Prehistoric Artifacts Research Articles

Cultural Heritage Manifestation in Computer Role-Playing Games for Enhancing Museum Experience: A Model Proposal

ABSTRACT This article proposes a model for integrating computer role-playing games with museum experiences to enhance cultural heritage learning with a particular focus on design. Centered at the Izmir Archaeology Museum, the study delves into the design of a serious game aimed at enriching both the educational and experiential facets of museum visits. The model highlights the use of gameplay components and design patterns to manifest tangible and intangible heritage content, thereby promoting visitor awareness and understanding of cultural heritage. Through a provisional game scenario based on the museum's prehistoric artifact exhibition, the study illustrates how a gameplay design approach that is informed by heritage content displayed in the museum can be prototyped. The proposed model not only aims to make museum visits more engaging, but also seeks to contribute to the broader discourse on game design, game-based learning, and museum experience.

Prehistoric Recycling Explained in a Playful Way: The Pfahlbauten Wimmelbild—An Interactive Digital Mediation Tool Designed by Young People

With the “Talents Internship program” established by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG, Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft), 14- to 17-year-old students from various school types visited the Natural History Museum and the Kuratorium Pfahlbauten in summer 2022 to gain practical experience in research. The internship focused on a sustainability approach, discussing recycling methods, the sustainable use of resources and the circular economy in prehistory. The UNESCO World Heritage “Prehistoric Pile Dwellings around the Alps” was used as a research area for the project. The project also aimed to make the content developed by the students available to the public as a digital media tool. The pupils brought an illustration of a prehistoric lake shore settlement to life and created an interactive image available at the website of Kuratorium Pfahlbauten. Various scenes of the illustration have been augmented with animations created by the students of HTL Spengergasse in Vienna. Students from federal secondary schools from Vienna (Stubenbastei) and Upper Austria (Traun) researched the information about the objects and wrote texts that, as a description of the animated videos, introduce the users to the prehistoric artifact and explain the recycling process behind it. The students worked independently using the scientific literature, 140-year-old inventory books and 6000-year-old objects from the collection of the Natural History Museum Vienna. The activities and the supporting program within the internship were recorded by the students in blog posts, available at the Pfahlbauten-Blog. The co-creative approach of the FFG Talent Internship made it possible to introduce a group of school students to the process of scientific work and the communication of results. It was honored with the Creative App Award at CHNT 2023.

Petrology and Provenance Study of Stone Artifacts from the Mesolithic Cave of Kouvaras in Attica: A Preliminary Report

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on the lithology and raw material provenance of stone artifacts discovered in the prehistoric cave of Kouvaras in Eastern Attica, dating back to the 10th-9th millennia B.C. The study aims to determine whether these prehistoric artifacts were made on local or non-local raw materials. The research consists of two main components: a field study to detect the geological features of the region and collect raw material samples, and a laboratory investigation using XRD, SEM and p-XRF techniques to conduct a petrological analysis. The results suggest that relying solely on chert chemistry to effectively determine the sources of chert artifacts is not a reliable method. By combining several analytical methods and taking a holistic approach, researchers can gain valuable insights into prehistoric human interactions with the local geological environment and the use of available natural resources to make artifacts in prehistoric times.

Archaeological Artefact Database of Finland (AADA)

This paper presents the Archaeological Artefact Database of Finland (AADA) of prehistoric (covering period of almost 11,000 years) artefacts in Finland that are categorised by type and are accompanied with photos of the artefacts. The database is intended to contain all typologically classifiable prehistoric artefacts found in Finland and held in Finnish collections. This dataset provides spatio-temporal context for artefacts across different time periods and regions, as it includes approximately 38,000 single artefacts and approximately 10,000 pottery type identifications from the Early Mesolithic to the end of the Iron Age in Finland (c. 8900 calBC - 1300/1500 calAD). In addition, the artefacts are given period-based (subperiod) dating to allow their chronological affiliation. To facilitate data usage, we also offer an R-script to replicate the data visualisation provided in this paper and a Python script to merge the artefact information to the pictures. We further work towards an interactive user interface for data download and visualization.

Newly discovered stone age site of Ulaan khanan :

The Kherlen River, which headwaters from the mountains of Khan Khentii, streams through the territory of three provinces of Mongolia: Khentii, Tuv, and Dornod. Most of the archaeological sites found in its basin exhibit characteristics of the Neolithic period, and mainly consist of in situ stone tools dispersed on the surface. The mixing of prehistoric artifacts from different periods in a certain place is undoubtedly related to the unique climatic conditions of Mongolia and the geology of the Kherlen River basin. In this article, we discuss the site of Ulaan Khanan, located about 21 km south of the Kherlen River in the Bayankhutag soum area of Khentii Province. The stone artifacts from this site are suggested as belonging to two different periods: The Paleolithic and Neolithic. The Paleolithic artifacts include points, scrapers, retouched blades, and different types of lithic blanks (mainly blades and flakes). Conversely, the Neolithic artifacts conform to knapping methods involving the reduction of narrow-faced and wedge-shaped cores, including a single micro-core as well as polyhedral and cylindrical cores. The lithic assemblage(s) described here consists of a few tool types, such as points, scrapers, burins, combination tools, and retouched blades, and show evidence of reduction sequences primarily aimed at blade and flake production.

Newly Discovered Prehistoric Sites in the Seonath Basin, Chhattisgarh, India

Prehistoric cultures shed light on the evolution of human social organization. The development and use of stone tools are significant milestones in human evolution. Prehistoric artifacts provide evidence of early technologies and the progression of tool-making techniques. Presented paper provides a comprehensive overview of the recently identified Prehistoric sites within the Durg and Rajnandgaon districts situated in the Central Seonath Basin of Chhattisgarh. It offers detailed descriptive and contextual data regarding these newly discovered archaeological locations. The discussed sites or site complexes include Palaeolithic, microlithic and individual artifacts finding sites along the Durg-Raipur upland, Rajnandgaon upland and Eastern edge of the Mekal range in Rajnandgaon district. The occurrences vary in terms of their locations, scatters, context and tools typology.

The provenance of local obsidian sources and its consumption in northwestern Iran’s prehistoric artifacts: using µ-Raman and µ-XRF spectroscopy

The provenance of local obsidian sources and its consumption in northwestern Iran’s prehistoric artifacts: using µ-Raman and µ-XRF spectroscopy

Remember the Future

The starting point of this study is the prehistoric “teganoschemo” archaeological find of the Syros-Keros civilization in the Aegean Sea. These artifacts have been causing debates among archaeologists as their raison d'être is still contested. The aim of this study is to bring a prehistoric ontological model of design and craft to contemporary design practices. In order to explore such alternative ontologies, we turn to the past and address themes of death and life embodied in these prehistoric artifacts. As we leave Modernity behind and transition towards Sustainment, a new ontology for Design is necessary. By understanding the ontological framework of prehistoric designers, we aim to create propositional artifacts that exemplify what design can be. The propositional artifacts created act as different phases in a research-through design process that aims to investigate how design operates within an alternative system of values.

Human DNA from a prehistoric artefact.

Human DNA from a prehistoric artefact.

Józef Żurowski’s (1892–1936) Activity as the Conservator of Archeological Artefacts in the Lesser Poland Region

The article aims to present the multifaceted activity of Józef Żurowski (1892–1936), an archaeologist and conservator of prehistoric artefacts in Małopolska. The study relies on extensive archival material and Żurowski’s numerous publications. In the years 1920–1936, he was the conservator of the Krakow region and later the West Małopolska region, acting successively on behalf of the State Group of Prehistoric Monuments Conservators and the State Archaeological Museum in Warsaw. Żurowski’s most outstanding achievements include carrying out the first excavations in the banded flint mine in Krzemionki, conducting research on multicultural sites in Złota, supervising the digging of the monumental Krakus Mound, discovering and interpreting the first burials of the Bell Beaker culture in Poland, as well as examining many early medieval cemeteries. As a conservator, he not only inventoried and excavated many archaeological sites – such as numerous strongholds, barrows, and the caves of the Ojców Jura – but also ensured their protection and preservation. Józef Żurowski died prematurely at 45, yet he is one of the most distinguished Polish archaeologists of the Second Polish Republic.

Empires of Antiquities: Modernity and Discovery of the Ancient Near East, 1914–1950

Empires of Antiquities: Modernity and Discovery of the Ancient Near East, 1914–1950

Mesolithic shadow play? Exploring the performative attributes of a zoomorphic wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antler artefact from Finland

ABSTRACT Throughout history, humans have told stories to one another. Although these stories have largely disappeared over the course of time, they have sometimes left material remains, for instance in the form of rock art. However, rock art might not be the only materialization of prehistoric storytelling practices. On the contrary, if made active again, other prehistoric artefacts might also bring past storytelling practices back to life. In this paper, we examine how storytelling might have taken place in Late Mesolithic Finland (c. 6800–5200 cal BCE). As a case study, we investigate a zoomorphic wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) antler artefact from southern Finland, the so-called ‘Lepaa artefact’, with multidisciplinary methods arising from the traditions of experimental archaeology, 3D technologies, and artistic research. As a result, we suggest that Mesolithic storytelling might have been entangled with ritual practices and accompanied by performances that resemble traditional shadow theatre.

Mesolithic Sites in the Upper Tobol

The article introduces prehistoric artifacts from the sites of Karasor-5, Karasor-6, and Karasor-7 obtained in 1998. The archaeological site of Karasor is located in the Upper Tobol region, near the town of Lisakovsk. Stone tools, pottery fragments, a ceramic item, and a bronze arrow head were collected from a sand blowout, which had destroyed the cultural layer. The paper gives a detailed description of the pottery. The stone tools were examined using the technical and typological analysis, which featured the primary splitting, the morphological parameters and size of plates, the ratio of blanks, plates, flakes, and finished tools, the secondary processing methods, and the typological composition of the tools. The nature of the raw materials was counted as an independent indicator. The pottery fragments, the bronze arrow head, and the ceramic item belonged to the Bronze Age and the Early Iron Age. The stone industry of the Karasor archeological cluster proved to be a Mesolithic monument of the Turgai Trough. The technical and typological analysis revealed a close similarity with the Mesolithic sites of the Southern and Middle Trans-Urals, as well as the forest-steppe part of the Tobol-Irtysh interfluve. The stone artifacts were dated from the Mesolithic to the Early Iron Age.

A Study on Ancient Artifacts Around Badami Hill and Their Correlation with the Natural Rock Arch of Sidlaphadi

The Badami hill of Bagalkot district, Karnataka, India, houses a large rock arch termed “Sidlaphadi” that was used as a shelter by primitive man. The hill was searched to find any prehistoric artifact that would act as a directional marker towards the arch. An interesting structure was noted in one of the natural caves near the southwestern part of the hill at 15°55’06”N latitude and 75°41’02”E longitude. A miniature replica of the arch was carved onto the floor of the cave. The axis of the miniature bridge made an angle of 28.5 ± 1.5° with the 75°41’02”E longitude. The axis, upon extension eastwards at the defining angle reaches the northern slope of Sidlaphadi. The authors also located a megalithic stone arrangement in the northern part of the hill that had a pointed capstone and was thought to be oriented towards the rock arch. The stone arrangement was in the same latitude as that of the Sidlaphadi site, but the capstone was oriented 22°E towards the winter solstice sunrise at 112.5° azimuth.

Prehistoric shield production, utilizing hides and hot-stone technology as an alternative to leather to reconstruct the Clonbrin shield

The survival and prosperity of many communities has been intertwined with the utilisation of all that the dead animal has to offer. The often-hazardous act, energy used, and commitment required to hunt and kill, is often acknowledged with solemn respect, demonstrated by the division of meat and the extensive and varied use that the different parts of a carcus offers. With this in mind, understanding the value and opportunities that such a sizable piece of material as the skin has to offer should not be underestimated. Studies from Europe and North America have demonstrated numerous methods of skin processing, from simply scraping and drying, to manipulation after it has been emersed in a solution of brains, liver, or eggs, to freeze drying in snow, that all enable the production of viable skin-based materials (Baillargeon, 2011; Belitz, 1973; Churchill, 1987; Frink and Weedman, 2006; Hurcombe, 2014; King et al., 2005; Lyons, 2011; Richards, 2004; Webley, 2006; Wilder, 1976). But the application of heat from hot-stones and coals, is not one that is commonly recognised.This research presented here forms part of a larger investigation into the processing and use of hides and skins in late prehistoric Europe. As part of that research a series of experiments were carried out to establish if alternative production method for the prehistoric skin shield from Clonbrin could be achieved simply by using hot-stone technology, and if this removed the need for the shield to be made from leather.Alongside this research was conducted into how differently processed skins were affected by peat-bog deposition. This enabled discussion regarding the classification of skin-based materials and if the influence of environments that have the potential to alter the original nature of the skin should influence how skin-based artefacts are categorised.This experimental research seeks to widen the discussion on organic prehistoric material culture, and to establish a fresh narrative for the use of hot-stone technology and the production of the Clonbrin shield. The process from preparation of unprocessed cow skin to viable martial object will be detailed, demonstrating how this innovative method provides a credible alternative to the use of leather and the cuir-bouilli technique, which is presently considered to be the production method for this prehistoric artefact.

Karasor-3 Site in the Upper Tobol

The paper introduces a collection of prehistoric artifacts from Karasor-3 archeological site (1999). The Karasor cluster is located in the Upper Tobol region near the town of Lisakovsk, in the northern part of the Turgai depression, which connects the West Siberian and Turan plains. The Turgai depression borders on the Trans-Ural Plateau on the west and on the Kazakh hummocks and the Ulutau Mountains on the east. This environment does not contribute to the preservation of the cultural layer. As a result, the pottery and stone fragments found at the Karasor 3 site were collected from the surface. The article contains a detailed description of the pottery. The stone tools underwent a technical and typological analysis based on the products of primary splitting, morphological parameters and size of plates, the ratio of blanks and tools made of plates and flakes, methods of secondary processing, and typological composition of the tool kit. The nature of the raw materials was considered as an independent indicator. The stone industry of the Late Eneolithic era proved similar to the Tersek culture. The pottery ranged from the Late Eneolithic to the Early Iron Age.

Комплексное изучение персонального украшения из резца сурка в раннеголоценовом комплексе пещеры Каминная (Российский Алтай)

The article presents the oldest evidence of non- utilitarian use of marmot incisors in North Asia. The ornamented marmot incisor comes from the Early Holocene layer of the Kaminnaya Cave. The artifact was studied by methods of high precision three-dimensional modeling, experiment and traceological analysis. In order to obtain detailed information on the morphological characteristics of the artificial relief, a high-precision three-dimensional scanner of structured light and a three-dimensional surface profiler were used to analyze and compare the features of artificial modification on the surfaces of both the prehistoric artifact and its experimental replicas. As a result, the method of modification was reconstructed, and the non-utilitarian function of the object was identified. The concluding part of the article touches upon the interaction between marmots and man in the Pleistocene and Holocene of the Altai Mountains, with special attention paid to their use in the Holocene funeral practices.

MAKNA SIMBOLIK ARCA NENEK MOYANG DALAM MASYARAKAT BALI

Peneliian prasejarah di Bali, khususnya penelitian tradisi megalitik, sudah berhasil menemukan warisan budaya antara lain, adalah artefak prasejarah, seperti menhir, dolmen, sarkofagus, takhta batu, arca nenek moyang dan lain-lainnya. Sebagian lagi, adalah artefak zaman sejarah, yaitu prasasti, arca-arca Hindu-Buddha, candi dan sebagainya. Berdasarkan penelitian prasejarah, ternyata Bali mempunyai empat macam artefak prasejarah yang penting, yaitu menhir, sarkofagus, takhta batu dan arca nenek moyang, yang masing-masing mempunyai permasalahan antara lain, adalah permasalahan mengenai tipologi, pesebaran, latar belakang dan lain-lainnya. Oleh karena berbagai faktor, tentu tidak mungkin meneliti semua permasalahan ini, sehingga kami memutuskan hanya untuk meneliti makna simbolik arca nenek moyang dalam masyarakat Bali. Menghadapi permasalahan di atas, maka penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meneliti permasalahannya. Untuk mencapai tujuan ini, maka penelitian diawali dengan pengumpulan data dengan metode kajian pustaka, penelitian lapangan yang disertai dengan wawancara tidak terstruktur dengan para pemuka masyarakat. Tindakan berikutnya, ialah melakukan analisis temuan dengan metode kualitatif-kuantitatif, metode studi perbandingan, analisis kontekstual-fungsional, pendekatan etnoarkeologi dan etnohistori. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian dapat diketahui, bahwa arca nenek moyang dalam masyarakat Bali mengandung makna simbolik yang signifikan sebagai simbol nenek moyang yang dipercayai mempunyai kekuatan gaib yang dapat menolak bahaya dan memberikan kesejahteraan kepada masyarakat.
 Kata kunci: warisan budaya, artefak arkeologi, arca nenek moyang, makna simbolis.

Discovery of carbon nanotubes in sixth century BC potteries from Keeladi, India

Unique black coatings were observed in the inner wall of pottery shreds excavated from Keeladi, Tamilnadu, India. Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were used to understand the nature of the coating. The analysis revealed the presence of single, multi-walled carbon nanotubes and layered sheets in the coating. The average diameter of single-walled carbon nanotube found to be about 0.6 ± 0.05 nm. This is the lowest among the single-walled carbon nanotubes reported from artefacts so far and close to the theoretically predicted value (0.4 nm). These nanomaterials were coated in the pottery’s that date backs to sixth century BC, and still retain its stability and adhesion. The findings of nano materials in the pre-historic artifacts, its significance and impact are discussed in this article.

Re-appraising and Re-classifying: a New Look at the Corpus of Miniature Socketed Axes from Britain

The advent of the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS) has added a great deal to our understanding of prehistoric metal artefacts in England and Wales, namely in expanding enormously the corpuses of objects previously thought to be quite scarce. One such artefact type is the miniature socketed 'votive' axe, most of which are found in Wiltshire and Hampshire. As a direct result of developing such recording initiatives, reporting of these artefacts as detector finds from the early 2000s onwards has virtually trebled the number originally published by Paul Robinson in his 1995 analysis. Through extensive data-collection, synthesising examples recorded via the PAS with those from published excavations, the broad aims of this paper (in brief) are as follows: firstly, produce a solid typology for these artefacts; secondly, investigate their spatial distribution across England and Wales. As a more indirect third aim, this paper also seeks to redress the imbalance of focus and academic study specifically applying to Hampshire finds of this object type, which despite producing a significant proportion of the currently known corpus have never been the subject of detailed analysis.