Archaeological Issues Research Articles

From the Guest Editors

Previous articleNext article FreeFrom the Guest EditorsGregg E. Gardner and Lily C. VuongGregg E. Gardner Search for more articles by this author and Lily C. Vuong Search for more articles by this author Full TextPDF Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreThe ark of the covenant and the golden candelabrum (a.k.a. menorah) are among the many religious relics that have long been the object of popular fascination. Sensationalist tales about their whereabouts have increased exponentially with the expansion of media outlets in the digital age—the True Cross, Noah’s Ark, and other objects, it seems, are “discovered” on a regular basis.And yet, we should not let sensationalism discourage us from engaging in critical, scientific explorations of the very real roles that material culture plays in religious traditions. In recent years, specialists in anthropology, religion, and history have increasingly examined the production, circulation, and consumption of objects, and how they mediate relationships amongst humans, as well as between humans and the divine. This renewed focus on the materiality of religion illuminates how religious traditions incorporate patterns of feelings and sensations that are bound up with performances, objects, and spaces. As David Morgan has written, not everything meaningful to a religious group is necessarily expressed in words or written down in texts. A subset of the recent “material turn” in religious studies is an increased interest in relics, defined as the remains of significant individuals (“primary” or “corporeal” relics) or the objects with which they came into contact (“secondary” or “contact” relics). Relics index duration, postpone oblivion, function as signs of a previous power, and reassure the user of the persistent potency of that power. Annabel Wharton writes that relics thus signify nonmaterial references in culturally complex ways, as multifunctional signifiers operating across a range of social contexts and subject to reappropriation by various groups. In late antiquity, both Jews and Christians fostered connections to the even more distant biblical past by cultivating narratives on the fate of the temple vessels. These are generally understood to include the ark of the covenant, menorah, showbread table, as well as the pots, shovels, bowls, basins, and other implements used in the Jerusalem temple’s sacrificial rituals. Also included are valuables that were given by kings and wealthy individuals, or acquired as spoils of war, and stored in the Jerusalem temple’s treasury. As will become evident from the papers that follow, however, this group of objects was never any one thing—rather, their nature and inventory differ from one source to another, in accordance with each author’s proclivities, objectives, and social-historical context.This special issue of Near Eastern Archaeology on the fate of the temple vessels in Jewish antiquity explores how the material culture of Jerusalem’s First Temple (ca. 960 to 586 BCE) and Second Temple (ca. 515 BCE to 70 CE) were depicted by Jews in late antiquity (70 to 640 CE) in their texts and material culture. The paper by Ballentine provides the early context, suggesting new ways to understand the vessels’ depictions in the Hebrew Bible. The bulk of the papers address depictions of the temple vessels in late antique Jewish sources (DesRosiers, Fine, Fraade, Stern), ranging from the first-century historian Flavius Josephus to classical rabbinic literature (Talmud, Midrash), to ancient art, to graffiti on the walls of underground burial installations. These papers wrestle with the often tense relationships between postdestruction Jewish realities and the emphasis on cultic activities inherited from the biblical past and symbolized by the temple vessels. The authors show how the past was drawn upon and reshaped in light of late antique Jews’ contexts in the Roman and Christian worlds. The paper by Concannon brings our exploration to date, examining contemporary uses of the Second Temple and its era. Challenging disciplinary boundaries between textual and material studies, these papers contribute to our understanding of ancient Judaism and, more broadly, the role of material culture in religion. Previous articleNext article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Near Eastern Archaeology Volume 82, Number 3September 2019The Fate of the Temple Vessels in Jewish Antiquity A journal of the American Schools of Oriental Research Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/703985 Views: 84 Copyright 2019 American Schools of Oriental Research Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Archaeo-ceramic 2.0: investigating ancient ceramics using modern technological approaches

Since the first attempts to the petrographic analysis on pottery, a multitude of archaeometric studies have been carried out to solve important issues on provenance, production technology, dating, functionality and conservation state of ancient ceramic materials. According to the scientists’ background, the period when the investigations were done, destructive versus non-destructive analyses (also in relation to the unicity of the studied objects), as well as the purpose of the research, numerous analytical methods, typically used in various disciplines such as geology, physics and chemistry, have been applied. This contribution focuses on the use of innovative approaches to solve archaeological issues on pottery provenance, production technology and post-depositional alteration, reporting some examples of new methods applied to perform mineralogical, petrographic and chemical analyses. The traditional microscopic characterisation of ceramic pastes, for instance, can now be easily coupled with quantitative analysis of abundance and size distribution of their textural features, through the application of digital image analysis. This method, applied to images acquired by polarised transmitted light microscope, scanning electron microscope in back-scattered mode and microchemical mapping, can quantitatively and quickly describe production recipes, contributing to the definition of the pottery production choices and changes over time. As for the mineralogical analysis, the possibility of simultaneously processing numerous X-ray diffraction patterns by statistical tools, such as cluster analysis on raw data, is another example of a modern way to analyse ancient pottery and interpreting, with an objective comparison method, possible differences or analogies in the production recipes and/or firing technology of groups of ceramics. Moreover, modern microdiffraction techniques, both using conventional (X-ray tubes) and advanced sources (synchrotron radiation), also coupled with micro-Raman spectroscopy, allow the determination of mineralogical composition of small-sized phases both in ceramic bodies and slips/glazes, supplying important information on the production technology and possible post-deposition processes. As for the provenance issue, especially on fine ware, constraining relationships between far away communities/societies can now be evaluated not only on the basis of conventional bulk chemistry but also by isotope analysis. These new methodological approaches give rise to the new concept of archaeometric analysis on ancient ceramic materials that can be defined as “archaeo-ceramic 2.0”.

From the Editor

Next article FreeFrom the EditorStephanie L. BudinStephanie L. Budin Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreHello, Readers! This summer brings a new and fascinatingly diverse issue of Near Eastern Archaeology to your mail-box or in-box (or both). The word “diversity” has been seeing a lot of use in the Humanities and Social Sciences lately. Usually it refers to the ethnic make-up of a student body, or the racial make-up of a faculty, or some such combination of human capital. In this instance, however, “diversity” refers to the range of times, places, methodologies, and topics of significance within the over-arching category of Near Eastern archaeology. Most basic to this field is digging, and in this issue we have two articles on what came out of the ground from such “dirt archaeology.” A magnificent hoard of silver and jewelry from Bronze Age Megiddo graces the pages, giving a taste of ANE aesthetics and elite (if perhaps atypical) storing practices. Much later in time is evidence for Greek influence in the religion of Roman Ashkelon, specifically a cult of Dionysos the Releaser in local funerary cult (“grapes and panthers and bottles, oh my!”)Objects make up half the story of the ancient Near East; the other half is words, a field often associated with philologists. But writing, “words that stay,” must also be appreciated for its physicality, and the cross-over between iconography and epigraphy is never so strong as with hieroglyphics. In a study of the tomb of a Middle Kingdom functionary named Henenu in Thebes, we get the opportunity to see in practice modern techniques of Egyptian paleography, from the study of different “hands” and the processes of rendering official inscriptions to the modern practice of creating databases.Digging in the dirt gets us so far. Lately, there has also been a focus on digging in museums. A recent trend in studying dinosaurs is “Drawer Paleontology”— going through the thousands of shelves and files and cases of bones dug up throughout the century to see what was found and hidden and that now may shed new light. A longstanding meme in classical archaeology was that the greatest discoveries of the century would be when someone went through the apothekê (basement) of the Thebes Museum in Greece. All due respect to Thebes, but such a find has come to light closer to home in Philadelphia, where two stunning Punic stelae from North Africa emerged from the basement of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. An even greater basement emergence occurred in New York at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when the Cesnola collection of Cypriot Art was granted its lovely new exhibit space. How that collection was gathered and became the foundation of the Met’s international prestige in the Gilded Age is another of this issue’s topics.Finally, one might ask to what end archaeology, if not for the edification, understanding, and preservation of the present. Thus here we present the ongoing restoration of a medieval shrine to the biblical patriarch Joseph, including the research that went into understanding its manifestations throughout history and the methods now being used to preserve this priceless cultural artifact for posterity.From Egypt and Israel to Philadelphia and New York; from the Bronze Age to the Gilded Age to the Silicon Age. Near Eastern archaeology has a breadth and range that covers the globe, really, allowing us to understand where we came from, how we got to where we are, and how to persevere into the future. More likely than not, the answers are in the basement. Next article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Near Eastern Archaeology Volume 82, Number 2June 2019 A journal of ASOR Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/704707 Copyright 2019 American Schools of Oriental ResearchPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Chert Nucleus and Cortex Characterization for Archaeological Provenance Study Tested in the Prebaetic System Region (Valencian Community, Spain)

ABSTRACTThe characterization of chert artifacts and the identification of their raw material is a pivotal issue in archaeology for the comprehension of economic and territorial patterns related to prehistoric populations. In the last years, several analytical techniques have been employed to characterize chert and discriminate among different provenances. In this study, cherts collected from different outcrops exploited since the Prehistory in the area of Alcoi (Alacant, Spain) were analyzed. Nucleus and cortex of each sample were divided and separately analyzed to determine their concentrations of major, minor and trace elements. The analyses revealed the elemental difference between both the parts of the chert and pointed out the importance of separation during sample preparation. Eventually, only the results of the nucleus analysis allowed discriminate among the different outcrops.

A new zooarchaeological application for geometric morphometric methods: Distinguishing Ovis aries morphotypes to address connectivity and mobility of prehistoric Central Asian pastoralists

Geometric morphometric methods (GMM), which were developed to characterize the shape and size of biological organisms, have been applied within zooarchaeology over the past decade to address animal domestication processes and to refine morphological criteria to differentiate between taxa. However, there has been limited utilization of these methods to discriminate between populations of the same taxa to challenge and refine other key archaeological issues, such as migration and connectivity in prehistory. Presented here is a novel application of a three-dimensional landmark based geometric morphometric approach to address the nature of long distance trade and connectivity on the prehistoric Silk Road. The similarity of Bronze and Iron Age archaeological cultures along this steppe route has encouraged characterisations of these people as nomads, with highly mobile, integrated, and connected human and animal populations. However, the interconnectedness of domestic animal populations, in particular sheep (Ovis aries), the foundation of this prehistoric pastoral economy, has never been examined. This study utilized geometric morphometric methods to quantify geometric morphometric variance of O. aries astragali between three geographically disparate settlement sites within a single Final Bronze age cultural and chronological context. Significant differences between morphotypes revealed that protracted mobility patterns were unlikely and that while animal exchange may have occurred, it was not pervasive enough to produce a uniform sheep morphotype across central and southeastern Kazakhstan. The result of this new application of geometric morphometric methods challenges models of uniform and undifferentiated long distance mobility and economic connectivity between the peoples of the Silk Road.

On grain, bones, and Khabur collapse

A hypothesis on the total collapse of the settlement in Northern Syria at the end of the third millennium BC, put forward in 1993 by Harvey Weiss and his team, is one of the most disputed issues in the protohistoric archaeology of North Mesopotamia. Today it is obvious that the crisis has not been as general as Weiss believed. Also his original explanation of the cause of this event (volcano eruption in the Near East) is generally doubted. The author discusses the present state of knowledge of the archaeology of this period as well as proxy data used for environmental reconstructions, because an environmental crisis is considered to be the most likely cause of the decline in settlement. One of the aims of the paper is to propose new sources for environmental proxies, which may help in the formulation of a more accurate reconstruction of environmental trends in the Near East in general.

Archeologia klasyczna w poszukiwaniu swej tożsamości. Między przeszłością, teraźniejszą a historią sztuki

The article defines classical archaeology as one of the first and oldest branches of archaeology practised in Europe by stressing that interests in the relics of ancient civilisations have been deeply embedded in the cultural self-identification of various peoples of Europe. The author aims to recognize how the modern world values contribute to interpretation and conservation of the classical past, especially Greek art and architecture, alongside other ancient objects, and how the Western elites treated them in the past centuries. The issue of common roots of classical archaeology and history of art as well as their long-lasting relationships are also thoroughly discussed. Discrepancies between major research procedures of classical archaeology and art history are scrutinized, especially in terms of an arguable irrelevance of modern concept of art in relation to archaeological evidence. The role of museums in relation to art and antiquities trade is also raised. Furthermore, the author discusses classical archaeology within broader issues of contemporary archaeology. It is recognized that classical archaeology has certainly changed by resigning from the previously dominant connoisseur knowledge approach to artefacts, concentrated solely on the works of art often seen as autonomous entities devoid of the context of their production, meaning and perception. Finally, the author defines contemporary classical archaeology as a rapidly changing discipline, reformulating its research agenda and opening up to cooperation with numerous other disciplines. Nevertheless, this should not mean a wholesale rejection of its great legacy of being a history of ancient art. On the contrary, this traditions ought to be redefined and incorporated into contemporary research agenda of the discipline.

Introduction & overview

This brief introduction presents the structure and contents of the current issue of Archaeology in Greece, linking the various contributions to events or very recent discoveries that were reported in the press in the period immediately before the completion of this issue. 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 new museum openings, important academic conferences and recent publications.

Advice for archaeological survey with recent technologies

Despite the technologies are now part of the archaeological discipline, they must not divert attention from archaeological issues and should be aimed at solving different historical and methodological questions, such the phases of a monument or innovative representation methods. The paper focuses the attention mainly on the use of range-data and image-based systems applied to the archaeological heritage, in order to highlight differences between the techniques and the related errors. Some considerations are necessary in order to find possible solutions for improving the quality and the accuracy of a survey project, considering the recent and innovative techniques adopted in archaeology. At the same time the authors provided, where possible, some solutions and suggestions for reducing the errors and checking the general quality of the work. Different experimentations have been made on some case studies that show how to manage technologies trying to reduce as much as possible the errors in the different phases of the survey pipeline. A specific part has been dedicated to the photogrammetric process from drones compared to traditional acquisitions, usually performed with aluminium poles, and the common errors in the representation of the archaeological excavations.

Settled? Recent debates in the archaeology of the Epipalaeolithic and Pre-Pottery Neolithic of Southwest Asia

Visiting China for the first time in October 2016, at the kind invitation of Professor Feng Li, I was immediately struck by the scale and complexity of the Neolithic archaeology. During interesting discussions with Chinese colleagues it became clear that many aspects of the archaeological narratives developed for the origins of the Neolithic in China shared many of the same explanatory models and theoretical perspectives as its prehistoric counterpart in southwest Asia (modern-day Israel/Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Anatolia). I thought it therefore appropriate in my contribution to this issue of Asian Archaeology to offer a summary of the history and development of “Neolithic transition” archaeology in southwest Asia. I hope this contribution will lead to further comparative discussions.

Potential use of Fe isotopes for ancient non-ferrous metals tracing through the example of a lead-silver production site (Imiter mine, Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

Determining the provenance of non-ferrous metals is a major issue in archaeology and history. The classical method using Pb isotopes shows several limitations, and new isotopic tracers need to be developed in archaeometallurgy. Recently, Fe isotopes were found to be promising for iron metal tracing. In this context, we evaluated the pertinence of Fe isotopes as a new tool for provenance studies of non-ferrous metals. We collected slag and furnace lining samples from the Imiter silver mine in Morocco (Anti-Atlas), where many archaeological remains attest ancient lead-silver production. Their mineralogical composition was investigated by optical microscopic observations, SEM-EDS and EPMA. Besides, we measured both Pb and Fe isotope compositions of these samples by high resolution MC-ICP-MS after wet sample decomposition and purification chemistry. The occurrence of Ag, Pb, Cu and Ag/Pb metallic beads in the slag samples and their high Fe content suggests that these metallurgical materials result from the exploitation of Ag-rich polymetallic ores associated with gossan formations. Isotopic analyses of these slags highlighted their heterogeneous Pb isotope compositions and homogeneous Fe isotope composition. This points to the exploitation of two distinct ore sources with different Pb but similar Fe isotope compositions, despite the Fe isotope variability often encountered in metallic ores worldwide. Hence, Fe isotopes provide a complementary approach to trace lead-silver products from Imiter. Overall, the combination of Pb and Fe isotope analyses constitutes a promising method for further provenance investigations of non-ferrous metals.

Steroid fingerprints: Efficient biomarkers of human decomposition fluids in soil

The decomposition of animal and human cadavers can lead to comprehensive chemical and biochemical changes in soil, which can provide helpful information for the analysis of archaeological and crime scenes. The current study focused specifically on the concentration and distribution patterns of steroids in soil with the aim of assessing their suitability for demonstrating the presence of human decomposition products. Soil samples were collected from a forensic site where a human corpse had been lying on the soil surface for 18 days. Total organic carbon (TOC) and steroid concentrations were analysed in soil samples taken from beneath the body at the time the corpse was removed and also one year later. High concentrations of TOC and steroids were detected close to the soil surface at the time the body was removed, and the concentration of cadaver-derived cholesterol was considerably higher than that of the plant-derived sitosterol. The soil beneath the cadaver contained higher concentrations of faeces-derived 5β-stanol coprostanol than the control soil. Different concentrations and distribution patterns of steroid compounds in the soil upon removal of the corpse and one year later indicate that significant transformation, degradation and translocation processes had taken place during this period of time. The depth distribution of steroids beneath a decomposing body along with changes in the human steroidal fingerprints in soil over time were found to provide information that could help resolve forensic and archaeological issues. The combined analysis of tissue steroids (cholesterol), the reduction product of cholesterol in soil (5α-cholestanol) as well as faecal steroids (coprostanol, 5β-stigmastanol and their conversion products epicoprostanol and epi-5β-stigmastanol) represent excellent additions to the forensic toolbox for determining whether a soil of interest has ever been affected by a human cadaver or not.

The 3D virtual reconstruction of an engineering work of the past

The construction of artificial emissary of Lake Fucino’s represents one of the most significant engineering challenges that took place in antiquity. Unfortunately, the imposing structure of the Roman emissary was almost completely erased from the building of the late nineteenth century, constructed for the final drying of the lake. This article presents its virtual reconstruction, to understand the technological issues met by Romans and to visually offer reconstruction theories starting from interpreting of the few Roman remains. So that, engineering resources are used to try to understand unresolved issues in archaeology.

A novel interdisciplinary approach for building archaeology: The integration of mortar “single grain” luminescence dating into archaeological research, the example of Saint Seurin Basilica, Bordeaux

This paper deals with new strategies for dating the construction of ancient monuments, one of the most topical issues in archaeology. Our approach is demonstrated by the study of an emblematic early medieval Basilica Saint Seurin in Bordeaux whose oldest building phases have never been well-understood and dated before due to the lack of written sources and archaeological findings. We mainly focus on the analyses of mortar as an omnipresent and non-recyclable material whose making is undoubtedly contemporary to the building process. For the first time, we integrated a novel, recently validated protocol for dating historical mortar through optically stimulated luminescence using the « single grain technique » (SG-OSL) into archaeological research.The present work arises from close and continuous collaboration between archaeologists and archaeometers both in situ and during post-excavation analyses. SG-OSL dating of mortar, as the most innovative aspect of the study, was combined with mortar characterization, radiocarbon dating of charcoals and partly also with archaeomagnetic and thermoluminescence dating of bricks for a cross-check of chronological data.We identified and dated several independent building phases in the crypt of the present church where mortar was the only building material preserved. By combining physical dating methods with stratigraphic constraints based on archaeological interpretations, all the findings were used to construct a chronological model that proves continuity in occupation of the site between the 5th and the 12th centuries, reflecting its high cultural and symbolic value.By the inter-connection of mortar dating by SG-OSL with archaeology and other fields of archaeometry, we set up a renewed interdisciplinary working model for building archaeology that opens interesting perspectives for the future of this research field.

A Moabite sanctuary at Khirbat Ataruz, Jordan: stratigraphy, findings, and archaeological implications

The excavations of Khirbat Ataruz in central Jordan revealed a small cult building, with a portable stone altar with Moabite inscriptions on the body. This article concentrates on the stratigraphy and the analysis of building and vessel finds, most published here for the first time, associated with the inscription and sanctuary room. The building, dated to the mid/late 9th–early 8th centuries BCE, was constructed directly on top of earlier architecture, with substantive modification that is connected to the Iron IIA temple complex at the acropolis. This construction activity might relate to the story of a Moabite war against the ancient city of Ataroth mentioned in the Mesha Stele. Accordingly, the study of stratigraphic, ceramic and architectural evidence linked to the sanctuary and inscription offers a rare possibility to enhance our understanding of historical and archaeological issues related to the Moabites and the Mesha Stele.

ANALISIS PHYTOLITH DAN STARCH UNTUK STUDI ARKEOLOGI LINGKUNGAN

Environmental issues in archaeology have become a very interesting theme to be researches. Those theme relates to landscapes, environmental changes, site formation and human adaptation processes. Faunal ecofact and artifact are commonly used as research data nowdays. Analysis of plants residu are less common because of the scarcity of those remains in the archaeological sites,especially prehistory. This paper attempts to explain some possible uses of microscopic plant residua analysis in the form of phytolith and starch for environmental studies. The method used in this paper is literature study on microbotani as well as imitation experiments by combining several methods ever undertaken by previous researchers. This study shows that the plants remains , especially the microbotany form of phytolith and starch provide significant information about the types of plants in the pass, environmental changes and their utilization by humans.

Island Archaeology, Model Systems, the Anthropocene, and How the Past Informs the Future

The use of islands as ‘model systems’ has become particularly relevant for examining a host of important issues in archaeology and other disciplines. As papers in this special issue of the Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology demonstrate, islands can serve as critical and ideal analytical platforms for observing human populations in the past and their evolutionary histories within complex and insular human ecodynamics. In this paper we address the issue of how islands are also important models for future sustainability and as corollaries for the survival of humans generally. In a sense, island cultures and ecosystems can be seen as microcosms of the issues we have faced as humans, and provide important insights for understanding the fate of our species, particularly as it pertains to the exploration and colonization of new worlds.

The heating system of the Piccole Terme in Baia: Some hypotheses

Piccole Thermae in Baia is a little jewel from the thermo-technical perspective as it is the first example of heating system based upon renewable sources of energy. Unfortunately, its thermo-technical mode of operation can only be supposed due to remains of some components. In addition, there are no reliable technical data on the installations. Probably due to the lack of an updated mapping, the studies and researches carried up until now, mainly focused on historical and archaeological issues. Consequently, this site is a challenge for HVAC engineers and researcher who approach on tiptoe to the fascinating and engaging world of the archaeology trying to transfer some knowledge to their research field. To provide useful information about the entire complex and its thermo-technical mode of operation, this paper presents a dimensioned plan of the Piccole Terme’s building and the graphic outline of some of the main elements of the thermo-technical system. The implementation of the laser scanner system ZEB1 based upon the SLAM Technique and the integration with standard relief technique allowed us to reconstruct the steam duct and discover coarse errors in the positioning of some architectural elements and in the orientation of the whole site.

Political economy and global repercussions: reflections on past and present in global historical archaeology

SUMMARY: The seven articles of this special issue of Post-Medieval Archaeology provide a background to this paper. Their various interpretations and operationalizations have provided a plethora of perspectives and localities concerning past political economies. This paper aims to further the discussion of political economy and its relevance in historical archaeology. The very many connections between economy, identity, culture, production, mentality and perception are the foundations of this special issue and also of this article. The paper starts by looking back at how Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx used the concept of political economy and what it might mean in an archaeological context today. The examination then follows three brief cases of individuals in the early modern period and how they related to, and interacted with, the political economy of their time and space. The paper concludes by emphasizing the importance of putting material culture and spatial studies into the discussion in order to trace entanglements and connections of political economies of past societies.

Reply to comments on Clarkson et al. (2017) ‘Human occupation of northern Australia by 65,000 years ago’

We thank the authors for their comments in the previous issue of Australian Archaeology. The 2012–2015 research at Madjedbebe offers a new and comprehensive look at the early occupation of Sahul an...