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The present study, which is part of a wider inter-disciplinary research project on Medieval Rome funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation, focuses on the archaeometric characterisation of glass tesserae from the apse mosaic of the church of S. Agnese fuori le mura, dated to the 7th century AD and never analysed until now. The main aims of the study are the identification of chemical compositions of glassy matrices and colouring/opacifying techniques by means of the combination of micro-textural, chemical, and mineralogical data. In S. Agnese tesserae, the results show the presence of glassy matrices and opacifiers/pigments, typical of both Roman and Late Antique/Early Medieval periods. The technological features identified (in particular, glassy matrices and opacifiers/pigments) allow us to discriminate not only new-production tesserae, i.e., those probably produced in the 7th century for the realisation of the S. Agnese mosaic, but also those obtained from recycling or re-using previous glass. This testifies to a quite complex "puzzle", unusual in other glass mosaics from the same city and coeval with S. Agnese, supporting further the potentiality of archaeometric studies on glass to uncover the technical and socio-cultural knowledge that underpins its manufacturing, use, re-use, and recycling in the Early Medieval Rome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an archaeozoological dataset listing numbers of identified fragments for domestic cattle, sheep/goat, pig and horse from archaeological sites in the Netherlands dating from the Bronze Age to the Early Medieval period (c. 2000 BC – AD 1050) [1]. In addition to fragment numbers per species, the geo-referenced dataset includes chronological information, site descriptions, and bibliographic references. Data were collected from tables listing numbers of bone fragments per animal species as found in published and unpublished reports.Number of identified bone fragments per animal species form the most basic archaeozoological information. They can be used to reconstruct animal husbandry and human dietary practices in the past. The dataset can therefore be used in spatio-temporal studies of animal use and management across c. 3000 years.

This report summarises the preliminary results of the second season of excavations at the site of Lungi Tepa in the Kugitang Piedmonts, south Uzbekistan. The research was conducted by a Czech-Uzbek team in autumn 2021. The results suggest that the site was settled in the post-Kushan period, the Early and High Medieval period with traces of settlement from the Late Medieval period. Later it was used as a burial ground for the local population. Traces of metal production were found at the site.

The early medieval sword from Košice-Krásna is one of the most well-preserved examples of weaponry from the region of modernday Slovakia. Discovered in 1971 during dredging activities along the river Hornád, this sword has been the subject of several studies, yet lacked comprehensive material-technological analysis until now. The sword, attributed to Petersen's type T2, features intricate inlay decoration and high-quality blade, indicating its high craftsmanship. This study revisits the sword's archaeological context, provides a detailed metallographic analysis, and explores its typological and chronological features. The findings suggest that the sword was constructed using advanced blacksmithing techniques, involving a complex assembly of different steel types to optimize its functional properties. Additionally, the contextual analysis implies that the sword's deposition in the river may reflect ritual practices rather than merely accidental loss. This research contributes to the broader understanding of early medieval metallurgy and the cultural significance of weapon depositions in riverine environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The studies on queens, despite advances in the last two decades, are still scarce in Brazil, which is reinforced when it comes to research covering the Early Medieval period. The objective of this article is to discuss and analyze the circulation and connections between the princesses of the Frankish Kingdom and England, between 6th and 10th centuries. Therefore, it will be approached, from narrative sources from both regions delimited in this research, examples of princesses from Francie who migrated to England and English princesses whose destination was Imperial Germania and the Occidentals portion. In this way, it will be analyzed how these princesses, who later played their role as queens, after being sent to these new courts, were represented in these documentary sources and how their actions were described by the chroniclers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010 and 2011, rescue archaeological research took place on the route of the Arad-Timişoara highway in site 7, located in the hilly area of northern Banat, in the southwestern part of the bounds of Pişchia commune in Timiş County. It was identified to the east of the European road E69, Arad-Timişoara, and at a distance of 400 m north of the Măgheruş channel. The archaeological site is a successive overlap of settlements from the Eneolithic, the Bronze Age, from the second Iron Age (La Tène), from the ancient period (3rd–4th centuries AD), from the early medieval period (9th–10th centuries AD), as well as from the medieval era (12th–13th and 16th centuries). Archaeological features from the early medieval period are few, only nine out of a total of about 625: six dwellings (locus 83, locus 92, locus 130, locus 150, locus 177, locus 600), two storage pits (locus 149, locus 602) and an oven outside the dwellings (locus 133). The vast majority of the pottery discovered was modeled with a slow wheel, from a semi-fine paste, usually with mica in the composition, but also with pebbles, from which they have a slightly rough appearance. The ceramic was oxidizing burnt, it has a brick and brown color, of various shades. There are very few fragments from gray or black vessels, reducing burnt. Pots predominate in form, but there are also fragments of bowls. There are also redbrick oxidizing ceramic fragments shaped on a high-speed wheel from a semi-fine paste with pebbles in the composition, which gives it a rough appearance. Of course, there are also hand-made ceramic fragments from the pots. We note the presence of clay trays, usually of large and medium sizes (from locus 149, locus 600, locus 602), as well as clay rollers (from locus 150 dwelling). The settlement dates back to the 9th–10th centuries AD, in the chronological range between the second half of the 9th century and the beginning of the 10th century. Of course, the objects cannot tell who their producers and users were, but in the early medieval period populations of different origins and traditions through processes of acculturation gave rise to the communities that medieval written sources recall: Slavs, Bulgarians and Blachii i.e. shepherds of the Romans lived in the territories once ruled by the Avars in the Danube and Tisa/Tisza region (source from the 12th century: Chronicle of the Anonymous Notary, IX).

This report summarises the preliminary results of the second season of excavations at the site of Lungi Tepa in the Kugitang Piedmonts, south Uzbekistan. The research was conducted by a Czech-Uzbek team in autumn 2021. The results suggest that the site was settled in the post-Kushan period, the Early and High Medieval period with traces of settlement from the Late Medieval period. Later it was used as a burial ground for the local population. Traces of metal production were found at the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses new cranial materials excavated at the ancient Panjakent necropolis in 2003–2004. The crania were found in ossuary burials in nauses (small separate crypts) dating from the late VII to the early VIII centuries AD. The materials of the study include 19 crania of various preservation statuses (7 males, 11 females and one non-adult individual). The present study aims to compare the newly obtained cranial data with the already published samples to see whether they are consistent with the current knowledge about the specifics of the crania from ancient Panjakent nauses. Furthermore, the new materials increase the sample size, which allows for an intragroup statistical analysis to be applied — the maximum overall number of observations in the pooled sample has increased to 42 (data published by Ginzburg in 1950-s included). Besides from the craniometric part, we also recorded non-metric traits and visible pathological conditions, which are not discussed separately in the paper. The intragroup analysis of variability included both univariate (standard deviations, the F-test of equality of variances, correlation analysis) and multivariate statistical methods (Principal component analysis). In general, the increase in the sample size has not changed its anthropological characteristics described almost 70 years ago. This was a sub-brachycranial Caucasoid population with average-sized neuro- and facial cranium, moderate horizontal profiling, and moderate nasal bones protrusion. Statistical analyses seem to support the previous typology-based assumptions about the presence of at least two morphological variants within the sample that differ mainly in the cranial index. The Principal component analysis results reveal that the crania from particular nauses cluster closely to each other, which is consistent with the hypothesis of these nauses possibly being family burials.

Copyright of Mousaios is the property of Muzeul Judetean Buzau 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 Archeologia Polski is the property of Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk 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 Archeologia Polski is the property of Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk 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 Arheološki Vestnik is the property of Scientific Research Centre of Slovenian Academy of Sciences & Arts 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.)

As powerful economic and cultural centers, fortified sites played an important role in early medieval society. In Central Europe, early medieval fortified site research has been an essential topic for several generations. However, gradual changes in the landscape are a threat to these cultural heritage monuments. The main task of this paper was to compare the previous results from archaeological excavations with new data acquired by geophysical methods. The presented study is based on the three methods widely used in archaeology: magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar, and electrical resistivity tomography. New surveys provide information about the internal structure and the state of preservation of the fortifications in a non-destructive way. Comparison of the results encourages the evaluation of archaeological excavation and helps determine the suitability and effectiveness of geophysical methods in specific natural conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of the work is a reconstruction of environmental conditions in the Lower Oder River Valley in the early Middle Ages with use multi-proxy research. This was considered in terms of natural determinants of the development of hydrogenic habitats in the estuary section of a large lowland river, but at the beginning of a headland of natural morainic plateau known as Castle Hill in Szczecin. In a relatively small area, three different types of geochemical landscapes were distinguished that had specific functions in matter cycles, including the water cycle. The article mainly presents the results of geochemical studies for a series of biogenic deposits separated by a series of lacustrine sediments with a large admixture of mineral material. An attempt was also made to determine subfossil animal remains in the sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2020-2021, within the limits of Trójca - a medieval village located near a ford on the Vistula River that is today part of Zawichost - artefacts were sought with the use of metal detectors. Next, a survey excavation was conducted, resulting in the discovery of e.g. two silver hoards from the 11th and 12th c., single coins from the 11th-12th c. (over 140 specimens) and from later times, merchant's weights, adornments, minor devotional articles and military accessories (especially from the 11th-13th c.) and many other artefacts. Their discovery makes us suspect that Trójca was one of the most important supralocal trade centres of Lesser Poland in the early Middle Ages. The conducted excavations and research are only the first stage for future archaeological prospections to be conducted in Trójca and will be continued in the years to come. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zbiva is an open access online research data base for the archaeology of the Eastern Alps in the Early Middle Ages. The data base is the product of four decades of thoughtful digital curation and is continually evolving at the data record level. As such, it is best described by the concept of Deep Data. The authors deposited a subset of the Zbiva data base in a persistent open access repository, Zenodo. This was necessary to ensure stable reference, facilitate the reproducibility of the results, and promote data reuse in their ongoing publication efforts. The deposited data cover the period from 500 to 1000 CE and are spatially restricted to present-day Slovenia, southern Austria, and a small part of north-eastern Italy. The data set is particularly suitable for archaeological GIS analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A group of nine fortified sites, similar to Roman fortlets, occur along approximately 550 km of the Middle Nile Valley of Sudan between the Fourth Cataract and the confluence of the White and Blue Niles. Previous research indicates that these forts were built in Late Antiquity, i.e. between the second and seventh centuries AD. This was a time of profound changes in the region that included the disintegration of the Meroitic kingdom and the development of several medieval Nubian realms. Drawing on previous research and the results of two seasons of fieldwork at three of the forts in 2018, this paper provides an answer to the questions of who and why these forts were built. Small finds and radiocarbon samples from various contexts provide insights into their history and indicate that all three of the forts investigated were erected in a short period during the second part of the sixth century, a time of conflict between the Nubian kingdoms that is described by the contemporary historian John of Ephesus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the eastern slope of Slog Hill in Ravna, some 400 m to the west of the Roman fortification of Timacum Minus, a multilayered necropolis was investigated from 1994 to 1996 and from 2013 to 2015. There are two main horizons of the necropolis - Late Roman and Early Medieval. The late Roman necropolis has three phases dated from the middle of the 4th to the middle of the 5th century. The early medieval necropolis, according to the new excavations, has two phases, the earlier dated to the 8th - 9th centuries and the later from the end of the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century. An interesting grave (G 159), belonging to the earlier medieval phase of necropolis, was discovered in 2014. It is a unique burial of a woman and a fox, which has its only analogy in a disturbed woman and fox grave (grave 16) at the early Avar necropolis in Bečej. The burial with a fox could be interpreted in two ways - that the animal has a cult - ritual - magic meaning or that the fox was a pet of the deceased.

Copyright of Materiały Zachodniopomorskie: Annual Science Journal of National Museum in Szczecin is the property of Muzeum Narodowe w Szczecinie 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.)

One of the most attractive themes in archaeological research is the excavation of central places. These include early medieval centres which mirror the political and socio-economic relationships, reflecting the changes of their time. Zalavár-Vársziget is undoubtedly one of the most important fortified sites in Central Europe in the Early Middle Ages. Its short-lived existence from the 840s to the beginning of the 10th c. perfectly illustrates the rise and fall of Carolingian power in Pannonia. It was a place where important people of that time, including Pribina, Kocel, Methodius, and Arnulf, lived and worked. Its repeated occurrence in written historical sources also points to its significance. In these sources, it appears under various names, but especially as Mosaburg. Systematic archaeological excavation of the site has been conducted for approximately 70 years. Within the last decade, geophysical surveys followed field research. By comparing previous knowledge and new results from the geophysical prospection, we were able to, with the help of statistics and spatial analyses, evaluate the similarities and differences between the central area and its surroundings, identifying the basic characteristics of the individual parts of the site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field surveys of the area of Pliska – the first Bulgarian capital – are part of the “Development of the Archaeological Map of Bulgaria” project. At the same time, they are a continuation of the long-term development for completion of the Pliska archaeological map, which began in the distant 1899. The creation of the archaeological map of Pliska has a long history and numerous authors. The main goal has always been the registration of visible sites within the Great earthen rampart – the Outer city of Pliska, as well as in the near vicinity of the town. So far intensive field surveys in the Pliska area were conducted in 2010–2012. In 2017, over a period of 25 days, 4 km2 were covered in the eastern, northern and western parts of the Outer city, which has a total area of ​​23 km2. Seventy six sites - settlements, buildings, building complexes, churches and a necropolis were registered. The common criteria for collecting and classifying information from the survey area set the basis for building an objective picture of the settlement structure of the Outer City of Pliska.

In the article the author invents a new periodization (chronological system) of Islamic coins circulation in Early Medieval Eastern Europe. The data on changing patterns of typological composition in monetary circulation are considered as a source for investigating the dynamics of economic relationships of the oldest Russian military-trading and princely squads of mid-8th - early 11th centuries.

In the present article, the author describes the system of economic foundations of cultural and sociopolitical history of the oldest Rus’ communities in Eastern Europe in mid- 8th - early 11th centuries. The system is reconstrusted as a group of seven subsystems - these are trade, fiscal, administrative, military, diplomatic, religious and mercenary-contractual ones.

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Copyright of Archeologia Polski is the property of Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk 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 Archeologia Polski is the property of Instytut Archeologii i Etnologii Polskiej Akademii Nauk 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 Journal of the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb / Vjesnik Arheološkog Muzeja u Zagrebu is the property of Archaeological Museum in Zagreb 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 Archeologia Medievale: Cultura Materiale, Insediamenti, Territorio is the property of All'Insegna del Giglio s.a.s. 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 Archeologia Medievale: Cultura Materiale, Insediamenti, Territorio is the property of All'Insegna del Giglio s.a.s. 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 Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus 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 Stratum Plus Journal is the property of P.P. Stratum plus 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 early mediaeval period in Croatia is rarely mentioned in historical sources. The development of society during this period was greatly influenced by formation of communities, within which there were many inequalities. The social group one belonged to and its ordinance were the main factors in the material and spiritual life of mediaeval man. Within Croatia, during the Early Middle Ages the process of social disintegration and the formation of social groups/strata varied from area to area. However, it can be deduced that this process was the quickest and most complete in the most socially-developed area - the Eastern Adriatic coast. The basic hypothesis of this paper is that people who belonged to different social groups also had different living conditions, which was reflected in their health, quality of life and lifespan. An individual's social status was assessed using the archaeological context, i.e. form of burial. The assumption was made that differences in status were reflected in the manner of the burial. The criteria used to determine social status were grave architecture and quantity and quality of grave finds and goods. In order to assess the health of the individuals anthropological methods were used. These methods included the assessment of age and sex, as well as the analyses of pathologies that leave traces on dry bones. Multivariate statistical methods showed that even though there were social inequalities in the early mediaeval society, the individuals belonging to higher-ranking groups had neither better health, nor lived longer. The results of the analyses carried out in the course of this work show that even though social stratification did exist in the early mediaeval society, biological sex was a much more important factor in life expectancy and quality of life than which social group an individual belonged to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to present a full characterization and catalogue of the graves of the early medieval inhumation necropolis that was recently found at the edge of the loess uplands in the western part of Małopolska (Lesser Poland) – specifically, in Grodowice, Kazimierza Wielka district. The second aim is to determine the matrilineal genetic structure and to present the first medieval population-level human DNA study from Małopolska. The necropolis, which was excavated in 2005-2008 at site 1, is situated in an open field on the culmination of a broad, flat hill being part of a longitudinal range of hills separating the valleys of two larger rivers – namely, the Nidzica and Młyńska. The excavations resulted in the discovery of 35 inhumation graves, partly arranged in regular rows, dating to the early medieval period. The deceased were placed mostly in regular pits with their heads to the west. Very few traces of wooden coffins were recorded. 32 skeletons were classified in anthropological analysis. They present all age classes: Infans/Juvenis (13 graves), Juvenis/Adultus (8 graves, incl. 3 females and 3 males), Adultus/Maturus (9 graves, incl. 3 females and 3 males), and Senilis (1 grave). Various pathological changes and injuries were recorded: teeth plaque, enamel hypoplasia, caries, spine and long bone degenerations, cribra orbitalia, Schmorl’s nodes. Thirteen mtDNA sequences were made which encompass almost the entire range of Western Eurasian macro-haplogroups. Artefacts were recorded in 11 graves, such as: temple rings, coins, finger rings, beads, and coins. They occurred in female, male, and child graves alike. The cemetery at Grodowice, like the majority of inhumation cemeteries in Małopolska, was probably founded in the second half or towards the end of the 10th century. Graves with coins indicate that it still functioned in the late 11th century. It cannot be ruled out that the Grodowice necropolis ceased to function as a result of the construction of churches in nearby Kazimierza Mała (probably as early as in the 11th century) and Bejsce (12th century or the first half of the 13th century).

The use of topographic airborne LiDAR data has become an essential part of archaeological prospection, particularly as a tool for detecting archaeological features in the landscape. However, its use for landscape reconstruction and understanding archaeological sites in their environmental context is still underutilised. To this end, we took an innovative approach to using LiDAR data as a means of discovering, documenting, and interpreting agricultural land use systems by looking for significant environmental variation within a microregion. We combined information from LiDAR-derived DEM derivatives with archaeological, geological, and soil data. We introduced two methodological innovations. The first is the modified wetness index, which combines the LiDAR-derived precision with the accuracy of the effective field capacity of the soil to obtain a very realistic predictor of soil quality. The second is the modified landform classification, a combination of topographic position index and visual geomorphological analysis, which amalgamates two of the most important predictive variables for the distribution of plant species. Our approach is demonstrated by a case study focusing on early medieval settlements in the context of agricultural land use in the subalpine microregion of Bled (Slovenia). It revealed that early medieval settlers were drawn to light soils with high water retention capacity. Such soils were particularly suitable for the cultivation of barley, which is known to have been one of the most important staple crops of the period, especially in colder climate such as subalpine. Soils with lower water retention capacity were not colonized until the eleventh century, which may signify the transition at that time to a higher level of agricultural organisation and wheat as a staple cereal food.

The evidence of coins and ornaments In this text, we present five extraordinary metal finds from the area of Netolice, the Prachatice District, dated to the period from the end of the 8th to the 10th centuries. Only two of them (a gilded belt strap end decorated with niello, and an imitative coin based on the Bavarian type) are chronologically related to the existence of the Na Jánu Hillfort as a centre; the other ones are earlier. All these finds are evidence of long-distance contacts of the area with the southeast (the late Avar type) and with the west especially (the two belt strap ends and two coins) and they were probably related to the so-called Linz Trail. The most important is the denier of Louis the Pious, minted in Paris, which extends the evidence of the circulation of Carolingian coins in Bohemia, and its close connection with Bavaria in the 9th century. The imitative issue based on the Bavarian type, dated to the period 967-976, extends this, relatively numerous, group of coins and attests the Bavarian influence in the 10th century Bohemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Avar period cemetery of Nuštar, situated in continental Croatia, is dated to the 8th and the beginning of the 9th century. Rescue archaeological excavation yielded 196 burials. During analysis of human skeletal remains, an individual with a large cranial lesion caused by trepanation was found. Trepanation is a surgical procedure performed on the skull in order to remove a fragment of the bone using a sharp instrument or drill. It has been practiced in various regions since the prehistoric period for both medical and ritual reasons. The aim of this paper is to provide a description of the observed lesion based on macroscopic appearance accompanied by radiography, computed tomography scanning and 3D optical scanning. Furthermore, possible cause and employed technique are taken into consideration, as well as cultural and historical implications of the case.