Main Period Of Occupation Research Articles

Agropastoral and dietary practices of the northern Levant facing Late Holocene climate and environmental change: Isotopic analysis of plants, animals and humans from Bronze to Iron Age Tell Tweini.

One of the largest isotopic datasets of the ancient Eastern Mediterranean region is evaluated, based on plants (n = 410), animals (n = 210) and humans (n = 16) from Tell Tweini (Syria). Diachronic analysis of plant and faunal specimens from four main periods of occupation: Early Bronze Age (2600-2000 BC), Middle Bronze Age (2000-1600 BC), Late Bronze Age (1600-1200 BC) and Iron Age (1200-333 BC) were investigated. Mean Δ13C results from seven plant species reveal emmer and free threshing wheat, olives, bitter vetch, rye grass and barley were adequately or well-watered during all periods of occupation. The grape Δ13C results suggest excellent growing conditions and particular care for its cultivation. The δ15N results indicate that especially the emmer and free threshing wheats received some manure inputs throughout the occupation sequence, while these were likely further increased during the Iron Age, encompassing also the olive groves and grape vineyards. Generally, domestic animals (cattle, sheep, goats) had C3 terrestrial diets and were kept together in similar environments. However, some animals consumed significant amounts of marine or C4 plants, possibly from disturbed habitats due to land use pressure or salt tolerant grasses and shrubs from wetland environments, which were recorded in the direct vicinity of the site. Middle Bronze Age humans consumed a C3 terrestrial diet with no measurable input from C4, freshwater or marine protein sources. Interestingly, the human diet was relatively low in animal protein and appears comparable to what is considered today a typical Mediterranean diet consisting of bread (wheat/barley), olives, grapes, pulses, dairy products and small amounts of meat. The combined isotopic analysis of plants, animals and humans from Tell Tweini represents unbroken links in the food chain which create unparalleled opportunities to enhance our current understanding of environmental conditions, climate change and lifeways in past populations from the Eastern Mediterranean.

Achaemenid ceramics from the site Beniamin II (Shirak, Armenia): the end of the 6th to the mid 4th centuries BC

In Beniamin, not far from Gyumri, Armenia, at the foot of a hill on which an Achaemenid palace was built, several semi-excavated constructions dating back from the 6th-4th centuries BC were found. Hosting metallurgy workshops at the beginning of their existence, they were later the seat of a livestock activity. From artisanal iron workshop to long-house, they offer a double interest: They concern the economy of an Achaemenid palatial domain, and present a typical architecture of the Armenian plateau, very similar to the houses described by Xenophon in the 5th century BC, in the Anabasis, the epic of the Ten Thousand. Finally, six main periods of occupation were highlighted by the analysis of stratigraphic data and archaeological artifacts discovered. Continuing the first article devoted to architecture and its evolution, this contribution aims to present the catalogue of the productions collected in the Achaemenid levels of periods I to V. The evolution of these productions clearly attests the function of the buildings demonstrating essential similarities to that of the contemporary site of Tsaghkahovit. After the rapid disappearance of coarse and often decorated common forms (decorated black pottery – group 1A), the present catalogue of Achaemenid ceramics is mainly characterized by productions with red slip (Type 3), black common wares (Type 1b and C), with special predominance of productions of brown burnished ware (clear or polished – type 4). Painted ceramics are almost absent from the catalogue of productions.

The deposit of KHB‐1, Ra’s al Khabbah (Ja’lān region, Sultanate of Oman): Stratigraphy, features and structures

The excavation of KHB‐1 archaeological site was part of the Joint Hadd Project [Joint Hadd Project is a project operating in the Ja’lān region since 1985, born under the collaboration between ISIAO (Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente, Rome), CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris) and the University of Bologna] carried out in the Ja’lān region, along the coast of the Sultanate of Oman. Different phases of occupation with significant structural evidences were identified within the deposit: an early short‐term occupation in the 7th millennium, followed by a longer, extended period of occupation during the 4th millennium by a community of hunter‐gatherers, with some evidence of animal husbandry. The material culture recovered from KHB‐1, which includes architectural remains, provides new insights on the cultures of this region, highlighting a need for further excavations and analysis.This paper will illustrate the stratigraphic sequence and the main features recovered at KHB‐1, followed by a discussion on the two main periods of occupation which will help shed a light on the site function and more broadly provide key insights on mobility, economy, and material culture of Ja’lān in the beginning of 7th and along the 4th millennium B.C.

Unraveling pre-Columbian occupation patterns in the tropical forests of French Guiana using an anthracological approach

In Amazonia, a growing body of studies has shown that rainforests were affected by human occupation in many areas during pre-Columbian times, inducing changes in their floristic compositions. The northern part of Amazonia, and in particular the Guiana Shield, is much less studied, although past human occupations have also been documented in this region. Therefore, the actual impact of pre-Columbian societies on Guianan forests is still poorly known. Here we explore 12 sites in the dense forest of Nouragues, central French Guiana, ranging from a priori non-anthropogenic to clearly anthropogenic, using an anthracological approach. Soil charcoals were radiocarbon dated to assess the chronology of the past human occupations, and identified to determine shifts in vegetation cover. Our results show that two main periods of occupation can be distinguished on several sites in the Nouragues area: a first one between ca. 1,300 and 1,000 cal bp and a second one between ca. 600 and 400 cal bp. Charcoal identification reveals the presence of a secondary vegetation during this most recent period of occupation, as shown by the presence of pioneer and heliophilic taxa, suggesting that human activities induced and favored this kind of vegetation. The presence of valuable wood and edible species in the anthracological record could reflect selective exploitation of the former around dwelling areas and a concentration of the latter within anthropogenic sites. As shown by our anthracological results, all the sites which contained charcoal were once under forest cover, including those that are now covered by pseudo-bamboos or by liana forests. We therefore suggest that the type of human activity (e.g. dwelling or food production) may have had different impacts on the structure and composition of subsequent vegetation resulting either in anthropogenic forests or liana and pseudo-bamboo patches after land abandonment.

Short-term late Holocene dry season occupation and sandy-mud flat focused foraging at Murdumurdu, Bentinck Island, Gulf of Carpentaria

Archaeological survey, excavations, and analyses of the Murdumurdu shell midden on Bentinck Island, Gulf of Carpentaria are reported. Patterns of subsistence as well as the timing and periodicity of site use are investigated through quantification of cultural materials, AMS radiocarbon dating, stable isotopic analysis of Marcia hiantina shell carbonates (δ18O and δ13C), magnetic susceptibility analysis of the deposits and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. Exploitation of shellfish focused on sandy-mud flat species (especially M. hiantina and Gafrarium pectinatum) with occupation occurring exclusively during the dry season (May-August). Radiocarbon dating reveals that the main period of occupation was short, albeit intense and occurred c.300 years ago. Initiation of occupation closely follows the establishment of freshwater conditions in the adjacent Marralda Swamp. These factors suggest that use of Murdumurdu was limited, potentially representing a single deposition event or multiple short, discrete episodes, in a landscape rich with similar archaeological deposits.

Drenovac: a Neolithic settlement in the Middle Morava Valley, Serbia

The Late Neolithic houses excavated at Drenovac, Serbia, rank amongst the best-preserved in Europe. In particular, the preservation of collapsed second-storey floors offers unique insights into household and social organisation. The site of Slatina-Turska česma, Drenovac, is located in the Middle Morava Valley of central Serbia (Figure 1). It is a deeply stratified site, with cultural deposits up to 6.5m thick, that spans two main periods of occupation (separated by a hiatus of approximately 700 years): the Early Neolithic Starčevo Culture (6100–5900 BC) and the Late Neolithic Vinča Culture (5300–4700/4500 BC). The site was first recorded in 1966, and the first large-scale excavations undertaken between 1968 and 1971 (Vetnić 1974: 125–39; Perić 2004). In 2004, the Archaeological Institute in Belgrade conducted further excavations to improve understanding of the site's chronology, stratigraphy, formation processes and occupation dynamics (Perić 2009; Perić & Perić 2014). Geomagnetic surveys were carried out in parallel with further excavations undertaken between 2008 and 2011 in cooperation with the Romano–Germanic Commission of the German Archaeological Institute (Perićet al. 2016) and, between 2012 and 2013, with the Viminacium Centre for New Technologies. An extensive geomagnetic survey here offers extraordinary insights into the layout and extent of the Late Neolithic settlement, and has enabled targeted excavations (Figure 1).

The archaeology of Ingaanjalwurr rockshelter in Manilikarr Country, western Arnhem Land

Archaeological excavations at Ingaanjalwurr rockshelter in western Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, have revealed evidence of human settlement on the East Alligator River floodplain from approximately 1900 years ago through to the twentieth-century. This short report summarises the results of archaeological excavations at the site, focusing on dated distributions of stone artefacts as the primary retrieved cultural material. The excavations revealed two main periods of occupation: the earlier from c. 1900 to 1300 cal. BP and the latter from c. 460-300 cal. BP to the proto-historic period. The findings from Ingaanjalwurr broadly correspond to previously proposed regional settlement trends, whereby Aboriginal settlement shifted to newly stabilised freshwater environments during the later Holocene period.

Stable isotope insights (δ18O, δ13C) into cattle and sheep husbandry at Bercy (Paris, France, 4th millennium BC): birth seasonality and winter leaf foddering

Bercy is a prehistoric village sited by the Seine river (Paris, France), whose main period of occupation was dated to the very beginning of the 4th millennium BC. The animal subsistence economy relied heavily on cattle husbandry, complemented by other species including sheep. Cattle and sheep isotopic history (δ13C, δ18O) was investigated at the seasonal scale, through sequential sampling in tooth enamel, providing new insights into seasonality of birth and diet. Sheep were lambing in mid-spring, only slightly later than expected from what is observed nowadays in temperate Europe at similar latitude. Cattle were born over a period spanning approximately six months, which was an unexpected result compared with a two to three months calving period in free-ranging cattle populations. The extension of the calving period might have been related to seasonal food supplementation. Some cattle and some sheep fed on a 13C-depleted resource in winter, potentially leafy fodder. A direct consequence of an extended calving period would be the availability of cow milk, which would have covered the whole year at Bercy. This is important information in a context where the exploitation of cattle milk by the human community was highly suspected from the demographic management of the herd.

Archaeo-directional and -intensity data from burnt structures at the Thracian site of Halka Bunar (Bulgaria): The effect of magnetic mineralogy, temperature and atmosphere of heating in antiquity

Archaeomagnetic results are presented from a series of burnt structures at the Thracian site of Halka Bunar. Archaeointensity and archaeodirectional studies were undertaken on three kilns from a pottery production complex. This has been dated to the late 4th and early 3rd century b.c. (325–280 b.c.) based on coins found associated with the kilns [Tonkova, M., 2003. Newly discovered Thracian Centre of the Early Hellenistic Age at the Spring “Halka Bunar” in the Land of C. Gorno Belevo. Annuary of the Institute of Archaeology with Museum. Bulgarian Academy Sci. 2, 148–196 (in Bulgarian)]. This data provides a new point for the Bulgarian archaeomagnetic curve (Dec: 348.70 ± 5.79, Inc: 62.20 ± 2.70, and Fa: 77.23 ± 2.17 μT). The kilns are thought to have been used for producing different types of pottery in a range of heating atmospheres and at different temperatures. Therefore, special attention was paid to the magnetic mineralogy of the samples and its effect on the palaeodata. Kiln 3, orange clay samples were dominated by fine to ultra-fine grained single domain and superparamagnetic magnetite, with a small proportion of haematite. The samples were heated in a high temperature oxidising environment. Kiln 2 was probably used to make grey ware pottery. The samples are light grey and were dominated by stable single domain magnetite formed by high temperature heating in a more reducing environment. Kiln 4, mottled samples consisted of a variable mineralogy showing characteristics of both Kiln 2 and Kiln 3 samples. It was probably used to make traditional, mottled, Thracian ware pottery and was heated to lower temperatures in a mixed environment of heating. Samples heated in an oxidising environment gave more reliable Thellier results than samples heated in a reducing environment in antiquity, as the latter altered heavily on re-heating. A fourth kiln and a destruction feature from different trenches than the kiln complex were also investigated to establish their age. Archaeodirectional data was not recoverable from these two structures due to post-burning disturbance. The mean archaeointensity from Kiln 5 (mean 78.0 ± 1.7 μT) is consistent with that from the main kiln complex (mean 77.23 ± 2.17 μT) and is therefore considered to be contemporary. It was probably not used to make pottery. The destruction feature records much lower archaeointensity values (mean 65.1 ± 1.1 μT). When this value is compared to the existing reference points of the Bulgarian database it suggests this feature is younger than the kilns (250–140 b.c.). Multiple age use of the site is therefore confirmed with a main period of occupation in the late 4th and early 3rd century b.c. and another phase of occupation in the mid 3rd to mid 2nd century b.c.

Gaza Research Project. Report on the 1999 and 2000 Seasons at al-Moghraqa

This report presents the results of survey and excavation at al-Moghraqa, in the vicinity of the Wadi Gaza. The objective of fieldwork was to establish the date of the site, the nature of its occupation and in particular the context and function of the terracotta cones previously recovered at the site in 1996. The stratigraphic sequence is published, demonstrating that the main period of occupation of al-Moghraqa spans the Middle Bronze II period and is contemporary with the nearby settlement of Tell al-'Ajjul. This paper includes the final report on the pottery and the small finds. There is also a report on the geomorphology of the region around the mouth of the Wadi Gaza.

Coprolites from Hidden Cave, revisited: evidence for site occupation history, diet and sex of occupants

Analysis of paleofeces from Hidden Cave, western Nevada provides new evidence for occupation history, diet and dietary change, and occupation of the cave by women. Dating of the coprolites shows two main periods of occupation, from 3800 to 3400 BP and 1900 to 1500 BP. Faunal and floral macrofossils, coupled with pollen analysis, show a dependence on wetland food resources, augmented with small seeds from dryland plants. Fecal steroid analysis indicates that the occupants of the cave were probably women. These results shed insights on prehistoric settlement patterns in the Carson Desert at times prior to major residential occupation of the Stillwater Marsh.

The Garamantes of Fezzan: Excavations on Zinchecra 1965–7

SummaryThe Garamantes inhabited Fezzan, now the Saharan province of the Libyan Arab Republic, their capital, Garama, lying c. 105 miles west of Sebha in the wadi el Agial. After an unruly early history they appear to have become pacified and open to Roman influence. Before Garama was founded the tribe inhabited the promontory fortress of Zinchecra c. 2½ miles to the south-west, where excavation has revealed three main periods of occupation. The earliest consists of rock-scooped hearths, the second of rough dry-stone and frond shelters with stone-lined hearths. The third is more complex with buildings ranging from rough shelters to well-built mud-brick ‘houses’, the latest of which date to the first century B.C. and employed dressed stone in their basal courses. At the start of this period a complex of enclosure banks and walls was thrown around the base of the spur. Finally the site was abandoned to cemeteries.

Excavations at Owslebury, Hants: An Interim Report

SummaryThis report describes the excavation of an Iron Age and Roman farming settlement at Bottom Pond Farm, Owslebury, near Winchester (Grid Reference SU 525246). Traces of Neolithic, Early Bronze Age, and earlier Iron Age occupation were found, but the main period of occupation starts in the Belgic period with both settlement material and a small cemetery containing a warrior inhumation and Belgic cremations inside rectangular enclosures. The site continues with ditched enclosures, chalk quarries, cesspits, ovens, and burials until the end of the fourth century A.D.

The First Roman Occupation of Scotland

Introduction. Until recent years it was believed that the Roman rule north of Cheviot did not long survive the recall of Agricola. Then, as a result of the excavation of the fort at Newstead, Sir George Macdonald advanced the view that the early occupation was prolonged into the principate of Trajan. Subsequently, in a period when excavation was out of the question, Sir George, in an important and valuable paper on ‘The Agricolan Occupation of North Britain,’ published in this Journal in 1921, reviewed the evidence then available from a number of Scottish sites: the sequence of structural changes, the coin-series, and (though the material was not considered in detail) the proportions of pottery assignable definitely to one or other of the two main periods of occupation. His conclusion was that the first occupation must have been nearly as prolonged as the second, lasting well into the principate of Trajan, and even perhaps into the early years of Hadrian.