Archaeological Perspective Research Articles

Miaodigounization and Erlitounization: the formation and evolution of the Hua-Xia ethnic group and Hua-Xia tradition from the perspective of archaeology

What is Hua-Xia? How and when did the Hua-Xia ethnic group and Hua-Xia tradition come into being? As the spatial and temporal framework, the connotative features and the genealogy of the archaeological culture become increasingly clear, we can identify two important periods of prehistoric archaeological cultures that may have played key roles in the formation of the Hua-Xia ethnic group and its cultural identity. First is the Yangshao Culture (especially its Miaodigou Era), which was formed at the middle Neolithic age. During this period, agriculture was established as the main economic base, resulting in massive population growth, as well as rapid expansion of painted pottery, unique artifact collections and other highly consistent material culture, from the Central Plains of China to the upper and middle reaches of the Yellow River and beyond. Based on recent genetic, linguistic and other multidisciplinary research, it can be roughly confirmed that this culture is the archaeological manifestation of the emergence and formation of the Sino-Tibetan language family with a large population and a vast territory, so it is of fundamental significance for the formation of the Hua-Xia tradition in terms of ethnicity, language and culture. Second is the Erlitou Culture, which rose in the heart of the Central Plains of China after the Longshan Era, and stood out again in the Yangshao homeland in the competition among the regional cultural traditions of the early Chinese interaction circle after the collapse of the Yangshao Culture. Absorbing all the advanced cultural factors known at that time, it became the mainstream cultural tradition and great civilization tradition, including the political tradition, the ideological tradition, the lineage system and the unity and coherence in writing. The Erlitou Culture provided world views, values, even the instrumental systems and political institutions for the continuation of the Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties to identify and follow, which roughly corresponded to the rise of the Xia dynasty as depicted in the literature. Thus, if Miaodigounization, with its great integration and expansion feature, was acclaimed as the foundation of the Hua-Xia tradition, Erlitounization enabled the establishment of Hua-Xia mainstream tradition.

Has Archaeology Buried the Bible?

Has Archaeology Buried the Bible?

Unsupervised clustering of Roman potsherds via Variational Autoencoders

In this paper we propose an artificial intelligence imaging solution to support archaeologists in the classification task of Roman commonware potsherds. Usually, each potsherd is represented by its sectional profile as a two dimensional black–white image and printed in archaeological books related to specific archaeological excavations. The partiality and handcrafted variance of the fragments make their matching a challenging problem: we propose to pair similar profiles via the unsupervised hierarchical clustering of non-linear features learned in the latent space of a deep convolutional Variational Autoencoder (VAE) network. Our contribution also include the creation of a ROman COmmonware POTtery (ROCOPOT) database, with more than 4000 potsherds profiles extracted from 25 Roman pottery corpora, and a MATLAB GUI software for the easy inspection of shape similarities. Results are commented both from a mathematical and archaeological perspective so as to unlock new research directions in both communities.

Technology, life histories and circulation of gold objects during the Middle Period (AD 400–1000): A perspective from the Atacama Desert, Chile

Studies of archaeological goldwork in the Americas are increasingly revealing a rich variety of context-specific ways in which gold items were produced and valued, but research attention has largely focused on visually striking artefacts. However, in the south-central Andes, goldwork is described essentially as a ‘sheet technology’—a definition that tends to downplay the potential complexity and cultural significance of this technology in such an extensive and varied region. Here, we employ a life-history approach to explore the existence of particular traditions within this large area. We present chemical and microscopic analyses, using pXRF, SEM–EDS, PIXE and digital microscopy, of 142 gold and silver objects from San Pedro de Atacama (northern Chile), recovered in seven cemeteries dated to the Middle Period (AD 400–1000). Our results reveal a heterogeneous assemblage where compositions, techniques, designs and skill levels vary, suggesting that gold artefacts circulated and were imported from different areas of the south-central Andes, such as Tiwanaku, Cochabamba and northwest Argentina. We also identify for the first time two distinct technological traditions used in San Pedro: small-scale goldwork production, and a tradition of modifying and reusing imported objects by cutting, perforating and separating object parts. Considering the depositional contexts, we propose that the funerary ritual at San Pedro was a key factor in the development of this local goldwork. Our research demonstrates that even small and unimpressive artefacts can be successfully interrogated from archaeological perspectives with integrative approaches that go beyond overly generalising perspectives of gold as an exotic status marker.

A Medium Is Born: Participatory Media and the Rise of Clubhouse in Russia and Ukraine During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract Clubhouse is a social network allowing only real-time oral communication. While its 2020 worldwide launch went largely unnoticed in Eastern Europe, it took countries such as Ukraine and Russia by storm in February 2021. Users were enticed by the platform’s exclusivity (invitation only and limited to IOS users), unusual format, and compatibility with post-covid social life. For some time, Clubhouse was the dominant theme of discussions on other social media, mainstream news media organizations started launching daily talk shows in the app, and early adopters engaged in a plethora of participatory activities ranging from propagandist broadcasts to 24/7 rooms where bots would recite Russian classical poetry, from fervently seeking ways to monetise their participation to creating the somewhat unexpected genre of audial fakes. In this article we intend to analyse the turbulent arrival of the new app in Russia and Ukraine from the perspectives of media ecology and media archaeology. Focusing on the app’s mediality and remediation, the social media discourse about it and particular content in some of the notable rooms, we highlight the conjunction of social environment, the already existing and novel technological affordances, as well as users’ perceptions and expectations in the emergence of a new niche in the ecology of participatory media. Based on this, we will also try to outline some possible scenarios for the new platform in Eastern Europe’s dense mediascapes. We argue that the prompt rise of Clubhouse’s popularity was not thanks to its special authenticity, as some suggest, but rather because of the normalization of group long-distance conversations (e.g., via Zoom), coupled with the intentional monomedia poverty of affordances and clearly delimited boundary between the roles of broadcasters and listeners, which was perceived as liberating in a produsage-saturated environment. This actually limits the participatory media potential of content creators and influencers, increasing their power and reviving monological models of communication that suggest a passive audience.

Paper, Perception and…Facts? Exploring Archaeological Heritage Management in the Mediterranean and the Weight of Public Archaeology

#pubarchMED is a project aiming to define the dynamics of archaeological heritage management in the Mediterranean from the perspective of public archaeology. Its ethnographic approach draws on three main sources: legal and academic literature, observation and the perception of professionals. This paper aims to delve into the development of public archaeology and how it impacts practice across the Mediterranean. While the importance of contemporary society for archaeologists seems to be high in the interviews conducted, it will be discussed to what level current practice actually deals with these issues in a critique of a traditional approach to archaeology that does not recognize the transversality of public archaeology or its importance for the future of the discipline itself.

Desert Insurgency: Archaeology, T. E. Lawrence, and the Arab Revolt

Desert Insurgency: Archaeology, T. E. Lawrence, and the Arab Revolt

Records as records: excavating the DJ’s sonic archive

ABSTRACT This paper uses four vinyl record collections to identify and infer the praxis of DJs and the evidential value of their sonic archives. The work positions the DJs’ vinyl records as a document of dance music culture while defining the DJ as the arbiter and transmitter of that record. The work adopts an archaeological perspective, questioning how to understand a DJ’s praxis from the material culture of their vinyl records, viewing these records as artefacts which together form an assemblage warranting ‘excavation,’ analysis and curation. A framework of evidence is proposed and applied to the four vinyl collections, focusing on what can be learnt from such close archaeological scrutiny. The work concludes with a discussion of themes suggested by the analysis and proposes a proactive approach to planning for the preservation of DJ archives.

Analisis Signifikansi Taman Merdeka Kota Metro sebagai Objek Struktur Cagar Budaya

This article aims to identify and analyze the Taman Merdeka Kota Metro as the object of the cultural heritage structure. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method, with historical and archaeological approaches. The results showed that the Taman Merdeka Kota Metro met the criteria for cultural heritage as stated in Article 5 and Article 8 of the Law of the Republic of Indonesia Number 11 of 2010 concerning Cultural Heritage. The criteria that are met are: a) over 50 years of age; b) represents a style period of at least 50 years; c) has a special meaning for history and education; d) have cultural values for strengthening the nation's personality; e) have a single element and become one unit with the urban spatial landscape; f) its placement is integrated with natural formations. So based on historical and archaeological perspectives, it can be concluded that Taman Merdeka Kota Metro deserves to be proposed for its status as a Cultural Heritage Structure.

Spaces and roles of contemporary art in industrial and technological ruins

This article proposes some potential contributions of contemporary art to industrial and technological heritage discussions. The paper analyses the relations among art, industrial ruins, technological trash, heritage, and society from an archaeological perspective, although this standpoint is compared to and complemented with those of art and art history. First, the text presents how industrial sites and technological artefacts from the recent past are transformed for/by the artists. In doing so, it offers a preliminary basic typology of art-obsolescence relations illustrated with cases from Europe, Asia and the Americas. Four major kinds of interactions are introduced: the conversion of abandoned industrial buildings into art galleries and museums; the transformation of larger obsolete industrial/technological areas into creative hubs; the intervention of artists in industrial ruins; and the creative recycling of technological waste. Second, the text infers from the examples provided in the typology three possible functions of art regarding heritage: revelation/addition of value; mediation between the public and dark heritages; and recognition in technological and industrial history. In the end, the paper defends the role of art in the making of industrial and technological heritages, as well as in reconnecting them to society.

How Indonesian People in the Past Deal with Disaster Mitigation? An archaeological perspective

Bencana alam adalah bagian dari riwayat bangsa kita sejak masa prasejarah. Meskipun bencana alam merupakan hal yang tidak terpisahkan dari kehidupan masyarakat Indonesia, namun disadari masih kurang kesadaran dan kesiapan terhadap kondisi ini. Hal tersebut ditunjukkan dengan tingginya angka kerugian material dan non material dalam setiap kejadian bencana. Keadaan ini disebabkan oleh belum optimalnya pelaksanaan penanggulangan bencana di Indonesia, khususnya dalam mitigasi bencana. Untuk merumuskan konsepsi baru penanggulangan bencana, masyarakat saat ini harus belajar menghadapi bencana alam dari manusia di masa lalu. Nilai dan kearifan lokal masih relevan hingga saat ini karena kita hidup di nusantara yang sama. Sebagai ilmu yang mempelajari budaya manusia yang telah punah, arkeologi dapat membantu menjelaskan sejarah bencana di suatu wilayah dan dampaknya terhadap kehidupan manusia di masa lalu. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan studi kepustakaan, tulisan ini bertujuan untuk mendeskripsikan aksi mitigasi bencana yang dilakukan oleh leluhur bangsa Indonesia sebagai acuan mitigasi bencana di zaman modern ini. Setidaknya ada dua sorotan nilai yang masih relevan. Pertama, pembinaan mental dan karakter masyarakat yang tinggal di daerah rawan bencana, dan kedua pembangunan fisik mengenai sifat bencana di masing-masing daerah.
 A natural disaster is part of our nation’s journey from the prehistoric era. Even though natural disaster is an inseparable matter with Indonesian people’s lives, but there is still a lack of awareness and readiness due to this issue. The high number sees it as material and non-material losses in every disaster event. This situation is caused by non-optimally disaster management implementation in Indonesia, especially in disaster mitigation. To formulate the new conception of disaster management, modern people should learn how to deal with natural disasters from ancient people. Values and local wisdom are still relevant today since we live in the same archipelago. As a science that studies extinct human culture, archaeology can help explain the history of disasters in a region and its impact on human life in the past. Using the literature study approach, this paper aims to describe disaster mitigation actions implemented by Indonesia’s ancestors as a reference to disaster mitigation in modern times. At least there are two highlights of values that are still relevant. First is the mental and character building of people who live in a disaster-prone area, and second is the physical development regarding the nature of disaster in each region.

Material Exchanges in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Archaeological Perspectives by Magdalena E. Naum, Jetta Linaa, and Sergio Escribano-Ruiz

Material Exchanges in Medieval and Early Modern Europe: Archaeological Perspectives by Magdalena E. Naum, Jetta Linaa, and Sergio Escribano-Ruiz

Próba interpretacji zjawiska rytualnego składania ofiar z ludzi na Słowiańszczyźnie Zachodniej

The subject matter of the article concerns on ritual sacrificial practices related to human sacrifices among the Western Slavs, including the Polish lands and the Polabia region. The chronological range covers the early Middle Ages, from the 7th to the 12th centuries. Considerations on this subject include the review of anthropological and philosophical disciplines research including R. Girard studies in this aspect, an analysis of written sources, and above all the analysis of the occurrence of victims and sacrificial sites from an archaeological perspective. The aim of the study was to identify archaeological remains related to sacrificial rituals by presenting the occurrence of victims and sacrificial sites at selected archaeological sites. The study aims to discuss the issues with interpretations of various aspects of the human sacrifices from the early medival Western Slavdom territory sites. The work is interdisciplinary, as it takes into account and integrates the results of archaeological research, knowledge in the field of history, philosophy and cultural anthropology. The article presents the effectiveness of interdisciplinary methods in expanding analytical and interpretative possibilities of archeology regarding the rituals of sacrifice and sacrificial sites.

Possibilities of using the Morphological Characteristics of the Slags in Archaeo-metallurgical Studies

With regards to the technical stages of the metal-working; primary smelting, secondary melting, and smithing can be identified as the main stages between reducing ore and manufacturing metal productions. In this extensive procedure, different outcomes can be recognized and among them, slags can be defined as the most abundant and well-preserved by-product that is left from the metallurgical activities. According to the archaeological perspective, slag fragments are known as extremely valuable artefacts that help to reconstruct the ancient industrial society. It is possible to identify the reduced ore type, smelted metal, and the type of furnace through analyzing the technical parameters of these residues from a scientific perspective. The main objective of this article is to carry out a scientific discussion on the applicability of slags as an archaeo-metallurgical fact in interpreting ancient culture. Slags are essentially considered on their morphological characteristics.

SACRIFICAL COMPLEX FROM TAT-BOYARY BURIAL 33 OF EMANAEVO ARCHAEOLOGICAL CULTURE: INFORMATION POTENTIAL

The paper introduces into scientific discourse materials of the sacrificial complex, unique in its content, recovered from burial 33 of the 6-8 cen. Tat-Boyary cemetery. The site correlates with the early medieval formation of the western part of the Ancient Perm oecumene in the Kama-Volga Interfluve, and from the archaeological perspective - with the Emanaevo culture. The sacrificial complex is a birch bark box with a number of artifacts that was located in a special niche of the cenotaph. The paper gives a detailed description of the sacrificial complex consisting of bronze and silver elements of the detachable pectoral plate, belt, set of pectoral decorations, and the wallet, as well as fabric and leather elements of the female ceremonial costume. A wide range of parallels quoted in the paper allows to date the complex to the 8 or, possibly, the early 9century and to justify the high-scale involvement of the Vyatka population into the ethnocultural and trade Eurasian long- and close-distance contacts. They demonstrate the most stable contacts with the Volga-Finnish world and Ancient Perm cultures of the Cheptsa and Kama basins. Being introduced into scientific discourse, the materials of the Tat-Boyary sacrificial complex enhance our insight into the cultural specifics of the Vyatka population in the Middle Ages; besides, they are important to a better understanding of archaeological origin of the Kama-Vyatka Interfluve local ethnographic costumes.

Going Forward by Looking Back: Archaeological Perspectives on Socio‐Ecological Crisis, Response, and Collapse edited by FelixRiede and PaysonSheetsNew York: Berghahn, 2020. 446 pp.

Going Forward by Looking Back: Archaeological Perspectives on Socio‐Ecological Crisis, Response, and Collapse edited by FelixRiede and PaysonSheetsNew York: Berghahn, 2020. 446 pp.

Alessandro Poggio. Review of "Greek Art in Context: Archaeological and Art Historical Perspectives" by Diana Rodríguez Pérez.

Alessandro Poggio. Review of "Greek Art in Context: Archaeological and Art Historical Perspectives" by Diana Rodríguez Pérez.

Teaching & Learning Guide for: A social history of the Avars: Historical and archaeological perspectives

Teaching & Learning Guide for: A social history of the Avars: Historical and archaeological perspectives

Combining dental calculus with isotope analysis in the Alps: New evidence from the Roman and medieval cemeteries of Lamon, Italy

This study presents the results of integrated isotopic and dental calculus analyses of a number of individuals buried in two cemeteries of Roman and medieval chronology in Lamon(Belluno), northern Italy. Eleven individuals from the Roman cemetery of San Donato and six from the medieval cemetery of San Pietro are presented and discussed. The results suggest a continuity of geographic residence for the two populations, with most of the analysed individuals showing a local or regional origin. Carbon and nitrogen isotopes are indicative of a diet based on a mixed C3/C4 plant consumption and rich in animal proteins, with no significant difference between the Roman and the medieval populations. The consumption of C4 plants, more resilient to the Alpine climate, is consistently documented both by isotopes and dental calculus. Dental calculus results permit the characterisation of the typology of the crop consumed, namely millet, barley/wheat and legumes and may also suggest differing cooking processes between the Roman and the medieval periods. Phytoliths, vascular elements, fungal spores and animal remains from dental calculus provide new insights into the diet of the analysed individuals but also, hypothetically, into possible medicinal treatments. The presence of birds such as fowls and ducks in the medieval diet of some individuals from San Pietro has also emerged. Overall, the results of this study open a new window into the biographies of the individuals analysed, their diet, mobility, habits, and environment, thus stimulating further and more systematic investigation on the populations occupying an Alpine sector which is still poorly understood from an archaeological perspective.

A social history of the Avars: Historical and archaeological perspectives

AbstractThe Avars have been recently been of some interest to historians, but only from a political point of view, given that the written sources cover almost exclusively only the first century of Avar history. Comparatively less attention has so far been paid to the social organization of the Avar qaganate. Archaeologists, on the other hands, are now in a privileged position, as the quantity of material culture evidence has grown exponentially over the last decades or so. However, even the archaeological approach to social history is marred by serious problems deriving from the slavish application of a model of analysis first promoted by Gyula László. That model is based on dubious ethnographic parallels and does not account for the variety of situations within the Avar qaganate either in chronological or in geographical terms. Most archaeologists concerned with the analysis of cemetery sites (which produced the bulk of the evidence under discussion) still maintain that Avar society was divided into lords, middle class and commoners. New excavations, but especially new techniques (such as those associated with bioarchaeology) have slowly, but steadily eroded the simplistic model advanced by László and his students. A review of the most recent archaeological literature reveals a shift towards an intepretation that takes into account the staged representation of status in death, and therefore privileges the symbolism of the artifacts associated with social rank. “Princely burials” are now regarded as a sign of political and social crisis, and weapon burials have by now received a much more sophisticated interpretation largely inspired by gender archaeology.