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AbstractWhat constraints and conditions are conducive to the innovation of more advanced watercraft technology? This paper explores this question by modeling ancient voyages in the Channel Island region of southern California. The Chumash and Tongva cultures of this region invented an advanced form of boat, the sewn plank canoe, around 500 CE. This new technology led to a rapid increase in maritime travel and transformed the maritime political economy of the region. In this paper we use agent-based ocean voyage modeling to examine the capacities of a range of indigenous boat types to travel important routes in the Channel Region at different times of the year. Our results indicate that while several different boat types would have been conducive for voyaging from the mainland coast to adjacent islands such as Limuw (Santa Cruz) and Pimu (Catalina), voyages to outlying islands, including Tuqan (San Miguel) and especially Haraasnga (San Nicolas), would have been difficult for much of the year in dugout or reed boats. We argue that early mariners plying these routes would have been under strong pressure to innovate faster and more seaworthy craft, possibly leading to the eventual development of the sewn plank canoe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeology of the immediate coastline of West Africa remains surprisingly little understood, and what research has been undertaken has often focused on questions relating to sea-based interactions and the precolonial polities lying slightly inland. This paper reports the results of excavations on Ohlinhoué, a small lagoonal island in the western Republic of Bénin. A locally manufactured ceramic assemblage was recovered, together with a small suite of artifacts, including glass, metal, shell, and smoking pipes. These archaeological data provide insights into a small-scale, likely fishing and salt-producing community in this area between sea and river. As such, they provide an alternative to historical readings relating to well-known precolonial polities and trade entrepôts that feed popular historical narratives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractDue to road construction, the University Museum of Bergen conducted a rescue excavation in Vika, Bømlo County, some 5 km from the large greenstone quarry Hespriholmen on the Norwegian west coast. The site revealed two distinct occupation phases. In the Early Mesolithic (10,500–11,000 cal BP), Vika was a small hunting station, while in the Late Mesolithic (8000–7000 cal BP), Vika served as a specialized workshop site for the production of adze preforms out of blanks shipped from the Hespriholmen quarry. Because of the mid-Holocene transgression, most of the archaeological record was covered by a beach ridge at the Vika site. The build up of the ridge is described by conducting a series of radiocarbon datings and by analyzing the distribution of reworked and non-reworked lithics throughout the different strata of the beach sediments. The paper emphasizes the potential for obtaining significant results despite the absence of in-situ archaeological remains and their exposure to redeposition. The Vika site provided valuable insights into the displacements of shorelines, characteristics of beach ridges, and the influence of the dynamic Holocene environment on Mesolithic sites along the coast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractOceanic islands constitute 0.05% of emerged land masses but account for 2% of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Physical constraints have determined that the history of these remote territories is marked by globally unique forms of colonization and human cultures. A significant part of this heritage, located in coastal areas, is threatened by the mean sea level rise (SLR) due to anthropogenic climate change. This paper presents a regional approach to the risk estimation of SLR in the cultural heritage of oceanic islands, taking the Canary Islands (Spain) as an example. The Canary Islands is one of the most prominent oceanic archipelagos in the world (∼1500 km of coastline), where cultural heritage, preferentially located in the coastal areas (up to 50% in the first 1 km), nicely represents the two major stages of human occupation of islands (aboriginal and European). Through process-based modeling, high resolution flood maps were obtained for 20 climate scenarios and complete coverage of the archipelago. These maps were combined with detailed planimetries of 343 officially designated cultural heritage sites, applying damage functions to relate flood depth with the type of construction and the historical period. The results indicate potential damage to 55 cultural heritage sites of the Canary Islands which could be significant in 15 of them. For these cases, it is recommended to study specific adaptation measures aimed at mitigating the flood risk, such as moving the heritage assets away from the hazard areas or reinforcing and protecting the structures to reduce their vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of the analysis of plant macroremains (except wood), primarily seeds and fruits, from Cabo San Pablo 2017 (CSP2017), an archaeological site close to the Atlantic coast of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego. CSP2017 has a great diversity of archaeological materials, including faunal, lithic, carpological, and anthracological remains. The data are especially relevant due to the scarcity of information regarding plant use at coastal sites in the region. At CSP2017 eleven taxa were identified. The results obtained provide data on plant use at the site and, at the same time, enable discussion of the management and use of these types of resources on Isla Grande. By placing these results in context with previously studied coastal and hinterland sites, research at CSP2017 contributes to a better understanding of plant use by hunter-gatherers of the southernmost part of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]