Archaeological Potential Research Articles

Remade ground: Modelling historical elevation change across Melbourne’s Hoddle Grid

Urbanisation is a transformative process that can dramatically reshape land surfaces. Archaeologists working in urban environments are often required to relate the outcomes of this process to the archaeological record. This is particularly true for pre-European Aboriginal cultural heritage, where the enduring presence of pre-contact ground surfaces has important implications for cultural heritage management. Accurately predicting which parts of a city have increased or decreased in elevation historically could provide archaeologists with a new means of assessing archaeological potential. In this paper we present a methodology for modelling historical landscape change using nineteenth century topographic maps and GIS. To demonstrate the approach, changes in elevation between 1853 and 1895 were modelled across Melbourne’s central business district (the Hoddle Grid). The results of that modelling were then related to contemporary heritage inventories. When coupled with historical research, this form of landscape modelling could produce valuable insights about city formation, industrial era activity, and the ways city dwellers domesticate space in the Anthropocene.

The archaeology of submerged prehistoric sites on the North Pacific Coast of North America

We review the history of underwater archaeological investigations of submerged prehistoric remains on the North Pacific Coast of North America, divided into three phases: Phase 1 (1960s–1981) – hypotheses and “wet-site archaeology”; Phase 2 (1981–1994) – operationalized scuba explorations of submerged anchor stone accumulations and the Montague Harbour Underwater Archaeology Project; and Phase 3 (1995–present) – refined modeling of regional sea beds for areas of high archaeological potential on submerged relict shorelines with limited testing and identification of late Pleistocene and early Holocene archaeological deposits on near-shore intertidal and interior upland strandlines. The latter part of Phase 3 also saw the potential for submerged prehistoric cultural resources integrated into consideration of development project assessments. Finally, the Coastal Migration Route for early migration to the Americas shifted from a peripheral proposition to a central complimentary paradigm. These multiple streams of theory, modeling, and pragmatic effort are poised to converge in a new era of practical underwater archaeological research on the North Pacific Coast.

Variation and process: the history, current practice and future potential of mortuary archaeology in Aotearoa New Zealand

Mortuary archaeology in New Zealand is a tapu ‘sacred, prohibited’ subject due to the special place that kōiwi tangata ‘human skeletal remains’ hold in Māori culture. Recognition of Māori rights over ancestral remains led to a near cessation of published studies in recent decades. But kōiwi tangata are frequently uncovered accidentally by development or erosion and, in collaboration with Māori, recorded prior to reburial. The resulting pool of unpublished data presents an opportunity to advance our currently stagnant archaeological understanding of the burial practices of past Māori communities, particularly given that some sites are demonstrating a higher level of complexity of burial process than has hitherto been discussed archaeologically. Although still a highly charged subject, there exist a number of examples of Māori groups voicing support for respectful, collaborative study of burials. As time and tide continue to expose kōiwi, it is time for appraisal of the archaeological literature on this subject. This paper reviews the history and current practice of mortuary archaeology in New Zealand, highlighting how current bioarchaeological perspectives offer valuable potential. In particular, the concept of the burial rite as an ongoing process, the various stages of which can result in different forms of burial, and the application of the principles of field anthropology (anthropologie de terrain) to identify stages of mortuary activity offer new frameworks for exploring the variety evident in Māori burial and the social and conceptual insight this can offer.

Fourteen Years of Archaeological and Heritage Research in the Iringa Region, Tanzania

The Iringa Region is famous among archaeologists for the Acheulean site of Isimila, and among historians as the stronghold where Chief Mkwawa led the Hehe resistance against German colonial forces. However, our research reveals that Iringa has a rich archaeological record that spans the period from the Stone Age into the recent past. This article summarizes the results of 14 years of research by our team, the Iringa Region Archaeological Project (IRAP). Since 2006, IRAP members have recorded 67 sites, and this only scratches the surface of the archaeological potential in the area. These sites, some of which were recorded in conjunction with local participants, have archaeological component characteristic of the Early, Middle, and Later Stone Age, the Iron Age, and the recent past. We consider the archaeological and historical value of Iringa to be high and hope that this work inspires future research, tourism, and conservation efforts in the area.

A new complete sequence from Lower to Middle Paleolithic: El Provencio Complex (Cuenca, Spain)

This paper presents the results of the archaeological research project on the Lower and Middle Paleolithic in the municipality of El Provencio (Cuenca, Spain). During the first 6 years of the project, an unknown archaeological complex has been defined with a large concentration of remains of lithic industry of Modes 1, 2 and 3, as well as Pleistocene faunal remains (Mammuthus and Equus), associated with the large-scale sequences of the Záncara River. The first ages obtained by two complementary dating methods are presented here: Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL). The absolute dates of 41 ± 2.2 ka and 836 ± 46 ka (Al–Ti mean age) correspond to the upper and lower levels of the stratigraphic sequence respectively. The archaeological potential contained in this complex suggests an effective and uninterrupted human occupation of this region during ≈800 ka.

Looking back while moving forward: How past responses to climate change can inform future adaptation and mitigation strategies in the Arctic

Modern Arctic Indigenous peoples face many interconnected pressures, not the least of which is anthropogenic climate change, which is emerging as one of the most dramatic drivers of social and economic change in recent memory. In this paper, we investigate whether or not insights into premodern strategies for coping with climate change—and especially the “deeper histories” of traditional ways-of-knowing—can play a useful role in future planning, management and mitigation efforts. We do this in two ways. First, we assess this special issue's 17 archaeological case studies, in order to determine whether they are conducted within a framework that is consistent with approaches to resilience in studies of modern Arctic communities. Second, we focus on three climate-driven challenges faced by Canadian Arctic Inuit: safe travel, food security and food safety. For each, we identify specific ways in which studies of past social-ecological systems intersect with modern climate adaptation. We conclude that since archaeological insights highlight the operation of decision-making processes within long-term culture-adaptive trajectories, they can offer unique insights into the much shorter-term processes currently underway. While we highlight many potential directions for productive collaboration, much more work is required in local and regional settings to demonstrate the full potential of archaeology for future-oriented planning and mitigation efforts.

From Collaboration to Partnership at Pojoaque, New Mexico

AbstractFor the past six years, the Pueblo of Pojoaque and University of Colorado Boulder have been working together to investigate ancestral sites on and adjacent to Pojoaque land. Through our partnership, we believe we have learned some important lessons about the potential of archaeology for tribal communities, how archaeologists and tribal members can work together as coinvestigators, how such partnerships improve archaeological practice, and how the incorporation of traditional knowledge leads to better archaeology in both its humanistic and scientific dimensions. In addition, we believe it is a more sustainable and ethical model to engage the cultures in which archaeologists work. In this article, we share the story of our partnership, consider how it relates to existing perspectives on archaeology and Native communities, present a few results from our work at the ancestral site of K'uuyemugeh, and offer some reflections on our efforts to put a partnership model into practice.

The War Damage on Archaeological Heritage after the War: Archaeological Heritage and Landmines

ABSTRACT War is an invasive spatial practice and naturally, these practices are detrimental for archaeological heritage. However, a form of war-related damage to archaeological heritage is hitherto unrecognised. This paper represents a first attempt to define, quantify and estimate the extent of war damage to archaeological heritage caused by deployment, placement and removal of landmines and various other explosive remnants of war (ERW). Three case studies from Croatia each demonstrate that estimated figures are staggering and that archaeological heritage is indeed gravely affected. We suggest that adequate reaction from various stakeholders is missing. This is unfortunate because the case studies also demonstrate that the loss of archaeological potential could be mitigated and controlled. Deployment and removal of explosive devices are activities which must be recognised managed as a form of war damage. Archaeological community should take a keener interest in the subject and become a relevant stakeholder in mine action.

English

Much as the first collections of stone tools in East Africa were made by geologist J.W. Gregory, beginning in 1893, E.J. Wayland’s joined the government service in Uganda in 1919 to set East African Archaeology on the course that it was to follow for the next 40 years or more. However, over 90 years from its inception, a larger percentage of archaeological research in Uganda seems regionally imbalanced, dominated by foreign researchers and periodically generalized. In order to understand these anomalies, this study undertook a critical literature review of archaeological research data from 1920 to 2018. The main objectives were to; document the regional distribution of archaeological research in Uganda; analyze the interplay between local and foreign researchers, and examine the period of archaeological research, that is Stone Age or Iron Age. Results show that, there is a wide gap in regional distribution of archaeological research in Uganda, dominated by foreign researchers with a focus on Iron Age period. The study concludes that, the limited research interest in other parts of Uganda is not because of lack of archaeology but a long set ideology of foreign researchers to dominate local research space. This calls for active involvement of local researchers in archaeological research, in order to neutralise the long set colonial research ideology and take charge of archaeological research directions. This will aid in narrowing the regional research gaps as well as presenting the true picture of Uganda’s past. Key words: Archaeology, archaeological potential, stone age, iron age, ideology.

A Review and Roadmap of Online Learning Platforms and Tutorials in Digital Archaeology

OverviewWith an ever-growing range of computational tools and applications now available for archaeological practice, the potential of digital archaeology is greater than ever before. Yet, archaeological curricula have not always followed suit, and many archaeologists are not up-to-date with the necessary digital skills. To fill this gap, online tutorials and learning platforms are being developed to familiarize archaeologists and students with the potential of digital media for archaeological research practices. Given the essential pedagogical role of these platforms, their quality is deserving of deeper interrogation. Here, I review three major platforms offering tutorials on digital archaeology: the Programming Historian, Project MERCURY-SIMREC, and the Open Digital Archaeology Textbook. These are evaluated and compared based on their goals, design (intuitiveness, ease of use), accessibility (use of jargon, required prerequisite knowledge, software requirements), scope (target audience, range of skills addressed, targeted level of improvement), and efficiency (whether or not they achieve their intended goals). The review concludes with a road map contextualizing the current state of available resources in light of the wider state of digital archaeology, and it considers pathways toward future development.

Analysing Deposition and Site Formation Processes in Medieval Cess Pits Using Bone Fragmentation

Signatures of animal bone fragmentation have huge potential for understanding deposition and archaeological site formation processes, yet they are scarcely studied, especially in medieval urban contexts. Archaeological investigations at 1–5 Benjamin Street, Farringdon uncovered a number of medieval cess pits and other contexts associated with the Hospitaller Priory of St John of Jerusalem. The well-preserved zooarchaeological assemblage from these contexts was deemed an excellent case study for in-depth bone fragmentation analysis to both test and display the utility of the method at this type of site. The analysis revealed that material from the lowest fills of the cess pits differed from the upper fills in that fragmentation was more intensive. Based on the size and weight of fragments, and surface modifications related to burning and taphonomy, we postulate that floor and hearth sweepings were occasionally deposited in the cess pits whilst they were in use. This material was likely further fragmented when cess pits were periodically emptied. Faunal specimens in the upper fills have different fragmentation and taphonomic signatures and more likely relate to opportunistic refuse deposition or capping after the use of the cess pits. This analysis shows the archaeological potential of this approach when aligned with specific research questions concerning deposition.

Cultural Resource Investigations for the Praxair Phillips 66 H2 Pipeline in Brazoria County, Texas

Gray & Pape, Inc. was contracted to conduct a cultural resources survey for a proposed pipeline project. The project is a 14-inch pipeline from Praxair Freeport Plant to the Phillips 66 Clemens Storage Cavern located near Freeport, Texas. The project route measures approximately 28.0 kilometers (17.4 miles). The project’s Area of Potential Effect is the entire alignment route within a survey corridor of 91.4 meters (300 feet). This amounts to approximately 252 hectares (622 acres). Subsequent workspace revisions resulted in an additional 25.7 hectares (63.4 acres) or 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) of workspace, documented in Appendix C of this final report. The pipeline will be collocated with several existing pipelines in a well-maintained corridor for the entire length. The Project is part of a Nationwide 12 permit for which the Lead Federal Agency is the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston District. The procedures to be followed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers to fulfill the requirements set forth in the National Historic Preservation Act, other applicable historic preservation laws, and Presidential directives as they relate to the regulatory program of the United States Army Corps of Engineers (33 CFR Parts 320-334) are articulated in the Regulatory Program of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Part 325 -Processing of Department of the Army Permits, Appendix C -Procedures for the Protection of Historic Properties. Approximately 3.6 kilometers (2.25 miles) of the project length is located within property owned by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Clemens Prison Unit, which necessitated the procurement of a permit subject to the Antiquities Code of Texas. Permit Number 8666 was assigned to the project on December 4, 2018. As required under the provisions of Texas Antiquities Code Permit, all project records are housed at the Center for Archaeological Studies at Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas. The goals of this study were to assist the client, the Texas Historical Commission, and other relevant agencies in determining whether intact cultural resources were present within areas planned for construction, and if so to provide management recommendations for these resources. All work conducted by Gray & Pape, Inc. followed accepted guidelines and standards set forth by the Texas Historical Commission and the Council of Texas Archeologists. Prior to field investigation, site file research was used to develop a cultural context for the study. This research resulted in a listing of all archaeological sites and National Register properties within 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) of the project area, as well as a discussion of archaeological potential within the tract. Previous surveys conducted by HRA Gray & Pape, LLC and other firms overlap approximately 6.1 kilometers (3.8 miles) / 55.4 hectares (137 acres) of the current project’s corridor. These surveys were undertaken from between 2012 to 2013. These areas along with an additional 2.8 kilometers (2 miles) / 28.9 hectares (71.3 acres) of highly disturbed pipeline corridor were subjected to visual reconnaissance survey only. Another 3.0 kilometers (1.9 miles) / 27.5 hectares (68 acres) of the project is located within highly industrial areas of DOW property and was subjected to desktop assessment and determined to be of low potential for containing intact cultural materials. No further work is recommended for these areas. No new cultural resources were discovered during the survey. Gray & Pape, Inc. recommends no survey within these portions due to the highly disturbed conditions. Intensive pedestrian survey was completed on those portions of the current project that fall outside of the previous survey coverage or that have potential to impact previously unidentified sites. This amounts to 15.6 kilometers (9.7 miles) / 140 hectares (346 acres). As a result of survey efforts, one previously unrecorded archaeological site was identified during survey efforts. As currently mapped, the site is overlapped by an existing pipeline corridor and does not retain integrity within the project right-of-way. Gray & Pape, Inc. recommends that no further investigation be necessary within the surveyed portions of the project.

Sorprendente, colorido, suave, raro: recursos líticos y preferencias culturales en la arquitectura, escultura y artefactos portables del monumento tipo <em>tholos</em> de Palacio III (Sevilla, España)

Solo recientemente la investigación del fenómeno megalítico ibérico ha comenzado a beneficiarse de la ampliación del potencial técnico y científico de la arqueología moderna. Todavía son muy pocos los megalitos ibéricos para los que se han realizado investigaciones científicas de alta resolución, capaces de aportar datos detallados sobre su diseño, usos y biografías.En este trabajo se presentan los resultados del estudio del tholos del complejo megalítico de Palacio III (Almadén de la Plata, Sevilla), abordado mediante una metodología multidisciplinar que integra la geoarqueología, el estudio tecnomorfológico y funcional de la cultura material portable y el análisis gráfico, dentro de una meticulosa valoración contextual.Los resultados aportan datos muy novedosos respecto a cómo, a través de una serie de elecciones culturales cuidadosamente construidas, este monumento representa un verdadero lugar de encuentro entre los recursos geológicos localmente disponibles y los recursos accesibles mediante contacto con otras comunidades.Bien en su forma bruta, bien labrada en forma de esculturas grabadas y pintadas o transformada en artefactos de alto valor técnico y personal, la materialidad de la piedra adquiere en Palacio III múltiples dimensiones culturales que solo a través de la moderna investigación científica es posible reconstruir.

Identifying sites of high geoarchaeological potential using aerial LIDAR and GIS on Quadra Island, Canada

The dynamic environmental history and relative sea level (RSL) changes experienced on the Northwest Coast of North America during the early post-glacial period and the early Holocene resulted in significant archaeological visibility challenges for prospection of early coastal archaeological sites. This study offers an integrated methodological approach in support of locating palaeo-coastal sites by combining: (1) geomorphic interpretation of landscape attributes captured by LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) mapping; (2) GIS-based archaeological site potential mapping; and (3) local RSL history. The RSL history for the study site (Quadra Island, British Columbia, Canada) shows notable regression over the past 14,300 years from a highstand of at least 197 m resulting from post-glacial isostatic rebound. Late Pleistocene and early Holocene palaeo-shorelines are found inland from, and elevated above, modern sea level and represent key areas for archaeological prospecting. Bare-earth Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) derived from the LIDAR dataset were interpreted to identify palaeo-shorelines at 10 m and 30 m above mean sea level. A GIS-derived map was created to identify regions of high archaeological potential. Field validation suggests that this integrated methodology provides a promising approach for archaeological prospection that could be applied to other post-glacial coastal settings.

Diagnóstico arqueológico de contagem, minas gerais, Brasil

Este artículo hace referencia a una investigación arqueológica en Contagem, ciudad del estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil. El trabajo tiene carácter de diagnóstico para futuras construcciones en la ciudad. En el mismo se presentan nuevas evidencias del potencial arqueológico de la comunidad de Los Arturos, que fueron halladas en el área. El artículo es informativo y es parte de un proyecto investigativo en desarrollo para mantener la herencia cultural de Contagem

Experimental and archaeological testing with 3D laser scanning reveals the limits of I/TMC as a reduction index for global scraper and point studies

The ability to accurately gauge the mass loss from production and resharpening of stone tools has wide-ranging implications for our understanding of early human history across the world. Recent advances in 3D laser scanning technology have facilitated unprecedented accuracy in surface area measurements of stone artefacts. This new methodology has been used to estimate flake mass, based on regression of platform surface area. This manuscript presents an analysis of ‘initial to terminal mass comparison’ using an experimental sample (n = 107) and tests empirical inferences on an archaeological assemblage (n = 400) from northern Australia. The experimental and archaeological assemblages were selected to reflect global occurrences of scrapers, convergent scrapers, and some points; making the critique of this reduction index one of global significance. The method cannot reasonably estimate the IM of all retouched flakes with intact platforms surfaces, without regression of flake subsets, reducing sample size, and greatly diminishing archaeological potential. Other reduction indices are suggested to be better suited to this task.

Landscapes of resistance and counterinsurgency in Brazil: an archaeology of the Araguaia Guerrilla (1972-1975)

ABSTRACT This paper draws attention to archaeologies of obscured events related to the disappearance of people in Brazil during the dictatorship period. It emphasizes the political and socioenvironmental nature of the conflicts that the dictatorship unleashed, focusing on the repression against the Araguaia guerrilla, an Amazonian movement that intended to start a revolution in the 1970 s. Mobility and landscape are explored in an attempt to understand the dispositive implemented to destroy things, people and stories and make them disappear. I argue that the struggle between the armed forces and the guerrilla took a strongly spatial dimension: the military mapped the guerrilla’s landscape and its mobility flows through a heavy investment on a spatial dispositive aimed to intersect connections and suffocate resistance. Such dispositive successfully limited or exacerbated the guerrilla movements, fragmenting their supply systems and weakening their bonds with the local population. I explore the potential of archaeology to unveil hidden and suppressed phenomena and to build new narratives about the Araguaia guerrilla, which materialize the effects of the dematerializaing practices developed by the dictatorship.

A process‐depositional model for the evaluation of archaeological potential and survey methods in a boreal forest setting, Northeastern Alberta, Canada

AbstractMore than 1,000 archaeological sites occur within the Clearwater‐Athabasca Spillway, a relict channel that routed catastrophic drainage from glacial Lake Agassiz during deglaciation of northeastern Alberta. This high site density is rare in the region, and artifact assemblages are large due to the presence of abundant sources of lithic raw material. Unfortunately, sites are rarely preserved in stratified or deeply buried deposits. As is often the case in subarctic areas, this lack of depositional context coupled with a paucity of datable organic materials has hindered the establishment of cultural chronologies for the region. To address this issue, we develop a process‐depositional model and digital terrain analysis to identify where thicker sediments may have accumulated, and assess whether survey strategies have adequately tested these areas. We find current survey strategies are biased to testing upland ridges with thin deposits, and that inconsistent methods of recording sediment thickness make it difficult to assess whether vertical profiles are being sampled to sterile deposits. We recommend that future survey strategies in boreal forest settings focus on a broader suite of landforms and landform elements, including those that act as sediment traps.

A marine geoarchaeological investigation for the cultural anthesis and the sustainable growth of Methoni, Greece

Abstract The ‘Evolved GE.N.ESIS Project’ highlights the underwater cultural heritage resources off the coast of Methoni, Greece that could locally drive sustainable socioeconomic growth. An integrated marine geophysical survey, a hydrographic survey, and a GNSS survey were conducted off Methoni, recording six historic wreck sites, artefacts, the ruins of a submerged prehistoric settlement, and the town's ancient harbour/breakwater, as well as the geophysical properties of the underwater environment. The preliminary project results present bathymetric surfaces, backscatter intensity and magnetic maps, drawings, and seismic reflection profiles of the underwater antiquities and of the seabed, all fused in a 3D geographical platform. The results also shed light on the archaeological potential of the site, the nearshore physical processes, and their effect on the underwater archaeological resources. The project outcomes have shown that the establishment of an underwater archaeological park and diving sites at the cultural heritage sites will support cultural tourism development in the area and will have a positive impact on local socioeconomic development. The underwater archaeological park should comply with the basic principles of a site management plan – one that is established in the context of an integrated coastal management plan that identifies the maritime synergies or conflicts among human activities, archaeological resources, and the local environment, and utilises the 3D synthesis of marine knowledge from the project outcomes as a decision-making tool.

The organic signature of an experimental meat-cooking fireplace: The identification of nitrogen compounds and their archaeological potential

A better understanding of the operation and use of prehistoric fires is fundamental to interpreting the organization of living spaces. Following a previous study that focused on the organic signatures of fireplaces fueled with wood and/or bones, this study targeted the completion of an experimental reference database through the addition of a wood-fueled fireplace dedicated to the cooking of meat. Different sedimentary features of this experimental fireplace were visually identified (e.g. darkening, reddening), sampled, and subjected to geochemical analysis. Corg and N contents were quantified, samples were extracted with organic solvents and analyzed through GC–MS and bulk organic matter was characterized through py(TMAH)-GC–MS. Five different samples were studied and compared with a control sample, representative of the local background. A significant increase of Corg and N contents was measured for the three samples presenting darkened or charred caracteristics. The meat-cooking fireplace seems to be characterized by the strong contribution of nitrogen, which was visible in elementary analyses as well as in the molecular composition of solvent extracts, and bulk organic matter. More specifically, compounds containing nitrile functions, amides, N-heterocyclic and N-aromatic compounds could be detected in solvent extracts. Amines, amides, N-heterocyclic and N-aromatic compounds could be identified in py(TMAH)-GC–MS. Some of these compounds present a relative stability in soils and could therefore aid in our comprehension and functional interpretations of archaeological fireplaces, and may, more particularly, make it possible to highlight the use of fireplaces for the cooking of meat.