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The ancient Greek world gave world literary philosophy great names such as Plato, Homer, Aeschylus, Sophocles and others who revolutionized the art of writing and told it the idea of critical thinking, on the forms, styles and skills of making art generally. In ancient antiquity these attitudes were primary, and it was almost impossible for the writings to break away from the tradition, which at its core was dominated by tragedy, as one of the formats that would later dominate the entire globe as a source of inspiration. Man seems to need to experience loss, suffering and tragedy, perhaps to appreciate the love and spirit that it (life) gives. Therefore, in this paper, the types of dramatic works are taken for analysis, in particular the tragic and the tragedy according to the critical opinion of Plato, and the development of this field in old Greece, with the most famous authors Aeschylus and Sophocles and with Shakespeare in Europe. A special space in this study is occupied by Plato's criticism of Homer, to whom he even asked special questions, because, as is known, Plato in his theory on the state was looking for a literature, an art that would have educational effects on young people ...as well as the theoretical problems that characterize tragedy, the hero and heroism and other feats, and the writing style within the literary narrative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last few decades, several types of evidence such as presence of hominin remains, lithic assemblages, and bones with anthropogenic surface modifications have demonstrated that early human communities inhabited the European subcontinent prior to the Jaramillo Subchron (1.07–0.98 Ma). While most studies have focused primarily on early European lithic technologies and raw material management, relatively little is known about food procurement strategies. While there is some evidence showing access to meat and other animal-based food resources, their mode of acquisition and associated butchery processes are still poorly understood. This paper presents a taphonomic and zooarchaeological analysis of the Fuente Nueva-3 (FN3) (Guadix-Baza, Spain) faunal assemblage, providing a more in-depth understanding of early hominin subsistence strategies in Europe. The present results show that hominins had access to the meat and marrow of a wide range of animal taxa, including elephants, hippopotami, and small- and medium-sized animals. At the same time, evidence of carnivore activity at the site suggests that these communities likely faced some degree of competition from large predators when acquiring and processing carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

India is a treasure house of a wide variety of megaliths created by separate tribes at different time zones. Surprisingly among this colossal hoard of megaliths across the large landmass of India there are many which have their identical in Europe and Britain. The paper investigates these similarities in architectures of a few megaliths in the lands of Europe, Britain and India. These similarities are indeed a mystery. Why are so many megalithic monuments in these lands identical or nearly so? Could it be that it was the same people who created them or may be these are result of contacts between the people of these countries in some unknown antiquity? The paper studies the causes that may have given rise to these similar megaliths in India, Britain and Europe. In the process it delves into the oral traditions of a few megalith making proto-austroloid Kolarian Mundari tribes of India who recount sagas of their traversing for centuries during much ancient times in many far-off countries which many tribal gurus presume to be various regions of ancient Europe. This may sound preposterous but many European vernaculars as German, Flemish, Greek, Irish and English strangely consist of many words which are indeed Mundari in origin. Many human and place names in Europe shows similarity with austric Mundari words. The paper also discloses that several Mundari tribes in India and many European countries use exactly the same word for the same object. In addition, particular discussion centres on the meanings of the Mundari sasandiri and the folklore place-name Sasanbeda. All these indubitably advocate that such resemblances are not upshot of a meagre happenstance but has materialised as a consequence of a contact subsequent to the arrival of these tribes in Europe perhaps during the European Neolithic Era. This proposes that the tribal folklores of the proto-Australoid Kolarian Mundari tribes is possibly inherently correct and therefore deserve in-depth study. These types of Indian megaliths that are similar to that of Europe and Britain either remain to be dated or have been found to be of much later date than their western counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Applied Linguistics is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this paper, we are explaining a decade long investigation of historical, sacral and archaeological sites in the Toplica District (Serbia) as one of the significant cultural heritage sites in Europe with more than 226 objects with different time of origin. The survey was carried out for the purpose of better recognizing the archaeological potential. In science like archaeology, static objects, if not dynamized, remain unrecognizable to the general public, regardless of their historical and archaeological importance. Historical changes during the period of more than 7,000 years, with many sites of cultural heritage in this district, were recognized. Ordinary kriging was employed through Quantum Geographical Information System (QGIS) and System for Automated Geoscientific Analysis (SAGA). The positions of historical objects are registered, from the Neolithic period to modern times. With the help of GIS and geo-statistical methods, archaeological and historical layers can be rediscovered and better recognized. GIS algorithm ordinary kriging was used to complete the cultural heritage potential and archaeological valorization of the objects with geo-spatial dispersion. As a final product, we have obtained maps with historical and archaeological locations. For the first time, we used a scientific name for contour lines (archlines) with an equal number of archaeological units per density. In the end, archaeological and historical objects and their features were shown with the support of geographical and GIS methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Museums in Europe have a tradition of marginalizing the image and narrative of persons from the African Diaspora. This is often evident in the frequency of appearances and the quality of these scarce productions. Another point of interest is the manner in which these productions are presented. On the one hand, several questions arise regarding the representation of the African after the abolishment of chattel slavery right up to this present age of emancipation. Who gathers and presents these cultural artifacts? Which criteria are applied during the gathering and production of these presentations? Which sorts of museums are inclined to present the African Diaspora in their productions? On the other hand, the participation of persons from the African Diaspora in museums in Europe is problematic. Persons of African Diaspora are not by definition employed as administrators, curators and other stakeholders in these museums. Interest in Europe about Africa and the African Diaspora has always been partial, distorted or deficient. In the cases where attention has been paid to the African Diaspora, it has been by and large of a negative nature. A central point of inquiry is why this state of affairs has been perpetuated for such long a period of time? In this paper, the author focuses on several aspects of representation of the African Diaspora in European museums in relation to power construction, which goes hand in hand with racism and social exclusion. The main points of departure in this paper are the articulation and location of representation of the African Diaspora especially from the 19th century to the present day. Additionally, the author raises questions about the ways in which NiNsee (The National Institute of Dutch Slavery Past and Legacy) is developing its own distinctive image of the Dutch slavery past and its heritage and how it is attempting at the same time to foster an alternative representation of the African Diaspora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances the proposition that three key technological and logistical systems matured during the fourth and third millennia BC in Late Neolithic/Copper Age Europe: transportation infrastructure, durable goods made of metals, and capital investment in oxen used for traction. As risk rather than uncertainty became the dominant condition under which decisions were made, the convergence of these factors permitted individuals and households to accumulate genuine wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relations between European archaeologies and those elsewhere in the world are manifold and complex. They involve issues in archaeological research, in dealing with archaeological heritage resources, and in the archaeological profession, that are also influenced by the dominant use of English. This paper explores some of those issues that were also presented at a debate during the World Archaeological Congress in Dublin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeology in Europe has changed a great deal over the last 25 years and these changes have certainly affected maritime archaeology. As such they also define the practical skills that are needed. On the one hand of course, unlike other branches of European archaeology, maritime archaeology still has a major preoccupation with a well-funded ‘treasure-hunting’ industry and no lack of ill-defined and ill-considered project initiatives. High ethical standards are therefore necessary and the public debate should continue. But within the structure of archaeology and its management at large, maritime archaeology should also show what its major contributions can be. It can only do so if sufficiently trained personnel are available. It is against this background that the Maritime Archaeology Programme at SDU in Esbjerg is being shaped. This paper reviews developments in the field and outlines the approach to education developed at SDU in response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change in European cultural history has, for a long period, been discussed through two interrelated notions, that of science and that of history. This paper traces the various stages of this discussion from Antiquity to the present day from the point of view of history. Two reoccurring and paradigmatic characters of mythological descent, Odysseus and Prometheus, illustrate how history as a realm for human responsibility and future planning has established itself as a specific European construct, with the 18th century as its final breakthrough in practical and ideological terms. A close analysis of Leonardo da Vinci's drawing the Vitruvian Man, in statu nascendi, shows how the individual human being carrying the obligations and the promises of this history, is envisioned. The final remarks underline the importance of scientific knowledge in the concrete shaping of this responsibility and a plea for an increased cooperation across the disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents analyses of Late Middle Paleolithic (LMP) and Early Upper Paleolithic (EUP) material from the East European Plain and Caucasus. Late Middle Paleolithic industries show a highly variable pattern, although they are formally ascribed to a limited number of technocomplexes. Many of the LMP industries, especially in the Crimea, survived to the time of the transition to the Upper Paleolithic, but data suggesting a local origin of EUP are extremely rare. The transition is generally dated between 32/30,000 and 26/24,000 years, while the most crucial changes coincide with the Stillfried B interstadial. Aurignacian (two variants), Gravettian, and “Transitional” industries are recognized in the EUP. The presence of Middle Paleolithic traits in the Aurignacian may indicate acculturation, while the Transitional industries might reflect either acculturation or independent local development of new technologies, raising the possibility of local transformation of some Middle Paleolithic into non-Aurignacian EUP industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decades multi-element analyses have become increasingly important for archaeological and geoarchaeological research. In particular the recent expansion in availability of portable ed-XRF (p-ed-XRF) devices has allowed for the fast acquisition of large data sets. In the presented paper, we evaluate the quantitative measurement capability of a p-ed-XRF device through comparison with wd-XRF. Sampling, drying, and homogenization (sieving < 2 and pulverizing) ensured comparable measurement conditions. The application of He-flotation in the measurement chamber and measurement times of a sufficient duration at low voltage/high amperage conditions increased measurement sensitivity for lighter elements (here at least 90 s at 6 kV, 100 μA), resulting in measurements of a satisfactory quality. In a case study, we measured the elemental contents of the archaeo-sediment-sequence fill of a trench of a ca. 7300 year old Linear Pottery house at the site of Vráble-Ve'lke Lehemby, in southeastern -Slovakia. Based on a model applied at the nearby Bronze Age settlement mound of Fidvár, the P content of the archaeo-sediment was considered as a proxy of palaeo-demography. However, the measured P contents were much too small to reflect the metabolism of a reasonable number of inhabitants. Therefore, in addition to the possibilities of shorter than expected duration of house occupation and incomplete garbage deposition within the ditches, the post-depositional settlement history is considered in detail. Furthermore, bio-cycling by plants during different subsequent phases of Holocene landscape development (forested, agricultural field use) has not been considered extensively in interpretations of the archaeological record so far, but might have had a considerable influence on the shallow buried archaeological record. A reconsideration of the interpretation of the geochemical record from a nearby Bronze Age site (Fidvár) is thus suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Acheulean record of northern France and southern Britain has long been acknowledged as internationally important, having played an important historical role in the development of the discipline. Abundant artefacts have been recovered, primarily from fluvial gravel archives, allowing the responses of Middle Pleistocene human populations on the edge of their geographical distribution to be interrogated. The richness of the record from such deposits can most simply be read as reflecting absolute population numbers – and changes in this over time. However, factors such as regional super-abundance of high quality flint (related to solid geology) and intensity of aggregate exploitation also played their part in generating the apparently regionally dense record of finds. This paper investigates the inter-related patterns of human behaviour, preservation, artefact release and research tradition which underpin these basic distribution maps. We here present a framework for understanding the processes which have created the current distribution map – in terms of where we find material, and which periods are best represented within it. We term this the Unified Palaeolithic Landscape Approach and outline ways in which the spatial and temporal range of the Acheulean record can be addressed through the archaeological record of its heartland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new composition for surface conservation of some architectural monuments represents now an important research topic. The Basarabi–Murfatlar Ensemble, recognized as the first religious monument from mediaeval Dobrogea (Romania) (from 9th to 11th century), is one of the most impressive archaeological sites of Europe. This ensemble is built from amorphous calcium carbonate, very sensitive to humidity, frost, salts, etc. The aim of this paper is to test on chalk stone samples a new consolidant – hydroxyapatite (HAp) mixed with calcium oxalate trihydrate (caoxite) (COT). Some specific techniques for evaluation its impact on chalk stone surface are used, as follows: petrographical and physical–chemical techniques: SEM, OM, ICP-AES, TGA, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy, chromatic parameters changes, the accelerated weathering tests: heating, freeze–thaw, and their effects on porosity and capillary water uptake by the chalk surface. All these have been evaluated before and after treatment with COT-HAp, putting into evidence the effect of the new composition on the chalk stone surface. HAp induces COT stabilization, and their joint composition can bind weathered stone blocks providing a substantial reinforcement of chalk surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct evidence for the intentional patination of metal objects is difficult to ascertain and therefore studies concerning this technique are controversial. Only a couple of objects with artificially patinated surfaces have been positively identified, ranging in date from the early 2nd millennium BC to Roman and medieval times. In this paper a skillfully crafted and coloured Early Iron Age bronze axe belonging to the Villanova culture of ancient Italy was selected for examination. Optical microscopy and multiple mineralogical analyses of the surface of this object demonstrate that it was patinated deliberately by a thermal treatment technology (thermal patination). So far, this Iron Age axe is the oldest European object where this technology had been applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological distribution patterns are often biased by cultural and environmental processes. These processes influence the preservation of archaeological phenomena in the landscape. Their impact starts when the site and structures are left or abandoned or objects are deposited or disposed of. However, in archaeological landscape research, these processes are seldom incorporated. Therefore, the potential impact of both environmental and cultural processes on the preservation of archaeological phenomena needs to be understood and their influence on the observed archaeological site distribution patterns needs to be measured. Furthermore the history, intensity and methodology of the archaeological research in the region influence the known archaeological distribution pattern and therefore an understanding of the archaeological practice in the region is necessary in the study of the past landscapes of that region. This paper presents a case study on the distribution pattern of Bronze Age barrows in the highly urbanised landscape of north-western Belgium. By integrating natural, cultural and archaeological processes in archaeological landscape research, the completeness and reliability of the archaeological dataset can be estimated. Efforts to estimate completeness and reliability of any dataset should be an integral part of every archaeological landscape research project, especially as biases or hiatuses in datasets can lead to serious misinterpretations or circular reasoning. Furthermore, knowledge of the biography of landscapes is not only important in the study and understanding of past archaeological landscapes, but also in the preservation of these landscapes and our ability to incorporate hidden past landscapes into the actual sustainable management of its cultural-historical heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the stratigraphic sequence of El Palomar Rockshelter, paying special attention to the levels associated with the Gravettian. The preliminary techno-typological study of the lithic collections of these Early Upper Paleolithic levels reveals a large number of splintered pieces that have previously been linked to two different activities--bipolar flintknapping and the use of intermediate tools (wedges) for working hard materials such as bone, wood, and antler. An experiment was carried out to determine the different characteristics resulting from each process, with special emphasis on macroscopic traces. All the main bipolar knapping features identified in this experimental program were also present in the splintered pieces from El Palomar, thus providing proof that the use of the bipolar knapping method was routine during this period. The implications of the use of this knapping method in El Palomar are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of Europe and Europeans in the archaeology of post-1500 history has recently been critiqued. Some research has been pejoratively labeled Eurocentrism. This paper addresses the problems with adopting an emotional understanding of Eurocentrism and argues instead for its archaeological examination within the framework of an explicit rnultiscalar modern-world (historical) archaeology. An example comes from seventeenth-century Dutch settlements located in and around present-day Albany, New York. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objects of Native North American origin have entered European collections since the sixteenth century and to this day remain important documents of historical ethnography. Owing to their dispersal to institutions that often lack the expertise required for their proper assessment, and also to the fragmented nature of the available literature in various languages, they have yet to receive the full attention they deserve. The present overview summarizes the results of research and publications on this subject matter since 1992. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human populations in Western Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum were geographically constrained to glacial refugia by the severity of the climate and ecological risk factors. In this research we use an agent-based model of human mobility and interaction, based on ethnographic and archaeological data, to explore the impact of ecological risk on human population structure via a reconstructed landscape of habitat suitability. The agent-based model allows us to evaluate the size and location of glacial refugia, the size of the populations occupying them and the degree of genetic relatedness between people occupying these areas. To do this, we model the probability of an agent foraging groups’ survival as a function of habitat suitability. The model’s simulated “genomes” (composed of regionally specific genetic markers) allow us to track long-term trends of inter-regional interaction and mobility. The results agree with previous archaeological studies situating a large glacial refugium spanning southern France and northeastern Spain, but we expand on those studies by demonstrating that higher rates of population growth in this central refugium led to continuous out-migration and therefore genetic homogeneity across Western Europe, with the possible exception of the Italian peninsula. These results concur with material culture data from known archaeological sites dating to the Last Glacial Maximum and make predictions for future ancient DNA studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PROTHEGO (PROTection of European Cultural HEritage from GeO-hazards) uses novel space technology to monitor surface deformation with mm precision to analyze the impact of geohazards in cultural heritage sites in Europe. The project includes the 395 monuments of UNESCO in Europe to monitor geo-hazards, with case studies conducted in 4 UNESCO sites in England, Spain, Italy and Cyprus. The PROTHEGO project uses long-term low-impact monitoring systems, such as UAVs and geodetic techniques, as well as InSAR data to monitor and assess the risk from natural hazards on the archaeological site to evaluate potential geo-hazards. This paper will present an overview of best practices for the innovative diagnosis, monitoring, mitigation and preservation of Cultural Heritage monuments sites affected by geo-hazards that are potentially unstable due to landslides, sinkholes, settlement, subsidence, active tectonics as well as structural deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role and modes of operation of metaphorical framing in ancient Greek and modern European and American political discourse. It looks at how concepts such as citizenship, ownership, family, morality, finance, sport, war, domination, human life, and animals are used to reframe political issues in ways promoted by the speaker, and how they may continue to be reshaped in the ongoing political discourse. The analysis of examples of ancient Athenian public rhetoric and of modern European and American political debates reveals the differences and some striking similarities in the ways political and civic values were expressed and reframed in antiquity and how they are used today. This essay also discusses the potential effects of such framing in antiquity and in more recent times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the relationship between ancient objects and their visual depiction in British archaeological expeditions in the Middle East in the mid-nineteenth century. The article focuses on the exploration of Ancient Mesopotamia initiated by the British adventurer Austen Henry Layard. Modern scholarship on Layard’s excavations and their reception in Europe has mostly presented them as well-organised, purposive, and logical enterprises in which finding objects and depicting them had a clear, well-defined purpose. Little attention has been paid to the fact that the excavated items were initially objects without a clear status, even after they had arrived in Europe. This article examines how the application of visual media – whether used for scholarship or for publicity – in the field and the museum reflected this uncertainty. In this context, photography as a new medium entered the chaos of the field and the museum as one among several media that brought along its own insecurities rather than a tool ready and able to solve a problem. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Identifying the geological and geographical origin of lithic raw materials is critical to effectively address prehistoric forager raw material economies and mobility strategies. Currently, Paleolithic archaeology in Belgium lacks a systematic sourcing strategy to effectively substantiate detailed interpretations of prehistoric hunter-gatherer behavioral change across time and space. This pilot study evaluates the potential to 'fingerprint' flint from the Mons Basin, western Belgium, using the laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) technique and a multivariate statistical analysis of 87 geological samples and 39 Gravettian period chipped stone artifacts. We reappraise two hypotheses raised by previous scholars based on visual raw material identification: (1) the Gravettian occupants of Maisières-Canal supplied themselves with 'black flint' from one single source; (2) the sites Rhens and Koblenz-Metternich yielded artifacts indicative of long-distance transfer of western Belgian flint into the German Rhineland, ca. 260 km from the primary source area. Our results demonstrate the validity of LA-ICP-MS data with flint and compositional data analysis for fingerprinting discrete geological formations from the Mons Basin. We suggest multiple source provisioning for Maisières-Canal. Geochemical characterization of other potential flint sources is required to validate the long-distance transfer hypothesis of western Belgian 'black flint' into the German Rhineland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zusammenfassung: Das Grab aus Kruszyn, 2009 in Kujawien entdeckt, rechnet zu einer kleinen Regionalgruppe der Schnurkeramik. Es zeichnet sich durch einen verhältnismäßig guten Erhaltungszustand und untypisch zahlreiche, aus Knochen und Geweih gefertigte Werkzeugbeigaben aus. Die aufgedeckten sterblichen Überreste wurden anthropologisch und isotopisch analysiert (14C, δ13C, δ15N, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O), organische Reste archäozoologisch und trassologisch untersucht wie auch Sedimentproben aus dem Umfeld der Bestattung studiert. Der Befund datiert in die 2. Hälfte des 3. Jahrtausends v. Chr. und weist im Hinblick auf seine Grabkonstruktion Ähnlichkeiten mit mitteleuropäischen, frühen schnurkeramischen Hügelgräbern auf. Bestattet wurde hier ein älterer Mann nicht einheimischer Herkunft, der sich zu Lebzeiten wahrscheinlich mit der Verarbeitung von Leder beschäftigt hatte, wovon Spuren an ihm beigegebenen Werkzeugen aus Wildtierknochen zeugen. Im Grab konnten außerdem Rinderknochen und ein für spätneolithische Siedlungen jener Kultur typisches Gefäß entdeckt werden. Résumé: La tombe de Kruszyn, découverte en 2009 dans la région de Cujavie, fait partie d'un petit groupe régional de la culture à céramique cordée. Elle est relativement bien conservée et se distingue par un riche assemblage d'outils, fabriqués en os et en cornes. Des analyses anthropologiques et des investigations isotope (14C, δ13C, δ15N, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O) ont été menées sur les débris humains, les vestiges en matières organiques ont été examinés en appliquant les méthodes archéozoologiques et l'analyse fonctionnelle. On a aussi analysé les échantillons des sédiments de l'entourage de la tombe. La tombe date de la première moitié du IIIe millénaire av. J.-C. Pour ce qui est de sa construction, elle ressemble le plus aux tumuli d'Europe centrale du début de la culture à céramique cordée. Cette sépulture appartenait à un homme âgé qui n'était pas originaire de la Cujavie et qui, probablement, travaillait le cuir: les traces laissées sur les outils en os retrouvés auprès de lui en constituent la preuve. Ils ont été fabriqués avec des matières d'origine animale sauvage. Dans la tombe, on a aussi découvert des os de vache ainsi qu'une marmite typique pour les sites de peuplement du Néolithique final. Abstract: Excavated in 2009, the barrow from Kruszyn (the Kujawy region) is related to a small regional group of the Corded Ware culture. Noteworthy is a fairly good state of its preservation and a remarkably numerous assemblage of tools made of bone and antler. Unearthed human remains were anthropologically studied and examined isotopically (14C, δ13C, δ15N, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O), while artefacts made of organic material were subject to archaeozoological and use wear analyses. Samples of sediments surrounding the grave were also investigated. The grave dates back to the first half of the third millennium BC and in terms of its construction bears the closest resemblance to the Central European early Corded Ware barrows. It was a burial of a non-local elderly man, probably engaged in hide working in life, as evidenced by traces on the tools deposited with him in the grave and made from bones of wild animals. The grave yielded also cow bones and a pot typical for the late Neolithic settlement sites. Grób z Kruszyna, odkryty w 2009 r. na Kujawach, należy do niewielkiej regionalnej grupy kultury ceramiki sznurowej. Wyróżnia się on stosunkowo dobrym stanem zachowania oraz nietypowo licznym zbiorem narzędzi wykonanych z kości i poroża. Szczątki ludzkie poddano analizom antropologicznym i izotopowym (14C, δ13C, δ15N, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O), dla zabytków z surowców organicznych wykonano badania archeozoologiczne i traseologiczne, przebadano również próbki osadów z otoczenia grobu. Grób pochodzi z 1. poł. 3 tys. przed Chr. i pod względem konstrukcyjnym wykazuje najbliższe podobieństwo do środkowoeuropejskich kurhanów wczesnosznurowych. Pochówek należał do starszego mężczyzny, pochodzącego spoza Kujaw, który najprawdopodobniej zajmował się obróbką skór, o czym świadczą ślady na znalezionych przy nim narzędziach. Wykonano je z surowców pochodzących od zwierząt dzikich. W grobie odkryto również kości krowy oraz garnek typowy dla późnoneolitycznych stanowisk osadowych. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents an opinion on the analysis of the Gravettian female figurines. He argues that only some of the iconographic attributes of the figurines are integrated into interpretive picture and this ignores other issues relevant to the study of function and motivation. He also disagrees on the contention that the fiber items were worn with the intention of being seen but may simply be incidental to the purpose of the figurines. He also disagrees on the inference that the existence of variability in the contrast bodywear in female figures against absence in Paleolithic males. He suggests that the literature of variability in nude female images is more complex than described.

The author presents a comment on the research and analysis on Gravettian female figurines. She reflects that the statistical basis of 200 figurines has been exaggerated and states that only 70 Gravettian figurines have been found evenly subdivided between Western Europe and Central/Eastern Europe. She notes that the identification of textiles and garments through inspection of statuettes does not support the use of woven fabric or its exclusive association with women. She states her disagreement on the exclusive association of women with textiles and basketry and suggests that Gravettian iconography should be assessed against other possible interpretations.

Copyright of Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society is the property of Cambridge University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents the author's comment on the impact of the Dorset and Thule cultures of the Canadian Arctic in the Middle and Upper Paleolithic culture transition in Europe. Several factors including rise of population, geographic dispersal, technological innovation, to name a few play a significant role in the Middle and Upper Paleolithic transition. The author also includes information on the social and demographic characteristics of the two cultures.

The first settlement of Europe by modern humans is thought to have occurred between 50,000 and 40,000 calendar years ago (cal B.P.). In Europe, modern human remains of this time period are scarce and often are not associated with archaeology or originate from old excavations with no contextual information. Hence, the behavior of the first modern humans in Europe is still unknown. Aurignacian assemblages--demonstrably made by modern humans--are commonly used as proxies for the presence of fully behaviorally and anatomically modern humans. The site of Willendorf II (Austria) is well known for its Early Upper Paleolithic horizons, which are among the oldest in Europe. However, their age and attribution to the Aurignacian remain an issue of debate. Here, we show that archaeological horizon 3 (AH 3) consists of faunal remains and Early Aurignacian lithic artifacts. By using stratigraphic, paleoenvironmental, and chronological data, AH 3 is ascribed to the onset of Greenland Interstadial 11, around 43,500 cal B.P., and thus is older than any other Aurignacian assemblage. Furthermore, the AH 3 assemblage overlaps with the latest directly radiocarbon-dated Neanderthal remains, suggesting that Neanderthal and modern human presence overlapped in Europe for some millennia, possibly at rather close geographical range. Most importantly, for the first time to our knowledge, we have a high-resolution environmental context for an Early Aurignacian site in Central Europe, demonstrating an early appearance of behaviorally modern humans in a medium-cold steppe-type environment with some boreal trees along valleys around 43,500 cal B.P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biographical approach has been applied to many studies of European prehistoric metalworking which frequently discuss the potential for recycling metalwork through melting to create new objects, drawing influence from the many ‘founders hoards’ known from across Europe. An agglomerate of half-molten bronze objects from Switzerland suggests that such recycling practices occurred there, although previous archaeometallurgical analysis has indicated that such practices were temporally limited. This article focuses on an alternative form of recycling — the direct conversion of one object into another through cutting and reshaping — observed on several razors from Late Bronze Age (LBA) lake-dwelling contexts in Switzerland. Atypical decorative motifs on these razors identify them as having been cut from arm- or leg-ring jewellery pieces. It is suggested that these ‘ring-razors’ were valued as individualized objects and created as personal mnemonic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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How is the law bound to the material world? This article examines the production of reference materials, artefacts that incarnate legally relevant measurements and serve as a transitional object for the law in its approximation to the stuff of the world. The argument, an opening for an ethnographic investigation into the life of legal materials, is based on a study of the work conducted at the Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), an agency that, for over fifty years, has fabricated official versions of the objects and substances mentioned in European law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patterns of Palaeolithic variability between eastern Asia and western portions of the Old World continue to engender controversial discussion. Most famously, debate has focused on variability in the absence/presence of 'handaxes' east and west of the so-called 'Movius Line'. However, it is becoming equally apparent that cross-regional contrasts can be made using categories of data other than handaxe presence/absence alone. This, in turn, is leading to a reconfiguration of the archaeological patterns that demand explanation. Here, we outline the current state of the Movius Line controversy in these terms, and undertake a series of metric analyses of eastern and western biface samples. This leads us to highlight specific lines of enquiry that may be important for future attempts to address these enduring questions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is now generally accepted that there are no human societies which are truly egalitarian; this also true of bonobos and chimpanzees, among whom rank is inherited. If it were true of the common ancestor of Homo and Pan, there would have been (inherited) social inequality throughout our hominin ancestry. The problem is how to find it. It is also accepted that artefacts play an active and important role in our social lives; thus, socially defined differences may be reflected among the very simplest of artefacts. A case study of flaked stone from southwestern Egypt, dating to about 7000–8000 years ago, suggests that social differences can, indeed, be identified within very simple artefacts — in this case, plain, unmodified stone flakes. Using unmodified stone flakes, I explore the possibility of identifying not merely social difference but, specifically, inherited social difference in the Upper Palaeolithic of Europe and among early African hominins more than 2,000,000 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How far can there be such a thing as a 'European archaeology'? Is this a matter of geography and recent history or does it rather reflect different discourses that take place in different parts of Europe? The contrast between a western ('Anglo-American') and central or eastern ('mitteleuropaisch') European archaeology is considered, along with recent discussions of similarities and differences across the continent. The role of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in bringing scholars and practitioners together is seen as a positive force, which a common language (English) is helping to promote. Recent developments include the 'Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe' project, and changes in the licensing and registering system in different countries; here the example of Romania shows a progressive official attitude to preventive archaeology, coupled with a very traditional approach to the study and teaching of archaeology. The opportunities presented by the creation of the European Research Council should be exploited by the profession with a view to creating large-scale projects that can serve to address questions on a pan-European scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research which discusses the aspects of the Upper Paleolithic funerary landscape in Europe. According to the author, the analysis of the European record displays an intriguing high frequency of multiple burials. He denotes that some of the most spectacular form of multiple burials include a seriously deformed individual. He adds that the burial composition also varies by age and sex. Here, he highlights the example of the extraordinarily adorned double burial including the Sunghir children in Russia, the triple interment of Dolní Vestonice in Moravia in Czech Republic and the adolescent dwarf from Romito Cave in Italy. He believes that his findings relative to the funerary practice is linked to the magical and religious beliefs of the area.

The impact of evolutionary thought is fundamental to the archaeological perception that the third millennium bc in Europe is a period of highly developed social hierarchy. Following a critique of previous uses of the evolutionary frame of reference to model understandings of the material culture for this period, I suggest an alternative reading on the basis of a polythetic analysis of several categories of data (funerary practices, ceramics, settlement pattern). The two major archaeological complexes involved are characterized by the widespread diffusion of categories of artefacts and associated ideas. The networks therefore established are paralleled by a series of other interaction processes indicated by regionally homogeneous patterns in material culture. In sum, this entire system functions because it draws on a relationship of equality between the involved partners, individuals or communities, rather than social hierarchy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There seems to be a growing interest in Europe in the use of visual methodologies within social research – studies in which participants are asked to make creative artefacts within the research process. Although readers of Visual Studies will already be familiar with techniques such as photo‐elicitation, the use of video, drawing, collage, Lego and other methods remains somewhat new. At conferences we find that people are interested to hear about this work, but are also puzzled about various issues, such as how researchers can use and interpret such visual artefacts. After a train journey in which we talked through various aspects of work in this field, we felt it might be of some use to interested researchers and students if we published a dialogue about it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major topic of debate in Old World prehistory is the relative importance of population movement versus cultural diffusion in explaining the spread of agriculture into and across Europe following its inception in southwestern Asia. An important set of data that has surprisingly been largely absent from this debate is the preserved crops and associated weeds of the earliest farmers. An analysis of archaeobotanical data from 40 aceramic Neolithic sites in southwestern Asia and southeastern Europe shows that there are vegetational signatures that characterize the different geographical regions occupied by the Early Neolithic farmers. On this basis it is argued that the compositional similarities of the crop package between the Levantine core, Cyprus, and Greece are indicative of both the routes of migration of early farming groups and the early agricultural practices of Europe's first farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the social processes that took place during the first millenium AD in Europe and Mediterranean Region. These social processes which include the decline of classical antiquity, the rise of Western Europe and the integration of the barbarian world with mainstream developments has already been illuminated by both written historical sources and the material remains of the past as studied by archeology. However, archaeological studies during this period are still far from being integrated. The author presents his personal view rooted on his knowledge in general archeology and history focusing on factors such as settlement, production and exchange as well as the rise and fall of social formations.

The article comments on the study of Wil Roebroeks on the earliest occupation of Europe published in volume 35 of the "Current Anthropology" journal. Roebroeks indicates that a number of early European sites lack artefactual material and all assemblages dating to more than 500,000 year ago are all geofacts, justifying that these artifacts have been collected by archeologists from gravels and considers it impossible to distinguish an artifact from masses of pebbles and cobbles. To this reference, the author illustrated how he had collected artifacts from the pebbles and argued that research on large amounts of gravels and pebbles on the surfaces of terraces or in gravel pits have been one of the sources of artifacts in England and other part of Europe.

The author presents a comment on the identification of basketry impressions on burnt clay and plant-fiber-based textiles in the Moravia Pavlovian. He reflects that the study is a breakthrough in Upper Paleolithic period and the European Gravettian society study. However, he argues that there were essential differences between the pre-Pleniglacial gravettian and the post-Pleniglacial Epigravettian and the Magdalenian because of dramatic changes in the behavior, subsistence strategies, settlement patterns and eventually social structures. He suggests that the figurines should not be associated with women's role as plant gatherers but rather on their role in reproduction.

The author presents a comment on the research and analysis on Gravettian female figurines. She reflects that the figurines presented concrete evidence of the use of plant fibers in crafts during the Gravettian period. She argues that the findings on the female figurines wearing woven plant fibers give valuable insights on prehistoric technologies and the roles of women. She reiterates on the relevance of the findings in the analysis of Upper Paleolithic research in changing archaeological thinking that have pervaded researchers over the years such as the myth of Upper Paleolithic hunters wearing skin clothing and living in hide tents in which plant resources have been ignored in reconstruction of prehistoric subsistence, crafts and tools, and mobility