Archaeological Tools Research Articles

Carrier Design and Motion Control of Marine Underwater Robot

Wang, K.; Wang, M.-Y., and Zhao, Y.-F., 2020. Carrier design and motion control of marine underwater robot. In: Qiu, Y.; Zhu, H., and Fang, X. (eds.), Current Advancements in Marine and Coastal Research for Technological and Sociological Applications. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 107, pp. 181-184. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The underwater robot is a complex intelligent system, which can replace human beings to carry out underwater work in complex and hard environment. Underwater robot is a complex system integrating many disciplines, including mechanical, electronic, computer, fluid, structure, material and other disciplines, which has become the main tool in underwater observation, underwater archaeology, underwater search and rescue, aquaculture and other aspects. Through the underwater robot, we can use it in many ways, such as marine environment monitoring, seabed resource exploration, military application, etc., which can replace human beings to complete observation, camera, information collection and other work in the deep water environment. The underwater robot must face the complex marine environment, which requires its carrier to have a variety of high requirements, such as pressure resistance, water tightness and carrying capacity. Through high-quality carrier design, we can better improve the carrier's promotion efficiency and space operation ability. By establishing a perfect integrated motion control system, the underwater robot can realize behavior reflection and information control, which will improve the robot's motion control technology. First, this paper classifies the underwater vehicles. Then, the basic principle of the underwater vehicle is analyzed. Then, this paper designs the underwater vehicle. Finally, this paper analyzes the motion control structure.

The UAS-Based 3D Image Characterization of Mozarabic Church Ruins in Bobastro (Malaga), Spain

In recent years, the application of geomatics tools in archaeology has proved to be very useful to obtain meaningful knowledge of the 3D reconstruction of archaeological remains and semantic classification of the 3D surface. These techniques have proven to be an effective solution for the 3D modeling and the extraction of many spatial features on an archaeological site. However, novel methodologies as well as new data exploitation strategies are required to exploit these geospatial data for natural and cultural heritage documentation, monitoring, and preservation. In this paper, we have studied unique archaeological ruins, a Mozarab church in Al-Andalus, using high-resolution RGB images, which was taken by a drone. Thus, a 3D reconstruction of the ruins and the surrounding environment is carried out in order to characterize it on a dense point cloud. Then, a digital elevation model (DEM) was calculated in order to identify critical slope lines, which are significant to determine where the structure of the church was built. Our results can be used for the development of an architectural project and thus a virtual recreation of these archaeological ruins was performed.

Pitted stones in the Acheulean from Olduvai Gorge Beds III and IV (Tanzania): A use-wear and 3D approach

The archaeological sequence of Olduvai Gorge Beds III and IV is essential for the study of the evolution of the African Acheulean between ∼1.3 Ma and 0.6 Ma. However, no further reexaminations of the lithic assemblages have been published after Mary Leakey's original work. In this article, we present an analysis of a part of these collections, with an emphasis on the microscopic and spatial analysis of percussive marks in the so-called pitted stones. To investigate the function of pitted stones and understand the formation process of depressions on lava cobbles, archaeological pitted stones were compared with experimental tools used in bipolar knapping, nut-cracking, and flake-splitting activities. Our results demonstrate that features of pitted stones remained homogeneous across Beds III and IV assemblages, with depressions preferentially located on the central areas of the tools and similar use-wear traces inside such depressions. Comparisons with the experimental collection demonstrate that these depressions are rapidly formed when splitting flakes, resulting in elongated morphologies similar to those documented in the archaeological tools. Our results are discussed within the context of other archaeological and nonhuman primate assemblages to further explore the function of pounding activities in which pitted stones could have potentially been involved.

Use-wear analysis of bone and antler tools from Farneto (Bologna, Italy) and Sa Osa (Oristano, Italy) archaeological sites

The aim of this study is the reconstruction of past use and function of bone and antler tools, referring to two archaeological sites of Copper Age occupation: Farneto rockshelter (Bologna, Italy) and Sa Osa site (Oristano, Italy). The collections respectively result from a museum old collection, and a preventive excavation rescue. Besides, a de-contextualisation and the nearly total lack of manufacturing waste are recorded: the collections are mainly composed by finished tools, with pointed tools and bevelled tools as recurring typologies. The applied methodology take instance from the bone industry studies and functional analyses, which allow identifying the modalities of exploitation of osseous materials during Prehistory for utilitarian purposes. Observations under stereomicroscope and metallographic microscope highlight the presence of anthropic marks formed on tools surface during their use in past recurring activities. An experimental activity is also performed, in order to create a reliable reference collection to compare with the macro and micro traces recorded on the archaeological tools. The resulting data and the integration of different approaches in an interdisciplinary research, allowed reconstructing the past use for the most recurrent tools typologies identified at Farneto rockshelter and Sa Osa sites' collections.

Gamma-Ray Spectrometry as a Tool for Exploring Archaeological Nuclear Facilities

Since its first demonstration in the early 2000s, the exploration of gamma-ray spectrometry (GRS) applications as a geophysical tool in archaeology remains nascent. While intentional neutron activation, which requires a gamma-ray analysis, has seen increasing use as a geoforensics technique in archaeology, little or no research has been published concerning the possibility of GRS as an industrial archaeological tool for use in exploring nuclear sites or facilities where neutron activation and surface contamination may have already occurred. Consequently, the use of GRS as a geophysical tool for the archaeological investigation of abandoned or decommissioned nuclear facilities is proposed, demonstrated, and discussed using a case study from the Nevada Test Site Nuclear Rocket Development Station.

Fish resource exploitation in the southern Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula: A view from the traceological analysis of flaked stone tools (sixth-fourth mill. cal BCE)

In this paper, we provide new data on fish resource exploitation during the Mesolithic and Neolithic period on the Atlantic coast of the Iberian Peninsula. Evidence from four different sites is presented: Vale Marim I (end of the seventh/beginning of the sixth millennium cal BCE) and Vale Pincel I (2nd and 3rd quarters of the sixth millennium cal BCE), both located on the southwestern Portuguese coast, and La Esparragosa and SET Parralejos (fourth-third millennia cal BCE), both located on the southern Spanish coast. The analysis of the lithic assemblages by means of use-wear analysis provided evidence of fish-processing activities. The analysis of the archaeological tools has been based on a renewed experimental framework for fish-related use-wear traces. Despite data being still scarce and fragmentary, this study points out the necessity of a more integrating approach, including traceological analysis in the framework of a broader research on prehistoric fishing.

Problematizando as Práticas de Criminalização dos Movimentos Sociais: uma Análise Documental

Este trabalho teve como objetivo fazer um levantamento, revisão e análise da literatura acerca do tema “Criminalização dos Movimentos Sociais”. Foram utilizadas para a análise dissertações coletadas no ano de 2013 encontradas sobre esse tema no banco de dados da Biblioteca Digital Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações (BDTD). Para a análise das dissertações foram utilizadas as pistas deixadas pelo trabalho realizado por Michel Foucault através de suas ferramentas arqueológicas e genealógicas de análise que nos forneceu a possibilidade de uma crítica e uma problematização das práticas discursivas (saber) e não discursivas (poder e subjetivação) que atravessam e compõem os trabalhos analisados, guiado pela visão de uma história descontínua que deflagra acontecimentos em sua singularidade. Verificamos que as séries recortadas das dissertações trazem à mídia, a justiça, a polícia e o governo como principais elementos de uma prática de criminalização dos movimentos sociais, sem esquecer-se de apontar as resistências promovidas por esses grupos contra esse processo.

Medieval landscapes of Greece and Turkey: a post-colloquium commentary

Our colleague Effie Athanassopoulos has done an excellent job in assembling a collection of papers to reflect the current state of the art for Medieval landscape archaeology in the Aegean and Anatolia. One of the shared themes in many of these papers is the state of maturity of this subfield of Mediterranean Archaeology. It echoes a much wider question in post-Roman studies for this large region, as to how progress in this period and area compares to what has been achieved in Western Europe. For example, the limitations of Byzantine Archaeology have repeatedly been raised by some of its practitioners and associated historians since the 1980’s, while Greek Post-Medieval Archaeology has been seen as even more a Cinderella-subject over the same period. To judge by this colloquium, much progress has been made: there is a larger body of researchers, who read each other’s work and share methods and questions to address, yet it is still a small community. In the practice of archaeological survey, recognised as a prime tool for landscape archaeology, we still find recent projects which choose to ignore the surface sites of post-Roman eras (e.g. the Antikythera Project). Nowadays, an excavation which dug away the recent levels to get at the Classical ones would be seen as scandalous, so why should we permit the equivalent to occur in regional survey, where nobody is going to revisit the same fields to compensate for such neglect?

Incipient Weathering of the ~74ka Young Toba Tuff (YTT) Biotite Grains, Sagileru Valley, Andhra Pradesh

ABSTRACT The Young Toba Tuff (YTT) ash containing biotite flakes was once spread over the Indian peninsula, and is now exposed at several sites in the Sagileru river basin in Andhra Pradesh. The ash beds form a distinct marker horizon in the landscape and have been recognized in a variety of sedimentary sequences associated with middle Paleolithic archaeological tools. In the present study, biotite grains from the volcanic ash beds were separated that were collected from Vankamarri (VKM), Porumamilla (PRM) and Jammulamadugu (JMD), sites in the Sagileru river valley, Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh. The biotite grains were separated to understand the state and stage of weathering since the ash deposition ~74ka. Electron microprobe data of the biotite grains exhibit low FeO/MgO values. The chemical discrimination diagrams characterizing the physicochemical properties of the biotite flakes from VKM, PRM and JMD sites indicate calc-alkaline composition and in the A–CN–K diagram, most of the samples fall above the plagioclase feldspar zone signifying low degree of alteration. Both the CIA and A-CN-K values depict the low weathering state of biotite, and this probably is owing to long periods of dry, semi-arid to arid climatic conditions since ~74ka. Scanning Electron microscope (SEM) of the biotite grains reveal micro and nanopores on the surface and many a times these coalesce to form curls along the edges of the biotite grains further supporting incipient but very early stage of biotite weathering since its deposition ~74ka.

Metal Detection:An Essential Aid in Maritime Archaeology

Metal detection has proven itself to be an essential adjunct to the human eye in the non-disturbance location and assessment of archaeological deposits where metals exist. It can also assist greatly during excavation and in post excavation management strategies. Relating experiences in Australia over the course of several decades helps explain why the method has been slow in being more broadly accepted as an archaeological tool and in some instances misunderstood by many archaeologists. These experiences illustrate why it is essential for historical and maritime archaeologists to avail themselves of the tool.

SEARCH & INSPECTION ARCHAEOLOGICAL UNDERWATER CAMPAIGNS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE EUROPEAN ARROWS PROJECT

Abstract. Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs), benefiting from significant investments in the past years, are commonly used for military security and offshore Oil&Gas applications. The ARROWS project, aimed at exporting the AUV technology to the field of underwater archaeology, a low-budget research field compared to the previous ones. The paper focuses on the strategy for vehicle coordination adopted within the project, a Search and Inspection (S&I) approach borrowed from the defense field (e.g., mine countermeasure – MCM) that proved to be an efficient solution also for the main phases of an underwater archaeological mission. The other main novelty aspect is represented by MARTA (MArine Robotic Tool for Archaeology) AUV: it is a modular vehicle easily and quickly reconfigurable developed in the framework of ARROWS according to the project Archaeological Advisory Group (AAG) guidelines. Results from the final demonstration of the project, held in Estonia during Summer 2015, are proposed in the paper as an experimental proof of the validity of the proposed S&I strategy, and MARTA functioning and its adaptability to the mission requirements. Even in its first prototype version, MARTA successfully played the Inspection role within the AUV team, collaborating with a commercial Search AUV. Acoustic and optical data collected during the mission and processed to increase their intelligibility for the human operator are proposed and discussed.

Caries as an archaeological problem-solving tool: reconstructing subsistence patterns in late prehistoric west-central Tennessee

The dentition from two Middle Mississippian period (~AD 1100-1350) site samples (Gray Farm [~AD 1150-1400], Link/Slayden [~AD 1200-1400]) from the Kentucky Lake Reservoir of west-central Tennessee area are examined for the presence of caries to assess whether a maize-intensive subsistence economy is evident or the retention of the cultivation of domesticated native seeds (i.e., the Eastern Agricultural Complex). Given the absence of archaeological context, the caries prevalence operates as an archaeological problem-solving tool. The caries prevalence by tooth type are compared to a Late Woodland period (~AD 400-900) site sample (Hobbs) from the Kentucky Lake Reservoir as well as three unequivocal maize-intensive site samples from the Late Mississippian period (~AD 1300-1550) of East Tennessee. The Gray Farm site aligns statistically with the maize-intensive samples; Link/Slayden does not and resembles the caries prevalence of the Hobbs sample. The Mississippianization process in the Kentucky Lake Reservoir clearly varies in the adoption of maize as a primary cultigen. This may reflect the difference in geo-political location of Gray Farm and Link/Slayden relative to neighboring Mississippian economies, particularly to the east (Middle Cumberland Culture), or it may reflect potential temporal differences among the Middle Mississippian period settlements within the Kentucky Lake Reservoir.

Detecting Heritage Crime(s): What We Know about Illicit Metal Detecting in England and Wales

Abstract:Metal detecting is a popular hobby in England and Wales, and, since 1997, over 1.3 million finds have been recorded by the Portable Antiquities Scheme (PAS), a scheme to encourage the voluntary recording of artifacts found by the public. The metal detector can be a useful archaeological tool when used lawfully and responsibly; however, it is also a tool that is used for illicit purposes by individuals and groups wishing to obtain artifacts from archaeological sites on which they have no permission to detect. Information on the number and nature of incidents of illicit metal detecting, however, is difficult to collate owing both to the nature of the crime and to the way it is recorded (or not) by law enforcement authorities. In this article, we examine the strengths and limitations of the available official and unofficial sources on illicit metal detecting in England and Wales and explore the potential they have to tell us about current trends in this form of heritage crime. The first unofficial source is a list of incidents reported to Historic England, which contains basic information on 276 incidents recorded between 2010 and 2017. The second source is the result of a survey of the PAS’s finds liaison officers regarding the extent to which they assisted law enforcement authorities for the years from 2015 to 2017. Both sources were then contrasted with a freedom of information request that was sent to all 49 police forces in the United Kingdom. Although there are some synergies between the unofficial and official sources, the lack of detail in any one dataset makes them of limited use in demonstrating trends in the macro- and micro-scales of time and place. Accordingly, many of the issues highlighted in this article could be resolved by devising a better system for police record keeping of metal detecting offences.

COMPLEMENTARITY BETWEEN IN SITU STUDIES AND PHOTOGRAMMETRY: METHODOLOGICAL FEEDBACK FROM A ROMAN SHIPWRECK IN CAESAREA, ISRAEL

Abstract. As a quick and effective way to archive the different stages of an excavation - notably to prepare the post-excavation phase and to document the production methods – photogrammetry has become an indispensable tool. Indeed, it offers a valid scientific model, usable by any member of the team and at any moment, without the need to return to the excavation site. Photogrammetry can also complement other archaeological tools such as manual surveys. The interaction between the complementary approach of the interpretative drawing measurements (IDM) and the photogrammetric model measurements (PMM) enables us to apprehend the error rate of the interpretative measurements in situ. It appears thus that the measurements taken flat have an error rate inferior to 2% whereas the distances that are either too long or taken on a three-dimensional support have an error rate that can exceed 10%. The input of photogrammetry is therefore an added value whether it be during the excavation phase or during the post-excavation studies.

Small-scale spatial resolution of the soil phytolith record in a rainforest and a dry forest in Costa Rica: applications to the deep-time fossil phytolith record

Phytolith analysis, a well-established tool in archaeology and Quaternary paleoecology, has become a source of data for deep-time paleoecological studies only in the last 15 years. Recent years have also witnessed the publication of numerous soil phytolith inventories from extant vegetation types, representing modern analogues. However, this work suffers from several methodological shortcomings limiting inter-study comparisons, and the development of a single, and repeatable protocol for soil sample collection. In this paper, we focus on two fundamental methodological questions that must be answered before modern analogue studies can be meaningfully applied to deep-time paleoecology. (1) Do phytoliths from the lower portion of the A-horizon (more commonly preserved in paleosols) reflect standing vegetation equally well as the upper A-horizon (which is more commonly used in modern analogue studies but often truncated by erosion in paleosols)? (2) Does a point soil sample (usually collected from paleosols) capture standing vegetation as accurately as a composite soil sample (commonly used in modern analogue studies), which is made from subsamples taken from a small area? To address these questions, we collected soil from 10 × 10 m quadrats in a rainforest (La Selva) and a dry forest (Palo Verde) in Costa Rica and compared phytolith assemblages from upper vs. lower soil A-horizons, and composites vs. single phytolith assemblages. At both sites, phytolith assemblages from the lower vs. upper A-horizon, and from single vs. composite samples provide similar vegetation structure signal despite some compositional differences. These results suggest that the typical approach in deep-time paleoecology of taking point samples from the lower A-horizon of paleosols is likely justifiable (at least for paleosols reflecting rainforest and dry forest soils). We discuss possible mechanisms driving differences between sites, and future approaches to further expand and test our results.

Preliminary archaeometric investigation on Middle Neolithic siliceous tools from Limba-Oarda de Jos (Transylvania, Romania)

The present archaeometric study focuses on a set of archaeological siliceous lithic tools that are assigned to the early Vinča culture period (Vinča A and Vinča B1). They were found in several pit-houses at Limba-Oarda de Jos (SW Transylvania, Romania), an open settlement that has been dated to 5,405-5,310 cal. BCE, a period in the Middle Neolithic. A total of 322 retouched tools and débitage pieces were typologically and macroscopically investigated. From these, 20 pieces were analyzed by polarized light optical microscopy (OM) and 10 pieces were analyzed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in order to identify compositional characteristics, define the petrographic type, and establish the spectral fingerprint of each material.
 Four petrographic types were discriminated: radiolarite, chert, fossiliferous chert, and siliceous limestone. Mineralogically, the tools primarily consist of a mass of microquartz and fibrous microquartz (called also ‘chalcedony’) associated with radiolarians remnants (in radiolarites); fossil shell fragments (in the fossiliferous chert); and limestone components, such as ooliths and pellets (in the siliceous limestone). All samples show distinct FTIR bands, most of which are assigned to microquartz, quartz, and fibrous microquartz. The deconvolution of the FTIR spectra in the 950-1300 cm-1 domain reveals the contribution of several other phases, such as calcite and clay minerals.
 The results support the assumption that the tools made of chert, fossiliferous chert, and siliceous limestone were produced at the site from nodules that probably originated from the Upper Jurassic chert-bearing limestone that crops out nearby in the Trascău Mts. The tools made of radiolarite were most likely brought to the site as finished products from the Trascău Mts.

Metal Detection, An Essential Remote Sensing Approach for Historical Archaeologists

Over the last thirty years, metal detection has become an essential tool in historical archaeology, yet the majority of archaeologists still know relatively little about metal detectors. In this review we trace the increasing use of metal detectors in archaeological survey and research following several notable successes in archaeological surveys that proved their worth. To understand the differences between the two basic types of metal detectors used by archaeologists we briefly explain how they function and what their relative strengths and weaknesses are for archaeological research. Metal detectors are most commonly used in archaeological survey and after offering examples of how they have proved useful in recent Colorado research we lay out a methodology for a successful metal detection survey. In many ways the survey techniques, sampling designs, and intensive data recovery principles for metal detection work are akin to those principles and techniques used in standard archaeological research. These principles simply have been adapted to take advantage of the capabilities offered by this remote sensing device for discovering unseen historic sites and for better understanding how the patterning in metal artifacts at battle sites, historic trails, and Indian encampments sometimes can offer a totally new view of history.

Investigating the provenance of Italian archaeological obsidian tools based on their magnetic properties

Reconstructing the distribution of ancient obsidian tools is one of the few ways to trace ancient trade routes during the Neolithic. The use of magnetic properties for obsidian provenance studies has already been applied as a useful inexpensive and non-destructive tool. It is mainly based on the variation of the type, concentration and grain size of the magnetic particles within the vitreous matrix coming from different sources. In this study, we present the results of a rock magnetic investigation carried out on archaeological obsidian tools collected from six Neolithic sites situated in Northern Italy (Castello d’Annone, Brignano Frascata, Cascina Chiappona, Casalnoceto, Garbagna and Parma). A total of 57 archaeological samples were analysed by measuring several magnetic parameters such as low-field and anhysteretic susceptibility, saturation isothermal remanent magnetization at room and liquid nitrogen temperature, remanence and saturation magnetization from hysteresis cycles and anisotropy of low-field susceptibility. The obtained results were compared with the magnetic properties of geological samples from five Mediterranean islands (Lipari, Sardinia, Palmarola, Pantelleria and Melos). Cluster analysis was applied to the whole set of parameters, allowing the correlation of the pertinent group of artefacts and geological obsidians. Such analysis shows that most of the studied archaeological tools come from Lipari, with few exceptions consisting of samples coming from Pantelleria and Sardinia. Our results are in good agreement with other studies based on chemical analyses that also show that Lipari is the most common Neolithic obsidian source in Northern Italy, despite its longer distance in respect to other obsidian sources.

Integrating SEM-EDS in a sequential residue analysis protocol: Benefits and challenges

Residue analysis can be a useful way to determine the past functions of archaeological tools, particularly when teamed with other functional investigations such as usewear and technological analyses. The most common approach for residue analysis is through the use of optical microscopes, which can be used to visually identify in situ residues directly from the tool surface (with reflected light microscopes, RLM), as well as in water extractions sampled from the utilised tool edges (with transmitted light microscopes, TLM). Recently, the scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) has shown great potential for archaeological residue analysis as it can provide high-resolution images at very high magnifications as well as elemental analysis of adhering material. An advantage of this instrument is that it is capable of operating in low vacuum or “environmental” mode, allowing specimens to be examined uncoated and without additional preparation, so that residues can be documented/analysed in situ on the stone. In this paper, we propose a sequential protocol for the identification of tool residues using various optical light microscopes in combination with the SEM-EDS, on residues documented both in situ on stone tools and those removed from the stone substrate in solvent extractions. We also propose a new method for analysing extracted residues using the SEM-EDS that permits high resolution images of micro-residues, particularly starch and other fibres. We argue that, although both methods have limitations and instrumental challenges, when used in combination, provide a complementary means for documenting tool residues.

Locating and Mapping the Traces of the Covered Ancient Theater of Amphipolis (Eastern Macedonia, Greece)

Ancient Amphipolis (Eastern Macedonia, Greece) is one of the most important archaeological sites of Greece. Despite the restricted excavation studies, important monuments have been discovered, such as the city walls and the Macedonian burial site at the Kasta hill, etc. Currently, the location of the ancient theater is unknown and only assumptions can be made regarding its location. In the current study, we aim to detect the accurate location of the ancient theater using archaeological prospection tools, data collected from the excavated sites, and testimonies of people of the modern city. For the first step of the approach, the approximate location of the ancient theater was determined using information derived by archived geospatial data (multi-temporal aerial photographs, satellite image, and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of the area) as well as information regarding the neighboring excavated sites. For the in-depth study of the area of interest, a drone was used for the acquisition of high-resolution geospatial data. The generated orthorectified image (3 cm spatial resolution), DTM, and Digital Surface Model (DSM) allowed the determination of the potential location of the buried orchestra’s center using geometric rules for the design of ancient theaters. Furthermore, using the produced DSM and DTM, terrain cross-sections were generated.