Stratigraphic Excavations Research Articles

Smart tools for archaeological survey in different frameworks and contexts: approaches, analysis, results

The world of geomatics today provides new tools, smart and low cost, for archaeological survey, from geographical positioning to detailed drawing and graphic documentation of past evidence. These instruments, light and not bulky, interface directly with tablets, iPads or smartphones via intuitive applications and speed up the data collection in the field: archaeological data collection seems not to be a big issue today and 3D survey appears to be accessible even to less experienced archaeologists. We have tested the Trimble Catalyst DA2 smart system for centimetric georeferencing at the Curiae Veteres in Rome (Italy), at the Sun Temple of Niuserra, in Abu Ghurab (Egypt) and inside the ancient site of Eridu in Iraq: it was a good opportunity to check the accuracy of this tool, especially when associated to detailed and close-range survey activities, related to landscape archaeology and stratigraphic excavations. As we will see, if the instrument cannot replace more precise measurement tools still today (such as total station or laser scanner), in the field of georeferencing can be alternative to more expensive and complex GNSS systems, and it proved to be quite effective in systematic archaeological survey of large areas, especially in association with digital aerial photogrammetry made by UAV-UAS.

Revisiting Neolithic Ali Kosh: New Insights into Settlement Sustainability, Human Mobility, and Subsistence Strategies

ABSTRACT In western Asia, the Zagros foothills played a fundamental role in the formulation of early explanatory hypotheses on the origins of agriculture. The excavations at the emblematic Neolithic site of Ali Kosh, Deh Luran, led to the development of the so-called “marginal zone hypothesis.” However, some chronological inconsistencies remained until a new stratigraphic excavation was carried out in 2017 to revise the findings. According to the new evaluation, Ali Kosh was occupied from ca. 7500–6500 cal b.c. During the Boz Mordeh phase (ca. 7500–7350 b.c.), the inhabitants occupied the site seasonally, but they became increasingly sedentary in the succeeding Ali Kosh phase (ca. 7350–7000 b.c.). In addition to obsidian, they also imported beads of stone and sea shell. Moreover, they increasingly relied on herding sheep and fully domesticated goats. The emergence of Neolithic life in the lowlands was a direct consequence of cultural changes in the central Zagros. It is not yet known whether this was a result of climatic deterioration or population pressure in the highlands.

The Final Bronze/Early Iron Age in the Old Zerafshan Delta, Uzbekistan: Pilot Investigations at Kimirek-kum-1

ABSTRACT The transition between the Final Bronze and Early Iron Age remains one of the least understood periods in the archaeology of southern Central Asia. In this paper, we introduce the newly discovered site of Kimirek-kum-1 (floruit ca. 1250–1050 cal b.c.) in the old delta of the Zerafshan River in present-day Uzbekistan. Combined pedestrian survey, geomagnetic prospection, hand augering, and stratigraphic excavation, conducted between 2021 and 2023, demonstrate the site’s unique potential to improve our understanding of the Final Bronze/Early Iron Age transition and the interface between the Central Eurasian steppes to the north and the Indo-Iranian world to the south. Notably, our investigations yielded nearly 400 objects in copper alloys, lead, gold, and semi-precious stone. These findings strongly suggest that Kimirek-kum-1 represents a substantial new Final Bronze/Early Iron Age center with extensive external links. It raises critical questions about the continuity of long-distance exchanges and elite networks after the end of the Oxus civilization.

Identifying settlement strategy and land-use continuity of the prehistoric Şorsu Tepe in Nakhichevan, Azerbaijan

This study discusses archaeological research on the Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age cultures in the South Caucasus hilly flank belts, focusing on these societies' mobility and settlement strategies. The material record and site selection reflect changes in social structures. Pastoralism has played a significant role in Nakhichevan's history, but detailed records about pastoral activities, mobility patterns, and the evolution of pastoral strategies still need to be included. This study focused on Şorsu Tepe, an archaeological site in the Nakhichevan River Basin. We conducted stratigraphic excavations and sedimentological inquiries to understand the community's settlement tactics and adaptation strategies. The settlement's architectural evidence provides insights into past communities' daily practices, social structures, and organizational patterns. The geographical background of the study area, Nakhichevan, is described, emphasizing its strategic location connecting different regions. The excavation at Şorsu Tepe revealed three stratigraphic levels with distinctive phases, reflecting changing settlement strategies. This research has proposed terms like "Temporary Campsite," "Seasonal/Temporary Campsite," and "Long-term Stay/Seasonal Campsite" to describe the settlement stages. This study highlights the challenges in identifying the distinctions between nomadic and sedentary lifestyles, suggesting that the settlement at Şorsu Tepe could have served as a temporary campsite or summer pasture. In conclusion, this study underscores the significance of mobility and settlement strategies in shaping the cultures of the South Caucasus region during the Late Chalcolithic to Early Bronze Age.

The illicit trade in antiquities is not the world's third-largest illicit trade: a critical evaluation of a factoid

AbstractThe claim that the illicit trade in antiquities is the third largest, second only to arms and narcotics, is widely repeated. But where does this claim originate and what is the evidence for its veracity? The authors present a ‘stratigraphic excavation’ of the claim by systematically searching through academic articles, popular press and policy literature to reveal the factoid's use and reuse over the past five decades. The authors find that the claim is not based on any original research or statistics, and it does not originate with any competent authorities. The analysis demonstrates how the uncritical repetition of unsubstantiated ‘facts’ can undermine legitimate efforts to prevent looting, trafficking and illicit sale of antiquities.

A Unique Painted Sherd from the Mid-Sixth Millennium BCE Neolithic Context of Northeastern Iran

Depicting animal motifs on pottery vessels of prehistoric cultures of the Iranian Plateau was begun as early as the turn of the seventh millennium BCE in the lowland Susiana Plain of southwestern Iran. Such motifs appeared in the Neolithic of northeastern Iran, known as Chakhmaq Culture, as early as the early sixth millennium BCE. During a stratigraphic excavation at a Neolithic site, dated to ca. 7000–5000 BCE, in the Shahroud Plain of northeastern Iran, a body sherd was found depicting a scene of mating goats rotating around the vessel. Regarding its early date, ca. 5650–5550 cal BCE, and its naturalistic way of representing the animal motifs, this sherd is unique among the contemporaneous Neolithic sites of the Iranian Plateau.

Watering the desert: Oasis hydroarchaeology, geochronology and functionality in Northern Arabia

The phenomenon of very extended desert oases settlements, mega-sites featuring complex irrigation systems and monumental walls has long been observed in Northern Arabia. In the past, it has been linked to the settling down of nomadic components of the population and dated through archaeological material to the Late Bronze or Iron Ages (late second to mid-first millennium BCE). Since 2014 we have been investigating this development through the case study of the oasis of Qurayyah, a walled site of over 300 ha (Tabuk, NW Saudi Arabia). After mapping the geomorphological and hydroarchaeological layout of this ancient settlement, we established the age of key locations of the site through OSL and radiometric measurements from controlled stratigraphic excavations. We could thus confirm that a major – the largest so far documented in Arabia – flood protection and surface water harvesting system (SWHS) was developed already during the Early Bronze Age (2900–2600 calBCE) onto the relict late Pleistocene playa landscape. This sophisticated anthropogenic hydraulic infrastructure enabled the foundation of the river oasis and construction of the permanent walled settlement. Since different components of the SWHS erected on the site (dam, inlet, canals, weirs, outlet, etc.) resulted being synchronic, they are understood as functional elements of one and the same system. A test of the functionality of the identified SWHS for different rainfall scenarios has confirmed that the volume of its catchment’s surface-water supply was sufficient for irrigation, productive and drinking needs of the large oasis since its Early Bronze Age creation.

Multispectral UAV Data and GPR Survey for Archeological Anomaly Detection Supporting 3D Reconstruction.

Archeological prospection and 3D reconstruction are increasingly combined in large archeological projects that serve both site investigation and dissemination of results. This paper describes and validates a method for using multispectral imagery captured by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), subsurface geophysical surveys, and stratigraphic excavations to evaluate the role of 3D semantic visualizations for the collected data. The information recorded by various methods will be experimentally reconciled using the Extended Matrix and other original open-source tools, keeping both the scientific processes that generated them and the derived data separate, transparent, and reproducible. This structured information makes immediately accessible the required variety of sources useful for interpretation and reconstructive hypotheses. The application of the methodology will use the first available data from a five-year multidisciplinary investigation project at Tres Tabernae, a Roman site near Rome, where numerous non-destructive technologies, as well as excavation campaigns, will be progressively deployed to explore the site and validate the approaches.

Revision of TD1 and TD2 stratigraphic sequence of Gran Dolina cave (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain)

Gran Dolina is a cavity infilled by at least 25 m of Pleistocene sediments divided into 12 lithostratigraphic units and 19 sedimentary facies. These sedimentary facies have been divided into allochthonous facies, defined as sediment inputs from the outside, and autochthonous facies, defined as sediments generated within the karst; but this division has been challenged in recent works. In this study, TD1 and TD2 units of Gran Dolina have been detailed studied and the use of autochthonous facies has been assessed. For that purpose, we have studied the stratigraphic excavation profile, combining field observation with laboratory sedimentary analysis (sieving, laser diffraction, and XRD) to characterize the texture and structure of the sediments. Based on these studies, a total of 8 sedimentary facies have been identified. Consequently, TD1 unit has been separated into two sub-units and 13 layers, while the TD2 unit has been divided into three sub-units. The facies associations indicate a succession of phreatic and vadose phases that would define together epiphreatic conditions inside the cave, related to the transition between Arlanzón valley terraces T3 and T4. Interior facies (and entrance facies for allochthonous facies) is proposed to define Gran Dolina's sediments since the facies analyses indicate transport by underground flows.

Early Neolithic Chronology and Lithic Industry of Tepe Abdul Hosein, Central Zagros, Iran

Abstract. Tepe Abdul Hosein is a rare early Neolithic settlement in the Central Zagros that has received controlled stratigraphic excavations. However, since the excavations in 1978, its chronological position has remained unclear, and the potential for Neolithization research in the Zagros Mountains has not been fully exploited. This paper presents a reconstruction of the stratigraphy, a new set of radiocarbon dates, and a diachronic analysis of the lithic assemblages. The results indicate that the major Neolithic occupations in this settlement consisted of at least two phases—the early (ca. 8250-7800 cal. BC) and late ones (ca. 7600-7550 cal. BC)—and that there was a significant evolution of lithic techno-typology over this time period. The observed patterns are an important addition to our still-incomplete database to understand the Early Neolithic development in the Central Zagros, whose distinct features should be evaluated from both regional and supra-regional perspectives.

A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Conservation of Salūt, Sultanate of Oman

ABSTRACT The relationship between planning and restoration work, and the acquisition of data necessary for contextual understanding of Salūt, a large Iron Age site, are discussed. Its different historical contexts required close collaboration among architects, archaeologists, Ministry of Heritage and Culture staff, local workers and students from Sultan Qaboos University (SQU). A central aim was to awaken the interest of the community and encourage them to play an active role in the conservation of local heritage sites. This and the technical solutions adopted are also a focus of the paper. Intangible cultural heritage should be considered to be an integral part of the site. A number of activities was undertaken to develop sustainable responses for the management of Omani cultural heritage: historical and ethnographic research into the traditional techniques of mudbrick and mud plaster construction, with visits to surrounding villages to identify Omani residents familiar with the process; information storage, images, and video interviews for a multi-level, potentially replicable approach; creation and implementation of guidelines for the conservation of the mudbrick walls; organization of site visits, awareness-raising activities for local students and interested community members; the training of two female SQU students in stratigraphic excavation and conservation of artifacts; and the use of state-of-the-art surveying and 3D modeling for the evaluation of interventions. The program at Salūt site, until the interruption due to the pandemic, has produced largely positive results, and the methodology developed here can promote recovery of other archaeological sites similar to Salūt.

Crossing the Alps: Early Urbanism Between Northern Italy and Central Europe (900–400 BC). Edited by Lorenzo Zamboni, Manuel Fernández-Götz, and Carola Metzner-Nebelsick. Leiden: Sidestone Press 2020. Pp. 434. £166.50. ISBN 978-90-8890-961-0 (paper).

<i>Crossing the Alps: Early Urbanism Between Northern Italy and Central Europe (900–400 BC)</i>. Edited by Lorenzo Zamboni, Manuel Fernández-Götz, and Carola Metzner-Nebelsick. Leiden: Sidestone Press 2020. Pp. 434. £166.50. ISBN 978-90-8890-961-0 (paper).

Archaeological research on the settlement of Bol’shoy K’irk-K’iz in the Right-Bank Chorasmia in 2021

The article summarizes the preliminary results of the research conducted at the settlement of Bolshoy Kyrk-Kyz in 2021. The stratigraphic excavation within the citadel of the settlement revealed three construction horizons corresponding to the most intense period of the monument&amp;apos;s life - the first half of the I millennium AD. This date is determined by a very characteristic ceramic complex obtained during excavations. There is a group of ceramics made by hand from clay with admixtures of chamotte and crystalline gypsum. This ware has numerous analogies in the ceramic complexes of Khorezm dated to the II–IV centuries AD. In the northern part of the fortress, where the contours of a large building were traced, a new excavation was laid. After the sweeps, this assumption was confirmed. A part of a large building was discovered during the excavation, in the center of which was a vast courtyard paved with mud bricks. Perhaps it was a large city estate built at the final stage of the monument&amp;apos;s life. According to the accompanying material, the building dates from the VII – first half of the VIII centuries AD. As a result of these works, a preliminary periodization of the life of the monument is proposed, which was founded as the center of a small agricultural oasis no later than the IV–III centuries BC. The final stage of the existence of the fortress dates back to the VII–VIII centuries AD. At this time, an extensive suburb with developed handicraft production was formed to the east of the fortress.

From Roman industrial center to early Islamic town: archaeological excavations at ʻMarea’/Philoxenite in the 2020–2021 season

Being one of the biggest and best preserved archaeological sites in the western hinterland of Alexandria, ‘Marea’/Philoxenite is, therefore, one of the most important points of reference for studies of the Mareotis region. Despite the fact that the site has been investigated for many years, by various excavation teams, the nature and chronology of the different phases of settlement remain unclear. Since 2018, systematic stratigraphic excavations have been carried out at the site with the aim of investigating insufficiently studied parts of the settlement. In 2020 and 2021, this goal was achieved by opening and surveying 11 trenches in the southwestern part of the site. This led to the identification of hitherto unknown structures: two churches, two tombs, an irrigation system and numerous rubbish dumps associated with the Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic phases. The study also determined the extent and functional changes of various parts of this settlement, in different historical periods.

Chronologie du Paléolithique supérieur dans le Nord-Est de la principale île du Japon

Palaeolithic archaeology in Tohoku region has long been discussed on constructing chronology, however it is difficult to build reliable chronological order because of poor stratigraphic excavations. In recent radiocarbon dating has advanced. In this paper I discuss the relation between chronology and radiocarbon dating in Tohoku region. At first, I categorize the Palaeolithic industries and establish the chronology by analyzing tool typology, lithic technology, and stratigraphic data. I correlate it with radiocarbon data from sites in Tohoku region. The result of analysis shows that Upper Palaeolithic industries are divided into 18 categories and 8 periods on chronology. The calibration curve IntCal 13 indicated that oldest Early Upper Palaeolithic site appeared around 37,000cal BP, and late Upper Palaeolithic started about 27,000cal BP. The pottery first appeared as far back as around 16,000cal BP. Now we do not have enough radiocarbon data, so we have to gather and examine more 14C data.

Robert Carl Suggs and the transformation of Pacific archaeology: a retrospective view

The 1950s were a pivotal era in Polynesian archaeology, with the beginnings of stratigraphic excavations and application of radiocarbon dating. Robert Carl Suggs played a key role with his seminal work on Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. Suggs’s use of artefact seriation, and his focus on architecture along with portable artefacts, were key methodological contributions. Unlike other contemporaries, Suggs brought a holistic anthropological perspective to his interpretations of culture change. Even though the chronology he proposed for Marquesan prehistory has been revised, his sequence of cultural periods remains relevant to current discussions of the Polynesian past.

The indigenous settlement of Monte Iato (western Sicily): an ethnoarchaeometric approach for outlining local Archaic ceramic productions

An ethnoarchaeometric approach has been followed to identify the textural and compositional characteristics of the ceramic pastes produced in ancient Iaitas/Ietas, an indigenous site located in western Sicily on Monte Iato, a few tens of kilometres from Palermo. This approach was primarily motivated by the lack of discovered Archaic kilns or production sites/workshops and the inability to identify reference groups. Raw clays were sampled in the territory of San Cipirello and San Giuseppe Iato (today’s municipalities both sited on the northern slopes of Monte Iato), together with representative historic tiles and bricks locally produced until fairly recently. Grain-size analysis and experimental firings were performed on the clay samples. A significant number of archaeological ceramic samples (incised and painted indigenous pottery dating back to the seventh–fifth centuries BCE) from stratigraphic excavations on Monte Iato, and hypothesized as local productions on a stylistic-morphological basis, was carefully selected for archaeometric analysis. This set of samples (90 in total, comprising raw clays, historic tiles/bricks and archaeological ceramics) underwent a combined chemical and mineralogical-petrographic analysis to identify any possible compositional matching. This approach enabled the identification of minero-petrographic and chemical markers pertinent to the indigenous Archaic pottery produced at Monte Iato, although no evidence of coeval ceramic kilns has been found so far. Local raw clay sources have been documented and some significant points of the chaîne opératoire adopted in antiquity have been noted (clay mixing and tempering practices). Attesting Monte Iato as a centre of ceramic production and defining both the microscopic fabric and the average composition of local pastes open up new perspectives in the complex issue concerning the production and regional circulation of incised and painted indigenous ceramics in Archaic Sicily.

Ricognizioni archeologiche nella chora di Herakleia (Basilicata)

The Post-graduated School of Archaeological Heritage of Matera annually promotes, within the project CHORA, Laboratories of Archeaology in Basilicata, the campaigns of intensive archaeological survey in the territory of the ancient chora of Herakleia, between the rivers of Akiris and Siris, together with the stratigraphic excavation on the hill of S.M. d’Anglona (ancient Pandosia). These are two actions of a unitary landscape archaeology project characterized by a highly integrated approach: the archaeological activity, in collaboration with other disciplinary sectors, is linked to the themes of identifying the agricultural resources of the ancient territory of Herakleia

The survival of artefacts from different historical phases in shallow open sites and the need for spit excavations: An overview from the Cumberland Plain, Western Sydney, Australia

It has often been thought that shallow open sites (<50 cm of artefact-bearing deposit) in the undulating landscape of the Cumberland Plain would not retain any chronologically meaningful vertical distributions. The prevailing geomorphic model has proposed that artefacts discarded by people at different times would have been buried and mixed together by bioturbation. To address this model, this paper analyses the vertical distributions of artefacts at 21 open sites and finds that 13 of those sites show vertical variation in the proportions of indurated mudstone/silicified tuff (IMST), silcrete and/or quartz artefacts. The trends shown by the distributions are broadly consistent with a known regional change in raw material use and indicate the survival of some chronologically meaningful artefact variation with depth of the deposit. In addition, sites with increased proportions of older IMST artefacts in deeper deposits tend to be associated with larger streams and tend to occur at low elevations. This suggests that the survival of older artefacts could be related in part to long-term geomorphic processes visible at the landscape scale. The results indicate that sites may have differing histories of visitation, artefact discard, geomorphic processes and survival of evidence, and that careful, stratigraphic excavation is warranted.

Rock paintings, soot, and the practice of marking places. A case study in North-Central Chile

The study of rock art production has been traditionally focused either on the tools used in the process and/or in the components of rock paintings. In this paper we consider the role of fire and soot as substances that participated in the dynamic process of rock art making by Late Holocene hunter-gatherers from the Limarí River Basin (North-Central Chile). Through Optical Microscopy, Raman Spectroscopy and SEM-EDS analyses, together with traditional strategies of rock art recording and radiocarbon dating of paintings, soot and materials recovered from a stratigraphic excavation, we study how fire and soot structured the practice of rock art making in Alero Cachaco. The results show that the deposition of soot on the walls and ceiling of the rockshelter, produced by fire associated with daily activities of the communities that inhabited it, covered paintings, leading people to re-paint the rockshelter for almost 3000 years.