Recent Excavations Research Articles

More than just food from the sea: Exploitation of marine resources in Hellenistic Berenike on the Red Sea (Egypt)

Hellenistic Berenike, a major harbour founded on the Red Sea coast of Egypt in the mid-3rd century BCE, was from the beginning dependent in part on the exploitation of its marine ecosystem to ensure a proper supply of food for the soldiers manning the fort as well as the population servicing the commercial harbour. The archaeomalacological assemblage from recent excavations (2009–2020) has provided material for redefining the relationship between the human population and the marine ecosystems. Remains associated with anthropic activity were separated from the malacological “background noise” by applying a taphonomic analysis and comparing results with a sedimentological study of core drillings from the site and the findings of a local geoarchaeological study carried out for the purposes of the Berenike Hellenistic subproject. Palaeoecological analyses identified the ecosystems exploited in fishing and mollusc gathering, while taphonomic examination revealed different food processing and cooking strategies used in fish and mollusc preparation, suggesting some interesting Hellenistic culinary practices. The study also demonstrated the other uses of marine resources: as decorated trays, pigment containers, censers or drinking cups, as personal ornaments and decoration of objects or furnishing, as raw resources for local handicrafts (tortoiseshell). Not the least, the earliest archaeological attestation of the use of gastropod operculum as an incense ingredient is of particular interest.

Embedded Household Specialization: The Bifaces from YāçkEtEl on the Northwest Coast

ABSTRACT A biface workspace dating to ca. cal a.d. 100–400 was identified during recent excavation at the Sts’ailes-Coast Salish village of YāçkEtEl, on the Harrison River on the Northwest Coast of North America. Based on a range of analyses, we suggest that a specialist crafted large bifaces produced as prestigious objects for exchange within a ceremonial interaction sphere and smaller, more functional bifaces for household and local purposes. The workspace was a shed-like structure adjacent to their house, and the toolstone was acquired nearby from previously undocumented quarries within the territory. This is the only documented evidence for the manufacture of large prestigious bifaces in the region and consequently provides insights into the social relations of lithic acquisition, production, exchange, and consumption. In particular, we examine the social and economic roles and contributions of lithic specialists embedded within households.

Moving up the Hill? Peasant Strategies in Times of Plague and Climate Change

Abstract The Late Medieval Agrarian Crisis is associated with a desertion of rural settlements. Farmsteads in agriculturally-marginal locations are presumed to have been among the first to be deserted. In recent decades, interdisciplinary research has instead shown several examples of increased agrarian activity, including cereal cultivation, in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in forested upland areas of boreal inland Scandinavia. Farmsteads and hamlets established in forested upland areas in the fourteenth century have also been discovered. The recent excavation of one such farmstead, Ivarsbråten, shows that both settlement and agrarian production at the site had been adapted to the new climatic conditions of the Little Ice Age, which involved colder and wetter weather. It is here suggested that micro-mobility, moving out of a hamlet to an upland position, was a climate adaptation strategy pursued by a small number of peasants.

Uncomfortable Memories and Non-Heritages: The Archaeology of Counter-Revolution and the Carlist Wars in the Basque Country

The development of historical archaeology in the Iberian Peninsula has opened new and stimulating avenues of research into its most recent times. One of these has been the archaeology of the Carlist Wars, a series of nineteenth-century conflicts related to the overarching process of the emergence of liberal governments in Europe and, contemporarily, of counter-revolutionary movements. This paper will describe recent excavations at Carlist sites in the southern part of the Basque Country in order to tackle two interrelated questions: the limits and possibilities of a Carlist archaeology and the close connection of the specific materialities of these events and the politics of memory surrounding them. It is argued that the Carlist War materiality has not been considered in the process of the construction of the Basque heritage because these conflicts are not introduced into the legitimating narratives of the failed-state formation project of the Basque identity.

YENİ VERİLER IŞIĞINDA ESKİ SMYRNA OK UÇLARI TİPOLOJİSİ

The archaeological records prove the existence of a continuous settlement in Bayrakli Mound, located northeast of Izmir Bay, from the Bronze Ages until the Hellenistic Period. Migration movements to the Western Anatolian coasts beginning in the 11th century BC revealed the benefits of economic growth in Old Smyrna's socio-cultural structure and the city's identity as a Greek Polis. However, due to the importance of its geopolitical position and the outcomes of political events, the city was vulnerable to invasions from different powers. The military actions in the city which was captured by Lydia and Persia and later sieged by Macedonians (?) can be clearly recognized with archaeological data. Arrowheads are one of the sources of information for this data and are unquestionably the essential reference source among ordnance. Arrowheads, found in many places from the Near East to Anatolia and the Greek Mainland, were not only used in warfare, but they were also popular as a votive item given in the sanctuary and as a funerary offering left in the graves during burial customs.
 In this study, arrowheads unearthed in Old Smyrna throughout the previous and recent excavations were examined in-depth, and classification was developed based on the arrowheads' shape and functional qualities. A total of 133 bronze and iron arrowheads were classified typologically and compared to similar samples acquired from nearby and distant sites. The arrowheads discovered in recent excavations, ongoing since 2014, have been dated together with the context. This study particularly emphasizes the correlation between the destructions associated with the military actions in the city and the arrowheads. Therefore, this study of bronze and iron arrowhead findings in Old Smyrna, one of the most important cities in Western Anatolia, will critically contribute to the literature.

제주 고산리 돌화살촉의 분류와 계통수 분석

Phylogenetic analyses have been successfully applied to establishing lineages and trajectories of changes of archaeological materials. The present study attempts to apply principles and techniques of phylogenetics to archaeology and produce phylogenetic trees of a large collection of chipped stone arrowheads from Gosan-ri, Jeju. Recent excavations provided new lights on human occupations at Gosan-ri: radiocarbon dates and artifacts suggest that the site was formed by repeated visits of hunter-gatherers spanning almost 5000 years of the Neolithic. More than 1300 arrowheads, or points, were collected and they were made by the same chipped stone technology based on essentially same hunting and gathering way of subsistence economy with no evidence of external migration or notable diffusion. This is why we believe that a phylogenetic tree can adequately depict the persistence and change of artifact lineages. Based on paradigmatic classification using attributes and attribute states such as maximum length, morphology of haft elements, and angle of base and stem, we use PAUP* to produce workable phylogenetic trees of stone arrowhead classes. The result shows that stemmed arrowheads and those with no stem are the two most prominent classes that were likely diverged early and many varieties evolved subsequently in the branches. We also discuss the issue of homology and analogy (homoplasy) and how to distinguish the two from archaeological situations. We expect that the present endeavor will encourage future studies of reconstructing and discussing lineages based on archaeological cases by applying phylogenetic analysis.

Bukhara and its neighborhood. Reassessing the cultural links of the oasis from new ceramic evidence

Ceramic assemblages from the Bukhara Oasis show an interesting mix of vessel forms and decorative styles, specifically in pre-Islamic times. Some elements of the tableware bear resemblance to material from adjacent regions in the south-west and south-east, including Margiana and Bactria, while others, specifically the storage vessels, appear to be inspired by the north-west or eastern areas, such as Khoresm and Chach. Surface coatings and slip paint proved to be highly significant in identifying these distinct cultural links.Drawing upon samples from the recent excavations by the MAFOUB project, this paper will trace the various cultural strains through analyzing the use of slip and slip-paint as an exemplary feature in the ceramic assemblages of the Bukhara Oasis from antiquity to the early Islamic period. Individual decorative patterns appear to be restricted to certain parts of the vessel repertoire. While coated vessels firmly belong to the tableware inventory, cursory applied slip paint with drizzling effects is mostly observed on containers and storage jars. Some slip painted decorations illustrate the considerable variation this technique enjoyed within the Bukhara Oasis.Our diachronic study highlights these diversities and follows the implied cultural alliances to shed light on Bukhara's position and role within the Central Asian neighborhood.

Prehistoric Human Occupation of Southern Andean Forests: Evidence from Alero Largo, Aysén, Chilean Patagonia

Use of Patagonia's forests by hunter-gatherers remains relatively poorly understood. Regional archaeological records indicate initial forest colonization during the middle Holocene, infrequent use until late prehistory, and, even then, fairly sparse occupation, likely in conjunction with use of the adjacent steppe. Recent excavations at Río Ibáñez-6 West in Aysén, Chile, provide a new perspective for understanding the prehistoric use of Patagonian forests, particularly regarding timing of the initial occupation and the potential for development of a forest-specific adaptation. We provide chronological, lithic, archaeofaunal, and macrobotanical data that show use of the Ibáñez River valley at least a millennium earlier than previously documented. These data indicate increased dietary breadth in late prehistory, supporting the established hypothesis that the valley became a closed system at that time. From our data we develop hypotheses regarding prehistoric forest use in Aysén that have implications for the broader understanding of the suitability of the forest for prehistoric human foragers.

Age-depth modelling and the effect of including – or not – shared errors across sets of OSL samples: The case study of Beg-er-Vil (Brittany, France)

The coastal site of Beg-er-Vil (Brittany, France) has yielded remains of a dwelling site from the Mesolithic period, dating back to ca. 8000 years ago. These archaeological remains were covered by a marine sand dune. Among the research questions raised by recent excavations, the timing of the dune formation with respect to the human occupations is of particular interest: how much time elapsed between these two events? To resolve this question, we employed radiocarbon dating to infer the timing of human occupations and OSL dating to date the dune aggradation. We combined radiocarbon and OSL data in a Bayesian framework, including stratigraphic constraints and measurement errors shared across OSL samples, to build a robust and precise chronological model of the site. We then built an age-depth model for the dune to determine the onset of dune formation. We conclude that we cannot detect a time gap between the latest human occupations and dune aggradation. Finally, we demonstrate how stratigraphic constraints and shared errors affect – and improve – the precision of the chronology inferred from our measurements.

Flax, Bupleurum and Other Plants at Early Bronze Age Yenibademli Höyük (Gökçeada), NW Turkey

ABSTRACT In this study, a large number of carbonised plant remains recovered from the Early Bronze Age levels of the Yenibademli Höyük site, which is situated on Gökçeada (Imbros), north-western Turkey (Anatolia), in the north-east Aegean Sea, are examined to shed light on the plant-based agricultural economy. The archaeobotanical assemblage is predominantly composed of domesticated cereals and legumes and includes clover, grapevine, flax, Bupleurum and weedy species. Potential uses of the crop plants by the inhabitants, about 5000 years ago, are evaluated, based on archaeobotanical, ethnographic, ethnobotanical and historical data sources. The present study pays particular attention to finds of pure flax and Bupleurum seeds, recorded in abundance in recent excavations on the site. The flax seeds were discovered in container-related contexts, close to and within vessels. They are considered as stored products, probably for various purposes; potentially for cultivation to produce textile fibres and/or for use as food, medicine, animal feed supplement, or oil extraction. Many weaving tools recovered from the settlement are also considered to be for fabric production, potentially including linen textiles. Regarding Bupleurum, in the light of ancient Greek texts and ethnopharmacological information, it is hypothesised that its seeds found in a jug may represent storage for growing the plant to obtain its aerial and root parts, possibly for herbal medicine preparation or food and beverage preparation, or both.

A new early hominin calcaneus from Kromdraai (South Africa).

The Kromdraai site in South Africa has yielded numerous early hominin fossils since 1938. As a part of recent excavations within Unit P, a largely complete early hominin calcaneus (KW 6302) was discovered. Due to its role in locomotion, the calcaneus has the potential to reveal important form/function relationships. Here, we describe KW 6302 and analyze its preserved morphology relative to human and nonhuman ape calcanei, as well as calcanei attributed to Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus sediba, Homo naledi, and the Omo calcaneus (either Paranthropus or early Homo). KW 6302 calcaneal morphology is assessed using numerous quantitative metrics including linear measures, calcaneal robusticity index, relative lateral plantar process position, Achilles tendon length reconstruction, and a three-dimensional geometric morphometric sliding semilandmark analysis. KW 6302 exhibits an overall calcaneal morphology that is intermediate between humans and nonhuman apes, although closer to modern humans. KW 6302 possesses many traits that indicate it was likely well-adapted for terrestrial bipedal locomotion, including a relatively flat posterior talar facet and a large lateral plantar process that is similarly positioned to modern humans. It also retains traits that indicate that climbing may have remained a part of its locomotor repertoire, such as a relatively gracile tuber and a large peroneal trochlea. Specimens from Kromdraai have been attributed to either Paranthropus robustus or early Homo; however, there are no definitively attributed calcanei for either genus, making it difficult to taxonomically assign this specimen. KW 6302 and the Omo calcaneus, however, fall outside the range of expected variation for an extant genus, indicating that if the Omo calcaneus was Paranthropus, then KW 6302 would likely be attributed to early Homo (or vice versa).

Kimuriella gen. nov. (Bennettitales), a Whole-Plant Bennettite from the Oxfordian (Upper Jurassic) Tochikubo Formation of Shidazawa, Minamisōma, Fukushima Prefecture, Northeast Japan

A new whole-plant bennettite—Kimuriella densifolia—is described and restored based on excellently preserved fossils from the Oxfordian (Upper Jurassic) Tochikubo Formation of Northeast Japan. Recent excavations revealed plant fossils with axes, sterile foliage and ovuliferous Williamsonia type flowers in organic connection. The sterile foliage of the plant is identical to what is described as Zamites nipponicus when found isolated. Microsporangiate flowers of the Weltrichia type were preserved together with the articulated macrofossils and conspecificity is strongly warranted. The absence of an appropriate plant genus to accommodate the restored plant based on the articulated fossils necessitated the erection of the new genus Kimuriella for whole-plant bennettites with a divaricate growth habit and Zamites type foliage. Kimuriella densifolia is compared with a number of coeval bennettites, amongst which the very similar Williamsonia gigas and Williamsonia pecten from the Bajocian of Yorkshire, UK. Nomenclatural issues of the latter two bennettite species are discussed in detail when research on the different organs assigned to them raised some questions connected with the classical circumscription of the taxa complying with the concept of form-classification of fossil plant organs. Finally, some interpretations of the coastal/river delta environment and habitat, in which Kimuriella densifolia thrived, are discussed.

The Nye Canyon Paleo Site: an Upper Montane Mixed Fluted Point, Clovis Blade, and Western Stemmed Tradition Assemblage in Western Nevada

ABSTRACT The place of the Clovis techno-complex in Great Basin culture history remains enigmatic, both in relation to the Western Stemmed Tradition – the dominant Paleoindian artifact complex in the Intermountain West – and to the range of late Pleistocene/early Holocene habitats that people employing Clovis toolkits utilized. Here we describe the Nye Canyon Paleo Site (26Ly930), located in the Pine Grove Hills in western Nevada. The Nye Canyon Paleo Site stands alone in the Great Basin because it contains both fluted points and Clovis-style blades alongside Western Stemmed Tradition points and other tools, sits at a relatively high elevation, and potentially contains buried cultural deposits. Recent test excavations failed to locate an intact buried Paleoindian component, but the Nye Canyon Paleo Site nevertheless demonstrates the use of Clovis and Western Stemmed technology at a single upper montane locality in the western Great Basin and highlights regional Paleoindian upper montane land use.

Exploring Roman and Late Roman Common Buff Wares from the rural site of Sa Mesquida (Mallorca, Balearic Islands): Continuity of local production?

In previous studies, the Reference Group (RG) for common wares produced in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD at the kiln found at the Roman rural site of Sa Mesquida (western Mallorca) was established. Recent excavations have revealed that the Roman villa was founded at the beginning of the Augustan period or slightly earlier and that some ceramics found in these foundational layers resemble the ceramic products of the kiln. We also know now that the kiln itself and a large cistern were reused in the Late Roman period (4th and 5th centuries AD) as rubbish dumps, also containing regional (mostly produced in the island of Eivissa, but also others that are macroscopically like the products of the kiln) and other imported common wares. The macroscopic similarities between some of the earlier and later materials generated a series of important questions related to the possibility of a long-lasting local pottery-making tradition at this site or more broadly in western Mallorca. To explore this possibility, 74 common wares from different well-stratified layers were analytically characterized using a combination of Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence and Optical Microscopy by thin-section and both typologically and compositionally compared to the Early Imperial common buff wares produced at the site. The results provided a better understanding of the common wares at the site from a diachronic perspective. The comparison of the new ceramics analyzed from several contexts found at Sa Mesquida with the already established reference group for the common wares showed, in some cases, strong similarities in terms of chemical composition and petrographic fabrics both for early Roman and some Late Roman ceramics. On the other hand, the study also enabled the identification of other non-local groups (primarily products from the neighboring island of Eivissa), providing new information on the provenance and regional distribution of buff wares, a ceramic class whose importance has been often denied.

Staying Egalitarian and the Origins of Agriculture in the Middle East

This article uses results from the recent excavations at Çatalhöyük in Turkey to propose that continuous tensions between egalitarian and hierarchical impulses were dealt with in two principal ways during the Neolithic of the Middle East. A tendency towards overall balance and community (termed molar) is seen as in tension with more particulate and molecular tendencies, with both being brought into play in order to combat inequalities. It is also suggested that tendencies towards more molecular systems increased over time, at different rates and in different ways in different places, partly as a response to constraints associated with more molar articulations. Finally, it is proposed that a shift to molecular autonomy was associated with agricultural intensification. Staying egalitarian can be seen as an active process that contributed to the Neolithic transformations.

Yedoma Cryostratigraphy of Recently Excavated Sections of the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel Near Fairbanks, Alaska

Recent excavation in the new CRREL Permafrost Tunnel in Fox, Alaska provides a unique opportunity to study properties of Yedoma — late Pleistocene ice- and organic-rich syngenetic permafrost. Yedoma has been described at numerous sites across Interior Alaska, mainly within the Yukon-Tanana upland. The most comprehensive data on the structure and properties of Yedoma in this area have been obtained in the CRREL Permafrost Tunnel near Fairbanks — one of the most accessible large-scale exposures of Yedoma permafrost on Earth, which became available to researchers in the mid-1960s. Expansion of the new ∼4-m-high and ∼4-m-wide linear excavations, started in 2011 and ongoing, exposes an additional 300 m of well-preserved Yedoma and provides access to sediments deposited over the past 40,000 years, which will allow us to quantify rates and patterns of formation of syngenetic permafrost, depositional history and biogeochemical characteristics of Yedoma, and its response to a warmer climate. In this paper, we present results of detailed cryostratigraphic studies in the Tunnel and adjacent area. Data from our study include ground-ice content, the stable water isotope composition of the variety of ground-ice bodies, and radiocarbon age dates. Based on cryostratigraphic mapping of the Tunnel and results of drilling above and inside the Tunnel, six main cryostratigraphic units have been distinguished: 1) active layer; 2) modern intermediate layer (ice-rich silt); 3) relatively ice-poor Yedoma silt reworked by thermal erosion and thermokarst during the Holocene; 4) ice-rich late Pleistocene Yedoma silt with large ice wedges; 5) relatively ice-poor fluvial gravel; and 6) ice-poor bedrock. Our studies reveal significant differences in cryostratigraphy of the new and old CRREL Permafrost Tunnel facilities. Original syngenetic permafrost in the new Tunnel has been better preserved and less affected by erosional events during the period of Yedoma formation, although numerous features (e.g., bodies of thermokarst-cave ice, thaw unconformities, buried gullies) indicate the original Yedoma silt in the recently excavated sections was also reworked to some extent by thermokarst and thermal erosion during the late Pleistocene and Holocene.

Translations and Literary Exchanges between Kerala and Middle-East

Kerala has historically played an important role in the wide network of Indian ocean trade. Recent archaeological excavations brought forth tangible evidence of kerala’s trade linkage with gulf region from the first century AD. These journey led to the development of diasporic communities of Arabs in various parts of kerala, especially in Malabar. Ibnu Batuta, a 14th century Arab traveller was the first writer to give detailed description of the settlements of Arab from gulf region in various parts of Kerala. The keralopatti chronicles on the history of evolution of kerala narrates a story of two brothers from muscut in Malabar. Cheraman Perumal, the king of kerala, who became first known convert to Islam and he travelled to Mecca and finally settled in Oman. In 1960, gulf states began requiring large-scaled semi skilled and unskilled labour in order to cater their fast growing oil based economies. Which resulted in illegal migrations to gulf region. This first wave migrants had numerous stories about the narrow escapes they experienced during the journey. The reason for migration from kerala were two kind. Some of them migsrated due to socio-economic reason, and others encouraged by personal ambition and aspirations. The continues contact between Kerala and Middle East brought many changes in both languages, culture and Arts. These are very significant in re-conceptualise the history of gulf and Kerala.
 Migrant narratives reveal a great deal of emotional conflict that has been associated with departure from kerala and a sense of alienation in a foreign land. It can be founded on the film and literature. Malayalam film naadodikaatu portrays old way of travelling to gulf, Pathemaary, Arabi kadha, and Gaddama deal with diasporic theme. In literature, Aadujeevitham by Benyamin gained a wide readership. His jasmindays won JCB prize. Marubhoomiyude atmakatha is a travelogue by V Musafar Ahammad won Sahitya Academy Award in 2010. Babu Baradwaj’s pravasiyude kurippukal translated as notes of an expat is the memoir of a man in exile. P Manikandhan’s malayaliyude swanthanweshanangal was winner of NV Krishna Warrier Award for best critical work. Deepak unnikrishnan's temporary people is an another important work. Many more works were translated to Arabic such as Chemeen, Shabdikunna Kalappa, Oru Sangeerthanam pole, Nilavu, Kaalam, Balyakala sakhi are among them.

Along and Across the Nahr el-Quweiq: EB I-IVA Ceramic Horizons and Interregional Connections

The Quweiq and Matkh plains, in north inland Syria, were densely settled areas during the Early Bronze Age, crossed by the River Quweiq, flowing north-south from the plateau of Gaziantep to disappear into the Matkh paleolake. The northern sector of the Nahr el-Quweiq was surveyed in 1970s, providing information on the 3rd millennium BC occupation of the Aleppo’s hinterland. However, to date, only little evidence is available from archaeological excavations carried out in the area, hampering to crosscheck the ceramic periodisation derived from the Nahr el-Quweiq survey, which has therefore been used, or referred to, for general comparisons only. The article aims at revising the chronology and connections of the Aleppo region during the EB I-IVA period in the light of recent excavations and surveys carried out in neighbouring areas (the Ebla region, the Middle Euphrates, the Sajur and Jabbul plains), ultimately exploring the role of the Aleppo region as a ‘bridge area’, which provided access to important commercial routes towards the Euphrates Valley, the ‘Amuq plain and the area of Gaziantep. The north-south axis – linking the Ebla region with Aleppo – had to be particularly important during EB IVA, when ḫalab appears to belong to the Ebla kingdom and was the seat of the cult of the Storm God as we learn from cuneiform texts from Palace G archives.

The Microvertebrates of Shanidar Cave: Preliminary Taphonomic Findings

Shanidar Cave, Iraqi Kurdistan, is one of the most important Palaeolithic sites in Southwest Asia. This is due to the long sequence of hominin occupation of the cave and the discovery of multiple Neanderthal individuals from the original Solecki excavations (1951–1960) and recent excavations (2014 to present). Preliminary taphonomic analyses of the microvertebrate assemblage were undertaken to understand the factors affecting assemblage formation and accumulation, and this paper presents the first results of these analyses. All contexts display a high proportion of fragmentation, with a slight decrease in breakage towards the base of the sequence. Black staining and root etching were observed in a similar pattern, present in most contexts but with an increase in the lower levels. A significant proportion of the microvertebrate remains examined displayed light traces of digestion, indicating some contribution to the assemblage by predators. The results are consistent with wider palaeoecological records that indicate relatively warm, wet conditions at the base of the sequence and cooler, drier conditions at the top.

A Luxurious Royal Estate from the First Temple Period in Armon ha-Natziv, Jerusalem

In a recent excavation at Armon ha-Natziv, overlooking ancient Jerusalem, remains were uncovered of a royal estate from the second half of the 7th century BCE. Although the site had been dismantled and it appears that only a small portion of it has been exposed to date, there are several indications of its former grandeur. The excavations exposed three complete medium-sized decorated volute capitals, beautifully carved and excellently preserved. Dozens of fragments of adorned architectural elements were exposed nearby; they can be restored to compose a window frame with an ornamented balustrade of miniature pillars capped with decorated volute capitals. Together with fragments of ashlars bearing traces of paint, they all appear to originate from a luxurious palace or villa. A rock-cut latrine with a seat—a marker of wealth in antiquity—was uncovered above a septic pit; microscopic examination detected parasite eggs from the digestive system, along with pollen from a variety of plants that grew on the grounds. This article examines the status of this unique site among the other Judahite sites in the region, in which contemporaneous monumental architectural finds indicate an administrative or government-oriented status.