feature in Anthropology and Modern Life in any substantial form. However, the core themes of Boas’ book remain applicable to archaeological research and the impact of archaeological knowledge on public discourses. From this arises a particular responsibility with respect to the historical narratives that archaeology produces and their relationship to contemporary issues and challenges.

An Insight into the Suitability of Clayey Raw Materials: The Ceramic Provinces of the Northern Peloponnese and South Epirus, Greece

Corinth, Achaea in the northern Peloponnese, and Nicopolis in Epirus (Greece) have a strong archaeological record of ceramic production, from the Early Helladic to Late Roman periods. Important archaeological sites, such as Helike, Aigeira, the settlement of Derveni, and the cities of Patras and Nicopolis, offer data and findings of exceptional quality. One of the main pillars for the development of the ceramic production in these areas was the availability of local natural resources, among which are the clayey sedimentary deposits that outcrop in the area. This study investigates the physical-technological properties (plasticity and granulometry), the mineralogical composition of clayey raw materials, in order to test their suitability for ceramic production across the entire geographic area. Our aim was to differentiate the three main “ceramic” provinces, based upon the above-mentioned properties. New data from western Achaea and south Epirus are presented and compared with previous research conducted in Corinthia and eastern Achaea. The results obtained showed that the clays sampled from Corinthia and eastern Achaea are carbonatic materials of poor plasticity, whereas those from western Achaea and Epirus are either Ca-rich or Ca-poor materials, with the majority exhibiting a better plasticity. The results from this study are expected to constitute an important archaeometric tool for tackling archaeological issues by means of provenance and ceramic technology within the region and in the surrounding areas.

Mary Chilton Callaway. Jeremiah Through the Centuries

Mary Chilton Callaway. <i>Jeremiah Through the Centuries</i>

Reconstruct the unknown, replicate the uncontrollable. Current issues in the experimental archaeology of combat

Following the so-called material turn, in archaeology much attention is devoted to the affective response to objects, the physical affordances of items, or the agency of materials on one another. However, such aspects have been partially overlooked in experimental use wear research. Issues surrounding contact material selection and its degree of representativity against the larger archaeological sample are some of the problems that a well-considered approach in experimental archaeology and wear analysis should take into account. These problems are inherently linked with the discussion over controlled lab experiments vs actualistic layouts: one of the most contentious debates in experimental archaeology. More broadly, these issues are further tied to the crisis of confidence in experimental results and issues such as replicability and reproducibility. These concerns are even more significant in research attempting to simulate and investigate combat wear traces, where these problems also intertwine with the challenges that these layouts pose in terms of best practices to follow to ensure ethics and sustainability. In this paper, the methodological framework implemented in two experimental campaigns studying prehistoric bronze weaponry is discussed. The examples are then used to illustrate some of the challenges in these types of set-ups and to provide discussion points regarding potential solutions. In addition, steps to take in order to increase confidence in the interpretation of experimental results are proposed. While replication of experimental results is paramount, it is also necessary to reduce the ambiguity of experimental results.

Introduction to Special issue

Introduction to Special issue

1 Introduction and overview

This introduction presents the structure and contents of the current issue of Archaeology in Greece. It also offers an overview (not meant to be exhaustive) of archaeological activity in Greece over the past 12 months, focusing on major exhibitions and other cultural events as well as on important recent publications.