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Bernard Suits is commonly thought to have defined games as challenges. This paper argues that Suits could not have done so without ruining his larger philosophical project. It then argues that he did not do so. Suits defined game playing in quantitative terms (i.e. being more or less efficient) not qualitative ones (e.g. difficulty, struggle). The paper concludes by exploring the consequences of this shift in perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an analysis of the functional design of a collection of 346 projectile points from archaeological sites in the Puna de Atacama (21.9°–24.7° S) that belong to the cultural sequence dating from 12,500–2400 yr BP, which ranges from the earliest groups to inhabit the area to the emergence of the first agro-pastoralist societies. The results obtained reveal significant changes in projectile or weapons technologies throughout the sequence. This begins with projectile points whose measurements point to the predominance of the spearthrower-dart system during the Early Archaic, followed by the diversification and specialization of these technologies during the Middle Archaic, with a significant increase in the use of throwing and thrusting spears. In the Late Archaic, projectile point dimensions diminished significantly, displaying patterns that remained until the Early Formative. Nevertheless, during this last period some measurements decreased slightly, and a major change is detected in the haft width of stemmed points. Three alternate hypotheses are proposed for these last changes: 1) the presence of the bow-and-arrow system from the late Archaic onward; 2) the appearance of the bow-and-arrow system from the Early Formative only; 3) the reduction and standardization of spearthrower-darts, without the presence of the bow-and-arrow system until after the Early Formative. We argue that the first two hypotheses are the most plausible, although we consider the first to be the most likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a discriminant metric study of stone projectile points (n = 422) from 21 archaeological sites in the Andes of South America (16–37°S). We use comparative datasets critically, since darts may have been smaller than previously thought. We assess the use-life of each point and tie them to reliable chronological sequences, in order to increase the reliability of our data. Our results show that in the Lake Titicaca Basin and northwestern Argentina, bows had replaced spearthrowers by 1780–950 cal BP, prior to the development of complex societies such as Wari and Tiwanaku. South of 29°S, the results suggest that bow technology was transmitted from north to south, since the earliest arrow-sized points at 29°S date to 3000 cal BP and at 37°S, 1800–1000 cal BP. North of 34°S, the continental limit of domesticated plants and animals, there is a gradual abandonment of the spearthrower. South of 34°S in northern Patagonia, both weapon systems coexisted. We suggest that bow and arrow technology was not an independent invention in the southern Andes, but instead, it appeared in new groups via macroregional technological borrowing among Andean herders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The invention or adoption of bows is one of the most significant global shifts in humanity's history, and tracking this in the archaeological record depends on metrically distinguishing dart and arrow projectile points. Given the importance of comparative databases in this endeavor, this paper presents an expanded compilation of measurements on 85 hafted points from North America. For South America, we present unpublished data for 22 hafted points and 61 foreshafts. A clear metric gap in point width at 14–15 mm separates arrows and darts. This reflects the weapons' different physical requirements, since these points come from historically independent regions and periods. These patterns are not replicated in ethnographic arrows, which are consistently larger than archaeological arrows. We suggest they not be used in archaeological comparisons. Hafted darts are notably larger than unhafted darts from archaeological sites, which is mostly due to use-life reductions. We suggest that there is no universally applicable data set, nor derived formula or index, that can be used to identify archaeological points as darts or arrows. We recommend nonparametric comparisons focusing on natural breaks in cross-cultural archaeological data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we will present the information obtained from a set of bifacial tanged quartz points found at rock art shelter Oyola 7, located in the El Alto-Ancasti mountain range, Catamarca province, Argentina. These stone tools date back to the 1st millennium of the Common Era. We detail the technological characteristics of this assemblage, primarily manufactured in quartz, and analyze their association with different types of weapons, suggesting their possible use with bows and arrows. Additionally, we will inquire about the significance of this assemblage at this particular archaeological site, as it is almost the only one where we have identified this type of stone tool. Finally, we reflect on the presence of bows and arrows in this region during the historical period studied, while also proposing an alternative perspective based on a locally situated understanding of social processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A seed recovered during archaeological excavations of a cave in the Judean desert was germinated, with radiocarbon analysis indicating an age of 993 CE– 1202 calCE. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis identified the seedling as belonging to the angiosperm genus Commiphora Jacq., sister to three Southern African Commiphora species, but unique from all other species sampled to date. The germinated seedling was not closely related to Commiphora species commonly harvested for their fragrant oleoresins including Commiphora gileadensis (L.) C.Chr., candidate for the locally extinct "Judean Balsam" or "Balm of Gilead" of antiquity. GC-MS analysis revealed minimal fragrant compounds but abundance of those associated with multi-target bioactivity and a previously undescribed glycolipid compound series. Several hypotheses are offered to explain the origins, implications and ethnobotanical significance of this unknown Commiphora sp., to the best of our knowledge the first identified from an archaeological site in this region, including identification with a resin producing tree mentioned in Biblical sources and possible agricultural relationship with the historic Judean Balsam. Germination of an ancient seed from the Judean desert, confirmed by DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis as belonging to an unknown Commiphora sp., contained abundant bioactive compounds, suggesting identification with a resin-producing tree mentioned in Biblical sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical analysis of in situ fire experiments on soils are useful for the estimation of subsurface thermal diffusivity, which is affected by factors such as water, heterogeneity and heating conditions. To address the uncertainties due to these factors, a new data‐processing procedure based on inverse methods was developed and experimentally applied to soils from an archaeological site in the Atacama Desert, Chile. By combining experimental data and numerical simulations, we determined the dominant physical processes arising during the heating. The analysis succeeded in defining practical procedures to obtain a more accurate estimation of the diffusivities, thus reducing the above‐mentioned uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three-dimensional (3-D) stereo images can be generated via computer-based image processing of CORONA stereo pairs. To a certain extent, important terrain and surface feature data extracted from these stereo images can improve the survey of archaeological sites and the identification and mapping of major landscapes. In this study, we focused on the identification of the archaeological ruins of Liangzhu City. An optical stereo model (red/blue stereo image) of the Liangzhu site was created through computer-based mosaicking and processing of CORONA remote-sensing stereo pairs taken in the 1960s and 1970s. By importing the optical stereo model into mobile phones, tablet computers, and other mobile devices, the research team undertook real-time locating of ruins via human observation, on-site investigation, and image overlay during a field survey and identified several Liangzhu-period dams, some of which have been confirmed via archaeological field investigations. The research team later applied the same method to the identification of tombs at the site of the mausoleums of the six emperors of the Southern Song dynasty. The results further prove that this method is feasible and reliable and can be widely promoted and used for the identification of archaeological ruins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the interbreeding of Homo neanderthalensis (hereafter Neanderthal) and Anatomically modern human (AMH) has been proven, owing to the shortage of fossils and absence of appropriate DNA, the timing and geography of their interbreeding are not clearly known. In this study, we applied ecological niche modelling (maximum entropy approach) and GIS to reconstruct the palaeodistribution of Neanderthals and AMHs in Southwest Asia and Southeast Europe and identify their contact and potential interbreeding zone during marine isotope stage 5 (MIS 5), when the second wave of interbreeding occurred. We used climatic variables characterizing the environmental conditions of MIS 5 ca. 120 to 80 kyr (averaged value) along with the topography and coordinates of Neanderthal and modern human archaeological sites to characterize the palaeodistribution of each species. Overlapping the models revealed that the Zagros Mountains were a contact and potential interbreeding zone for the two human species. We believe that the Zagros Mountains acted as a corridor connecting the Palearctic/Afrotropical realms, facilitating northwards dispersal of AMHs and southwards dispersal of Neanderthals during MIS 5. Our analyses are comparable with archaeological and genetic evidence collected during recent decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Palaeolithic art is an unknown and often difficult to see cultural manifestation. • The conditions for viewing the rock art have been improved through augmented reality. • The light variation of the decorated panel has been overcome with LiDAR technology. • The LiDAR project has been successful implemented in caves and open-air stations. • The app democratises rock art and enhances the on-site experience. By developing new recording methodologies, current rock art studies generate a large amount of graphic information about sites (tracings, photographs, three-dimensional reproductions) providing visibility of this fragile and little-known heritage, whose accessibility is often difficult or impossible for the general public. In addition, many rock art depictions are challenging to observe, due to the very nature of the artistic entities (fine engravings or faded paintings in karst environments or open-air sites with poor or changing light conditions), or to conservation problems derived from natural factors such as erosion and geological and biological processes, as well as from anthropic factors. These conditions make rock art depictions nearly indistinguishable in many places and on many objects today, except for experts. This difficulty of accessing and visualising rock art heritage, located in fragile environments and often challenging places such as caves or difficult-to-reach open-air sites, makes the information and knowledge generated by investigation of this heritage asset difficult to transfer to society in general, which is frequently unaware of the priceless value of this heritage. The present study proposes generating several mechanisms to transfer the results of research, restitution and documentation of rock art to society in general. An AR (Augmented Reality) application has been developed using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology to address current challenges in implementing AR technologies in low-light environments. So far, this app has been developed in a Proof-of-Concept project at Spanish archaeological sites such as Hornos de la Peña (Cantabria), Domingo García (Segovia) and La Salud (Salamanca). This application will be particularly interesting for sites currently visited with or without a guide, allowing user interactivity and real-time reconstruction, for example, of the visibility of graphic motifs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological studies carried out in recent decades have demonstrated that the Pre‐Pyrenees, a mountain range in north‐east Iberia, were regularly frequented by several human groups during the Late Pleistocene. The Cova del Parco archaeological site is an example of this large‐scale and regular human presence. The site was discovered and first excavated in the 1970s, and since the 1980s, a team from the University of Barcelona has been conducting archaeological work. So far, we have found that the site was at least frequented from the Middle Magdalenian upon historical times. In this paper, we present the results of the archaeopetrological, geochemical and geographic information system (GIS) analyses of chert tools ascribed to the Middle Magdalenian sequence. The textural, micropalaeontological and geochemical analysis of the lithic artefacts has allowed us to identify several chert types from local, regional and long‐distance sources. Some of these cherts had their origin in the northern slopes of the Pyrenean chain, suggesting that this mountain chain was regularly crossed by Magdalenian groups. Next, we performed GIS analyses to determine the paths and connections that may have linked the archaeological site with the different chert outcrops, and to identify the best routes for crossing the Pyrenean Mountain range. Moreover, this study provides a larger vision of the mobility and the complex economic interactions between the different Magdalenian groups that settled Cova del Parco at the end of the Late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the rural mosque recently excavated in the archaeological site of La Graja (Higueruela, Albacete). This is a very important find from a historical point of view, since there is little archaeological evidence for this type of building despite the fact that many examples must have existed in al-Andalus. This congregational mosque served the inhabitants of an Andalusi village (Ar. qarya) and other small hamlets in its vicinity. It was built in the early eleventh century ce and abandoned, along with the rest of the settlement, towards the end of the century. Owing to its good state of preservation, its constructive characteristics and architectural plan could be analysed in detail. The most interesting aspect of this find was, however, that it was possible to study the mosque in the spatial context of the village as a whole. This reveals aspects of urban planning at the time of the mosque's construction and, therefore, the social structure of the group of founding settlers. The excavation also provided relevant data about the uses of the space around the prayer hall and how its presence affected the evolution of the urban layout of the village. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurately reconstructing past human population dynamics is critical for explaining major patterns in the human past. Demand for demographic proxies has driven hopeful interest in the "dates-as-data" approach, which models past demography by assuming a relationship between population size, the production of dateable material, and the corpus of radiocarbon dates produced by archaeological research. However, several biases can affect assemblages of dates, complicating inferences about population size. One serious but potentially addressable issue centers on landscape taphonomy — the ways in which geologic processes structure the preservation and recovery of archaeological sites and/or materials at landscape scales. Here, we explore the influence of landscape taphonomy on demographic proxies. More specifically, we evaluate how well demographic proxies may be corrected for taphonomic effects with either a common generalized approach or an empirically based tailored approach. We demonstrate that frequency distributions of landforms of varying ages can be used to develop local corrections that are more accurate than either global corrections or uncorrected estimates. Using generalized scenarios and a simulated case study based on empirical data on landform ages from the Coso Basin in the western Great Basin region, we illustrate the way in which landscape taphonomy predictably complicates "dates-as-data" approaches, propose and demonstrate a new method of empirically based correction, and explore the interpretive ramifications of ignoring or correcting for taphonomic bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the ongoing conflicts in various countries, including Ukraine, Gaza, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Myanmar, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic. It emphasizes the importance of studying the archaeology and history of conflict to understand the reality of mass violence and its impact on communities. The article also highlights the need for diverse perspectives and the inclusion of indigenous voices in conflict archaeology research. Additionally, it presents summaries of three papers published in the Journal of Conflict Archaeology, focusing on topics such as the preservation of a Civil War battlefield, glass artifacts from World War I, and the military archaeology of the Italian occupation of Croatia during World War II. [Extracted from the article]

We present the results of multivariate and exploratory statistical analyses of a large dataset that includes zooarchaeological, archaeobotanical, chrono‐cultural and proxy environmental data. Data are drawn from published specialist reports from 39 archaeological sites and include 49 distinct chronological contexts dated from the Chalcolithic to Bronze Age (c.5300–1500 BCE) in southern Central Asia. Results support broad observations on the stability of agro‐pastoral subsistence, while indicating that the environment had a minor influence in comparison with the economic and cultural use of species, as revealed through subtle variations across sites and as packages of co‐occurring taxa that link sites within integrated socio‐economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates ancient pastoral mobility in a high mountain area of the Pyrenees. Firstly, modern transhumant routes were analysed using GIS tools in order to understand possible determinant factors (such as terrain slope and altitude, water courses and possible nodes) in the layout of a route used for seasonal livestock movements. The observations obtained were then used to model optimal paths which may have been used by ancient shepherds. Subsequently, an analysis was made of the spatial relationship between the simulated paths and the dispersion pattern of archaeological sites in two time periods: Late Antiquity-Medieval (3rd-14th centuries AD) and Modern-Contemporary (18th-20th centuries AD). The results show significant differences in the spatial distribution of the sites throughout both periods in terms of accessibility and proximity to possible pathways. This variability provides information concerning historical changes in the social structure of pastoral alpine landscapes over long periods of time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents an imaginative exercise in which a fictional author from the year 4025 details results from excavations of archaeological sites dating to the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Based on analyses of small domestic finds, as well as the discovery of a monumental complex utilizing similar imagery, the author concludes that people must have worshipped an anthropomorphic mouse god – the Historical Mouse – in the Mechano-Digital Age, keeping devotional votives in their homes and traveling at least once a year to a primary space of worship centered around the experience of various ritual mysteries. This article calls upon students to perform a self-evaluation about their own assumptions and approaches to the ancient world as they witness a hypothetical historian make outrageous, yet plausible, errors in the course of trying to describe an ‘ancient’ religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal domestication led to changes in the interaction between animals and humans, including new ways of exploitation, which could potentially leave lesions on the animals' bones. This study aims to examine changes in the prevalence of pathological manifestation following changes in human‐animal interactions as a result their domestication. For this purpose, we studied 19,565 animal remains recovered from archaeological excavations, dated from the Pre‐Pottery Neolithic period to historical periods and assigned the pathologies into types. Of these, 60 animal remains presented pathological lesions. The suspected pathological cases were validated using a microscope, X‐ray, and/or micro‐CT scan. Lesions were divided into four categories: trauma, aging/musculoskeletal stress marks (MSM), periodontal diseases, and inflammatory processes. Then, our database was combined with previously published data to a total of 26,596 animal remains, out of which 128 demonstrated pathological lesions. We found that the prevalence of lesions in animals was higher in the historical periods compared with prehistoric periods. Moreover, based on a comparison between recent gazelles living in captivity and those living in the wild, we found that captivity resulted in the deterioration of the animals' health. We concluded that pathologies were more frequent in livestock in historic periods, in comparison with wild species and livestock from earlier periods. Such lesions were common not only in working livestock (cattle and donkeys) but also in non‐working domesticates (caprines and chickens) and companion animals (dogs and cats). Variations in the pathological frequencies between these three categories may be attributed to differences in exploitation, including the intensification of farming and herding. Finally, this study provides a unique reference dataset for zooarchaeologists when studying ancient animal assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research delves into ancient pigment practices among the Goya‐Malabrigo societies in the Upper Delta of the Paraná River during the Late Holocene. Utilising Raman microspectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction, we analysed 33 samples from six archaeological sites and four natural outcrops. Our discoveries uncovered hematite in red pigments across diverse materials (potsherds, shells, human bones, and sediments), anatase adorning ceramics with whitish tones, and charcoal creating darker shades. These findings not only contribute to the understanding of the mineral composition of ancient colours used by Indigenous people in domestic and funerary contexts but also set the first stage for forthcoming provenance research, integrating multiple archaeometric techniques to unravel the origins of these compelling pigments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the use of three isotopic systematics—Sr, Nd, and Pb— combined together for the first time to trace the origins of ancient pottery. This approach strengthens our ability to relate raw materials to the final products. The materials selected for the analysis are from a well‐documented data set, previously subjected to a thorough mineralogical–petrographic and chemical characterization. Seventeen ceramic specimens represented by black‐glazed pottery, Terra sigillata, and fine common ware as well as production indicators such as black‐glazed pottery wasters and spacers were examined via isotope analyses. These samples were discovered in the archaeological site of Cales, presently Calvi Risorta, in South Italy. CaO‐rich clay raw materials from the area of interest were also analyzed as comparative references for the investigated ceramics. The comparison of the archaeometric data of the ceramic samples with the clay raw materials showed an affinity between the ceramics studied and local clay raw materials belonging to Mio‐Pliocene marine sediments from the Campania Apennine Mountain area. This affinity was more accurately defined through the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes, which show coinciding signatures among ceramic samples, production indicators, and raw materials. The method yields promising outcomes that reinforce prior experimental investigations and amplify its reliability. The multi‐isotopic methodology highlights the significance of combining geochemical data to pinpoint the origins of raw materials used for ancient ceramic production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently in NW Europe little is known about the human response to the extensive cold reversal at the end of the Pleistocene, the Younger Dryas (ca. 12,850 till ca. 11,650 cal BP), mainly due to the poor chronological resolution of the archaeological sites belonging to the Ahrensburgian Culture. Here we present a series of 33 radiocarbon dates performed on the seminal cave site of Remouchamps, situated in the Belgian Meuse basin. Combined with a revision of the available radiocarbon evidence along the southern North Sea basin (Belgium, southern Netherlands, western Germany), it is suggested that the first half of the Younger Dryas, characterized as extremely cold and wet, faced a significant population reduction. Repopulation started around the middle of the Younger Dryas, from ca. 12,200 cal BP onward, probably in response to a slight climatic improvement leading to somewhat warmer summers. This might be considered a prelude to the subsequent population boost of the Early Holocene (Mesolithic). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017/2018, two seasons of archaeological surveys were undertaken in Lejja, southeastern Nigeria. The aim of the archaeological field work was to systematically sample the area to locate archaeological sites, scatters of artefacts, features; and to characterize and record these findings. A particular objective was to identify sites with different typological or chronological characteristics and to then select representative examples for further investigation and excavations. This paper thus focuses for the first time; on the general knowledge of the archaeological signatures in addition to iron working that abound at the Lejja site from an archaeological perspective. We aimed to identify sites with evidence of iron production and sites with other characteristics of human habitation to compare inter-site variation. Using ethnoarchaeological studies, archaeological surveys and excavations, sixteen new sites were identified stretching from iron smelting sites to domestic/habitation sites and ancestral sites. We utilized both a systematic transect and an opportunistic approach to locate and map the archaeological sites encountered. The focus of the study was on thirteen key villages in Lejja southeastern Nigeria. Analysis of data shows that there seem to be distinct areas on the landscape for habitation and metal working respectively. However, it is unclear as yet what this distinction represents in terms of social organization, particularly whether they represent one community with different activity sites or two communities with distinct identities or indeed a more complex temporal and spatial patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Here, we propose the integration of network analyses and 3D clustering techniques to comprehensively detect statistical patterns in the artefact spatial distribution of an archaeological site. In recent years, the most advanced pioneering techniques in the computing field have found application in assorted areas. Deep learning approaches, including artificial neural networks (ANNs), have become popular thanks to their ability to draw inferences from intricate and seemingly unconnected datasets. Additionally, 3D clustering techniques manage to associate groups of elements by identifying the specific inherent structures exhibited by such objects based on similarity measures. Generally, the characteristics of archaeological information gathered after extraction operations align with the previously mentioned challenges. Hence, an excavation could be an opportunity to use these prior innovative computing approaches. Our objective is to integrate software techniques to organise recovered artefacts and derive logical conclusions from their spatial location and the correlation between tangible attributes. These results can statistically improve our approach to investigations and provide a mathematical interpretation of archaeological excavations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly constructed Bois d'Arc Lake Reservoir in Fannin County, Texas, USA, inevitably flooded a large ground surface area (67.34 km2) when the reservoir began impounding water in April 2021. Inside this (now) flooded area, land-based archaeological data recovery investigations discovered and documented several archaeological sites, now registered in the state of Texas; though, only two neighboring sites, namely, 41FN178 and 41FN244, are examined here. The first phase of archaeological testing at these sites included shovel testing, test unit excavations, and geoarchaeological trenching that yielded archaeological artifacts suggesting that Middle Caddo Indian peoples (AD 1200–1400) might have occupied this landscape. As the sites were recognized before the reservoir's impoundment phase, this merited a non-invasive, non-destructive, high-resolution near-surface geophysical study to map strategic areas within sites 41FN178 and 41FN244 that might yield potential shallow targets of archaeological context. The adopted geophysical survey comprised 3D direct current electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) and land horizontal magnetic gradiometry (HMG), each mapping a total surface area of 2133 and 15,640 m2, respectively. The combination of 3D ERI and land HMG surveys was instrumental in rapidly mapping the horizontal and vertical extent of shallowly buried anomalies within a large area prior to the completion of the dam and the beginning of water impoundment. Based on the geophysical insights, the outline of several Caddo houses with functional internal and external features (e.g., burnt cooking surfaces, storage pits, refuse pits, fired soil, ditches, a dump site, and a compound fence) are thought to exist within the uppermost 2 m of the Quaternary stratigraphy at both sites. At site 41FN244, 3D ERI found numerous resistive anomalies surrounding a conductive anomaly, collectively interpreted as a group of post-holes surrounding the remains of a Caddo house's inner clay floor. It also found a cluster of several resistive anomalies interpreted as midden or middens. The HMG survey carried across areas from which archaeological test units also yielded positive findings, at sites 41FN178 and 41FN244, identified numerous scattered monopolar and dipolar anomalies interpreted as post-molds of Caddo houses, compound enclosures or fences, and adjacent middens. Archaeological excavations guided by the geophysical results yielded significant cultural material and post-mold features at site 244, which validate the geophysical interpretation in a preliminary context. Additionally, several dispersed magnetic anomalies are thought to be shallowly buried hearths, burn cooking surfaces, storage pits, and ditches. The mapped magnetic anomalies agree with the location and distribution of previously found archaeological artifacts and the extent of resistive and conductive resistivity anomalies. Follow-up archaeological excavations of these geophysical anomalies have preliminarily confirmed interpretations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social recognition of cultural landscapes has increased in recent years. Culture must be accessible to all citizens, helping them to interpret the cultural landscape in the most respectful and autonomous way possible. Nevertheless, the link between accessibility and heritage requires a sensitive perception of the environment and individuals in their different situations. Usually, however, only partial solutions are offered, whereas a global, truly sustainable, and inclusive approach should be adopted. In this sense, information design can play an essential role in the enjoyment and knowledge of heritage landscapes. The aim of this article is to present some reflections on this topic, which have led a group of teachers and students from the Laboratory of Architectural, Cultural, and Heritage Landscape of the University of Valladolid (LAB/PAP) to develop experimental design proposals for the archaeological site of Tiermes, in Soria, Spain. The method applied is based on field research, case studies, project proposals, workshops, and user testing. The resulting proposals emerge from the previous research developed by the LAB/PAP. They will focus on information design to present this extraordinary site in an inclusive way. The final discussion will decide which of these proposals will be easier and more useful to implement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering experience and memory as inseparable aspects of any place, understanding place attachment through narrative form may provide insight into more diverse perspectives of the values and motives of stakeholders undertaking the conservation of archaeological sites as heritage sites. This study empirically evaluates the ways in which we may understand local people's place attachment and how that can affect the interpretation and presentation of archaeological heritage sites. The study aimed to analyse the interaction between local people and visitors through storytelling. The investigation focused on Stratonikeia, an archaeological heritage site in the southwest of Turkey, which has the character of a 'living archaeological heritage site' having been continually occupied since the Bronze Age. The research methodology of the study involves three phases: oral history, storytelling, and survey. The study's results demonstrate how local stories can influence visitors' understanding of the social aspects of a heritage site, facilitating a deeper and more dynamic understanding of the site as a living entity within its historical and contemporary contexts. Incorporating storytelling as a means of exploring the social dimension of heritage sites offers an alternative perspective that enhances the comprehensive understanding of these sites, supplementing their conventional material-based interpretations and presentations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological excavation near Maastricht (the Netherlands) in the town of Lanaken (Belgium) revealed a previously unknown wooden‐and‐earth fortified site dating back to c.650–800. The fortification's construction, layout and dimensions are indicative of Roman military practice, suggesting active application of this practice during the early medieval period. This research delves into the implications of this discovery, shedding light on early medieval military strategies in the region and providing insights into potential historical contexts surrounding the fortified sitecation's construction and use. In so doing, it makes an important contribution to ongoing discussions regarding the nature of early medieval military organization and elite society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a study of the San Isidro archaeological site in El Salvador, providing significant insights into the development of Preclassic settlements in the region. Through analysis of ceramic sequences, radiocarbon dating, and excavations, the study traces the site's evolution and its contextual significance within Mesoamerican and Isthmo-Colombian spheres. We report on the discovery of over 50 mounds constructed around 400 b.c., indicating the emergence of a complex social structure at that time. The unearthed artifacts, including jade objects and Bolinas-type figurines, suggest cultural exchange with often distant regions of Mesoamerica and the Isthmo-Colombian area. This research not only contributes to understanding the chronological and geographic development of San Isidro but also highlights the site's role in broader Preclassic Mesoamerican cultural dynamics. Our findings challenge existing perceptions of cultural peripherality and emphasize the need for nuanced regional studies in reconstructing ancient Central American history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cremation was a common behavior during the Early period in the Middle Cauca region of Colombia. Nevertheless, few bioarchaeological analyses have focused on understanding this phenomenon. Four funerary urns from the archaeological site Matecaña (Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia) were analyzed to understand the cremation mortuary practice during the Early period (1000 bc–600 ad). For this, the cremains went through an anatomical classification that led to establishing the minimal number of individuals with the landmark system, as well as reconstructing their biological profile and interpreting the macroscopic changes made by heat exposure, such as colorimetry, the degree of cremation, the presence of heat‐induced changes, and the temperature that the incineration reached. The results indicated that the funerary cycle had three processes divided into 11 steps. During the first process, an individual's biological death led to rituals and a temporary deposition. After the skeletonization of the corpse, the second process was the cremation itself. The combustion of at least 28 individuals of different ages (fetuses, infants, and adults) was intense (400°C to over 600°C) and finalized in the third process with their burial in funerary urns. This funerary behavior reflects the long‐term relationship between the living and the dead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to his astronomical observations the famous Renaissance astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) was known also for his interest in alchemy. He equipped his castle Uraniborg on the island of Ven with a state-of-the-art alchemical laboratory when it was erected around 1580. After Brahe's death Uraniborg was demolished upon a royal decree from 1601, a process which was completed around 1650. In the present study we have analysed four glass shards and one ceramic shard most likely from the alchemical laboratory and retrieved during an archaeological excavation in 1988–90. Cross sections of the shards have been analysed for 31 trace elements by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma with Mass Spectrometry with the aim of detecting any traces of the chemical substances on the inside or outside of the shards used in the laboratory. Four of the elements found in excess on the exterior surfaces of the shards, Cu, Sb, Au, and Hg, are in accordance with the reconstructed recipes of the three Paracelsian medicines for which Brahe was famous—Medicamenta tria. This is the first experimental data casting light on the alchemical experiments that took place at Uraniborg 1580–1599. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The progress of field research and studies of archaeological sites from southern Poland (Małopolska) and experimental activities related to salt-making in the Bronze Age and Early Iron Age in the last two decades have created conditions for attempting to recreate the chaîne opératoire of this branch of prehistoric production. The use of ceramic containers for evaporating brine and drying and portioning salt means that we are dealing with two operational sequences (production of ceramics and salt) intertwined at some stage – from obtaining raw materials (clay and brine) to the distribution of transportable product and discarding of disposable containers. We conducted multi-aspect studies on the characteristics of materials related to each stage, including their spatial location, based on all available material from western Małopolska, in particular several large-scale benchmark sites (Podłęże 17, Brzezie 17 and Kraków-Bieżanów 11). This allowed us to identify certain differences in production sites. A comprehensive review of the source database also allowed us to establish a rather limited scope of both the degree of craft specialisation of the brewers and the scale of the centre’s influence. Nevertheless, in some periods, as in the beginning of the Urnfield period, this centre gained supra-regional importance, as evidenced by, among others, certificates of weight standardization of finished products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 28 July 2016, Jabhat al-Nusra announced its disengagement from militant international Islamist organization al-Qaeda and became Jabhat Fatah al-Sham. In January 2017, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham rebranded yet again when it merged with several other Syrian groups to establish Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). HTS formed a civilian ‘Syrian Salvation Government’ to manage its regions. Among the transformations was in its attitudes towards the looting and destructions of antiquities, which had become endemic in Syria. HTS had targeted archaeological sites for destruction and looting. After its disengagement from al-Qaeda, HTS reopened the Idlib Museum in 2018, and claimed to protection of antiquities. This article aims to study the reasons and motives for the transformation in strategy of HTS regarding Syrian tangible heritage during the ongoing war in Syria and argues that this strategy remains one in which Syrian heritage is exploited for political gain within the context of a larger conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The history of rare diseases is largely unknown. Research on this topic has focused on individual cases of prominent (historical) individuals and artistic (e.g., iconographic) representations. Medical collections include large numbers of specimens that exhibit signs of rare diseases, but most of them date to relatively recent periods. However, cases of rare diseases detected in mummies and skeletal remains derived from archaeological excavations have also been recorded. Nevertheless, this direct evidence from historical and archaeological contexts is mainly absent from academic discourse and generally not consulted in medical research on rare diseases. Results: This desideratum is addressed by the Digital Atlas of Ancient Rare Diseases (DAARD: https://daard.dainst.org), which is an open access/open data database and web-based mapping tool that collects evidence of different rare diseases found in skeletons and mummies globally and throughout all historic and prehistoric time periods. This easily searchable database allows queries by diagnosis, the preservation level of human remains, research methodology, place of curation and publications. In this manuscript, the design and functionality of the DAARD are illustrated using examples of achondroplasia and other types of stunted growth. Conclusions: As an open, collaborative repository for collecting, mapping and querying well-structured medical data on individuals from ancient times, the DAARD opens new avenues of research. Over time, the number of rare diseases will increase through the addition of new cases from varied backgrounds such as museum collections and archaeological excavations. Depending on the research question, phenotypic or genetic information can be retrieved, as well as information on the general occurrence of a rare disease in selected space–time intervals. Furthermore, for individuals diagnosed with a rare disease, this approach can help them to build identity and reveal an aspect of their condition they might not have been aware of. Thus, the DAARD contributes to the understanding of rare diseases from a long-term perspective and adds to the latest medical research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Landscape‐scale LiDAR‐based studies are becoming increasingly prevalent in archaeology, mainly focusing on detecting archaeological sites to create datasets for spatial analysis. However, the representativeness of these datasets in accurately reflecting the surviving distributions of archaeological sites has often been overlooked. This paper discusses issues of sampling and representativeness in LiDAR‐derived datasets, particularly within the scope of large‐scale landscape studies in Mediterranean contexts. Drawing insights from the Ancient Hillforts Survey, which analysed 15 296 km2 in south‐central Italy, the study examines the variability in the visibility of different site typologies in open‐source but low‐resolution LiDAR data. Through an examination of hillforts, platform farms, settlements, field systems, traces of Roman centuriation, and transhumance routes, the paper highlights significant variability in the identification and mapping within and across different site types. Recognizing the need to account for this variability in the development of spatial analysis, the paper discusses the use of sampling areas to address this variability. This approach aims to effectively mitigate potential biases in analysis, emphasizing the necessity for nuanced methodologies in interpreting LiDAR data for archaeological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study presented focuses on material research of La Tène rivets and represents the very first study conducted into this class of archaeological finds from the Bohemian region. The rivets examined come from two significant archaeological sites situated in this geographical area—a hillfort Kolo near Týnec nad Labem and an oppidum in Stradonice. The sets of the rivets selected for the study were dated to the Late La Tène period (second–first century BC)—in the context of Western Europe, the term Celtic period can also be found. Thorough material research of the objects utilised a range of methods such as scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive analyser, atomic absorption spectrometry, X-ray micro-tomography scanning, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, and Raman spectrometry. As a result, the research has identified and described three different technologies used to produce the rivets. The rivets uncovered there were mostly produced by casting from a bronze alloy or by putting wrought iron pins into the bronze melt of rivet heads. In addition, a minority of the rivets were produced using forged wrought iron with their heads plated with a very thin bronze plate. The results of the elemental analysis showed that several of the rivets and most of the rivet heads were made of bronze alloys with a tin content of 2–10 wt.%. The lead content of bronze alloy rivets from both sites varies from 0.2 to 10.1 wt.%. It can be assumed, that lead was intentionally added to the bronze melt used to produce the majority of the artefacts examined. Also, several bronze rivet heads were found to be decorated with enamel, which is a type of soda-lime-silica high lead glass coloured with crystals of Cu2O (the Colour of the enamel was predominantly red). In conclusion, two different groups of enamels were distinguished: (a) enamels with PbO up to 20% and (b) enamels with a higher content of PbO reaching up to 40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents archaeological findings from excavations within the Salvamento Arqueológico Planta de Licuefacción de Gas Natural in winter 2022. The project area is located 2 kilometers southeast from the town of Puerto Libertad, Sonora and 800 meters inland from the coastline. A pre-Hispanic cemetery was recorded and excavated, with secondary pit cremations, secondary cremations placed inside locally produced plain ware and decorated vessels, and an articulated primary burial of a female, between 18 and 20 years old and with evidence of scalping. A possible crematorium 1.8 km away with cremations was also identified. The study area borders the precolonial cultural limits of the Costa Central and Trincheras Traditions and the documentation of cremations from the site were compared against previously excavated mortuary features across both cultural traditions. In addition to funerary practices, ceramic analysis demonstrated that the ancient inhabitants of Puerto Libertad belonged to the Trincheras Tradition and suggests they may have migrated from the valleys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Camp Douglas existed from September 1861 through early 1866, when the military decommissioned it. During this time, the camp grew to encompass 60 acres located on the southern outskirts of Chicago where it served as a recruitment and training center and, later, beginning in February 1862, a Confederate POW facility. Before the end of 1865, the federal government began auctioning off camp structures and materials, and thereafter, the camp began to fade from physical view, while Northern interests actively sought to expunge Camp Douglas, as well as other federal POW camps, from popular memory. The erasure of the camp was all but complete by the early twentieth-first century, when a group of individuals formed the Camp Douglas Restoration Foundation, Inc., in order to tell the story of the camp and determine if subsurface remains of the site existed. Since 2012, the foundation has sponsored 11 archaeological investigations of the camp. These excavations, which relied on volunteers drawn from the public, exposed camp deposits, raised public awareness about the site, and highlighted the site's connection to twentieth-century events, while demonstrating that developed urban areas may harbor significant archaeological remains. The results of the archaeological research reaffirm that Camp Douglas is a significant Chicago site whose story is worth investigating and telling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GPR method was used to determine the depth and extent of the subsurface archaeological features at the archaeological site of Borsippa. The extensions of the archaeological walls were identified through the creation of three-dimensional maps. The LMX200 device conducted the survey using a 250 MHZ antenna. sixty parallel profiles were collected and processed by GPR Slice software. Several reflections of possible archaeological walls buried at different depths and extensions of 2, 4, 6, 11, and 20 m were identified. The 250 MHz antenna gave clear reflections of the archaeological walls, with a penetration depth of up to 4 meters. The time slice map identified a buried archaeological structure at 1-1.1 m deep, consisting of many rooms with thick walls up to 2-3 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted to investigate buried archaeological remains at Tingambato, a pre‐Tarascan classic‐epiclassic archaeological site located in the north‐central part of the State of Michoacán in western Mexico, using ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity tomography (ERT). The aim of this study was to detect the foundations (ancient buried walls) and cavities (tombs), define the geometry of the foundations and correlate construction style and depth with relative chronological buried structures. The survey was carried out on two grids of 15 m × 37 m (Zona Verde) and 10.25 m × 36.5 m (Ballgame court), using a 200 MHz antenna for GPR and Schlumberger‐Wenner arrays for ERT. GPR 3D acquisition was carried out along parallel lines spaced 0.25 m apart in a single direction. In the first area, considering the geometric shape found at a depth of 1.35 m, we can assume the existence of a buried structure, probably wall remains. In the second area, a very diffractive zone coincides with a resistive anomaly (> 2000 ohm·m). In order to refine the GPR results, synthetic modelling and a comparison with real traces were carried out. The 1D GPR modelling allows us to precise the presence of a cavity with a rectangular cross section. Since the type of volcaniclastic avalanche deposits of the subsoil do not allow the formation of cavities of that size, we infer that it may be the remains of a tomb or an anthropogenic cavity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For over a century, archaeologists have investigated the vast network of prehistoric Hohokam canal irrigation systems in the lower Salt River and middle Gila River valleys, as well as in other areas of southern Arizona. However, documentation of the agricultural fields in which prehistoric farmers irrigated their crops generally was lacking until the last 25 years. This is largely a result of the difficulty in identifying ancient fields, since they are not visible on the surface and have been obscured or destroyed by natural landscape processes as well as historic and modern disturbances. More recent archaeological investigations have revealed ancient irrigated fields through innovative methods and excavation techniques. The fields were constructed both by Hohokam irrigators (450–1450 CE) as well as by farmers from preceding cultural traditions during the Early Agricultural period (2100 BCE–50 CE). These discoveries occurred during projects conducted in compliance with the National Historic Preservation Act. In this chapter, I highlight these important studies that have expanded the view of ancient agricultural landscapes in southern Arizona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Raised garden beds were once among the most common Native American earthworks in eastern North America. Typically located on prime agricultural land, they are now among the rarest. However, previously unrecorded archaeological raised beds can still be uncovered, especially in more marginal agricultural settings. This chapter details the discovery of a previously unrecorded ancestral Native American ridged agricultural field site in Juneau County, Wisconsin, USA. The site was first identified in 2020 by the authors using publicly available historical aerial imagery and a recent lidar survey. Here we describe its confirmation as a ridged field archaeological site and emplace it within broader anthropogenic landscapes of Wisconsin. Methods described herein can be employed globally to locate and document raised bed agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a critical review of all published data on findings of the skeletal elements of sturgeons (Acipenseridae) during archaeological excavations conducted in the territory of Ukraine. Sturgeon remains are present in materials from 41 archaeological sites, the age of which covers the stage from the Neolithic (4 kyr bc) up to the Modern Period (17th century ad). Five species (Acipenser gueldenstaedtii, Acipenser nudiventris, Acipenser ruthenus, Acipenser stellatus, and Huso huso) are recognized. Of them, the Russian sturgeon, the sterlet, and the stellate sturgeon are the most abundant, while beluga is somewhat less numerous, and the fringebarbel sturgeon is represented by the smallest number of remains. The presence of the latter species (and the absence of the European sturgeon Acipenser sturio) in the historical past of Ukraine is discussed. We also highlight the importance of original and published data accessibility in archaeozoological research and discuss the issues of species identification, body length, and weight reconstruction of sturgeons based on skeletal elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of archaeological, historical and geoarchaeological records represents a significant contribution to research into the medieval landscape. This study focuses on the medieval field system in the deserted village of Debrné, located in northeastern Bohemia, Czechia. The village features a well‐preserved croft plužina field system, a typical historical landscape of central Europe. The main and most visible elements of the field system are the earthen field boundaries, which were the focus of the geoarchaeological investigations. Archaeological excavations in trench S1 revealed a collection of larger stones at a depth of 1 m, potentially serving a drainage function akin to the observed plužina. Additionally, a boulder paving, identified as a remnant of a path between fields, provided insights into the historical use of the area. In trench S2, positioned closer to the village's core, layers with increasing stone content were recorded at a depth of 130 cm. However, the drainage structure observed in trench S1 was not replicated. The dating of earthen field boundaries indicated the creation of the terrace in the second half of the 16th century in trench S1. In trench S2, radiocarbon dating at a depth of 70 to 80 cm ranged from 1025 to 1175 A.D., predating the first written source about Debrné. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating in trench S2 suggested exposure to sunlight during the third century A.D. Archaeobotanical analysis of charred macroremains from trench S1 revealed 236 plant macroremains belonging to approximately 20 taxa, showcasing wild‐growing, collected useful species such as raspberry, blackberry and elderberry. Trench S2 yielded 23 plant macroremains belonging to 11 taxa, with similar species as trench S1. Pedological and micromorphological examinations displayed distinct layering in both trenches, showing up to six layers. Micromorphological analysis unveiled vuggy microstructures, varying grain sizes and elemental patterns, shedding light on different periods of occupation. Multidisciplinary investigations of the buried soils forming the earthen field boundaries discovered that the original soil cover comprised automorphic lixisols and cambisols, which also form under present conditions. These results underscore the importance of integrating pedological, geoarchaeological, archaeobotanical and physical data to comprehend the intricate nature of anthropogenic landscape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The policy of the Neo-Assyrian empire in the Levant has been extensively debated, and at least three different views have been suggested. Some scholars have argued that the empire invested in the Levant after it was annexed and that most of it prospered due to the imperial policy. However, others have claimed the opposite, suggesting that the Assyrians neglected the area and did not have any real interest in its economic rehabilitation. A third view holds that Assyrian investment was partial and that prosperity due to deliberate imperial policy can be seen mostly in the north. In the current paper I will present each of these views, which will then be challenged based on the degrees of prosperity evident from archaeological excavations in different provinces. Finally, an updated interpretation for Assyrian imperial policy in the Levant will be suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Excavating the Land of Jesus: How Archaeologists Study the People of the Gospels" by James R. Strange is a comprehensive and accessible book that explores the field of archaeology in relation to first-century CE Galilee. The book provides valuable insights for both gospel specialists and laypersons, offering new perspectives on the data used in their research. It covers various topics such as understanding first-century Roman Galilee, the process of excavation, the relationship between texts and archaeology, ancient technologies, and ancient values. With its rich illustrations and maps, this book is a valuable resource for anyone interested in understanding Jesus in his historical context. [Extracted from the article]