Archaeological Methods Research Articles

The Institutionalization of Environmental Discourse: an Analysis of the History of International Conferences

Objective: Investigate the institutionalization of environmental protection discourse through international conferences sponsored by the United Nations. Theoretical Framework: The main concepts and theories that underlie the research are in the works Archeology of Knowledge and Order of Discourse, by Michel Foucault. Method: The Foucault archaeological method and documentary research are adopted. The corpus of the survey of official, unofficial and civil society documents is situated within the framework of the Stockholm-72 and Rio-92 conferences. Results and Discussion: The critical analysis of the documents points in particular to the clash of political, economic and social forces around concepts such as eco-development and sustainable development. It concludes by pointing out that, although the environmental discourse has become institutionalized at government level, these concepts were aimed first and foremost at producing a global consensus. Research Implications: The research contributes to the understanding of contemporary environmental challenges. Originality/Value: The study proposes a Foucauldian approach to evaluating environmental discourse.

Gravfeltet i Hålandsmarka, Time kommune, SV-Norge

In 2008, a pre-development excavation examined a grave field on the ridge of Hålandsmarka. The burial ground was in use from the Early Bronze Age to the end of the Iron Age, and the excavation provided an opportunity to gain new insights into the long-term use of a grave field. The Hålandsmarka excavation allowed archaeologists to explore not only reuse of the grave field throughout this period, but also variations in burial form, treatment of the corpse, and grave goods over shorter timespans. The aim of the project has been to challenge the normative approach to graves as containers of a single burial event, and call attention to construction processes and other practices demonstrating the repeated use and transformation of the graves and their surroundings. Graves can be viewed as places of recurring engagement between the living and the dead, and as opportunities to explore the importance, duration and entanglement of material culture. Hålandsmarka should not be considered as a unique site: the results presented here are heavily dependent on our choice of archaeological methods, and we have the responsibility to be aware of the potential for complexity in both past and present practices when planning future excavations. The findings from Hålandsmarka call attention to the multi-temporal and gathered nature of grave fields in particular, as well as the archaeological record in general.

Introduction to this special section: Geophysical methods in archaeology

Archaeogeophysics, i.e., the application and integration of geophysics into archaeological investigations, is an exciting and growing field of study and an international collaboration at the intersection of the physical and social sciences. Through the incorporation of ground- and drone-based geophysical and remote sensing tools, these collaborative teams continue to advance the field of archaeology by rapidly and accurately revealing hidden features of the past and helping to focus active archaeological digs. Equally relevant, yet often unnoticed, the inclusion of noninvasive geophysical tools likewise provides a means to understand and preserve historically and culturally sensitive sites without the need for extensive and potentially destructive excavations.

Pottery from Motion – A Refined Approach to the Large-Scale Documentation of Pottery Using Structure from Motion

Abstract In recent years, interest in the usage of computer-based methods in archaeology, especially regarding field documentation, has grown significantly. In 2021, Göttlich et al. presented a new large-scale three-dimensional (3D) capture method for the documentation of pottery using structure from motion. This method, however, was only tested on a very small sample set and never truly conducted in a large-scale documentation surrounding. Consequently, we decided to test this workflow on a large-scale basis during three field campaigns (March 2022, November 2022, and March 2023) in Lebanon, documenting more than 4,000 sherds in total. In this article, I will present the results and observations of these campaigns, critically discuss the workflow involved (documentation and processing), and propose a refined workflow for this methodology. This article focuses solely on the relevant documentation and 3D processing.

Repression, Permeation, and Circulation: Retracing and Reframing <i>Danmei</i> Culture Online in Mainland China

<i>Danmei</i> (耽美), which is also called ‘boy’s love’ (abbreviated as BL), refers to fantasy textual stories depicting gay male romantic relationships (McLelland and Aoyama, 2015). The rapid proliferation of this popular culture has triggered scholars to reflect on the ‘queer culture’ in which it is represented. This article aims to explore the intrinsic connection between Chinese <i>danmei </i>culture and Chinese queer culture in digital media. By adopting the research method of media archaeology and culture materialism, I will map the development of <i>danmei</i> culture in mainland China into three periods: repression period (1994-2003) when the state authority compelled <i>danmei</i> and queer culture to find shelter in virtual cyberspace; permeation period (2003-2016) when queer culture reshaped <i>danmei </i>culture, and the former two generate multiple forms of expression on the internet; and circulation period (2016-2021) when digital media industrialised <i>danmei</i> culture. Then, a cultural framework, ‘queer-<i>danme</i>i-media’ will be proposed, in reference to the interaction of ‘affect-body-world’ described by Melissa Gregg, Gregory J. Seigworth, and Lisa Blackman, to reinforce the social and political functions of <i>danmei</i> and transfer it from generalised pop culture towards the cultural representation and campaign position of queerness and feminism.

Marine Environments in Front of the Ancient City of Pompeii (Southern Italy) at 79 CE: New Insights for the Unknown Location of the Harbour

A multidisciplinary study, including geomorphological, stratigraphic, paleontological and archaeological methods and techniques, allowed for a detailed exploration of coastal landforms and environments in front of the ancient city of Pompeii (southern Italy). The famous site of Pompeii sits on a small volcanic hill in the alluvial-coastal plain of the Sarno River, very close to the ancient paleoshoreline. When the Roman city was buried during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE, pyroclastic fall and flow deposits covered the urban centres and ancient coastal landforms. In this study, 83 new boreholes were carried out up to a depth of 10 m. Some of them (15) were analysed for their sedimentological, stratigraphical and paleontological characterisation, in order to reconstruct the sedimentary environments in 79 CE. The data collected allow for new hypotheses to be formulated regarding the paleoshorelines, as well as the 79 CE coastal landforms and environments. In particular, litho-stratigraphic and fossil assemblages highlight the presence of shallow marine environments in a large back-ridge depression, named Masseria Curati, that is located just outside the city walls. This hypothesis opens new insights on the unknown location of the harbour of the Roman city.

The Gate of Ki Ranggo Wirosentiko's Grave: Traces of Non-Islamic Cultural Acculturation in the Material Culture Heritage of the Palembang Sultanate

Palembang is known as one of the centers of the Palembang Sultanate. One of the most important cultural relics in Palembang is the Palembang Sultan Cemetery complex. Each of these cemetery complexes has a different architectural shape of the tomb, one of which is the tomb complex of Ki Ranggo Wirosntiko. A Striking distinction in this tomb is the shape of the tomb gate complex building that depicts influences in non-Islam culture. This article will explain the differences in shape in the building of the gate and the influence of non-Islamic culture on the shape of the tomb gate of Ki Ranggo Wirosentiko. The method used is the archeological method using a stylistic analysis of the observation of the ornaments found in the gates of this complex. The results of this study show that the building of the tomb gate of Ki Ranggo Wirosentiko shows acculturation with non-Islamic culture. The profile of the outer gate depicting Hindu influence is marked by the similarity with the stylistic elements in the Bentar temple and Paduraksa Temple, East Java. The resemblance is also visible on the profile of the foot and the mould of the gate resembling the profile found in the Paduraksa Temple. On the profile of the third gate, there is an inscription of the year 1142 H or 1730 M using Arabic letters. The local influence appears on the third gate's appearance, indicating the presence of mustak. Based on the profile of the building of the tomb gate Ki Ranggo Wirosentiko shows the influence of Hindu, Buddhist, Arab, and local cultures on the decorative range of the construction of the grave of the temple.

Archaeological analysis of the remains of Italian military structures from the period of World War II in Obrovac, Croatia

ABSTRACT Using landscape archaeology methods, field survey, remote sensing, and the analysis of historical aerial photographs, a distinct landscape has been documented in the town of Obrovac, Zadar County, Croatia. This landscape consists of material remains of various military structures from World War II, constituting the defence and occupation system of the town of Obrovac by the armed Italian. These material remains of military structures represent a highly significant material presence in the landscape. The research results presented in this study represent the types of fortifications used by the Italian army during World War II.

Animal Matter in Indigenous Place-Thought: A Case from the Moon Pyramid, Teotihuacan

This article interrogates an archaeological application of the Indigenous concept of place-thought, defined by Vanessa Watts as an “understanding of the world via a physical embodiment” through studying corporeal animal forms. This latter encompasses the osteological traces of animal matter (sacrificed animals and prepared body parts) that, because of their material vitalities, provide an opportune site of engagement to retrieve ancient interpersonal relationships. Over 100 corporeal animal forms from Burials 2 and 6 are interpreted as agentive persons who brought into being the Moon Pyramid as an altepetl (water mountain) of Teotihuacan. The altepetl is a seminal place-thought in Mesoamerica intimately tied with sovereignty. The author argues that potentate apex predators (eagles, wolves, jaguars, pumas, and rattlesnakes) became part of Teotihuaccan’s community through their captive management and were buried alive to sustain the altepetl as master guardians. A zooarchaeological and isotopic investigation of corporeal animal forms provided lurid details of human–predator interactions, including differential access to the animals, esoteric knowledge about their personhood, and even deceit of that information. She concludes that providing a contextually and historically contingent, data-driven, and inter-personally centered reconstruction of ancient place-thought, though admittedly partial and from a specific perspective, should be attainable given the enhanced methods in archaeology.

Preventive Archaeological Research in Overhead Electric Power Line’s Construction Zones

The article is dedicated to archaeological research within the limits of projected and existing overhead power lines in Ukraine. Based on the experience of the Scientific and Research Centre “Rescue Archaeological Service” of the Institute of Archaeology, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the results of such works were summarised and monument protection measures for avoiding or mitigating the negative impact on the archaeological heritage during the overhead power lines construction were proposed. In 2008–2024 the Center’s employees surveyed 1507.3 km of power lines 220‑750 kW and 2642 hectares of area within the 14–21 m wide right of way; 444 new and known archaeological objects were localised; monument protection measures for 342 objects were developed; 8946 m2 were excavated in places where supports installed on 40 archaeological sites; 30 archaeological sites were supervised; accounting documentation for 78 monuments was developed. According to the survey results the average archaeological objects occurrence index per one kilometer of the overhead power lines planned route was determined as 0.251. It has been confirmed that in the steppe zone and adjacent areas of the forest-steppe mounds and mound groups occur more often than the settlements that prevail in the forest and forest-steppe zones. The regularities in which each stage of research defines the task for the next and gradually narrows the scope of development areas have been determined: at the Feasibility study stage an area of more than 1200000 hectares was developed; at the Project stage 2642 ha were archaeologically surveyed; at the stage of Construction monument protection research is planned on an area of 28.27 hectares. The same trend applies to the archaeology objects number covered 1358, 444 and 342 objects respectively. Despite the research areas decreasing, their resource consumption and the cost of the archaeological methods used are increasing.The United Energy System of Ukraine is one of the largest in Europe. According to its promising development program it was planned to build a thousand km of new overhead power lines. However, the war made its corrections and to the new planning construction were added hundreds of kilometers of destroyed overhead lines and dozens of ruined electrical substations. Comparing such linear objects as highways or main pipelines a much smaller volume of earthworks is processed during the overhead lines construction and they too can potentially have a significant negative impact on the environment including cultural heritage. Therefore, preventive measures developed on the mitigation hierarchy principles should be implemented at all construction stages. Each cycle’s phase corresponds to a certain type of archaeological research: planning → preliminary archival and bibliographic research; design → archaeological investigations (surveys); construction → archaeological monument protection research; exploitation → monitoring. Such approach using ensures the optimal management adoption decisions and helps to avoid and/or reduce the potential negative impact on cultural heritage even at the first stages of the investment project development.

Salt Mining and Salt Miners at Talkherud–Douzlākh, Northwestern Iran: From Landscape to Resource-Scape

The Douzlākh salt deposit (region: Māhneshān, Zanjān Province, Iran) is unique for its pure and crystal rock salt and was an important supplier of culinary (‘table’) salt in Achaemenid, Sassanid and Middle Islamic times. At the same time, the site was of central importance to the economic life of the rural populations in the Talkherud Basin. This article focuses on the question of which strategies were decisive for the exploitation of the salt mountain and how a potential supra-regional interest in the culinary salt was perhaps reciprocally connected with a rural hinterland. This hinterland was recently investigated in greater detail by our ongoing research. Did a resource-scape based on salt develop with specific economic and social strategies and practices around the Douzlākh? And was this development triggered by state or imperial control and demand? These questions are being pursued from a perspective utilising a variety of subjects and methods in archaeology, archaeobiology, archaeometry and geoarchaeology. In addition to a detailed on-site artefact study, several on- and off-site datasets have been collected and analysed within a multidisciplinary framework. This article synthesises the results of a major 12-year project to identify the organisational principles and daily practices within this specific salt-scape. The sensational finds of the Douzlākh salt mummies, along with the generally outstanding preservation of organic ecofacts and artefacts, allow insights into antique lifeworlds that are otherwise hard to come by. The multidisciplinary study of on- and off-site data allows far-reaching insights into interdisciplinary topics, such as the social system, supply and logistics, or the presence of non-local or non-indigenous populations.

A review of the contributions of forensic archaeology and anthropology to the process of disaster victim identification.

Forensic archaeology and anthropology have developed significantly over past decades and now provide considerable assistance to the investigation process of disaster victim recovery and identification. In what are often chaotic death and crime scenes, the formal process of utilizing archaeological methods can bring control, order, and ensure systematic search. Procedures assist in defining scene extent, locating victims and evidence, rule out areas for consideration, and provide standardized recording and quality assurance through dedicated use of standardized forms (pro formas). Combined archaeological and anthropological search methods maximize opportunities to recovery the missing through identifying remains, mapping distributions, and providing accounting of victims at the scene. Anthropological assistance in examinations contributes to individual assessment, resolving commingling and fragmentation issues, and utilizing DNA sampling methods and matching data to reassociate and account for the missing. Utilization of archaeology, anthropology, and DNA matching data provides scope to review crime scene recovery and determine requirements and potential for further survey and retrieval. Adopting the most suitable methods for a particular context can maximize recovery, efficiency, and resource use. Case studies demonstrate the utility of archaeological methods in a range of scenarios. They exemplify the success of multidisciplinary analysis in providing evidence of the sequence of events, the timing of events, the impact of taphonomic processes, the location and accounting of victims, and the demonstration of systematic scene search. The considerations provided in this article, utilizing archaeology and anthropology processes, may assist investigators in planning and implementing responses to mass fatalities.

Геоинформационное моделирование рельефа для выявления перспективных участков археологических исследований на примере памятников Саратовской области

This article provides an overview of modern remote sensing techniques in archaeology and their practical applications. The widespread use of GIS technologies and remote sensing methods such as photogrammetry and laser scanning is a distinguishing characteristic of contemporary archaeology. Remote sensing data is employed not only for the analysis of 3D archaeological objects and territories but also in the digital terrain models (DTMs) analysis to search for and identify potential archaeological excavation sites. The introduction of remote sensing methods in archaeology has brought about a change in the approach to conducting archaeological studies. In the field of international research, a distinct stage known as predictive archaeology, which involves preliminary reconnaissance of an area before excavation, has emerged. The study is focused on the archaeological sites of Stantsiya Krasavka and Akhmatskoe Gorodishche, located in the Atkarsky and Krasnoarmeysky municipal districts of the Saratov region. The selected study areas applied the DTM analysis, specifically using the “Hillshade” technique (analytical shading relief), which allows for the detection of previously overlooked terrain features. Based on the results, the potential of this technology for identifying individual archaeological objects using contemporary open DTMs and field geodetic survey data was analyzed. Experimental determination of the optimal DTM resolution for the identification and analysis of objects was conducted in areas previously subject to archaeological research. The experiments and comparative analysis of various laser scanning technologies led to the identification of optimal methods and filtering parameters to “exclude” vegetation and generate DTMs.

The Roman siege system of Masada: a 3D computerized analysis of a conflict landscape

AbstractThe 1st-c. CE Roman siege system of Masada exhibits a high degree of preservation due to its remote location and the arid climate. However, unlike the thoroughly excavated Masada fortress, the siege system has not received due attention. This article is part of a research project aimed at advancing our understanding of the conflict landscape around Masada using contemporary archaeological methods. Following a comprehensive surface survey and photogrammetric 3D modelling, we show that the circumvallation wall stood to a height of 2–2.5 m and served several functions – as an obstacle, a means of psychological warfare, and a platform from which to mount counterattacks. Based on our measurements and workload estimations, we argue that the construction of the siege wall and the camps around Masada occurred fairly quickly.

ETHEL ANN BURTON-BROWN WITH BONI IN THE FORUM, 1898–1904

This essay has two objectives. First, it acknowledges and situates the contribution of Ethel Ann Burton-Brown (1868–1927) to the history of the archaeology of the Roman Forum as it was excavated between 1898 and 1905 under the direction of Giacomo Boni (1859–1925). Her English-language handbook on the discoveries, now overlooked in literature on Boni, showcased her education at Girton College, her experience with traditional cultures such as those of northern India, and her understanding of established and newly-emerging methods of classical archaeology. Unlike Esther van Deman and Eugénie Sellers Strong, who embraced careers in archaeology just years after Burton-Brown's publication, she did not pursue working in the discipline because of her personal situation. Secondly, it investigates the manner in which Burton-Brown received Boni's presentation of the excavations. Trained as an architect and experienced in architectural restoration, Boni brought innovative scientific methods to the task of uncovering Rome's archaic past. He did so while deliberately distancing himself from those scholars before him who applied traditional academic approaches, i.e., those reliant on classical literature, to archaeological practice. In large part, Burton-Brown's handbook echoes the descriptions and analyses of Boni's finds in the Roman Forum. However, a closer reading of her text reveals that her personal experiences shaped some of her explanations of the archaeological past in ways that differed from Boni's. In addition, their respective nationalities, British versus Italian, shade how they each value Rome's early history.

Experimental Archaeogaming

ABSTRACTArchaeogaming is an area of increasing interest within archaeology. As archaeogaming's theory and practice are being fleshed out, it is worth considering if there are parallels to traditional archaeological methods within the study of video games. Here, we examine one such possibility: is there an archaeogaming equivalent to experimental archaeology? As a case study, we explore the system used for the mid-1980s development of an unreleased video game prototype for the game company Activision. Through examining this development system, whose use would be otherwise invisible in the finished software artifact, we demonstrate how we have both reconstructed a seemingly lost piece of the system virtually and used this reconstruction for experiments. The methodology we describe can be applied to digital artifacts within contemporary archaeology beyond the scope of video games, and it illustrates some key differences between studying physical and digital artifacts.

Nuclear archaeology to assess fissile-material inventories for nuclear safety and security, transparency, and disarmament

Uncertainties about the size of fissile-material stockpiles are large; states routinely observe differences between measured physical inventories and “book inventories.” Nuclear archaeology can reduce these uncertainties. A new, integrated approach would make use of data-analysis techniques that take into account direct fissile-material measurements, a variety of forensic measurements for shut-down facilities and radioactive wastes, and fuel-cycle operational records with related simulations. This article describes that approach and includes a hypothetical case illustrating its potential to probe declared histories and detect falsifications. The article reviews past efforts to fully capture fissile-material stockpiles. Future scenarios in which methods of nuclear archaeology could be used or will be required are also discussed, including improving nuclear safety and security through better knowledge of fissile materials and radioactive waste. International exercises for transparency purposes could be carried out in either nuclear-weapon or non-nuclear-weapon states. During any disarmament process, baseline declarations of fissile materials will need to be verified to assess the potential for a warhead buildup during arsenal reductions and eventually to verify the disposal of all weapons-related fissile materials.

It’s All in the Backfill: Scrap Heaps, Explosives, and Nausea. Stirring the Soil of a Former WWII Military Base

ABSTRACT Within an archaeology of the contemporary, sites and material remains of the Second World War have in recent years been set more prominently on the agenda of European heritage archaeology. This article presents observations made during archaeological site monitoring of the conversion and remediation of a former WWII military base in Germany. In the course of the project, the sensitivity of the site and its find material against the backdrop of the German history of World War II had to be constantly assessed. Archaeological methods and practices had to be adapted to the specific requirements of the site. Conflicting agendas of various actors and stakeholders involved had to be evaluated, as well as the risks posed by the site’s contamination with unexploded ordnance. Indeed, the backdirt itself, just like the find material it contained, turned out to be a contested and hazardous entity.

How many people lived in the world’s earliest villages? Reconsidering community size and population pressure at Neolithic Çatalhöyük

Adopting a building and village biography approach combining archaeology and ethnography, we critically reevaluate the historical argument that Neolithic villages were occupied by many thousands of people. Focusing on the settlement at Çatalhöyük, Turkey, where it has been argued that 3,500 and 10,000 people lived in the village, we argue that this is a significant overestimate of the number of people that occupied this settlement. Drawing upon revised distribution of residential buildings across the mound, and employing archaeological and ethnographic data exploring building life-history, we estimate that between 600 and 800 people would have lived at Çatalhöyük East during an average year during the Middle (6700–6500 cal BC) phase. This research highlights the need to critically revaluate historical population estimates for Neolithic villages, the importance of developing explicit population modeling methods in archaeology, and to reconsider population-driven evolutionary models linking the Near Eastern Neolithic to urbanism.

Diachronic and Physical Characteristics of Doctrinal Production in Moroccan Administrative Law

Modern Moroccan administrative law and its techniques are the direct result of the intervention of the French protector. However, the fact of French inspiration does not always mean that the case law is transposed as it was pronounced in its country of origin; adaptations are often necessary in order to allow its application in the Moroccan context. This study is guided by the concern to highlight the diachronic and physical characteristics distinguishing Moroccan doctrinal production based on genealogical and archaeological methods. The research revealed that the production of doctrinal ideas accompanied the events experienced by the process of judicial organization in Morocco. Which explains the sensitivity of the authors to the socio-political context. The doctrine in fact turns out to be indissolubly constituted by both rationepersonae and ratione materiae. Its freedom implies almost total freedom of writing, unless possible obstacles linked to the need to find a publisher are considered.