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To understand the implications of archaeological site recording practices and associated inventories for studying Indigenous persistence after the arrival of Europeans, we examined the documentary record associated with nearly 900 archaeological sites in Marin County, California. Beginning with the first regional surveys conducted during the early 1900s and continuing into the present, the paper trail created by archaeologists reveals an enduring emphasis on precontact materials to the exclusion of more recent patterns of Indigenous occupation and land use. In assessing sites occupied by Indigenous people from the late sixteenth through the mid-twentieth centuries, we discuss how the use of multiple lines of evidence--including temporally diagnostic artifacts, chronometric dating techniques, and historical documentation--may help illuminate subtle but widespread patterns of Native presence that have been obscured by essentialist assumptions about Indigenous culture change. Our findings further reveal the shortcomings of traditional site recording systems, in which archaeologists typically categorize sites within the prehistoric-protohistoric-historic triad on the basis of commonsense decisions that conflate chronology with identity. Instead, we argue for recording practices that focus specifically on the calendric ages of occupation for any given site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage are crucial for revealing a valuable collection of historical, and cultural importance submerged beneath Malaysia's coastal waters. This paper comprehensively reviews the preservation efforts concerning Malaysia's maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage. Malaysia has a vast coastline and a significant historical background in the maritime trade, resulting in a wide range of submerged archaeological sites dating back several centuries. Furthermore, the paper discusses the terms of maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage, the element of the term underwater cultural heritage, the law in Malaysia related to underwater cultural heritage, and the process of excavation of shipwrecks also artifacts in Malaysia's Waters. This review seeks to educate policymakers, academicians, researchers, and heritage practitioners about the significance of conserving Malaysia's maritime archaeology and underwater cultural heritage by combining the existing research and practical experiences. It promotes increased awareness, funding, and coordinated actions to protect these invaluable connections to Malaysia's maritime history for future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Arqueología Iberoamericana is the property of Arqueologia Iberoamericana 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 Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa is the property of Routledge 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.)

Narva, Estonia's easternmost city, was once famous for its baroque Old Town, but this was sadly destroyed during World War II. When Estonia regained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, the border town quickly became a site of complex memory politics, intensified by a widely felt loss of its former architectural and industrial status. This was particularly manifested in growing nostalgia for the Old Town and discourses on rebuilding it, despite the changed urban dynamics. Building on a media archaeological approach, this paper explores the role of nostalgia and local memory politics in conditioning the emergence of novel kinds of mediations of the 'lost city', especially in the form of specific mobile media and augmented reality (AR) applications aimed at mapping the whole of the city and allowing experiencing it first-hand. Second, the paper studies the roles these same forms and mediations play in further channelling the nostalgia and modes of reproducing Narva's destroyed Old Town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to document the conservation processes of a polychrome wooden coffin in the Dahshur archaeological area dating back to the late period. The exterior part of the coffin is decorated with a painted layer. Visual observation, 2D Program, and Optical Microscopy (OM) were used. wood identification. The coffin was in a bad condition. It was covered with a thick layer of dust, losing parts of the painted and gesso layers, as well as other parts of these layers, were lost. Some parts were missing from the head area of the lid coffin. The conservation processes of the wooden coffin included mechanical and chemical cleaning, reattachment of the separated parts of the ground layer and painted layers, filling the edge of the painted layer, and consolidating the painted layer. The conservation process included mechanical cleaning using soft brushes, chemical cleaning using ethyl alcohol and distilled water for painting, stabilization of the separated gesso layer using Paraloid B72, filling cracks of the gesso layers using glass microballoon with Paraloid B72 and consolidating the painted layer with calcium oxide nanoparticles with Klucel G (hydroxypropyl cellulose) 0. 5% [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper communicates a suitable laboratory protocol for settling the 4 - 11 µm fine grain fraction for OSL dating of archaeological samples from museum artefacts sampled using the minimum extraction technique. It provides a step-by-step methodology to facilitate adapting this protocol for use more broadly and demonstrates its ability to successfully isolate the fine grain fraction from tiny samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiocarbon ages of 17 ancient Japanese documents of known age and 3 unknown samples were measured by AMS. Radiocarbon dating on the known documents concluded that the Japanese paper is a suitable sample for radiocarbon dating because of small discrepancy between the calibrated radiocarbon age and the historical age due to the characteristics of Japanese paper. From the dating of the paper samples of unknown age, the wood-block prints, it was clarified that they had been produced between the 11th century and the first half of the 12th century as the historical information suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estonian Journal of Archaeology is the property of Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus 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 communities of the Kura- Araxes cultural complex with their highly distinctive cultural and economic features represent the occupation of some parts of the Near East and Caucasia during the Bronze Age. Generally, the origin of this culture is sought in the Southern Caucasus. In Iran, the spread of this cultural tradition represents not only a rupture in the cultural development of the Mesopotamian traditions. Environmental changes linked to Rapid Climate Change (RCC) also forced the population to develop new economic strategies. Until about two decades ago, knowledge of the flourishing Kura Araxes occupation was limited to the north-west of the country and to some parts of the Central Zagros, but recent research in the zones south and north of the Alborz Mountain Range, on the northern edge of the Central Plateau allows by now to present a more detailed picture of the Kura Araxes occupation in both diachronic and synchronic perspective. Recent archaeological excavations in the two sites of Qaleh Tepe and Ali Yourd Tepe revealed some important new data from Kura-Araxes settlements in the corridor of the north Central Plateau and northwestern Iran. The two sites are located in the eastern Zanjan Province in the Abhar Rood Basin. This paper aims to update the chronology of the Kura-Araxes culture based on the radiocarbon dates from the two sites of Qaleh Tepe and Ali Yourd Tepe. The stratigraphy and radiocarbon dates of the two sites reveal the beginning of the Kura-Araxes culture in the region from c. 2900 BCE, followed by a quick extension into the northern Central Plateau, where it is represented by sites such as Shizar, Doranabad, Ostur, and Barlekin. Similarity and diversity characterize the Kura-Araxes cultural complex. However, based on the current data, the ceramic style represents a common feature, but also the architectural remains indicate a common cultural tradition during the first quarter of the third millennium BCE in the Central Zagros, northwestern Iran, and on the Central Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the use of a planet-dating technique to simulate early Earth and discusses related studies by the team of Markus Lagos, a geochemist affiliated with the University of Bonn. Lagos argues against the previous belief that core formation could explain the lead isotope signature of the Earth by asserting that lead does not have a preference for metallic iron.

This paper presents a review of recent archaeological work in Ionia and Caria, located in southwest Anatolia. In this paper we focus on archaeological research conducted in the past decade and we present a synthesis of recent discoveries and published research. Southwest Anatolia is a region where the earliest archaeological work dates back to the 19th century. However, there are research areas that have been long neglected, and archaeological work has been stifled until recent decades. As a result, the last decade of research has seen significant transformations in approaches and methodologies, with new research agendas to report. Owing to their presentation in historical accounts, Ionia has been perceived as more embedded within the world of Greek archaeology, whereas Caria, viewed from an Atheno-centric perspective, has been regarded as peripheral and provincial. Therefore, it is interesting to present a synthesis of archaeological research for both regions together. It is promising that archaeological practice in both regions has begun to embrace a longue dureé approach and has shifted research focus from major urban centres and monuments to new research foci by making use of interdisciplinary research, including rural landscapes, domestic space, cultural identities, and daily practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the results of a multi-technological analytical protocol performed on the painted surface of an Egyptian wooden coffin and documents the conservation processes of a wooden coffin covered with a black resin layer and coloured materials in Dahshur Archaeological Area dating back to the late period. It uses visual observation, optical microscopy (OM), technical imaging, 2D and 3D programmes, and a scan made using an electron microscope coupled with an Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD). Wood identification was also carried out. The results showed the use of yellow ochre for the yellow painted layer; the ground layer was calcium carbonate with gypsum, and the fabric layer was linen. The conservation processes of the wooden coffin included mechanical and chemical cleaning; reassembling the separated wooden parts, ground layer, and black resin layers; filling the edge of the ground layer; and consolidating the wood, black resin, and painted layer. The conservation processes included mechanical cleaning using soft brushes, chemical cleaning using xylene and distilled water for the black resin layer and ethyl alcohol and distilled water for the painted layer, stabilisation of the separated ground layer using Paraloid B72, filling the cracks of the ground layers using glass microballoons with Paraloid B72, and consolidating the painted layer with nano-silica with Klucel G (hydroxypropyl cellulose) (0.5% concentration). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent radiocarbon redating of key sites and events in Huron-Wendat archaeology has shaken dominant accounts of early colonial history. This paper emphasizes the importance of storytelling in archaeology. I consider how refined date estimates for key Huron-Wendat archaeological sites have impacted understandings of conflict, confederacy-formation, and the reception (or not) of early European materials and persons. The paper highlights how this work affects processes of commemoration and collaboration, as well as the importance of shared authority and Huron-Wendat leadership in rewriting contact-era archaeological histories. This project has generated productive new directions for meaningful collaboration between archaeologists and Indigenous researchers and heritage managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Kiva is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

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]

The authors comment on an article about zircon dates that contribute to terrane demarcation in the eastern Namaqua mobile belt. They commend the paper's authors for providing information on terrane definition of the mobile belt. They agree with the paper's claims about the relationship between crustal blocks and craton. However, the author argues that correct terrane definition for the eastern part of the mobile belt should involve exposed outcrops to the west.

Archaeologists keep a limited arsenal of methods for dating stone features at alpine sites. Radiocarbon (14C) dating is rarely possible, and it is common that dates do not accurately represent the activity of interest (stone feature construction). In this paper I review a legacy set of 89 14C dates for stone driveline sites built by hunter-gatherers in Colorado's Southern Rocky Mountains. I amend the sample of dates using chronometric hygiene and focus on dates with direct association to hunting features. I then present a newly calibrated set of 29 lichenometric dates for rock features at these sites and use hygiene protocols to remove inaccurate dates. Size-frequency lichenometry, though poorly known in archaeology, provides a way to date stone features indirectly by measuring the growth of long-lived lichens that colonize rock surfaces after construction events. Bayesian modeling of the combined set of dates suggests that the tradition of alpine game driving spans over 6000 years BP, with abundant use over the last 2000 years. Archaeologists must use multiple methods for dating stone features in alpine environments. This Bayesian analysis is a formal effort to combine lichenometry and 14C dating for archaeological interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we discuss how the history of our discipline continues to shape how we think with material culture to produce narratives. We argue that recent developments in scientific dating—in combination with New Materialist and Big Data approaches—offer the potential to produce radical new interpretations. However, we can only achieve this if we adopt 'ethically Bayesian' approaches which recognise that some of the most fundamental aspects of our epistemological structures are highly situated, reflecting a Eurocentric, colonial legacy. This legacy is especially important when we study societies that did/do not produce texts—so-called 'prehistoric' societies. We suggest that the revolutionary potential of radiocarbon dating on archaeology has not been fully achieved, precisely because chronometric data have not yet been made sufficiently independent from materials-determined narrative structures. We outline the importance of ethically Bayesian approaches as means to challenge this disciplinary inheritance. We argue that we need to describe the richness and specificity of the pasts we bring into being in ways that take better account of the historical processes through which heterogeneous assemblages emerge, rather than to search for preconfigured entities (like 'the Bronze Age'). Times have changed; we need our approaches to time to catch up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Swan Point site in interior Alaska contains a significant multi-component archaeological record dating back to 14,200 cal BP. The site's radiocarbon (14C) chronology has been presented in scattered publications that mostly focus on specific archaeological periods in Alaska, in particular its terminal Pleistocene components associated with the East Beringian tradition. This paper synthesizes the site's 14C data and provides sequential Bayesian models for its cultural zones and subzones. The 14C and archaeological record at Swan Point attests that the location was persistently used over the last 14,000 years, even though major changes are evident within regional vegetation and local faunal communities, reflecting long-term trends culminating in Dene-Athabascan history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boston's "Big Dig" construction project resulted in the excavation of multiple archaeological sites dating from the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries, including the Great House/Three Cranes Tavern in Charlestown, Massachusetts (USA). An otherwise unremarkable pit below the tavern foundation contained bones originally identified as a cat skeleton, which has subsequently been reidentified as a dog. This paper discusses site context, osteological evidence for the dog's reclassification, and the shifts in cultural meaning this may indicate. Employing an osteobiographical approach, it draws together points of connection between the modern skeletal assessment, a series of 1980s excavations, and the motivations of eighteenth-century tavern inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dates from recently excavated Gangetic site of Sakas in Bihar, India, place it at ca.1800–1100 BC. The ceramic and lithic chronologies have been interpreted as Early Farming, Transitional and Chalcolithic/Developed Farming in date. However, depending on where in the Ganges Plains is studied, the time frame of Early, Developed and Advanced Farming periods varies widely, from 7th millennium to 2nd millennium BC and beyond, making the chronological framing of absolute dates within a regional scheme highly complex. In this paper we report the new radiocarbon results from Sakas and note how while these are critical for cementing the absolute dating of the site, until such time as a more stable periodization linked not only to relative and absolute dates but also human lifeways within the different zones of the Ganges plains is created, there remains difficulties in understanding how Sakas and other sites of similar date fit into the changing social, cultural and economic systems in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The archaeological area of Amrit (350 ha) is located on the Syrian coastal region of Tartus and is known since the 18th century CE, due to its imposing archaeological remains dated to the first millennium BCE and to the Roman period. It was listed in the UNESCO tentative list in 2005.Since 2022, the University of Firenze (SAGAS) in collaboration with the CNR-ISPC and the DGAM-Syria, conducts a project that aims towards the documentation, restoration, public display, and community involvement of the archaeological site of Amrit, after more than 10 years of conflict and a still ongoing economic and social instability.Aim of this paper is to present the first results of the 3D survey at the site carried out in September 2022. This survey, conducted by archaeologists, aimed at obtaining a detailed documentation of the monumental structures on the site, to assess their state of preservation as of 2022, and to record the decay process of previous restorations and facilitate the planning for the archaeological park. The rapidity of acquiring data and the precision of this technique is obviously of great advantage in difficult contexts such as is Syria, where power cuts are systematic and there is a need of acquiring as much as data as possible in a limited time. This specific activity aims also at showing that archaeologists can acquire technological skills and gather specific knowledge to obtain the best possible results when dealing with damage assessment of heritage during and after a conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the 17th to the 19th century, a score of military events, campaigns and battles took place in the Czech lands, leaving numerous traces and distinctly changing the appearance of the cultural landscape in some regions. The results of long-term aerial-archeological surveys in the Czech lands have demonstrated that this detection method is advantageous in identifying buried sites built in the past in the context of military conflicts. Experience hitherto has made it possible to label archeological remote sensing as a collection of the potentially most effective methods for uncovering sites of field fortifications dated to the modern period and the beginning of the industrial era. This includes finds of both solitary sites and segments of strategically built fortification lines. This paper is an attempt to critically evaluate these hitherto recorded landmarks which have been discovered and documented via aerial prospection from the 1990s to the present. At the same time, this study reflects on the possibilities offered by the modern methods of remote sensing which have played a significant role in the discovery, mapping, documentation, digital terrain modelling, and the 3D virtual reconstructions of these sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological textiles are suitable material for radiocarbon dating as they are mainly made of organic matter, such as plant and/or animal fibres. Radiocarbon dating provides objective age estimates of archaeological finds, based on measurements of the carbon-14 isotope present in the organic matter against an internationally used reference standard. However, the quantity and quality of carbon present in the organic matter of archaeological textiles can be affected either by the conditions under which the find was preserved (such as carbonisation, chemical change of organic matter to carbon, and mineralisation, which is the gradual replacement of organic matter by metal degradation products), or by the application of certain interventive methods of conservation (such as, consolidation and the application of organic adhesives that add foreign organic matter/carbon to the textile). Six case studies of archaeological textiles dated using the carbon-14 method are presented here. Two carbonised textile finds, two which were mineralised (one treated with adhesives in the past), and a final two which come from inhumation burials (similar to the textile previously treated with adhesives). This paper includes a discussion and review of the dating method, focusing on sample selection, sample preparation, and by evaluating the efficiency of the technique on textile finds at various states of preservation. This study shows that efficiency of the technique is highly dependable on the amount of carbon present in the finds, which does not seem to be affected by carbonisation, but is greatly affected by mineralisation and the incorporation of foreign organic matter, like synthetic consolidants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faid was a major pilgrim Islamic oasis located 120 km southeast of the Ha'il Province, northwest of Saudi Arabia. It was founded on the major Hajj Road between Baghdad/Kufa and Medina and was developed by Zubaydah bint Ja'far, granddaughter to the Caliph Abu Ja'far al-Mansur (the founder of Baghdad) and wife to the fifth Abbasid Caliph, Harun Ar-Rasid 775-785 CE. Therefore, during the reign of Harun Ar-Rasid Caliph, the major pilgrim road was renamed from Darb Heerah to Darb Zubaydah. The archaeological site in Faid was referenced and described by several travellers and scholars and excavated by the Heritage Commission, Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia 1998-2012. From 2014-2022, the University of Ha'il conducted nine fieldwork seasons at the site. The authors directed the last four seasons, which revealed numerous new discoveries from stratified excavations. This study aims to reconstruct the occupation chronology at the site based on stratigraphic contexts and supported by radiocarbon dating, artefact studies, and written resources. Three occupation horizons were identified at the site; the early Abbasid period was the dominant occupation. The resulting radiocarbon calibrated ages were consistent with the preliminary archaeological studies carried out by the authors. The results presented in this paper represent an attempt to reconstruct the chronology of the study site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a preliminary but a comprehensive examination of a terracotta juglet retrieved from the Islamic site of Umm Zweitineh, in central Jordan. This article attempts to pinpoint a fresh addition to our knowledge of the Mameluke period pottery assembly known elsewhere in the Levant. Since neither coherent architectural remains were exposed nor stratigraphic sequence was discerned, however, the unearthed archaeological objects, including the juglet being studied, have not been attributed to specific contexts (e.g., rooms), or loci or strata. Due to budget constraints, there was no possibility to conduct a petrographic analysis. Instead, the authors set out to explore the fabric and decorative scheme of the juglet by the naked eye and to describe the fabric and decoration colours according to the Munsell Chart. We presented it typologically and dated it based on parallels from well-dated sites, especially Hesban, since its decorative scheme, production technique and shape were commonplace in the region of Syria–Palestine from the 12th through the 14th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archeologia dell'Architettura is the property of Edizioni all'Insegna del Giglio 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.)

This paper presents a summary of work undertaken by the authors and their teams on a series of Qe'an (plural of Qa'), in the Badia of eastern Jordan. These basins are foci for settlement in the region, with the sites described here (Shubayqa, Wisad and the Qa' Qattafi) edged by archaeological sites dating from the late Epipalaeolithic (ca. 14,500 - 11,600 cal BP) and the Neolithic (ca. 11,700 - 6100 cal BP), and in areas still used by people today as seasonal wetlands for watering animals and growing cereal. We assess here the potential for the Qe'an sediments to provide what would be rare continuous palaeoenvironmental records for this part of SW Asia. The paper presents the first dates from the Qe'an of this region and the outline sedimentology. Much of the fill is of Holocene age, which leads to discussion of climate and landscape change over the last 15,000 years, particularly due to the close geographical relationship between these basins and archaeology. Our optically stimulated luminescence and radiocarbon dating of the basin fill suggests that there was significantly more space in the landscape for water storage in the early Holocene, which may have therefore provided this resource for people and their livestock or game for a longer duration each year than that seen today. Linked to this are hypotheses of a more vegetated landscape during this time period. Given the environmentally marginal nature of our study area subtle changes in landscape and/or climate, and human exploitation of these resources, could have led to significant, and likely detrimental for its inhabitants, environmental impacts for the region, such as desertification. Our data are suggestive of desertification occurring, and sets up a clear hypothesis for testing by future work in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we present dating of archaeological samples from Croatia only performed since our last reports (Obelić et al. 2011; Horvatinčić et al. 2012). Liquid scintillation radiometric measurement technique with benzene synthesis (LSC-B) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) technique were applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radiocarbon dating has had profound implications for archaeological understanding. These have been identified as various “revolutions,” with the latest—Bayesian chronological statistical analyses of large datasets—hailed as a “revolution in understanding.” This paper argues that the full implications of radiocarbon (14C) data and interpretation on archaeological theory have yet to be recognized, and it suggests that responses in Britain to earlier revolutions in archaeological understanding offer salutary lessons for contemporary archaeological practice. This paper draws on the work of David Clarke and Colin Renfrew to emphasize the importance of critical considerations of the relationships between archaeological theory and scientific method, and to emphasize that seemingly neutral aspects of archaeological thought are highly laden interpretatively, and have significant implications for the kinds of archaeology that we write. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyprus, the third largest Mediterranean island, is located at an exceptional crossroad in the eastern Mediterranean, where cultures from the Middle East, Africa and Europe have interacted for more than 10 000 years. The aim of this paper is to present an exhaustive review of the past archaeological geophysical surveys on the island. The result of our research indicates that to date, more than 30 archaeological sites spanning from the Pre‐Pottery Neolithic (ca. 10 000 BC) to the Venetian period (up to 1571 AD) have been investigated through noninvasive ground‐based techniques. The investigations concern the mapping of the extent of ancient occupation (settlements and cemeteries), the study of the internal organization of settlements (domestic architecture, palaces and fortifications), the investigation of funerary structures (tombs) and the use of space within buildings. The methods implemented are multiple and often used in combination. Emphasis has been given to ground penetrating radar (GPR), electromagnetic induction (EMI) and magnetic and electrical resistance techniques. Most surveys have been targeted towards the production of maps representing the spatial distribution of the subsurface architectural residues, and sometimes these have been accompanied by soundings, tomographies, as well as 3D reconstructions of the ancient structures. Very few sites have been subjected to the measurements of the chemical or magnetic properties of the soils in relation to the results of geophysical prospection. Further discussion concerns (i) the targets of the archaeo‐geophysical surveys in Cyprus, (ii) the limitations of the application of the specific techniques in relation to the Cypriot archaeological and geological context, (iii) the geophysical signatures of archaeological remains and (iv) the metadata accompanying the geophysical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is possible to ensure this talk into the "open" philosophy tout-court and not on a specific issue. As it will read only, only during the last year did ArcheoFOSS officially bring the "golden road" for its proceeding publication. The paper aims to get the public up to date as a brief guide to speed with Open Access applications and smartly understand the value of Open Access in the research world. The paper consists of four sessions: during the first, titled "The project," we will recognise the previous situation in ArcheoFOSS publication, and we will define why it was essential to decide to publish from 2020 on all the proceedings in an Open Access way. The second called "Open Access Basics", shows the fundamental rules to remember when discussing this theme. In the third session, we can find how to "Publish in Open Access", and the last one, a "Smart introduction in the Wiki-world", is a practical chapter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence for specialised bone tools has recently been reported for the Middle Stone Age of North Africa [one], which complements similar finds of slightly younger age in South Africa [two, three]. However, until now scant reference has been made to lesser known tools also made of bone ('bone retouchers') that were employed specifically as intermediaries for working or refining stone artefacts, that are sometimes present in these assemblages. In this paper we describe 20 bone retouchers from the cave of Grotte des Pigeons at Taforalt in north-east Morocco. This is the largest stratified assemblage of bone retouchers from a North African MSA site, and the biggest single collection so far from the African Continent. A total of 18 bone retouchers was recovered in securely dated archaeological levels spanning a period from ~ 84.5 ka to 24 ka cal BP. A further two bone retouchers were found in a layer at the base of the deposits in association with Aterian artefacts dating to around 85,000 BP and so far represent the earliest evidence of this type of tool at Taforalt. In this paper we present a first, detailed description of the finds and trace the stages of their production, use and discard (chaîne opératoire). At the same time, we assess if there were diachronic changes in their form and function and, finally, explore their presence in relation to stone tools from the same occupation layers of the cave. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews archaeological publications and fieldwork related to Macedonia and Thrace of the past five years, covering the Early Iron Age to the Hellenistic period, with reference also to sites and projects in Bulgaria, North Macedonia and Turkey. Published syntheses reveal the priorities that have driven archaeological research to date (for example funerary monuments, ties to historical figures and narratives, pottery) and a need for more studies on other aspects of social history and archaeology, such as subsistence, crafts and households. Fieldwork at settlements has continued over the years, but few are being dug and published to current standards. A discussion is growing about the role and use of the countryside, and field surveys and excavations are providing new data on this. Fortified rural sites in Greece and Bulgaria may indicate that similar social processes were afoot, but full publication and the retrieval of relevant comparative data, especially faunal and botanical, are essential for a better understanding of potential differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first attempts to identify amorphous organic substances in archaeology date to the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. The 1960s saw the development of infrared spectrometry, and then separative and mass spectrometry analyses were implemented in the 1980s. But it is only since the 1990s that extended and systematic research programmes were devoted to these substances. The number of publications has not stopped growing and is becoming exponential. To get an overview of the lipid studies in archaeology, we conceived the ARchaeological Organic residues Literature Database (AROLD) as a first structured and collaborative research tool. This paper describes the challenges of setting up such a database, details its architecture, presents the choices involved in its implementation, and discusses the possibilities of sharing and evolving this tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone points were one of the major hunting implements in northern European hunter-gatherer societies. They differ in shapes, types, and manufacturing techniques. In this paper, we investigate 22 bone points from the territory of Lithuania, by studying their morpho-technological characteristics, direct dates, and adhesive residues. The majority are isolated finds, but four points were selected from excavated archaeological sites dated between the 5th and 3rd millennia cal BC. Most of the points belong to the barbed points category, but six slotted points were also studied. Of the 22, 16 previously undated points were sampled for accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon (AMS 14C) dating. The results of 10 successfully dated samples are discussed together with previously published 14C dates of bone points from the same region. ATR-FTIR analysis of adhesive residues from six points suggest that birch bark tar was used to haft barbed points and lithic inserts. The results reveal the diversity of types of Early Holocene bone points in the territory of Lithuania, while the slotted and Kunda-type bone points fall into narrow timeframes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Darwin, studies of human evolution have tended to give primacy to open 'savannah' environments as the ecological cradle of our lineage, with dense tropical forests cast as hostile, unfavourable frontiers. These perceptions continue to shape both the geographical context of fieldwork as well as dominant narratives concerning hominin evolution. This paradigm persists despite new, ground-breaking research highlighting the role of tropical forests in the human story. For example, novel research in Africa's rainforests has uncovered archaeological sites dating back into the Pleistocene; genetic studies have revealed very deep human roots in Central and West Africa and in the tropics of Asia and the Pacific; an unprecedented number of coexistent hominin species have now been documented, including Homo erectus, the 'Hobbit' (Homo floresiensis), Homo luzonensis, Denisovans, and Homo sapiens. Some of the earliest members of our own species to reach South Asia, Southeast Asia, Oceania and the tropical Americas have shown an unexpected rapidity in their adaptation to even some of the more 'extreme' tropical settings. This includes the early human manipulation of species and even habitats. This volume builds on these currently disparate threads and, for the first time, draws together a group of interdisciplinary, agenda-setting papers that firmly places a broader spectrum of tropical environments at the heart of the deep human past. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we refine the colonisation timeframe of pine marten (Martes martes) and Algerian hedgehog (Atelerix algirus) to the Balearic Islands synthesising their occurrence records and providing an accurate chronology through new directly 14C dated archaeological bone samples. The new dates are significantly earlier than previously reported finds; therefore, both cases currently represent the earliest records for the human‐mediated translocation of these species in Europe. These new data not only provide further accurate resolution for previous historical translocation hypothesis but also expand the geographical scope throughout the archipelago. The sequence and timing of introduction events are embedded in different historical timeframes. The time of arrival of the pine marten is now established in the early Roman period, a period that supported a huge wave of introduced alien species into the Balearics. For the Algerian hedgehog, the new records further support the hypothesis that the Almohads were responsible for its introduction to these islands. Both examples illustrate how important it is to connect past translocation records to tighter radiometric chronologies through direct dating on bones of the implicated species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modernist archaeology involves the dating and ordering of events, construction phases, objects, people, or processes in well-bounded and discrete sequences. The notion that objects or monuments date to one time or one cultural phase, however, is problematic, particularly in the case of large stone monuments, such as megaliths, whose construction and use are generally dated to the Neolithic, between 6000 and 2500 BCE. This paper examines the methodological challenges of such work and surveys what the archaeological record reveals about the nature of Andalusi engagements with megaliths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research paper aims to identify archaeometric features, damage and restoration of pottery artefacts from Tell EL-Hir in north Sinai Egypt, one of the archaeological sites dating back to Greco-Roman era. Polarized Microscopy PL", Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy dispersive X-ray unit SEM-EDX, X-Ray Diffraction analysis XRD, and Differential thermal analysis DTA were adopted for investigating and analyzing pottery sherds. The research identified archaeometric features proving that the used clay is Nile clay, the additives are sand, grog and calcite. Shaping technique is potter wheel. Surface treatment is slip layer. Firing atmosphere is oxidizing. Firing temperature might be about 726.78 °C for the first pottery vessel and 737.80°C for the second pottery plate. Research also proved that pottery pieces suffer from various damage aspects such as soil deposits, stains, cracking, fracture, loss of some parts, lack of durability, weakness, and salt crystallization. The studied pottery pieces were treated using mechanical and chemical cleaning using a mixture of acetone and toluene at a ratio of 1:2 respectively to remove clay soil deposits. EDTA was applied to remove lime deposits. Hydrogen peroxide 20% was used to remove soot. Nano Silica 1% was applied to strengthen archaeological pottery. Assembling the pottery sherds was done by Paralloid B72 50%. Replacement pottery plate was conducted by a mixture of Micro balloon and grog in a ratio of 2:1, respectively. After treatment, the pottery artefacts were ready for museum display. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A response by the authors to a paper which suggests that some of the Bayesian models they have developed from various archaeological sites are not reliable and cannot be used in dating the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition, is presented. Topics covered include issues that should be considered when conducting Bayesian modelling and testing the resulting models, testing the modified La Quina model, and critique of the radiocarbon dating and modelling of the Swabian site in Germany.

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Popular culture presents a deep‐rooted perception of medieval warhorses as massive and powerful mounts, but medieval textual and iconographic evidence remains highly debated. Furthermore, identifying warhorses in the zooarchaeological record is challenging due to both a paucity of horse remains relative to other domesticates, and the tendency of researchers to focus on osteological size, which makes it difficult to reconstruct in‐life usage of horses and activity related changes. This paper presents the largest zooarchaeological dataset of English horse bones (n = 1964) from 171 unique archaeological sites dating between AD 300 and 1650. Using this dataset alongside a modern comparative sample of known equids (n = 490), we examine trends in size and shape to explore how the skeletal conformation of horses changed through time and reflected their domestic, elite and military roles. In addition to evidencing the generally small stature of medieval horses relative to both earlier and later periods, we demonstrate the importance of accurately exploring the shape of skeletal elements to describe the morphological characteristics of domestic animals. Furthermore, we highlight the need to examine shape variation in the context of entheseal changes and biomechanics to address questions of functional morphology and detect possible markers of artificial selection on past horses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeologists have been using luminescence to date pottery in South America since the late 1970s, inspired by early success in northern Chile. However, luminescence dates have not been rigorously compared to independent dating methods, which this paper's goal. First, we present a compilation of 94 paired 14C and luminescence dates from the southern Andes, which reveals discrepancies across a range of contexts and ages. Second, we compare two Bayesian models of sets of 14C and thermoluminescence (TL) dates from three ceramic styles in the Azapa Valley, Chile, and the Inca occupation of Mendoza, Argentina. We find that only the 14C models produce results that agree with expectations based on independent data. Third, we present results from a pilot study in Mendoza that dated 6 sherds with 3 luminescence methods each and closely associated 14C dates. The reasons for disagreement between methods remain unclear, but Andean sediments with low and unstable luminescence sensitivity seem to be an important factor. Even though some luminescence ages are accurate, the clear trend of inconsistent results leads us to recommend that archaeologists use 14C rather than luminescence dates to build cultural chronologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gazetteers, i.e., lists of place-names, enable having a global vision of places of interest through the assignment of a point, or a region, to a place name. However, such identification of the location corresponding to a place name is often a difficult task. There is no one-to-one correspondence between the two sets, places and names, because of name variants, different names for the same place and homonymy; the location corresponding to a place name may vary in time, changing its extension or even the position; and, in general, there is the imprecision deriving from the association of a concept belonging to language (the place name) to a precise concept (the spatial location). Also for named time periods, e.g., early Bronze Age, which are of current use in archaeology, the situation is similar: they depend on the location to which they refer as the same period may have different time-spans in different locations. The present paper avails of a recent extension of the CIDOC CRM called CRMgeo, which embeds events in a spatio-temporal 4-dimensional framework. The paper uses concepts from CRMgeo and introduces extensions to model gazetteers and period thesauri. This approach enables dealing with time-varying location appellations as well as with space-varying period appellations on a robust basis. For this purpose a refinement/extension of CRMgeo is proposed and a discretization of space and time is used to approximate real space-time extents occupied by events. Such an approach solves the problem and suggests further investigations in various directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lanchang River is the upper stream of the Mekong River, which was one the most important communication gallery between the Yunnan Province and Southeast Asia region. Due to the intensive erosion of the Lanchang River, the landscape change is very rapid. However, the human activity and adaptation to the environmental changes in this region is still unknown. In this paper, Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon (14C) dating techniques were applied to determine the ages of fluvial landforms around the Jicha archaeological site, Middle reach of the Lanchang River since the Last Glacial Maximum. Combining these dating results with archaeological evidence, the relation between fluvial landscape change and human adaptation was discussed. The results showed that the two terraces (T1 and T2) of the Lanchang River are fill-cut terraces, and that these were formed after ~0.7-1.5 ka and 20-40 ka, respectively. With the downcutting of the Lanchang River, the floodplain facies on T1 being transformed into fossil soils, the latter being hostile to the planting of rice. The abandonment of the Jicha archaeological site might therefore be related to the downcutting of the Lanchang River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]