Provenience archaeological studies of ceramic raw material and artifacts using instrumental neutron activation analysis: the cases of chaschuil and bolson de fiambala (Catamarca, Argentina)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pla, Rita R.; Ratto, N.; Fuente, Guillermo de la

1999-01-01

This paper deals with the archaeological aspects of the work that has been done under the Contract ARG 9393, part of the IAEA Co-ordinated Research Program (1997-2000). The proposed working plan is included in a frame project of the Archaeological School of the University of Catamarca: Chaschuil Archaeological Project (PACh). This is an interdisciplinary project of regional archaeology, which carries out research in the Argentine southern Puna. Its goal is to explain land use, focusing on the study of both environmental and artifactual variability. In order to accomplish these goals, the project comprises a variety of techniques, including paleoenvironmental, ecological, geomorphologic, geo archaeological, taphonomical and resource provenance studies. Together with archaeological data, they provide the basis for models about mobility and exchange among past societies in the southern Puna (Ratto 1997, 1998)

TOF neutron diffraction study of archaeological ceramics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kockelmann, W.; Kirfel, A.

1999-01-01

Complete text of publication follows. The time-of flight (TOF) neutron diffractometer ROTAX [1] at ISIS has been used for identification and quantitative phase analysis of archaeological pottery. Neutron diffraction yields mineral phase fractions which, in parallel with information obtained from other archaeometric examination techniques, can provide a fingerprint that can be used to identify provenance and reconstruct methods of manufacturing of an archaeological ceramic product. Phase fractions obtained from a 13th century Rhenish stoneware jar compare well with those obtained from a powder sample prepared from the same fragment. This indicates that reliable results can be obtained by illuminating a large piece or even an intact ceramic object making TOF neutron diffraction a truly non-destructive examination technique. In comparison to X-ray diffraction, information from the bulk sample rather than from surface regions is obtained. ROTAX allows for a simple experimental set-up, free of sample movements. Programmes of archaeological study on ROTAX involve Russian samples (Upper-Volga culture, 5000-2000 BC), Greek pottery, (Agora/Athens, 500-300 BC), and medieval German earthenware and stoneware ceramics (Siegburg waster heap, 13-15th century). (author)

Scientific activity of the National Center for Archaeological Studies of the Institute of History, Tatarstan Academy of Sciences, in 2013

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sitdikov Ayrat G.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The work of the National Center for Archaeological Studies named after A.Sh. Khalikov with the Institute of History named after Sh Mardjani of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tatarstan (NCAS in 2013 was conducted within three Departments: prehistoric and medieval archaeology, conservation studies, and a bioarchaeological laboratory. The basic problems were: “Archaeology of the ancient population of the Volga-Kama: the formation and interaction of cultures”; “Medieval Turkic-Tatar civilization: the emergence, development, interaction with the peoples of Eurasia”; “Anthropology and genetics of the ancient population of the Middle Volga region”. Within the project on “Geographic information systems of Tatarstan archaeological heritage”, preparatory works for monitoring of the condition of cultural heritage objects located in the Kuibyshev and Nizhnekamsk reservoirs zones of influence were conducted. Archaeological fieldwork was conducted in the framework of the Primitive, Early Bulgar, Kazan, Bulgar, Lower Volga, Sviyazhsk archaeological expeditions and Preservation and salvation expedition in the area of Nizhnekamsk and Kuibyshev reservoirs. Beyond the Republic of Tatarstan, exploratory research was conducted in the territory of the Chuvash and Mordovian republics, Ulyanovsk and Samara Oblasts. The study of monuments in the Lower Volga region continued in collaboration with colleagues from the Astrakhan Oblast and the Republic of Mari El. Joint international archaeological research was carried out in the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and Ukraine. 5 conferences were organized, including 4 international ones. The NCAS staff participated in 16 conferences, including 11 international ones. 2 Doctor habilitatus and 3 Doctor’s theses were defended. 5 collections of articles and theses, and 4 issues of the “Privolzhskaya arkheologiya” (Volga region archaeology were published. The NCAS staff prepared 216

Palaeo-coastline of Saurashtra, Gujarat: A study based on archaeological proxies

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gaur, A.S.; Sundaresh

Important archaeological sites of our investigation include Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Kindar Kheda, Pindara, Somnath and sites in Gulf of Khambhat and evidences recorded from these sites include stone anchors, remains of jetties and other structures While...

Archaeology of Architecture and Archaeology of houses in Early Medieval Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Quirós Castillo, Juan Antonio

2012-12-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to introduce the «Archaeology of Architecture and Household Archaeology in Early Medieval Europe» dossier, the object of which is to explore the different approaches, methodologies and themes analysed in the study of early medieval architecture in western Europe. More specifically, in what follows, analysis is undertaken of the contexts which explain the recent development of studies on this topic, as well as the main contributions of the seven papers which form this dossier. In addition, the main historical and archaeological problems raised by the analysis of this material record are also discussed.En este trabajo se presenta el dossier «Archaeology of Architecture and Household Archaeology in Early Medieval Europe», que pretende explorar los distintos enfoques, metodologías y temáticas analizadas en el estudio de las arquitecturas altomedievales en el marco de Europa occidental. Más concretamente se analizan los contextos que explican el desarrollo reciente de los estudios sobre esta materia, las principales aportaciones de los siete trabajos que conforman este dossier y se discuten los principales problemas históricos y arqueológicos que plantea el análisis de este registro material.

10 years of the Archaeology Museum of Tatarstan Republic of Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdullin Khalim M.,

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the Archaeology Museum of Tatarstan Republic of the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov, AN RT. The issues of formation archaeological structures in the region, creation of archaeological collections, formation and development of the Museum are considered. The activities of Archaeology Museum are characterized, including the “acquisition, classification and inventory verification of archaeological collections”, “acquisition, cataloging and ordering of Science Fund’s materials”, “office processing of the archaeological field data”, “inclusion of collections of the Institute of Archaeology AN RT in the Museum Fund of the Russian Federation”. The main archaeological collections and research funds are taken into consideration, as well as the main results of the research unit, including the participation in exhibitions of such museums as the Museum of Islamic Culture, the Museum of History of the State, Museum- Reserve “Kazan Kremlin”, National Cultural Center “Kazan”, Bulgarian State Historical and Architectural Museum-Reserve, the State Historical and Architectural Museum “The Island of Sviyazhsk”, “Laishevo Land Museum”.

Kuwaiti Youth Attitudes toward Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Majed Almutairi

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This study assesses the level of knowledge, interest, and awareness of archaeology among Kuwaiti youth in keeping with the social learning theory (Bandura 1977, which emphasises the social context in which learning takes place. According to this approach, individuals acquire through observation and imitation of significant others key concepts and cultural symbols. This study also focuses on students' perceptions of how the Kuwaiti government implements the archaeology law. Data were collected from a survey conducted in 2015 on a random sample of 1193 students from 12 high schools located in the 6 governorates in Kuwait. Two high schools (representing males and females from each governorate were selected. Emphasis was on students in the senior level of high school (17-18 years old as the last stage in the public schooling system in Kuwait. The study analysed the impact of students' gender, socioeconomic background, and personal exposure to archaeology on their attitudes toward archaeology. Analyses using Chi-square tests along with descriptive statistics revealed that students with highly educated parents and those attending schools in well-to-do communities were more likely to be knowledgeable about, interested in, and aware of the importance of archaeology. Students with personal exposure to archaeology are more interested in and concerned with archaeology than those with no experience. In addition, gender was a significant factor as males showed more knowledge of, interest in, and awareness of archaeology than females.

Moessbauer Studies in Chinese Archaeology: A Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsia Yuanfu; Huang Hongbo

2003-01-01

The Moessbauer effect has been applied to a wide variety of objects related to Chinese archaeology. Besides ceramic artifacts, materials like porcelain, glazes, bronzes, ancient coins, ancient mineral drugs, and even fossils were studied. This article reviews these applications with particular emphasis on the study of the famous terracotta warriors and horses of the Qin Dynasty.

Moessbauer Studies in Chinese Archaeology: A Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hsia Yuanfu; Huang Hongbo [Nanjing University, Department of Physics (China)

2003-09-15

The Moessbauer effect has been applied to a wide variety of objects related to Chinese archaeology. Besides ceramic artifacts, materials like porcelain, glazes, bronzes, ancient coins, ancient mineral drugs, and even fossils were studied. This article reviews these applications with particular emphasis on the study of the famous terracotta warriors and horses of the Qin Dynasty.

Spatiotemporal conceptual platform for querying archaeological information systems

Science.gov (United States)

Partsinevelos, Panagiotis; Sartzetaki, Mary; Sarris, Apostolos

2015-04-01

Spatial and temporal distribution of archaeological sites has been shown to associate with several attributes including marine, water, mineral and food resources, climate conditions, geomorphological features, etc. In this study, archeological settlement attributes are evaluated under various associations in order to provide a specialized query platform in a geographic information system (GIS). Towards this end, a spatial database is designed to include a series of archaeological findings for a secluded geographic area of Crete in Greece. The key categories of the geodatabase include the archaeological type (palace, burial site, village, etc.), temporal information of the habitation/usage period (pre Minoan, Minoan, Byzantine, etc.), and the extracted geographical attributes of the sites (distance to sea, altitude, resources, etc.). Most of the related spatial attributes are extracted with readily available GIS tools. Additionally, a series of conceptual data attributes are estimated, including: Temporal relation of an era to a future one in terms of alteration of the archaeological type, topologic relations of various types and attributes, spatial proximity relations between various types. These complex spatiotemporal relational measures reveal new attributes towards better understanding of site selection for prehistoric and/or historic cultures, yet their potential combinations can become numerous. Therefore, after the quantification of the above mentioned attributes, they are classified as of their importance for archaeological site location modeling. Under this new classification scheme, the user may select a geographic area of interest and extract only the important attributes for a specific archaeological type. These extracted attributes may then be queried against the entire spatial database and provide a location map of possible new archaeological sites. This novel type of querying is robust since the user does not have to type a standard SQL query but

An Exercise in Theoretical Archaeology: Do Archaeological Cultures Exist?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Porčić

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Archaeological culture still persists as a basic analytical and interpretative concept in Serbian archaeology despite criticism. This paper presents a formal view of archaeological cultures and explores the epistemological implications of this formalization. Formal analysis of archaeological culture is achieved through logical and quantitative explication of the traditional definition of archaeological cultures. The main result of the formal analysis is that there are real patterns of formal variability of material culture that may or may not correspond to traditional archaeological cultures. These patterns are real only in the analytical sense – they are real for given input data and scale of analysis. Unlike the traditional approach where this patterns are equated with archaeological cultures which are furthered interpreted in essentialist terms or as quasi- organic entities such as ethnic groups, it is claimed here that discovered patterns are only the starting point – the empirical situation that needs to be accounted for in anthropological an historical terms. This paper shows how patterns that are traditionally identified as archaeological cultures can arise as a consequence of an entire range of processes – different social and historical realities. The main conclusion is that the traditional concept of archaeological culture is not useful neither as analytical or interpretative tools for two reasons: 1 traditional cultures are subjectively defined entities with no theoretical justification for the criteria used in their definition and 2 the empirical pattern cannot be an explanation in itself because it is the thing that needs to be explained. Cultural evolutionary (transmission theory is proposed as a general framework for defining and interpreting patterns of formal variability of material culture in time and space.

Archaeological analogous and industrials for deep storage: study of the archaeological metallic piece; Analogos arqueologicos e industriales para almacenamientos profundos: estudio de piezas arqueologicas metalicas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Criado Portal, A J; Martinez Garcia, J A; Calabres Molina, R; Garcia abajo, A; Penco Valenzuela, F; Lecanda Esteban, J A; Garcia Bartual, M; Jimenez Gonzalez, J M; Bravo Munoz, E; Rodriguez Lobo, L M; Fernandez Cascos, T; Fernandes Cordero, O; Montero Ruiz, I

2000-07-01

The aim of present research is to obtain information about archaeological analogous of iron and steel, useful for the model of deep geological repository (AGP). The analogous examined have remained buried between 1400 and 2400 years, in very assorted geochemical environments. The extraction of the archaeological pieces has been accomplished according to normalised protocols, trying to carry to the laboratory so the piece as its burial environment, avoiding all possible pollution. Trying to the archaeological analogous could provide valuable information to the AGP model, the study has been directed to related the physical-chemical characteristics of the terrain respect to the deterioration of the archaeological metallic piece. The geology of the surrounding terrain to the archaeological deposit, the geomorphological study of the terrain and data from the analysis of ground: pH, wetness, porosity, organic matter contents, bacteria presence, sulphates, carbonates, chlorides, etc., have allowed to explain the physical-chemical phenomena suffered by the archaeological iron and steel pieces. Also, an exhaustive study of the archaeological piece has been accomplished, concerning the microstructure of the corrosion layer and of the not deteriorated metallic rest. Obtained information concerns different items, such as corrosion velocity and formations of oxide layers, diffusion of chemical elements from the corrosion layer to the metal and viceversa, and structural changes in oxide layers and in the metallic remains by structural ageing. Obtained data have allowed to develop a mathematical model for calculation of corrosion velocity in buried iron and steels, based on physical-chemical variables of grounds, chemical composition and thermomechanical treatment given to the metal during its manufacture. (Author)

EAC Working Group for Archaeological Archives, A European View of Selecting for Archaeological Archives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brown, Duncan H.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the issues around selecting for archaeological archives, including the reasons for doing so, how selection fit into a project and the methodological framework. The context is ‘Making Choices’, a project of the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium that is looking at how all choices are made across archaeological practice, while the foundations are provided by existing standards for archiving and for selection.

History of marine archaeological research in India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Tripati, S.

archaeology we study the past activities of human from maritime finds, usually from shipwrecks, sunken ports and settlements. Nautical archaeology is studied and explained as maritime archaeology, specialising in maritime activities and technology of ships...

Communicating Archaeological Risk with Web-Based Virtual Reality: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giacomo Landeschi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available In the last decade 3D technologies have become very effective and are widely used for managing and interpreting archaeological data. A better way to perceive, understand and communicate Cultural Heritage has been achieved through VR applications, which have enabled archaeologists to make both reconstructions of original landscapes and to put artefacts in their original context. Furthermore, the exponential growth of the Web has led to a massive availability of digital content, even in the field of Cultural Heritage, that can be accessed in an easier and more intuitive manner by a broader audience. The case study presented here is designed to demonstrate the potential importance of Web3D technologies for communicating specific research aspects, such as the ones connected to the GIS-based spatial analysis applied to the archaeological landscape. To this end, a research project was undertaken in order to get a final predictive model for detecting archaeological presence in an area of the Pisa coastal plain, implemented in a Web-orientated Virtual Reality system. The end-user is able to navigate the model in real-time and observe different thematic layers, such as the distribution of the archaeological sites, maps of lithology, land use and, finally, the assessment of the archaeological risk.

Study of archaeological underwater finds: deterioration and conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Crisci, G. M.; La Russa, M. F.; Macchione, M.; Malagodi, M.; Palermo, A. M.; Ruffolo, S. A.

2010-09-01

This study is aimed at an assessment of the methodologies, instruments and new applications for underwater archaeology. Research focused on study of the various kinds of degradation affecting underwater finds and stone materials aged in underwater environment, efficiency evaluation of various surface cleaning methods and study and mixing of protective products with consolidating resins and antimicrobial biocides to be applied to restored underwater finds. Transmitted light optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to study surface biofilms and the interactions with samples of different stone materials such as brick, marble and granite immersed in the submarine archaeological area of Crotone (South of Italy). Surface cleaning tests were performed with application of ion exchange resins, EDTA, hydrogen peroxide and ultrasound techniques. Capillary water absorption, simulated solar ageing and colourimetric measurements were carried out to evaluate hydrophobic and consolidant properties; to assess biocidal efficacy, heterotrophic micro-organisms ( Aspergillus niger) were inoculated on agar plates and growth inhibition was measured.

Maritime archaeological studies in India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gaur, A.S.; Vora, K.H.

India with more than 7000 km long coastline and about 5000 years old maritime history is dotted with several ancient ports. Marine archaeological research during last two and half decades has revealed a number of sites along the Indian coast, which...

An evaluation of applicability of seismic refraction method in identifying shallow archaeological features A case study at archaeological site

Science.gov (United States)

Jahangardi, Morteza; Hafezi Moghaddas, Naser; Keivan Hosseini, Sayyed; Garazhian, Omran

2015-04-01

We applied the seismic refraction method at archaeological site, Tepe Damghani located in Sabzevar, NE of Iran, in order to determine the structures of archaeological interests. This pre-historical site has special conditions with respect to geographical location and geomorphological setting, so it is an urban archaeological site, and in recent years it has been used as an agricultural field. In spring and summer of 2012, the third season of archaeological excavation was carried out. Test trenches of excavations in this site revealed that cultural layers were often disturbed adversely due to human activities such as farming and road construction in recent years. Conditions of archaeological cultural layers in southern and eastern parts of Tepe are slightly better, for instance, in test trench 3×3 m²1S03, third test trench excavated in the southern part of Tepe, an adobe in situ architectural structure was discovered that likely belongs to cultural features of a complex with 5 graves. After conclusion of the third season of archaeological excavation, all of the test trenches were filled with the same soil of excavated test trenches. Seismic refraction method was applied with12 channels of P geophones in three lines with a geophone interval of 0.5 meter and a 1.5 meter distance between profiles on test trench 1S03. The goal of this operation was evaluation of applicability of seismic method in identification of archaeological features, especially adobe wall structures. Processing of seismic data was done with the seismic software, SiesImager. Results were presented in the form of seismic section for every profile, so that identification of adobe wall structures was achieved hardly. This could be due to that adobe wall had been built with the same materials of the natural surrounding earth. Thus, there is a low contrast and it has an inappropriate effect on seismic processing and identifying of archaeological features. Hence the result could be that application of

ARCHAEOLOGY, ARCHITECTURE AND CITY: The Enhancement Project of the Archaeological Park of the Baths of Baiae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Renato Capozzi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Following the theoretical and disciplinary framing of the elements that substantiate the relationship of archaeology with architecture and the city in light of the transformations of the modern city, the project aims at valorizing the archaeological asset, promoting a knowledge of the ruins from multiple theoretical perspectives. The enhancement project of the Archaeological Park of Baiae experiments with different modalities of knowing that include the knowledge of the relationship between the ruin and the landscape, the philological, typological-constructive knowledge, and the knowledge of the ruin’s own spatial elements. Bringing together the contributions of different disciplines and experts under the coordination of an architect, the theoretical core of the project promotes the enhancement of the Archaeological Park, envisioning it as a means of valorisation of a wider urban environment.

On the LiDAR contribution for the archaeological and geomorphological study of a deserted medieval village in Southern Italy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lasaponara, Rosa; Coluzzi, Rosa; Gizzi, Fabrizio T; Masini, Nicola

2010-01-01

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is an optical measurement technique for obtaining high-precision information about the Earth's surface including basic terrain mapping (digital terrain model, bathymetry, corridor mapping), vegetation cover (forest assessment and inventory) and coastal and urban areas. Recent studies examined the possibility of using ALS in archaeological investigations to identify earthworks, although the ability of ALS measurements in this context has not yet been studied in detail. This paper focuses on the potential of the latest generation of airborne ALS for the detection and the spatial characterization of micro-topographic relief linked to archaeological and geomorphological features. The investigations were carried out near Monteserico, an archaeological area in the Basilicata region (Southern Italy) which is characterized by complex topographical and morphological features. The study emphasizes that the DTM-LiDAR data are a powerful instrument for detecting surface discontinuities relevant for investigating geomorphological processes and cultural features. The LiDAR survey allowed us to identify the urban shape of a medieval village, by capturing the small differences in height produced by surface and shallow archaeological remains (the so-called shadow marks) which were not visible from ground or from optical dataset. In this way, surface reliefs and small elevation changes, linked to geomorphological and archaeological features, have been surveyed with great detail

Multispectral thermal airborne TASI-600 data to study the Pompeii (IT) archaeological area

Science.gov (United States)

Palombo, Angelo; Pascucci, Simone; Pergola, Nicola; Pignatti, Stefano; Santini, Federico; Soldovieri, Francesco

2016-04-01

The management of archaeological areas refers to the conservation of the ruins/buildings and the eventual prospection of new areas having an archaeological potential. In this framework, airborne remote sensing is a well-developed geophysical tool for supporting the archaeological surveys of wide areas. The spectral regions applied in archaeological remote sensing spans from the VNIR to the TIR. In particular, the archaeological thermal imaging considers that materials absorb, emit, transmit, and reflect the thermal infrared radiation at different rate according to their composition, density and moisture content. Despite its potential, thermal imaging in archaeological applications are scarce. Among them, noteworthy are the ones related to the use of Landsat and ASTER [1] and airborne remote sensing [2, 3, 4 and 5]. In view of these potential in Cultural Heritage applications, the present study aims at analysing the usefulness of the high spatial resolution thermal imaging on the Pompeii archaeological park. To this purpose TASI-600 [6] airborne multispectral thermal imagery (32 channels from 8 to 11.5 nm with a spectral resolution of 100nm and a spatial resolution of 1m/pixel) was acquired on December the 7th, 2015. Airborne survey has been acquired to get useful information on the building materials (both ancient and of consolidation) characteristics and, whenever possible, to retrieve quick indicators on their conservation status. Thermal images will be, moreover, processed to have an insight of the critical environmental issues impacting the structures (e.g. moisture). The proposed study shows the preliminary results of the airborne deployments, the pre-processing of the multispectral thermal imagery and the retrieving of accurate land surface temperatures (LST). LST map will be analysed to describe the thermal pattern of the city of Pompeii and detect any thermal anomalies. As far as the ongoing TASI-600 sensors pre-processing, it will include: (a) radiometric

Analyses of archaeological pottery samples using X-ray fluorescence technique for provenance study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamilarasu, S.; Swain, K.K.; Singhal, R.K; Reddy, A.V.R.; Acharya, R.; Velraj, G.

2015-01-01

Archaeological artifacts reveal information on past human activities, artifact preparation technology, art and possible trade. Ceramics are the most stable and abundant material in archaeological context. Pottery is the most abundant tracers in all archaeological excavations. Compared to major elements, elements present at trace concentrations levels are source specific and they maintain same concentration levels in source clay as well as finished products e.g., fired clay potteries. As it is difficult to find out exact source or origin, provenance study is carried out first to establish whether objects under study are from the same or different sources/origin. Various analytical techniques like instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), Ion beam analysis (IBA) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) have been used for obtaining elemental concentrations in archaeological potteries. Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry provides a non-destructive means for elemental characterization of a wide range of archaeological materials. Ten archaeological pottery samples were collected from Kottapuram, Kerala under the supervision of archaeological survey of India. Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry using a handheld Olympus Innov-X Delta XRF device, ACD BARC, has been used for chemical characterization of the pottery samples. The instrument is equipped with the Delta Rhodium (Rh) anode X-Ray tube and uses a Silicon Drift Detector (resolution <200 eV at 5.95 keV Mn Kα X-ray). NIST 2781 SRM was analyzed for quality control purpose. Ten elements namely Fe, Ti, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Pb, Zr, Mo and Se were chosen for cluster analysis and their concentration values were utilized for multivariate statistical analysis using WinSTAT 9.0

Mössbauer Studies in Chinese Archaeology: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Hsia, Yuanfu; Huang, Hongbo

2003-09-01

The Mössbauer effect has been applied to a wide variety of objects related to Chinese archaeology. Besides ceramic artifacts, materials like porcelain, glazes, bronzes, ancient coins, ancient mineral drugs, and even fossils were studied. This article reviews these applications with particular emphasis on the study of the famous terracotta warriors and horses of the Qin Dynasty.

Application of synchrotron radiation in archaeology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakai, Izumi [Science University of Tokyo, Faculty of Science, Department of Applied Chemistry, Tokyo (Japan)

2002-07-01

This paper reports current status of archaeological application of synchrotron radiation (SR). The advantages of SR in archaeological research and various application possibilities of X-ray powder diffraction (XPD), X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) analyses of objects and materials of cultural heritage value are demonstrated through a number of case studies from literatures. They include XPD characterizations of Egyptian cosmetic powder, Attic Black Gloss, and pigments in Gothic altarpieces, provenance analysis of Old-Kutani china wares by high energy XRF, and XAFS analyses to reveal to origin of red color in Satsuma copper-ruby glass and role of iron in Maya blue. (author)

Radiology in archaeological studies of incas mummies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Previgliano, Carlos H.; Ceruti, Constanza; Arias Araoz, Facundo; Gonzalez Diez, Josefina; Reinhard, Johan

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper was to determine the imaging findings in three 500-year-old Inca mummies and how modern radiology can be used in other sciences such as archaeology. Material and Method: Three naturally mummified children were studied using conventional radiography, dental radiography, CT and puncture biopsies. Working sessions were limited to 20 minutes to prevent thawing of the corpses and radiological techniques were adjusted to their particular anatomic position. Results: CT images showed shrinkaged internal organs due to dehydration. The fatty tissue of the bodies was visibly white because of the transformation of it into adipocere, favoring white matter/gray matter differentiation at the central nervous system. The lungs were expanded in the three corpses and right lung and maxillary sinus pathologies were determined in the older girl. Chronological ages of the three children at the time of their deaths were established. DNA studies determined no family links among them. The spleen was not seen in any case. Conclusions: Modern radiology is an excellent tool in archaeological research. Nutritional state, ages and pathologies of the three mummies were evaluated. (author) [es

Archaeology, historical site risk assessment and monitoring by UAV: approaches and case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Pecci, Antonio; Masini, Nicola

2016-04-01

multiple overlapping images. The usefulness of UAV-based investigations has been given by its integrability with other methods of remote sensing including geophysics, optical and SAR satellite remote sensing. The presentation deals with the methodological approaches and the results in three historical sites for different applications such as: 1) archaeological site discovery, 2) the study and observation of archaeological looting and 3) the 3d reconstruction of building and sites. In the case 1) UAV has been used for the creation of orthophotos and digital elevantion models (DEMs) as well as the identification of archaeological marks and microrelief, as proxy indicators of the presence of archaeological buried remains. The obtained information have been compared and integrated with those provided by georadar and geomagnetic prospections. The investigated site is a medieval settlement, including a benedectine monastery, dated to 12-15th century. It is San Pietro a Cellaria, located in the territory of Calvello, in Basilicata (Southern Italy). The multisensor integrated approach allowed to identify several features referable to buried structures of the monastery (Leucci et al. 2015; Roubis et al. 2015). In the case 2) UAVs have been used for the identification and analysis of traces of grave robbers, in the territory of Anzi (Basilicata). Since the end of the 18th century to the first half of the 20th century, hundreds of tombs of the Archaic, Lucan and Roman age have been destroyed and stolen. The case 3) is related to the ceremonial centre of Pachacamac in Peru, which was investigated for several years by the international mission ITACA (Italian scientific mission for heritage Conservation and Archaeogeophysics) of IBAM/IMAA CNR of Potenza (Italy) (Lasaponara et al. 2016b). For more than 2,000 years, Pachacamac was one of the main centers of religious cult keeping this role unchanged in different historical periods and for different cultures such as Chavin, Lima, Huari

78 FR 25469 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of South Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-01

... completion of an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects under the control of the....R50000] Notice of Inventory Completion: University of South Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies... Alabama Center for Archaeological Studies has completed an inventory of human remains and associated...

Starry messages: Searching for signatures of interstellar archaeology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrigan, Richard A., Jr.; /Fermilab

2009-12-01

Searching for signatures of cosmic-scale archaeological artifacts such as Dyson spheres or Kardashev civilizations is an interesting alternative to conventional SETI. Uncovering such an artifact does not require the intentional transmission of a signal on the part of the original civilization. This type of search is called interstellar archaeology or sometimes cosmic archaeology. The detection of intelligence elsewhere in the Universe with interstellar archaeology or SETI would have broad implications for science. For example, the constraints of the anthropic principle would have to be loosened if a different type of intelligence was discovered elsewhere. A variety of interstellar archaeology signatures are discussed including non-natural planetary atmospheric constituents, stellar doping with isotopes of nuclear wastes, Dyson spheres, as well as signatures of stellar and galactic-scale engineering. The concept of a Fermi bubble due to interstellar migration is introduced in the discussion of galactic signatures. These potential interstellar archaeological signatures are classified using the Kardashev scale. A modified Drake equation is used to evaluate the relative challenges of finding various sources. With few exceptions interstellar archaeological signatures are clouded and beyond current technological capabilities. However SETI for so-called cultural transmissions and planetary atmosphere signatures are within reach.

Archaeology on Screen: Representing Archaeology on Film in Serbia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandar Bandović

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Reading the popular culture may contribute to the reflexive view on a discipline such as archaeology. Film, as a part of popular culture, frequently unveils the hidden messages, which may be an echo of a discipline or its distorted image in the mirror. Film and archaeology share not only the common origins in the modernity, but also the imaginary spaces where the past and the present meet and intertwine. The subjects treated in films, the contexts in which archaeology appears, speak of the place the discipline holds in the society, reminding us at the same time of all the elements encompassed by the archaeological discourse. On the other hand, if we compare the portraits of the imaginary archaeologists (such as Professor Mihajlo Pavlović, Vera Zarić, with the witnesses of archaeology in Serbia over the 20th century (Nikola Vulić, Dragoslav Srejović, Milutin Garašanin, we shall approach the meeting point between academic and general public, science and the audience, theory and practice. Extraordinary individuals, unemployed dreamers living at the borders of the worlds, charming connoisseurs of the underworlds – these are but some of the qualities ascribed to the discipline by the films. However, these stereotypes do not generate out of the void, they are the consequence of the self-representation. This mystification of the discipline leads us back to the debate on the responsibility and ethics of the social scientists inside the society they live in. Of course, the suggested reading is one of the many possibilities, one of the archaeological interpretations.

Archaeology and Photography: A Pragmatology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Svabo, Connie; Shanks, Michael

2013-01-01

This chapter is an exploration of meta-archaeology. We consider some of the premises, dispositions, infrastructures of archaeological practices, where the archaeological is no longer a substantive, but adjectival, an aspect of things and doings, where archaeology is part of the trans-disciplinary...

Instrumental neutron activation analysis potentialities in archaeological ceramics studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paiva, Rosemeire P.; Munita, Casimirio S.; Alves, Marcia A.

1999-01-01

In this work, precision and sensitivity of the determination of As, Ba, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, K, La, Lu, Na, Nd, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, U, Yb and Zn in ceramic samples by INAA were evaluated. Two clay samples Brick Clay (NIST-SRM-697 reference material)and Ohio Red Clay (a well known clay sample) were analyzed for this purpose. Archaeological ceramic fragments from Agua Limpa Site, in Monte Alto city, SP were also analyzed. The archaeological ceramics were produced in the quotidian activities of non writing preterite societies, in sedentarization process. The ceramic chemical information are used to identify raw material sources and to study production and distribution models, which allow the reconstruction of the socio-cultural development and integration of extinguished societies. (author)

Neutron activation analysis in archaeological chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harbottle, G [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)

1990-01-01

There is a long history of the application of chemical analysis to archaeological problems, extending to the last years of the 18th century. The nuclear-age technique of neutron activation analysis, permitting the simultaneous, sensitive, non-destructive estimation of many elements in an archaeological specimen, has found wide application. Important advances have been made, using this technique, in locating the origins of archaeological artifacts such as ceramics, metals, obsidian and semiprecious stones, among other articles of ancient ritual and commerce. In addition, the technique of neutron activation analysis has proved to be almost ideal in studies tracing the development of ancient technologies such as glass-making and smelting. In the future, the development of data banks of analyses of archaeological materials should provide an excellent new tool in studies of prehistory.

Neutron activation analysis in archaeological chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harbottle, G.

1990-01-01

There is a long history of the application of chemical analysis to archaeological problems, extending to the last years of the 18th century. The nuclear-age technique of neutron activation analysis, permitting the simultaneous, sensitive, non-destructive estimation of many elements in an archaeological specimen, has found wide application. Important advantages have been made, using this technique, in locating the origins of archaeological artifacts such as ceramics, metals, obsidian and semiprecious stones, among other articles of ancient ritual and commerce. In addition, the technique of neutron activation analysis has proved to be almost ideal in studies tracing the development of ancient technologies such as glass-making and smelting. In the future, the development of data banks of analyses of archaeological materials should provide an excellent new tool in studies of prehistory. (orig.)

Maritime archaeology and shipwrecks off Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Tripati, S.; Gaur, A; Sundaresh

In recent years, maritime archaeological studies have unearthed several of our lost cultural heritages. Many believe that maritime archaeology is a complex and specialized field. Author has penned down his personal experiences in the form...

Archaeological recording and chemical stratigraphy applied to contaminated land studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Photos-Jones, Effie; Hall, Allan J

2011-11-15

The method used by archaeologists for excavation and recording of the stratigraphic evidence, within trenches with or without archaeological remains, can potentially be useful to contaminated land consultants (CLCs). The implementation of archaeological practice in contaminated land assessments (CLAs) is not meant to be an exercise in data overkill; neither should it increase costs. Rather, we suggest, that if the excavation and recording, by a trained archaeologist, of the stratigraphy is followed by in-situ chemical characterisation then it is possible that much uncertainty associated with current field sampling practices, may be removed. This is because built into the chemical stratigraphy is the temporal and spatial relationship between different parts of the site reflecting the logic behind the distribution of contamination. An archaeological recording with chemical stratigraphy approach to sampling may possibly provide 'one method fits all' for potentially contaminated land sites (CLSs), just as archaeological characterisation of the stratigraphic record provides 'one method fits all' for all archaeological sites irrespective of period (prehistoric to modern) or type (rural, urban or industrial). We also suggest that there may be practical and financial benefits to be gained by pulling together expertise and resources stemming from different disciplines, not simply at the assessment phase, but also subsequent phases, in contaminated land improvement. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Building archaeology geodatabase in Iraq using GIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kalaf Abbas

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Geomatics has been an important tool in archaeology. The combination of Geomatics and archaeology adopters have been considered a perfect match, since archaeology often involves the study of the spatial dimension of human behavior over time, and all archaeology carries a spatial component. Since Iraqi archaeology becomes one of the main victims of destruction by negligence and terror attacks, makes our great heritages forgotten. Hence, it is necessary to build a secure database for all Iraqi archeological sites with their two main types (investigated and uninvestigated and rely on digital system by creating digital maps for each Governorate with their archeological database system. Results of archaeological studies are rich in spatial information. GIS is adept at processing these large volumes of data especially those that are geographically referenced. It is effective, accurate and a fast tool. The tools made available through GIS help in data collection, its storage and retrieval, its ability for customization and, finally, the display of the data so that it is visually comprehensible by the user. The most important aspect of GIS in archaeology lies, however, not in its use as a pure map-making tool, but in its capability to merge and analyze

Archaeology of Void Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Look, Cory

variety of activity areas that make up a site can imbue a site with an identity of purpose and shed light on how different sites may have served different purposes within a regional framework. Excavations at the site of Indian Creek identified a series of raised middens that enclosed an open space for approximately 1500 years. This research explores this open space, and questions the meaning of 'void' and 'empty' with respect to past human activities. While archaeologists recognize that areas void of material remains are certainly part of the larger site, the question remains, without an understand of these spaces; what aspects of past life are we possibly masking? The integration of anthrosols alongside archaeological excavations and spatial analysis indicate that the site of Indian Creek contained a ceremonial plaza that formed early on and was maintained until abandonment. The spatial distribution of material objects combined with anthrosol studies provided additional evidence of ritual deposits concentrated in one part of the plaza associated with a nearby creek-bed. The second site, Doigs represents one of the last intact undisturbed Early Ceramic Age site of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean. Since its discovery in the 1970's, Doig's has been partially surveyed and excavated. The identification of residential activity areas including several potential structures, bead manufacturing loci, and cooking hearths were used to help test chemical signatures with archaeologically defined activity areas. Findings from this site illustrated the uniqueness of elemental patterns associated with activity areas, and also generated new questions regarding void spaces enriched with elemental patterns associated with concentrations of plant and vegetation debris. It is the hope of this study to contribute to our general knowledge for the identification of ancient activity areas as well as the different places that give sites their identity. These assemblages of activity areas can

Studies on muon tomography for archaeological internal structures scanning

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, H.; Carloganu, C.; Gibert, D.; Jacquemier, J.; Karyotakis, Y.; Marteau, J.; Niess, V.; Katsanevas, S.; Tonazzo, A.

2016-05-01

Muon tomography is a potential non-invasive technique for internal structure scanning. It has already interesting applications in geophysics and can be used for archaeological purposes. Muon tomography is based on the measurement of the muon flux after crossing the structure studied. Differences on the mean density of these structures imply differences on the detected muon rate for a given direction. Based on this principle, Monte Carlo simulations represent a useful tool to provide a model of the expected muon rate and angular distribution depending on the composition of the studied object, being useful to estimate the expected detected muons and to better understand the experimental results. These simulations are mainly dependent on the geometry and composition of the studied object and on the modelling of the initial muon flux at surface. In this work, the potential of muon tomography in archaeology is presented and evaluated with Monte Carlo simulations by estimating the differences on the muon rate due to the presence of internal structures and its composition. The influence of the chosen muon model at surface in terms of energy and angular distributions in the final result has been also studied.

Thermoluminescence dating of Indian archaeological sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singhvi, A.K.; Sharma, Y.P.; Agrawal, D.P.

1983-01-01

In an attempt to provide a chronology for Indian archaeological sites, an extensive pottery dating programme was initiated during 1978-1979. So far we have provided a chronology for seven important Indian archaeological sites. The dated cultures include: 1) the Ochre Colour Ware culture, 2) the Pre-Harappan culture, 3) the megalithic culture and 4) the Painted Grey Ware culture. A complete survey of recently measured TL dates are presented in a model format similar to that used in Radiocarbon. (author)

Intransigent archaeology. An interview with Evžen Neustupný on his life in archaeology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kuna, Martin

2012-01-01

Roč. 19, č. 1 (2012), s. 3-28 ISSN 1380-2038 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : archaeological paradigm * processual archaeology * history of archaeology * Czech Republic Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Kazan archaeological school: research results and development prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khuzin Fayaz Sh.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Basic stages of Kazan archaeological school development are traced from its origin, which was connected to the Society of Archaeology, History and Ethnology with Kazan University (1878 – early 1930s. The establishment of Kazan Institute of Language, Literature and History in 1939 (from 1945 as part of Kazan Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences started the formation of Kazan archaeological school. At the beginning, its representatives worked in the sector of History, Institute of Language, Literature and History, Kazan branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (until 1962, and then joined the sector of Archaeology and Ethnography (1962–1986. Later on, the Department of Archaeology (1986–1995 was created, subsequently (in 1995 transformed into the National Center of Archaeological Research with the Institute of History named after Sh. Marjani of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences. In July, 2013, the Institute of Archaeology named after A.Kh. Khalikov of Tatarstan Academy of Sciences was established on the basis of the Center. The archaeology of Tatarstan was developing in the framework of three basic directions: 1 entire investigation prospecting of the region aimed at creating the most exhaustive list of archaeological monuments of the Middle Volga River region; 2 stationary investigations the prehistoric and medieval sites, first of all historically known Volga Bulgaria towns, rural settlements and necropolises; 3 studies in the sphere of ethnogenesis and ethnic history, interaction between the cultures of the Turkic and Finno-Ugric peoples of the region. For the next 5 years (2014–2018 the researchers of the Institute plan to develop the following trends: I. the medieval Turkic-Tatar civilization of Eurasia; II. prehistorical archaeology of the Volga-Kama region: genesis and interaction of cultures; III. GIS technologies in archaeology; IV. natural science research methods in archaeology; V. conservation and systematization of archaeological

The Materials Science and its applications in the Archaeology specific case: Teopancazco, Teotihuacan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodriguez L, V.; Martinez G, C.; Manzanilla N, L.

2004-01-01

The cultural enormity wealth culture that exists in Mexico generates the necessity to reach a bigger interaction from the archaeology and restoration areas to the modern material science, with the purpose to establish new methodologies that allow to restore, conserve and preserve the materials that ancient civilizations used to construct buildings and objects of common use. It is in this sense that has been proposed methodologies for the use of analytical techniques in the study of archaeological materials to understand their nature, microstructural characteristics, deterioration causes, environmental factor influence, etc. We presents as example, a study of several archaeological samples that include mural painting fragments, ceramic with stucco and some pigment belonging to Teopancazco archaeological place located in San Sebastian Xolalpan (Teotihuacan, Mexico State). This study was performed by means of analytical scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Infrared spectroscopy. (Author) 31 refs., 6 tabs., 10 figs

Training and Maritime Archaeology in a University Context

Science.gov (United States)

Parham, David; Palma, Paola

2008-12-01

This paper draws on experience gained by Bournemouth University to consider undergraduate education in maritime archaeology. At Bournemouth maritime archaeology is taught firmly in the context of a broader archaeological education. Archaeological programmes vary with the institutions within which they are taught, each programme thus having an individual character that separates it from that of other institutions and further enriches the subject through the breadth of this education. At Bournemouth the value of teaching archaeology with a high component of practical experience has been long understood. This does not mean that archaeology is taught as a purely practical subject but as one within which experience in the field is seen as a worthwhile focus. Bournemouth’s programme therefore recognises the value of field research projects as learning environments for undergraduates studying maritime archaeology. The programme is subject to a number of constraints, notably the size of the archaeological employment market, levels of pay within that market, questions of ongoing professional development after graduation, and the requirements of other employment markets into which archaeological graduates enter. This paper argues that research project-based learning, and in particular, involvement with amateur groups, provides a way to balance these constraints and supports development of both technical and transferable ‘soft’ skills.

Scales of Memory in the Archaeology of the Second World War

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriel Moshenska

2006-11-01

Full Text Available The growing interest in archaeologies of the recent past has included attempts to link archaeology with memory in its various forms but has lacked a coherent theoretical and methodological approach. This paper outlines a model for engaging with memory in the archaeology of the Second World War, drawing on recent work in memory studies and oral history. One of the principal pitfalls in memory work is the conflation and confusion of individual and social memory: in this paper I attempt to identify and outline different forms or scales of memory: individual memory, group narratives, and social memorialisation. If we distinguish between these models in relation to Second World War archaeological sites we can assess their accuracy and usefulness and begin to trace the intricate power relations implicit in memory work. The sites in question, a Nazi prison in Berlin and a Prisoner of War camp in Poland, illustrate the contested and highly politicised nature of memory-based work and archaeological studies of this period. By opening up such sites to the popular gaze, archaeologists have the power to bring these debates into the public sphere, potentially undermining the hegemony of officially sanctioned memory and making the production of meaningful pasts a more inclusive process.

Qualitative and Quantitative Data on the Use of the Internet for Archaeological Information

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorna-Jane Richardson

2015-04-01

Full Text Available These survey results are from an online survey of 577 UK-based archaeological volunteers, professional archaeologists and archaeological organisations. These data cover a variety of topics related to how and why people access the Internet for information about archaeology, including demographic information, activity relating to accessing information on archaeological topics, archaeological sharing and networking and the use of mobile phone apps and QR codes for public engagement. There is wide scope for further qualitative and quantitative analysis of these data.

From Photogrammetry to the dissemination of archaeological heritage using game engines: Menga case study

OpenAIRE

José L. Caro; Salvador Hansen

2015-01-01

Everyone knows the importance of new technologies and the growth they have had in mobile devices. Today in the field of study and dissemination of cultural heritage (including archaeological), the use of digital 3D models and associated technologies are a tool to increase the registration quality and consequently a better basis for interpretation and dissemination for cultural tourism, education and research. Within this area is gaining positions photogrammetry over other technologies due to ...

Educational activities of remote sensing archaeology (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G.; Agapiou, Athos; Lysandrou, Vasilki; Themistocleous, Kyriacos; Cuca, Branka; Nisantzi, Argyro; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Krauss, Thomas; Cerra, Daniele; Gessner, Ursula; Schreier, Gunter

2016-10-01

Remote sensing science is increasingly being used to support archaeological and cultural heritage research in various ways. Satellite sensors either passive or active are currently used in a systematic basis to detect buried archaeological remains and to systematic monitor tangible heritage. In addition, airborne and low altitude systems are being used for documentation purposes. Ground surveys using remote sensing tools such as spectroradiometers and ground penetrating radars can detect variations of vegetation and soil respectively, which are linked to the presence of underground archaeological features. Education activities and training of remote sensing archaeology to young people is characterized of highly importance. Specific remote sensing tools relevant for archaeological research can be developed including web tools, small libraries, interactive learning games etc. These tools can be then combined and aligned with archaeology and cultural heritage. This can be achieved by presenting historical and pre-historical records, excavated sites or even artifacts under a "remote sensing" approach. Using such non-form educational approach, the students can be involved, ask, read, and seek to learn more about remote sensing and of course to learn about history. The paper aims to present a modern didactical concept and some examples of practical implementation of remote sensing archaeology in secondary schools in Cyprus. The idea was built upon an ongoing project (ATHENA) focused on the sue of remote sensing for archaeological research in Cyprus. Through H2020 ATHENA project, the Remote Sensing Science and Geo-Environment Research Laboratory at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), with the support of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR) and the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) aims to enhance its performance in all these new technologies.

The Apparatus of Digital Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeremy Huggett

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Digital Archaeology is predicated upon an ever-changing set of apparatuses – technological, methodological, software, hardware, material, immaterial – which in their own ways and to varying degrees shape the nature of Digital Archaeology. Our attention, however, is perhaps inevitably more closely focused on research questions, choice of data, and the kinds of analyses and outputs. In the process we tend to overlook the effects the tools themselves have on the archaeology we do beyond the immediate consequences of the digital. This article introduces cognitive artefacts as a means of addressing the apparatus more directly within the context of the developing archaeological digital ecosystem. It argues that a critical appreciation of our computational cognitive artefacts is key to understanding their effects on both our own cognition and on the creation of archaeological knowledge. In the process, it defines a form of cognitive digital archaeology in terms of four distinct methods for extracting cognition from the digital apparatus layer by layer.

Volcanology and archaeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Livadie, C.A.; Widemann, F.

1990-01-01

These proceedings study fossil volcanism and archaeology relationships in several countries ( North Yemen, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Martinique ). Age estimation of several eruptions is given and economic consequences of volcanic risk is evaluated

Archaeology and Science in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giancarlo Elia Valori

2014-02-01

Full Text Available The monuments and historical memories of a people are its non-biological DNA, through which a political system creates its identity. Archaeological research, the protection and valorization of artistic heritage in China envisages the glorification of Beijing’s unifying power, recreating, through the business of cultural and archaeological tourism, sustained economic development, especially in depressed areas, also by taking into consideration the relationship between ecology, cultural heritage and economic development. Protecting Chinese artistic and archaeological structures fosters the interest of the government for leading-edge technologies used in discovering, protecting and managing the most delicate and complex finds.  Italy can supply Beijing with these technologies, together with the know-how, developed over many years of care and analysis of some of the world’s greatest artistic heritage. With the use of these technologies, in accordance with legislation related to environmental  protection, artistic and archaeological finds can be studied thoroughly and rapidly, thus providing the possibility of learning about the context in which a work is inserted and allowing the whole site to be valorized.

The sixth Nordic conference on the application of scientific methods in archaeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The Sixth Nordic Conference on the Application of Scientific Methods in Archaeology with 73 participants was convened in Esbjerg (Denmark), 19-23 September 1993. Isotope dating of archaeological, paleoecological and geochronological objects, neutron activation and XRF analytical methods, magnetometry, thermoluminescence etc. have been discussed. The program included excursions to archaeological sites and a poster session with 12 posters. (EG)

Genetics and southern African prehistory: an archaeological view.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Peter

2010-01-01

Southern African populations speaking languages that are often - but inaccurately - grouped together under the label 'Khoisan' are an important focus of molecular genetic research, not least in tracking the early stages of human genetic diversification. This paper reviews these studies from an archaeological standpoint, concentrating on modern human origins, the introduction of pastoralism to southern Africa and admixture between the region's indigenous foragers and incoming Bantu-speaking farmers. To minimise confusion and facilitate correlation with anthropological, linguistic and archaeological data it emphasises the need to use ethnolinguistic labels accurately and with due regard for the particular histories of individual groups. It also stresses the geographically and culturally biased nature of the genetic studies undertaken to date, which employ data from only a few 'Khoisan' groups. Specific topics for which the combined deployment of genetic and archaeological methods would be particularly useful include the early history of Ju-Hoan- and Tuu-speaking hunter-gatherers, the expansion of Khoe-speaking populations, the chronology of genetic exchange between hunter-gatherers and farmers, and the origins of the Sotho/Tswana- and Nguni-speaking populations that dominate much of southern Africa today.

Making Choices: Valletta, Development, Archaeology and Society

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barney Sloane

2018-03-01

Full Text Available The European Archaeological Council's working group on 'Making Choices' conducted a survey of EAC member states about the ways in which they make decisions in archaeological heritage management with particular reference to development-led archaeological investigation. The driver for this is the belief that the approaches to development-led archaeology need to be more transparent and proportional to ensure continued state and developer/investor support. Based on a significant response (73% the survey gave a very useful insight into the way in which archaeological sites are defined and inventorised, the processes by which development-led investigations are designed, the means by which information is published and results (and collections archived, and the means by which the public are engaged in the process. The survey identified three key areas where choice-making is very much in the hands of the professional practice. These are: developing a clearer understanding of the significance of protected archaeological sites in the context of Valletta, assessing sensitivity to change for any sites proposed for development, and the design of the investigation itself. In addition, the survey revealed a clear interest in developing better ways of advocating the public value of development-led archaeology. This article summarises the issues raised in the survey and concludes that the most useful ways in which EAC could help its members would be through the preparation of guidance, case studies or toolkits — regardless of what legal or statutory structures are in operation in a given state — on the following subjects: understanding and articulating significance, developing national and regional research frameworks into which new excavations might be integrated, articulating the public value of archaeological investigation and developing better approaches to archaeological archives.

The Materials Science and its impact in the Archaeology. Volume 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendoza A, D.; Arenas A, J.A.; Ruvalcaba S, J.L.; Rodriguez L, V.

2006-01-01

From the half-filled nineties the 'Archaeological and Art issues in Materials Science' symposium has come carrying out inside the International Congress of Materials Science that annually organizes the Mexican Academy of Materials Science. In this symposium, investigators of different nationalities, including Mexico, they have participated exposing their results in the study, consolidation and conservation of materials of archaeological origin and of works of art. By this way, the symposium has been promoted the exchange of experiences among the scientists, fomenting the collaboration among these. Due to the quality of the presented works and as an effort of the participants of disclosing their studies, the symposium organizing committee decided to capture in this third book series, the works presented in 2005, in such a way that its can be consulted by colleagues, students and public in general and know the investigations that are carried out in the field of the materials science applied to the study of archaeological samples and of works of art. (Author)

Archaeometry: nuclear and conventional techniques applied to the archaeological research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esparza L, R.; Cardenas G, E.

2005-01-01

The book that now is presented is formed by twelve articles that approach from different perspective topics as the archaeological prospecting, the analysis of the pre hispanic and colonial ceramic, the obsidian and the mural painting, besides dating and questions about the data ordaining. Following the chronological order in which the exploration techniques and laboratory studies are required, there are presented in the first place the texts about the systematic and detailed study of the archaeological sites, later we pass to relative topics to the application of diverse nuclear techniques as PIXE, RBS, XRD, NAA, SEM, Moessbauer spectroscopy and other conventional techniques. The multidisciplinary is an aspect that highlights in this work, that which owes to the great specialization of the work that is presented even in the archaeological studies including in the open ground of the topography, mapping, excavation and, of course, in the laboratory tests. Most of the articles are the result of several years of investigation and it has been consigned in the responsibility of each article. The texts here gathered emphasize the technical aspects of each investigation, the modern compute systems applied to the prospecting and the archaeological mapping, the chemical and physical analysis of organic materials, of metal artifacts, of diverse rocks used in the pre hispanic epoch, of mural and ceramic paintings, characteristics that justly underline the potential of the collective works. (Author)

Strategies for Teaching Maritime Archaeology in the Twenty First Century

Science.gov (United States)

Staniforth, Mark

2008-12-01

Maritime archaeology is a multi-faceted discipline that requires both theoretical learning and practical skills training. In the past most universities have approached the teaching of maritime archaeology as a full-time on-campus activity designed for ‘traditional’ graduate students; primarily those in their early twenties who have recently come from full-time undergraduate study and who are able to study on-campus. The needs of mature-age and other students who work and live in different places (or countries) and therefore cannot attend lectures on a regular basis (or at all) have largely been ignored. This paper provides a case study in the teaching of maritime archaeology from Australia that, in addition to ‘traditional’ on-campus teaching, includes four main components: (1) learning field methods through field schools; (2) skills training through the AIMA/NAS avocational training program; (3) distance learning topics available through CD-ROM and using the Internet; and (4) practicums, internships and fellowships. The author argues that programs to teach maritime archaeology in the twenty first century need to be flexible and to address the diverse needs of students who do not fit the ‘traditional’ model. This involves collaborative partnerships with other universities as well as government underwater cultural heritage management agencies and museums, primarily through field schools, practicums and internships.

Oscar Montelius and Chinese Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xingcan Chen

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper demonstrates that Oscar Montelius (1843–1921, the world-famous Swedish archaeologist, had a key role in the development of modern scientific Chinese archaeology and the discovery of China’s prehistory. We know that one of his major works, Die Methode, the first volume of his Älteren kulturperioden im Orient und in Europa, translated into Chinese in the 1930s, had considerable influence on generations of Chinese archaeologists and art historians. What has previously remained unknown, is that Montelius personally promoted the research undertaken in China by Johan Gunnar Andersson (1874–1960, whose discoveries of Neolithic cultures in the 1920s constituted the breakthrough and starting point for the development of prehistoric archaeology in China. In this paper, we reproduce, translate and discuss a long forgotten memorandum written by Montelius in 1920 in support of Andersson’s research. In this Montelius indicated his belief in the potential of prehistoric Chinese archaeology as well as his predictions regarding the discoveries about to be made. It is therefore an important document for the study of the history of Chinese archaeology as a whole.

Archaeological Vector Graphics and SVG: A case study from Cricklade

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Holly Wright

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Currently, there are a variety of ways to make vector-based information available on the Web, but most are browser- and platform-dependent, proprietary, and unevenly supported (Laaker 2002, 13. Of the various solutions currently being explored by the greater Web community, one of the most promising is called Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG, which is part of the eXtensible Markup Language (XML. SVG was defined by a working group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C and has subsequently become their official recommendation for representing vector graphics on the Web in XML (Eisenberg 2002, 6; Watt 2002, xviii. Because SVG is an XML application, it is freely available, not dependent on a particular browser or platform, and interoperable with other XML applications. While there is no guarantee that SVG will be widely adopted for rendering vector-based information on the Web, development and recommendation by the W3C generally carries a great deal of weight, especially as browser developers move towards less proprietary support of W3C standards. In addition, use of XML continues to grow, so XML-based solutions like SVG should be explored by those interested in presenting vector graphics on the Web (Harold and Means 2002, 3. This discussion explores SVG as a potential tool for archaeologists. It includes some of the ways vector graphics are used in archaeology, and outlines the development and features of SVG, which are then demonstrated in the form of a case study. Large-scale plan and section drawings originally created on Permatrace were digitised by Guy Hopkinson for use in the Internet Archaeology publication Excavations at Cricklade, Wiltshire, 1975, by Jeremy Haslam, designed as an exercise in 'retrospective publication', to illustrate how traditional forms of visual recording might be digitised for online publication. Hopkinson went on to publish his methodology jointly with Internet Archaeology editor, Judith Winters in Problems with

History, Archaeology and the Bible Forty Years after "Historicity"

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

In History, Archaeology and the Bible Forty Years after “Historicity”, Hjelm and Thompson argue that a ‘crisis’ broke in the 1970s, when several new studies of biblical history and archaeology were published, questioning the historical-critical method of biblical scholarship. The crisis formed...... articles from some of the field’s best scholars with comprehensive discussion of historical, archaeological, anthropological, cultural and literary approaches to the Hebrew Bible and Palestine’s history. The essays question: “How does biblical history relate to the archaeological history of Israel...

The preliminary study on the alluvial stratigraphy of Peinan archaeological site, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hsiaochin; Chen, Wenshan; Yeh, Changkeng

2015-04-01

Many of the activities of prehistoric people who lived in Taiwan were concentrated around river terrace environments and seldom in alluvial environments which are resulting from the rapid tectonic uplift and high erosion rate of the late Cenozoic mountain belt. However, the Peinan archaeological site, one of the most important Neolithic sites in Taiwan because of the great amount of slate slab coffins and nephrite artifacts unearthed, is located at the bottom of Peinan Hill which is formed by the activity of Lichi and Luyeh Faults. According to the radioactive carbon dating results, the Peinan alluvial fan used as cemetery was lasted over 3,700 years (5700-2000 yr BP) but the related cultural formation was only lasted 400 years (3500-3100 yr BP). What have happened to the prehistoric people? As the stratigraphic record allows archaeologists to ascertain the effects of geological processes on the preservation of the archaeological record, determining which parts of the archaeological records are absent, which have potentially been preserved, and how fragmentary are the preserved portions of the records. The limitations that geologic processes impose on the archaeological record must be recognized and understood before meaningful interpretations of prehistory can be made. Therefore, the reconstruction of the landscape and stratigraphic records in archaeological site not only provides the paleo-environmental context but also helps to explain changes that occurred to human cultures over time.

Book review: Stella Souvatzi and Athena Hadji (eds. Space and Time in Mediterranean Prehistory (Routledge Studies in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Sraka

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The collection of papers Space and Time in Medi- terranean Prehistory is an outcome of the collabo- ration between Stella Souvatzi, who regularly writes on spatiality within social archaeological themes such as households, as in her recent book A Social Archaeology of Households in Neolithic Greece, and Athena Hadji, whose Berkeley PhD thesis was entitled on The Construction of Time in Aegean Archaeology. The editors invited researchers from a predominantly interpretative (post-processual ar- chaeological tradition who deal with Mediterranean prehistory and included a few selected revised contributions to the similarly named session at the 16th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists in the Hague. The collection of papers contains 15 chapters by archaeologists, anthropologists and an architect.

Archaeology and art

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Corbey, R.H.A.; Layton, R.; Tanner, J.; Bintliff, J.

2004-01-01

Archaeologists have approached the study of art from several directions, drawing their inspiration variously from evolutionary biology, anthropology, and art history.We examine the strengths and weaknesses of each of these approaches and demonstrate the unique opportunities open to archaeology in

A preliminary study of archaeological ceramic from the Sao Paulo II, Brazil, archaeological site by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ribeiro, Rogerio B.; Munita, Casimiro S.; Oliveira, Paulo M.S.; Neves, Eduardo G.; Tamahara, Eduardo K.

2011-01-01

The determination of trace elements plays an important role in the characterization of archaeological ceramics. It is well established that ceramics can be grouped based on similarities/dissimilarities derived from chemical data. Different analytical methods can be applied to determine the sample composition. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is the method preferred because present several advantages in relation to the other techniques. In this work, the elements determined were As, K, La, Lu, Na, Nd, Sb, Sm, U, Yb, Ba, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, I, Fe, Hf, Rb, Sc, Ta , Tb, Th and Zn to carry out a preliminary chemical characterization in 44 ceramic samples from Sao Paulo II archaeological site by INAA. The site is located in Coari city, 363 km from Manaus, Amazonas state (AM). The elementary concentration results were studied using multivariate statistical methods. The similarity/dissimilarity among the samples was studied by means of discriminant analysis. The compositions group classification was done through cluster analysis, showing the formation of the three distinct groups of the ceramics. (author)

EFFICIENT PREDICTIVE MODELLING FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESEARCH

OpenAIRE

Balla, A.; Pavlogeorgatos, G.; Tsiafakis, D.; Pavlidis, G.

2014-01-01

The study presents a general methodology for designing, developing and implementing predictive modelling for identifying areas of archaeological interest. The methodology is based on documented archaeological data and geographical factors, geospatial analysis and predictive modelling, and has been applied to the identification of possible Macedonian tombs’ locations in Northern Greece. The model was tested extensively and the results were validated using a commonly used predictive gain, which...

Shoreline changes during the last 2000 years on the Saurashtra coast of India: Study based on archaeological evidences

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gaur, A.S.; Vora, K.H.; Sundaresh

. In this communication an attempt is made to study shoreline and sea-level changes during the last 2000 years on the basis of archaeological evidence. Archaeological excavations undertaken at Bet Dwarka (western most part of India) revealed an interesting cultural...

Building a Spatial Database for Romanian Archaeological Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aura-Mihaela MOCANU

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Spatial databases are a new technology in the database systems which allow storing, retrieving and maintaining geospatial data. This paper describes the steps which we have followed to model, design and develop a spatial database for Romanian archaeological sites and their assemblies. The system analysis was made using the well known Entity-Relationship model; the system design included the conceptual, the external and the internal schemas design, and the system development meant developing the needed database objects and programs. The designed database allows users to load vector geospatial data about the archaeological sites in two distinct spatial reference systems WGS84 and STEREO70, temporal data about the historical periods and cultures, other descriptive data and documents as references to the archaeological objects.

Introduction: Critical Blogging in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colleen Morgan

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This special volume of Internet Archaeology collects the leading voices of blogging in archaeology to provide a critical examination of informal, online self-publication. This collection of articles is one result of over a decade of digital communication; the confluence of a conversation that grew from a few lonely voices to a tumultuous cacophony. Even so, blogging has had very little scrutiny in wider archaeological publication (but see Caraher 2008; Kansa and Deblauwe 2011. The first movement toward this volume was the Blogging Archaeology session at the 2011 Society for American Archaeology meetings, accompanied by a "Blog Carnival," a groundbreaking effort to foment reflexive discussion prior to the conference. Several participants of this original session and blog carnival have contributed to this volume; these articles are intermingled with perspectives from contributors who have started blogging in the intervening time, and with peer review comments from archaeologists who have blogged for a long time, and from those who do not blog at all.

Potassium-argon dating in archaeology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDougall, I. (Australian National Univ., Canberra (Australia). Research School of Earth Sciences)

1990-01-01

The potassium-argon (K-Ar) isotopic dating method can provide precise and accurate numerical ages on suitable rocks, especially igneous rocks, over a wide range of age from less than 100,000 years old, with no older limit. Together with its variants, the {sup 40}Ar/{sup 39}Ar technique, the K-Ar method is very useful for the numerical age calibration of stratigraphic sequences, including those containing archaeological or fossil material, in cases where appropriate rocks for dating are present. This brief review of the basis of the K-Ar dating method and the underlying assumptions, concludes with an example of its application to the Plio-Pleistocene stratigraphic sequence in the Turkana Basin, northern Kenya. By dating alkali feldspars separated from pumice blocks in tuffaceous beds, excellent age control has been obtained for the wealth of vertebrate fossils, including hominids, as well as archaeological materials that has been found in the sequence. (author).

Multiscale, multispectral and multitemporal satellite data to identify archaeological remains in the archaeological area of Tiwanaku (Bolivia)

Science.gov (United States)

Masini, Nicola; Lasaponara, Rosa

2015-04-01

The aim of this paper is to investigate the cultural landscape of the archaeological area of Tiwanaku (Bolivia) using multiscale, multispectral and multitemporal satellite data. Geospatial analysis techniques were applied to the satellite data sets in order to enhance and map traces of past human activities and perform a spatial characterization of environmental and cultural patterns. In particular, in the Tiwanaku area, the approach based on local indicators of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) applied to ASTER data allowed us to identify traces of a possible ancient hydrographic network with a clear spatial relation with the well-known moat surrounding the core of the monumental area. The same approach applied to QuickBird data, allowed us to identify numerous traces of archaeological interest, in Mollo Kontu mound, less investigated than the monumental area. Some of these traces were in perfect accordance with the results of independent studies, other were completely unknown. As a whole, the detected features, composing a geometric pattern with roughly North-South orientation, closely match those of the other residential contexts at Tiwanaku. These new insights, captured from multitemporal ASTER and QuickBird data processing, suggested new questions on the ancient landscape and provided important information for planning future field surveys and archaeogeophyical investigations. Reference [1] Lasaponara R., Masini N. 2014. Beyond modern landscape features: New insights in thearchaeological area of Tiwanaku in Bolivia from satellite data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 26, 464-471, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2013.09.00. [2] Tapete D., Cigna F., Masini N., Lasaponara R. 2013. Prospection and monitoring of the archaeological heritage of Nasca, Peru, with ENVISAT ASAR, Archaeological Prospection, 20, 133-147, doi: 10.1002/arp.1449. [3] Lasaponara R, N Masini, 2012 Satellite Remote Sensing, A New Tool for Archaeology (Series

Understanding Archaeological Authority in a Digital Context

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorna-Jane Richardson

2014-12-01

Full Text Available "…with the increasing spread of social media and mobile communication, the social networks of knowledge construction are becoming not only vastly bigger and quicker and less limited by space and time constraints than they have been before, but also more of a threat to established authorities." (Hofheinz 2011, 1426 This article considers the issues of archaeological authority, expertise and organisational reputation in the UK from an online perspective, and questions whether the participatory promise of social media technologies can, and should, challenge archaeological authority. It explores how these issues are approached and mediated online, the issues of digital literacy for audience reception, and the approaches used by archaeological organisations to address the challenges of undertaking digital public archaeology projects whilst maintaining archaeological rigour and the visible performance of expertise. It discusses how the concepts of archaeological authority and expertise are demonstrated and practised online, using data from my doctoral research, undertaken from 2011 to 2013. This article questions if the presence of websites dedicated to the promulgation of alternative archaeologies on the Internet can present challenges for the performance of archaeological expertise online, and how organisations monitor and respond to alternative archaeological interpretations and news stories.

History of Latin American Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L. Browman

1995-11-01

Full Text Available Two recent contributions (Oyuela-Caycedo 1994 and Politis 1995 to analyses of the intellectual development of archaeology in Latin America provide us with new perspectives. A theme shared by both is the perception by the authors of a need to distance the development of archaeology in Latin American countries from the overweening influence of Europe and especially U. S. archaeologists. Politis argues that U.S. influence has been tantamount to 'cultural imperialism' (1995:226. He sees U.S. archaeologists as having a history of appropriating and manipulating the knowledge of the past which ignores the local peoples own traditional perceptions of their patrimony, and argues that the U.S. perspective is designed to satisfy the needs of western scholarship but fails to enter a dialog with the legitimate concerns of the subject countries. Oyuela·Caycedo's introductory essay in his book "Nationalism and Archaeology" carries a very similar message. He faults U.S. archaeologists for failing to locate their studies in the areas social and local context, which he sees as leading the U.S. scholars to employ a model derived from "dependency theory" (1994:5, resulting in an overly simplistic perception of the context for the development of archaeological disciplines in respective Latin American countries.

Archaeological Investigations at the Upper Chapel, Norfolk Street, Sheffield, UK

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katherine Baker

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Sheffield, in the north of England, grew rapidly in the 19th century and gained an international reputation for its cutlery, tableware, and steel products. The material legacy of this age of industrialisation is extensive, and archaeological work in the modern city over the last 20 years has, for the most part, focused on the above and below ground industrial archaeology relating to metals trades' production sites spanning the 19th and 20th centuries. This article describes recent archaeological work around the Upper Chapel, a Unitarian Meeting House in the city centre where archaeological work recovered a possible buried medieval soil deposit, which contained an assemblage of medieval pottery dating from the 12th to 15th centuries. The presence of waster sherds and fragments of kiln furniture within this assemblage suggests that pottery production may have taken place on or near the site, making this the first putative evidence for pottery production in medieval Sheffield. The archaeological investigations also recovered four human burials from the 18th- to 19th-century burial ground associated with the Upper Chapel. The Upper Chapel burial ground differs from other recently excavated cemeteries in Sheffield as it potentially contained graves of high-status individuals, with at least a proportion of the skeletons and coffins well-preserved owing to waterlogged ground conditions. Detailed studies of the human remains, coffins, and incorporated material, including brass shroud pins are also discussed.

New Zealand archaeology professional development cell

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, C.; Low, M.

2015-01-01

In March 2006, the NZAA Council hosted a workshop in Wellington for consulting archaeologists to debate issues relating to professionalism and accreditation within the professional consulting archaeological community. Topics covered included radiocarbon dating, calibration and interpretation of dates.

Reconnecting Thomas Gann with British Interest in the Archaeology of Mesoamerica: An Aspect of the Development of Archaeology as a University Subject

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colin Wallace

2011-05-01

Full Text Available ‘He [Thomas Gann] was lecturer in Central American archaeology at the University of Liverpool (1919–1938, and adviser to the British Museum expeditions to British Honduras’ (Dictionary of National Biography 1931–1940 [1949]: 306.Thus wrote the great archaeologist of the Maya, Sir John Eric Thompson (1898–1975, who knew Thomas Gann, the subject of this paper, from around 1926 until his death, and memorialised him elsewhere in the 'Boletín Bibliográfico de Antropología Americana'(Thompson 1940 and the 'British Medical Journal'(Thompson 1975. Curiously, all published sources, including Thompson, are seriously mistaken about Gann’s Liverpool connection, wrongly dating it to the period when it was inactive or had lapsed. Thus, ‘from 1919 to 1938 Gann was Lecturer in Central American Archaeology at Liverpool University, the first Americanist ever to hold a university position in Britain. I have never come across anyone who went to his lectures (I am not even sure if he gave any and he seems to have trained no students’ (Bray 1994: 6; cf. also Bray and Glover 1987: 119. I shall offer some new archival evidence to correct this. We shall also see that Bray’s conception of Gann as a British, university, ancestor, if an odd one, is unhelpful (but understandable; Gann’s position says as much about the atmosphere of the early years at Liverpool University (Freeman 'In preparation'; James 'In preparation' as it does about the study of Ancient America in Britain during the first few decades of the twentieth century. Recent historical research in the School of Archaeology, Classics and Egyptology at Liverpool (the direct descendant of the Institute of Archaeology with which Gann was connected, by Mac James, our supervisor Dr Philip Freeman and myself, has included exploring the papers of Francis Chatillon Danson, an important early supporter of the Institute. The following paper is based on the Danson papers, now in National Museums

Archaeological Handbook for Establishing Offshore Wind Farms in Sweden. Lillgrund Pilot Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bengtsson, Boel [Bohuslaens Museum, Uddevalla (Sweden)

2008-03-15

The purpose of this handbook is to provide a structured guide for contractors interested in establishing offshore wind farms within Swedish territorial waters and its extended economical zone, in relation to Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH). It is also applicable to UCH in inland waters. Therefore, this handbook seeks to provide information on; - The management structure of underwater/maritime cultural heritage in Sweden, including institutions and units with maritime antiquarian expertise, - The different types of archaeological remains that can be found around the Swedish coast - in offshore, coastal areas and on the foreshore - which can potentially be affected by offshore wind farm projects, - The laws that underwater archaeological remains are subject to - within the National Maritime Boundary as well as within the contiguous and exclusive economical zones - and the necessary archaeological investigations that need to be considered in order to avoid and/or protect the cultural heritage provided by those remains, - Archaeological standards and methods for assessing and evaluating the potential for finding archaeological remains under water, - The steps that need to be to considered during the planning process of establishing offshore wind farms, and how the contractor and archaeologist can work together in order to make the process more cost effective, and - Considerations for the future. Furthermore, this handbook includes a presentation of archaeological finds made during archaeological surveys in connection with the Lillgrund project. The handbook does not make references to any investigations that may be required in relation to land based archaeological sites other than those which are undertaken close to the shoreline (situated on the foreshore), nor does it consider the visual impact sea-based wind farms might have on cultural heritage

Archaeology, museums and virtual reality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Laia Pujol

2004-04-01

Full Text Available This article looks at the idea that the virtual archaeological reconstructions seen in museums cannot be considered Virtual Reality (VR as they are based on an artistic conception of the discipline. The cause is to be found in the origins of Archaeology, which began in the 18th century and was closely linked to the History of Art. In the era of New Technologies, this concept has become both the cause and the consequence: determining the characteristics of VR from within the discipline, whilst simultaneously reinforcing the virtual reconstructions.To assess the relationship between VR and Archaeology, we must first establish a definition of Virtual Reality. Subsequently, we can take a brief look at the history so as to be able to understand the evolution of Archaeology and museums. This leads us to the analysis of some examples of VR in museums, from which we can gain conclusions on the current use of VR. Finally, we look at the possibilities for VR in terms of publicising Archaeology.

Holocene environmental change and archaeology, Yangtze River Valley, China: Review and prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Wu

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Holocene environmental change and environmental archaeology are important components of an international project studying the human-earth interaction system. This paper reviews the progress of Holocene environmental change and environmental archaeology research in the Yangtze River Valley over the last three decades, that includes the evolution of large freshwater lakes, Holocene transgression and sea-level changes, Holocene climate change and East Asian monsoon variation, relationship between the rise and fall of primitive civilizations and environmental changes, cultural interruptions and palaeoflood events, as well as relationship between the origin of agriculture and climate change. These research components are underpinned by the dating of lacustrine sediments, stalagmites and peat to establish a chronology of regional environmental and cultural evolution. Interdisciplinary and other environment proxy indicators need to be used in comparative studies of archaeological site formation and natural sedimentary environment in the upper, middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley. Modern technology such as remote sensing, molecular bioarchaeology, and virtual reality, should be integrated with currently used dating, geochemical, sedimentological, and palaeobotanical methods of analysis in environmental archaeology macro- and micro-studies, so as to provide a greater comprehensive insight into Holocene environmental and cultural interaction and change in the Yangtze River Valley area.

The Race to Document Archaeological Sites Ahead of Rising Sea Levels: Recent Applications of Geospatial Technologies in the Archaeology of Polynesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark D. McCoy

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Marine environments are rich in natural resources, and therefore, have been targeted for human occupation from at least the Pleistocene. In the modern day, the preservation and documentation of the physical archaeological evidence of human occupation and use of coasts, islands, and the ocean must now include mitigating the impacts of global climate change. Here, I review recent efforts to document archaeological sites across the islands of Polynesia using geospatial technology, specifically remote sensing, high-resolution documentation, and the creation of archaeological site geodatabases. I discuss these geospatial technologies in terms of planning for likely future impacts from sea level rise; a problem that will be felt across the region, and based on current evidence, will affect more than 12% of all known sites in New Zealand (Aotearoa.

Watching video games. Playing with Archaeology and Prehistory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel García Raso

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Video games have become a mass culture phenomenon typical of the West Post-Industrial Society as well as an avant-garde narrative medium. The main focus of this paper is to explore and analyze the public image of Archaeology and Prehistory spread by video games and how we can achieve a virtual faithful image of both. Likewise, we are going to proceed to construct an archaeological outline of video games, understanding them as an element of the Contemporary Material Culture and, therefore, subject to being studied by Archaeology.

A manufactured past: virtual reality in archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Glyn Goodrick

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Virtual reality and visualisation technologies developed over the past thirty years have been readily accessible to the archaeological community since the mid 1990s. Despite the high profile of virtual archaeology (Reilly 1991 both within the media and professional archaeology it has not been taken on board as a generally useful and standard technique by archaeologists. In this article we wish to discuss the technical and other issues which have resulted in a reluctance to adopt virtual archaeology and, more importantly, discuss ways forward that can enable us routinely to benefit from this technology in the diversity of archaeological practice.

Basic Issues in Harappan Archaeology: Some Thoughts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasant Shinde

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The identification of the Harappan Civilization in the early twentieth century was considered to be the most significant archaeological discovery in the Indian Subcontinent as it pushed the beginning of settled life by 2000 years. Contemporary to the Mesopotamian and Egyptian Civilizations it was unique in its town planning. Spread over major parts of the western and north-western subcontinent, its influence is seen to the Tajikistan border in the north and the Gulf region in the west with over two thousand sites found till date. The past eight decades of research have brought to light many important details of the culture including the cultural process involving its origin, maturity and decline but certain aspects such as the terminology, climatic influence, regional variations, script etc are still very flimsy. To gain more information the focus of research will have to shift from Mega Site Archaeology to Small Site Archaeology with large multidisciplinary research projects to acquire a more holistic picture of the Harappan culture.

Integrated analytical methodologies for the study of corrosion processes in archaeological bronzes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alberghina, Maria Francesca; Barraco, Rosita; Brai, Maria; Schillaci, Tiziano, E-mail: tschillaci@unipa.it; Tranchina, Luigi

2011-02-15

The investigations on structure and micro-chemical composition of archaeological metal alloys are needed in archaeometry. The aim of this study is devoted both to acquire information about their provenance and production technology, and to improve our understanding about the corrosion processes. In this paper we present the study of the corrosion phenomena of bronze samples, laboratory-made according to binary, ternary and quaternary alloys typical of Roman archaeometallurgical production through an integrated methodology based on the use of non or micro invasive physical techniques. Among the analysed samples, two were artificially aged through burial in the archaeological site of Tharros, along the west coast of Sardinia (Italy). The corrosion products, typical of the bronzes in archaeological sites near the sea, have been characterized by non invasive and micro-destructive measurements. In particular, the corrosion patinas were examined through optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, X-ray fluorescence and laser ablation spectroscopy. The use of integrated technologies allowed us to determine both the elemental composition and surface morphology of the patina, highlighting the correlation between patina nature and chemical composition of the burial context. Moreover, data obtained by the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy along the depth profile on the samples, have yielded information about the stratigraphic layers of corrosion products and their growth. Finally, the depth profiles allowed us to verify both the chemical elements constituting the patina, the metal ions constituting the alloy and the occurrence of migration phenomena from bulk to the surface.

Integrated analytical methodologies for the study of corrosion processes in archaeological bronzes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberghina, Maria Francesca; Barraco, Rosita; Brai, Maria; Schillaci, Tiziano; Tranchina, Luigi

2011-01-01

The investigations on structure and micro-chemical composition of archaeological metal alloys are needed in archaeometry. The aim of this study is devoted both to acquire information about their provenance and production technology, and to improve our understanding about the corrosion processes. In this paper we present the study of the corrosion phenomena of bronze samples, laboratory-made according to binary, ternary and quaternary alloys typical of Roman archaeometallurgical production through an integrated methodology based on the use of non or micro invasive physical techniques. Among the analysed samples, two were artificially aged through burial in the archaeological site of Tharros, along the west coast of Sardinia (Italy). The corrosion products, typical of the bronzes in archaeological sites near the sea, have been characterized by non invasive and micro-destructive measurements. In particular, the corrosion patinas were examined through optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis, X-ray fluorescence and laser ablation spectroscopy. The use of integrated technologies allowed us to determine both the elemental composition and surface morphology of the patina, highlighting the correlation between patina nature and chemical composition of the burial context. Moreover, data obtained by the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy along the depth profile on the samples, have yielded information about the stratigraphic layers of corrosion products and their growth. Finally, the depth profiles allowed us to verify both the chemical elements constituting the patina, the metal ions constituting the alloy and the occurrence of migration phenomena from bulk to the surface.

Use of radiography in archaeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chetin, M.; Ekinci, Sh.; Aksu, M.

2014-01-01

Full text : Radiography is a versatile technique with many applications to archaeological and art historical artefacts. It can be used to assess the condition of objects before conservation treatment, to gain insight into materials used and methods of construction and to reveal the secrets of the embalmers art, hidden within mummified remains. X-ray radiography is an invaluable investigative technique that is non-destructive, quick and cost effective. The study described below covers the investigations of the archaeological artefacts in order to determine their corrosion conditions and production histories which are important for restoration, conservation, replica, dating and inventory works

Advancing Theory? Landscape Archaeology and Geographical Information Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Di Hu

2012-05-01

Full Text Available This paper will focus on how Geographical Information Systems (GIS have been applied in Landscape Archaeology from the late 1980s to the present. GIS, a tool for organising and analysing spatial information, has exploded in popularity, but we still lack a systematic overview of how it has contributed to archaeological theory, specifically Landscape Archaeology. This paper will examine whether and how GIS has advanced archaeological theory through a historical review of its application in archaeology.

Study of exchange networks between two Amazon archaeological sites by INAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazenfratz, Roberto; Munita, C.S.

2016-01-01

This work comprises the utilization of instrumental neutron activation analysis to determine the concentration of 24 chemical elements in pottery shards from two large archaeological sites in central Amazon, Lago Grande and Osvaldo. The multidimensional data set was analyzed by cluster and principal component analysis for defining chemical groups of pottery. The results were correlated to potential exchange networks driven by three mechanisms: trade, exogamic marriage and territorial integration in the region. All of them have important consequences for archaeological research regarding the Amazonian pre-colonial occupation. (author)

Studies of Stone Adzes in Polynesian Archaeology%波利尼西亚考古学中的石锛研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

焦天龙

2003-01-01

This paper is a historical review of studies of stone adzes in Polynesian archaeology. From the earliest ethnographic accounts in the mid-1880s to the present scientific approaches, the study of Polynesian adzes has undergone profound changes in terms of both theoretical concerns and analytical techniques. Taxonomic study, technological analysis and sourcing research are the three major categories in the archaeology of Polynesian stone adzes. The changes of these categories in different periods of Polynesian archaeology influenced and, to some extent, transformed the understanding of Polynesian history and culture.

Archaeology 2.0? Review of Archaeology 2.0: New Approaches to Communication and Collaboration [Web Book

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Shanks

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The Cotsen Institute in Los Angeles has launched a new publishing initiative in 'Digital Archaeology'. Its first book, Archaeology 2.0: New Approaches to Communication and Collaboration, edited by Eric C. Kansa, Sarah Whitcher Kansa and Ethan Watrall, makes a grand claim, if only in its title, that archaeology has undergone, or is about to undergo, changes that bring about a completely new version or kind of archaeology. The analogy is with the World Wide Web. Just as the IT world embraced radical changes of software design and web delivery nearly ten years ago and announced that this was Web version 2.0, so too archaeology is changed, the authors claim, and enough to warrant the designation version 2.0. We disagree and argue that the claim is not well supported. Moreover, we hold that the book misunderstands the implications of Web 2.0 and its aftermath. The well-meaning authors do make a valuable contribution to debates about uses of information technology in archaeology, and particularly data management. But their perspective is hopelessly narrow, looking back to the circumscribed concerns of professional field archaeologists with their data, its dissemination, use and survival. The authors focus mainly upon their own projects, expressing little interest in the scope of contemporary archaeology, digitally enabled as it all is, through heritage and everything to do with the representation of the material past in the present, an interest surely begged by the overt reference to the global changes associated with the notion of Web 2.0.

Droping the Trowel: Three Discourses and One Creative Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José Antonio Mármol Martínez

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Archaeology offers insight into the values of the contemporary world. From three separate discourses, which address different temporalities and sites, an overarching archaeological narrative has been established, which reflects the role of art and heritage in artistic destruction; education and archaeology as an educational and social tool; and materiality (in the present case, the Chinese pottery sherds in Al-Andalus in the interpretations and acts of archaeologists. The visual values of archaeology and the role of the archaeological imagination to unify disparate archaeological practices will be explored here. The permeability of the spheres of archaeology and art allow us to explore both archaeological and artistic practices, as well as reflect on universal convictions and on the potentiality of archaeological practice to intervene in social contexts. With all this, archaeology acquires relevance insofar as it is a practice that is able to address the problems of the present day. In line with the so-called ‘creative archaeologies’, with their experimentation and creation of artistic works (in this case photographic, this paper aims to reflect on new ways to ‘see’ archaeology, which has never been more necessary.

Ancient Dwarka: Study based on recent underwater archaeological investigations

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gaur, A; Sundaresh; Tripati, S.

, the Lord Krishna founded the holy city of Dwarka, which subsequently got submerged under sea. Marine archaeological explorations off Dwarka have brought to light a large number of stone structures, which are semicircular, rectangular and square in shape...

The displacement of archaeological structures in Spain. Relocate to preserve, preserve to present

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor Manuel López-Menchero Bendicho

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Clearly it is not always feasible to conserve and exhibit the archaeological remains in situ, either for lack of funds in some cases, or for manifest incompatibility with the new land uses in others. This second case mix, ie the need to "free" land for new uses, sentences, in most cases, the archaeological remains to suffer a partial destruction since only movable materials are extracted, preserved and in some cases presented to the public, while the unmovable archaeological heritage, ie fixed archaeological structures, is destroyed, once it has been "properly" documented. However, in this field there is a kind of third way in which archaeological remains, including structures, are preserved and on display, while clearing the ground originally occupied. It is the displacement of archaeological structures. This article discusses the long history of such interventions in the Spanish case, making a typological classification proposal and finally a critical appraisal.

ArchaeoGRID, the Archaeology on the e-Infrastructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pelfer, G.; Cechini, R.; Pelfer, P. G.; Politi, A.

2007-01-01

It is well known that in archaeology large use is done of digital technologies and computer applications for data acquisition, storage, analysis and visualization. The approach of modern archaeology to the study of the evolution of ancient human societies is based on the acquisition and analysis of many types of data. The amount of information coming from the archaeology and the other connected sciences and human ties that need to be stored and made available for analysis are increasing at a very large extent. Such data must, however, be analyzed if they are to become valuable information and knowledge. The data analysis use advanced methods developed in mathematics, informatics, physics, geology, biology, ecology, anthropology and in other natural and human sciences. The inevitable result of this is an exponential increase of the amount and complexity of information that must be acquired, transferred, stored, processed and analyzed. From another, side natural disasters, wars and terrorism created enormous damages to the archaeological heritage and in many case destroyed definitively all information about ancient civilizations. It is urgent a long term project for acquiring, storing and preserving at least the archaeological information. The paper presents the EGEE- II ArchaeoGRID project that, using GRID technologies developed at CERN and in other laboratories, is developing a grid able to fit the very challenging requests of contemporary archaeology. (Author)

Making space for an archaeology of place

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Wheatley

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Rather than attempt to write a balanced or complete overview of the application of GIS to archaeology (which would inevitably end up being didactic and uncritical this article sets out to present a discursive and contentious position with the deliberate aim of stimulating further debate about the future role of GIS within our discipline. To this end, existing applications of GIS to archaeology are reviewed, concentrating on two areas of application, predictive modelling and visibility analyses, and on their wider disciplinary context. It is argued that GIS cannot be simplistically held to have been a 'good thing' or a 'bad thing' for archaeology, but rather that these different application areas may be analysed separately and found to have quite different qualities. Although they are in no sense alternatives to one another, the areas of predictive modelling and visibility analysis can be seen to represent quite different agendas for the development of an archaeology of space and/or place. The development of correlative predictive models is considered first, both from the perspective of explanation and of cultural resource management. The arguments against predictive modelling as a means of explanation are rehearsed and it is found to be over-generalising, deterministic and de-humanised. As a consequence, it is argued that predictive modelling is now essentially detached from contemporary theoretical archaeological concerns. Moreover, it is argued to be an area with significant unresolved methodological problems and, far more seriously, that it presents very real dangers for the future representativity of archaeological records. Second, the development of GIS-based visibility analysis is reviewed. This is also found to be methodologically problematic and incomplete. However, it is argued that visibility studies — in direct contrast to predictive modelling — have remained firmly situated within contemporary theoretical debates, notably about

‘Archaeology Time with Miss Jessica’ Archaeology education in summer schools and summer camp in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica Sutherland

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Archaeology education benefits not only archaeologists, but also teachers and students. It fosters future stewards of our cultural heritage while making any classroom lesson more exciting and engaging for the students. In an effort to realize both of these goals, the author undertook an archaeology education programme in her local area of Upper Peninsula Michigan using a dual approach. She coordinated and implemented archaeology education activities in four local elementary schools during summer school, on a weekly basis, and developed and led an archaeology summer camp for children in conjunction with a local chapter of the 4-H Club. Teaching methods and activities varied between the two approaches; however, object handling was a key component of every lesson. Activities included learning about the instructor through examining objects she had brought from home, the dustbin game and skeleton game, a wastebasket excavation to learn context and stratigraphy, a mock excavation, a pot-mending activity, the creation of a museum exhibit, a “Maya Math” activity using the Maya numbering system, and a human evolution activity using replica hominid crania. Each approach presented its own challenges and rewards, but ultimately the author was able to inculcate over one hundred future stewards of our cultural heritage.

The 'anthropologisation' of archaeological heritage

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolen, J.C.A.

2009-01-01

With the growing impact of postprocessual orientations, archaeologists have become increasingly aware that the production of values resides in all aspects of archaeological research. This awareness has also paved the way for a more encompassing concept of archaeological heritage, which of course not

A critical review of hydrological data collection for assessing preservation risk for urban waterlogged archaeology: A case study from the City of York, UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Holden, Joseph; Howard, Andy J; West, L Jared; Maxfield, Eleanor; Panter, Ian; Oxley, John

2009-08-01

Environmental change caused by urban development, possibly augmented by climate change, may result in accelerated decay of in situ archaeological resources. Damage may be related to changes in hydrological processes. Such archaeological resources have to be considered in environmental planning. In this paper we highlight the need for improved hydrological data from urban archaeological sites using the case study of the City of York, UK, arguably one of the most well studied and well preserved urban archaeological environments globally. We suggest that the quality of hydrological data collected during routine surveys and experimental work must be improved and standardised in order for us to produce reliable archaeological risk models for urban sites.

Multisource data fusion for documenting archaeological sites

Science.gov (United States)

Knyaz, Vladimir; Chibunichev, Alexander; Zhuravlev, Denis

2017-10-01

The quality of archaeological sites documenting is of great importance for cultural heritage preserving and investigating. The progress in developing new techniques and systems for data acquisition and processing creates an excellent basis for achieving a new quality of archaeological sites documenting and visualization. archaeological data has some specific features which have to be taken into account when acquiring, processing and managing. First of all, it is a needed to gather as full as possible information about findings providing no loss of information and no damage to artifacts. Remote sensing technologies are the most adequate and powerful means which satisfy this requirement. An approach to archaeological data acquiring and fusion based on remote sensing is proposed. It combines a set of photogrammetric techniques for obtaining geometrical and visual information at different scales and detailing and a pipeline for archaeological data documenting, structuring, fusion, and analysis. The proposed approach is applied for documenting of Bosporus archaeological expedition of Russian State Historical Museum.

Trading Shovels for Controllers: A Brief Exploration of the Portrayal of Archaeology in Video Games

OpenAIRE

Reinhard, Andrew; Meyers Emery, Kathryn

2016-01-01

Archaeology has been a persistent theme for video games, from the long-running Indiana Jones and Lara Croft franchises to more recent uses of archaeology in games like Destiny and World of Warcraft. In these games, archaeology is often portrayed as a search for treasure among lost worlds that leads to looting and the destruction of cultural heritage. In this article, we review the current state of archaeological video games, including mainstream and educational games. While this is not an exh...

When Archaeology Begins: The Cultural and Political Context of Chinese Archaeological Thought

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinyi Liu

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Since the beginning of the 19th century, the construction of world history has been dominated by Western Europe. In Jack Goody’s recent work, The Theft of History (2007, he demonstrates that the interpretation of the past is conceptualized and presented according to what happened in Europe, and more often in Western Europe. Chinese archaeology, under the control of Western imperialism in the early 20th century, believed that it had to destroy Confucianism and come up with a new philosophy. However, with the arrival of many different kinds of western ideas, such as evolution and diffusion, Chinese archaeology was reformulated many times. Such issues have been discussed in several publications (Chen 1997; Liu and Chen 1999; Falkenhausen 1993. In this paper, we reexamine some of the key concepts of Chinese archaeological thought.

“Bolshie Klyuchishi” (Ulyanovsk Oblast as a New Archaeological Complex: Preliminary Results

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vorobeva Elena E.

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The authors introduce for discussion materials of archaeological studies conducted by the team of the Volga Archaeological Expedition of the Mari State University in Ulyanovsk Oblast of the Russian Federation in 2010. Two of the studied archaeological sites seem to be most interesting: they are situated near Bolshie Klyuchishi village (Ulyanovsk District, Ulyanovsk Oblast. Archaeological materials collected during the excavations of these settlements have a very broad time span, which allows suggesting that Bolshie Klyuchishi is a multilayered archaeological complex. Both settlements yielded the Srubnaya culture handmade ceramics of 16th – 13th centuries BC. Moreover, Bolshie Klyuchishi-7 contained items of iron and slag, and Bolshie Klyuchishi-8 yielded sherds of 13th – 14th centuries wheel- made Bulgarian ceramics.

Publishing Landscape Archaeology in the Digital World

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Howry Jeffrey C.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The challenge of presenting micro- and macro-scale scale data in landscape archaeology studies is facilitated by a diversity of GIS technologies. Specific to scholarly research is the need to selectively share certain types of data with collaborators and academic researchers while also publishing general information in the public domain. This article presents a general model for scholarly online collaboration and teaching while providing examples of the kinds of landscape archaeology that can be published online. Specifically illustrated is WorldMap, an interactive mapping platform based upon open-source software which uses browsers built to open source standards. The various features of this platform allow tight user viewing control, views with URL referencing, commenting and certification of layers, as well as user annotation. Illustration of WorldMap features and its value for scholarly research and teaching is provided in the context of landscape archaeology studies.

Diversity of management strategies in Mesoamerican turkeys: archaeological, isotopic and genetic evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Manin, Aurelie; Corona-M, Eduardo; Craig, Abigail; Thornton, Erin Kennedy; Yang, Dongya Y.; Richards, Michael

2018-01-01

The turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centres in the Southwest USA and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope (δ13C, δ15N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record (M. g. mexicana, M. g. gallopavo and M. ocellata), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes was observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest USA, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a range of feeding behaviours in ancient Mesoamerican turkeys, including wild foraging, human provisioning and mixed feeding ecologies. This variability in turkey diet decreases through time, with archaeological, genetic and isotopic evidence all pointing to the intensification of domestic turkey management and husbandry, culminating in the Postclassic period. PMID:29410864

Diversity of management strategies in Mesoamerican turkeys: archaeological, isotopic and genetic evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Manin, Aurelie; Corona-M, Eduardo; Alexander, Michelle; Craig, Abigail; Thornton, Erin Kennedy; Yang, Dongya Y; Richards, Michael; Speller, Camilla F

2018-01-01

The turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo ) represents one of the few domestic animals of the New World. While current research points to distinct domestication centres in the Southwest USA and Mesoamerica, several questions regarding the number of progenitor populations, and the timing and intensity of turkey husbandry remain unanswered. This study applied ancient mitochondrial DNA and stable isotope ( δ 13 C, δ 15 N) analysis to 55 archaeological turkey remains from Mexico to investigate pre-contact turkey exploitation in Mesoamerica. Three different (sub)species of turkeys were identified in the archaeological record ( M. g. mexicana , M. g. gallopavo and M. ocellata ), indicating the exploitation of diverse local populations, as well as the trade of captively reared birds into the Maya area. No evidence of shared maternal haplotypes was observed between Mesoamerica and the Southwest USA, in contrast with archaeological evidence for trade of other domestic products. Isotopic analysis indicates a range of feeding behaviours in ancient Mesoamerican turkeys, including wild foraging, human provisioning and mixed feeding ecologies. This variability in turkey diet decreases through time, with archaeological, genetic and isotopic evidence all pointing to the intensification of domestic turkey management and husbandry, culminating in the Postclassic period.

Prehistoric archaeology in Central Europe: beyond diversity

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sosna, D.; Kolář, Jan; Květina, Petr; Trampota, F.

2013-01-01

Roč. 51, č. 2 (2013), s. 123-130 ISSN 0323-1119. [ Theory and method in the prehistoric archaeology of Central Europe. Mikulov, 24.10.2012-26.10.2012] Institutional support: RVO:67985912 ; RVO:67985939 Keywords : archaeological theory * artefact * communication * environment * history of archaeology * reflexivity Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Integration of airborne optical and thermal imagery for archaeological subsurface structures detection: the Arpi case study (Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Bassani, C.; Cavalli, R. M.; Fasulli, L.; Palombo, A.; Pascucci, S.; Santini, F.; Pignatti, S.

2009-04-01

The application of Remote Sensing data for detecting subsurface structures is becoming a remarkable tool for the archaeological observations to be combined with the near surface geophysics [1, 2]. As matter of fact, different satellite and airborne sensors have been used for archaeological applications, such as the identification of spectral anomalies (i.e. marks) related to the buried remnants within archaeological sites, and the management and protection of archaeological sites [3, 5]. The dominant factors that affect the spectral detectability of marks related to manmade archaeological structures are: (1) the spectral contrast between the target and background materials, (2) the proportion of the target on the surface (relative to the background), (3) the imaging system characteristics being used (i.e. bands, instrument noise and pixel size), and (4) the conditions under which the surface is being imaged (i.e. illumination and atmospheric conditions) [4]. In this context, just few airborne hyperspectral sensors were applied for cultural heritage studies, among them the AVIRIS (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer), the CASI (Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager), the HyMAP (Hyperspectral MAPping) and the MIVIS (Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer). Therefore, the application of high spatial/spectral resolution imagery arise the question on which is the trade off between high spectral and spatial resolution imagery for archaeological applications and which spectral region is optimal for the detection of subsurface structures. This paper points out the most suitable spectral information useful to evaluate the image capability in terms of spectral anomaly detection of subsurface archaeological structures in different land cover contexts. In this study, we assess the capability of MIVIS and CASI reflectances and of ATM and MIVIS emissivities (Table 1) for subsurface archaeological prospection in different sites of the Arpi

Archaeology: A Guide to Reference Sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Doreen, Comp.

This bibliographic guide lists reference sources available at McGill University for research in prehistory and non-classical archaeology. No exclusively biographical sources have been included, but many of the encyclopedias and handbooks contain biographical information and are annotated accordingly. Titles are listed in the following categories:…

Qatar Islamic Archaeology and Heritage Project

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Report on the archaeological fieldwork at Al Zubarah and environs for the Qatar Museums Authority......Report on the archaeological fieldwork at Al Zubarah and environs for the Qatar Museums Authority...

Archaeological Feature Detection from Archive Aerial Photography with a Sfm-Mvs and Image Enhancement Pipeline

Science.gov (United States)

Peppa, M. V.; Mills, J. P.; Fieber, K. D.; Haynes, I.; Turner, S.; Turner, A.; Douglas, M.; Bryan, P. G.

2018-05-01

Understanding and protecting cultural heritage involves the detection and long-term documentation of archaeological remains alongside the spatio-temporal analysis of their landscape evolution. Archive aerial photography can illuminate traces of ancient features which typically appear with different brightness values from their surrounding environment, but are not always well defined. This research investigates the implementation of the Structure-from-Motion - Multi-View Stereo image matching approach with an image enhancement algorithm to derive three epochs of orthomosaics and digital surface models from visible and near infrared historic aerial photography. The enhancement algorithm uses decorrelation stretching to improve the contrast of the orthomosaics so as archaeological features are better detected. Results include 2D / 3D locations of detected archaeological traces stored into a geodatabase for further archaeological interpretation and correlation with benchmark observations. The study also discusses the merits and difficulties of the process involved. This research is based on a European-wide project, entitled "Cultural Heritage Through Time", and the case study research was carried out as a component of the project in the UK.

Drones in Archaeology

KAUST Repository

Smith, Neil; Passone, Luca; Al-Said, Said; Al-Farhan, Mohamed; Levy, Thomas E.

2014-01-01

In late 2013, a joint archaeological and computer vision project was initiated to digitally capture the archaeological remains in the al-Ula valley, Saudi Arabia. The goal of our team of archeologists and computer scientists is to integrate 3D scanning technologies to produce 3D reconstructions of archaeological sites. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) serve as the vehicle which makes this scanning possible. UAVs allow the acquisition of 3D data as easily from the air as from the ground. This project focuses on the recent excavations carried out in ancient Dedan by King Saud University and the country's conservation of the Lihyanite "lion tombs" carved into the ancient city's cliff faces. Over the next several years this site will be used as a test bed to validate the potential of this emerging technology for rapid cultural heritage documentation. We additionally scanned several areas in Mada'in Saleh, an ancient Nabatean city filled with monumental carved sandstone tomb facades, rivaled only by the capital of the Nabatean empire: Petra.

Drones in Archaeology

KAUST Repository

Smith, Neil

2014-09-01

In late 2013, a joint archaeological and computer vision project was initiated to digitally capture the archaeological remains in the al-Ula valley, Saudi Arabia. The goal of our team of archeologists and computer scientists is to integrate 3D scanning technologies to produce 3D reconstructions of archaeological sites. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) serve as the vehicle which makes this scanning possible. UAVs allow the acquisition of 3D data as easily from the air as from the ground. This project focuses on the recent excavations carried out in ancient Dedan by King Saud University and the country\\'s conservation of the Lihyanite "lion tombs" carved into the ancient city\\'s cliff faces. Over the next several years this site will be used as a test bed to validate the potential of this emerging technology for rapid cultural heritage documentation. We additionally scanned several areas in Mada\\'in Saleh, an ancient Nabatean city filled with monumental carved sandstone tomb facades, rivaled only by the capital of the Nabatean empire: Petra.

Chirping for large-scale maritime archaeological survey

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grøn, Ole; Boldreel, Lars Ole

2014-01-01

Archaeological wrecks exposed on the sea floor are mapped using side-scan and multibeam techniques, whereas the detection of submerged archaeological sites, such as Stone Age settlements, and wrecks, partially or wholly embedded in sea-floor sediments, requires the application of high-resolution ...... the present state of this technology, it appears well suited to large-scale maritime archaeological mapping....

Preservation of Urban Archaeological Deposits: monitoring and characterisation of archaeological deposits at Marks & Spencer, 44-45 Parliament Street, York

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Davis

2002-03-01

Full Text Available The City of York Council has been pursuing a strict policy of in situ preservation of archaeological deposits since April 1990. Planning consent is normally granted in the historic core of York for a new development so long as less than 5% of the archaeological deposits that are preserved on a site are destroyed. During archaeological evaluation work carried out as part of the redevelopment and expansion proposals for Marks & Spencer plc on Parliament Street, deposit monitoring devices were installed to investigate and monitor both the character of the archaeological deposits present and also the burial environment surrounding them (of particular importance because the burial environment, in terms both of its characteristics and stability, is thought to play a vital role in the preservation in situ of a site's archaeological deposits. The monitoring programme was undertaken between June 1995 and April 1998. As a result the data from a total of 30 site visits have been collected and are presented in this report. This article discusses results of the deposit monitoring project and presents evidence of changes that appear to be taking place in the archaeological deposits. Although the lower deposits at Parliament Street are stable, the upper deposits show considerable seasonal variations. The concept of preservation of archaeological deposits in situ is now deeply embedded both in Codes of Professional Conduct (IFA Code of Conduct and in national policy guidance (PPG 16. However, this emphasis on preservation in situ has been criticised. Does conservation archaeology in general and the City of York policy in particular achieve the preservation of the remaining 95% of the archaeology? Or are these deposits condemned to unseen, unrecorded destruction, sealed below new buildings; indeed if this is the case, shouldn't these deposits be excavated now while they are still viable?

Fusion of Geophysical Images in the Study of Archaeological Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Karamitrou, A. A.; Petrou, M.; Tsokas, G. N.

2011-12-01

This paper presents results from different fusion techniques between geophysical images from different modalities in order to combine them into one image with higher information content than the two original images independently. The resultant image will be useful for the detection and mapping of buried archaeological relics. The examined archaeological area is situated in Kampana site (NE Greece) near the ancient theater of Maronia city. Archaeological excavations revealed an ancient theater, an aristocratic house and the temple of the ancient Greek God Dionysus. Numerous ceramic objects found in the broader area indicated the probability of the existence of buried urban structure. In order to accurately locate and map the latter, geophysical measurements performed with the use of the magnetic method (vertical gradient of the magnetic field) and of the electrical method (apparent resistivity). We performed a semi-stochastic pixel based registration method between the geophysical images in order to fine register them by correcting their local spatial offsets produced by the use of hand held devices. After this procedure we applied to the registered images three different fusion approaches. Image fusion is a relatively new technique that not only allows integration of different information sources, but also takes advantage of the spatial and spectral resolution as well as the orientation characteristics of each image. We have used three different fusion techniques, fusion with mean values, with wavelets by enhancing selected frequency bands and curvelets giving emphasis at specific bands and angles (according the expecting orientation of the relics). In all three cases the fused images gave significantly better results than each of the original geophysical images separately. The comparison of the results of the three different approaches showed that the fusion with the use of curvelets, giving emphasis at the features' orientation, seems to give the best fused image

Archaeology audit program final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2009-04-15

In order to review oil and gas companies' archaeological management systems, the British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission (OGC) introduced its archaeology audit program (AAP) in April 2008. As part of this audit, twenty six oil and gas companies were selected for an office documentation review and a corresponding field audit. This document presented and described these audit results. The purpose of the final audit report was to provide information to assist oil and gas companies to improve their management systems by increasing the emphasis of the preservation of cultural resources. This report presented an overview of the AAP scope and methodology and provided examples from the audit of both good management practices encountered and practices in which opportunities for improvement to archaeological management systems could be implemented. Recommendations to address improvement opportunities were also discussed. It was concluded that the oil and gas companies subject to the audit were found to have met or exceeded OGC expectations for maintaining archaeological management systems. 2 tabs., 7 figs.

Archeologi educatori. Attuali tendenze per un’archeologia educativa in Italia, tra heritage education e public archaeology / Archaeologists-educators. Contemporary trends for an educational archaeology in Italy, between heritage education and public archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Brunelli

2013-05-01

In Italy, in recent years there has been a perspective-shift in archaeological education and communication, showing how current educational activities for the many publics of archaeology have incorporated practices and approaches that belong to different disciplinary ambits, although partially overlapping: the heritage education field with its theoretical-pedagogical reflection (especially at European level as well as educational practices on the one hand; and the new ‘global’ approach to heritage, which is expressed by the public archaeology sector of Anglo-Saxon matrix. Actually a real ‘educational archaeology’ is emerging, i.e. an archaeological activity, not delegated to other mediators, but personally conducted by archaeologists with educational, social and cultural objectives and aims: first, to transmit knowledge and skills enabling visitors to understand the archaeological evidence and the meaning itself of the dig, of the archaeological sites and heritage; second, to implement innovative and diversified educational and communication strategies, able to reach wider audiences and, consequently, to meet the new demands of social inclusion and cultural participation; third, but not least, to reassert the meaning of archaeological heritage as well as of the discipline and its actors, as a shared value and a potential of growth for citizens, communities and society as a whole.

Unguja Ukuu on Zanzibar : An archaeological study of early urbanism

OpenAIRE

Juma, Abdurahman

2004-01-01

This study describes archaeological excavations carried out at Unguja Ukuu on the main island of Zanzibar, Tanzania. The site has long remained obscure, oral histories do not mention it and no particular group among the living community of the island describes its origin from the site. A stone well at Unguja Ukuu together with several other early monuments of the east African coast that survive on the site have been attributed to the Wadebuli, suspected by early scholars to be people of Arab ...

Towards the Enhancement of "MINOR" Archaeological Heritage

Science.gov (United States)

Morandi, S.; Tremari, M.; Mandelli, A.

2017-02-01

The research is an analysis of the recording, reconstruction and visualisation of the 3D data of a XVIII century watermill, identified in an emergency archaeological excavation during the construction of the mini-hydroelectric plant on the bank of the Adda river in the municipality of Pizzighettone (Cremona, Lombardy, Italy). The work examines the use and the potentials of modern digital 3D modelling techniques applied to archaeological heritage aimed to increase the research, maintenance and presentation with interactive products. The use of three-dimensional models managed through AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) technologies with mobile devices gives several opportunities in the field of study and communication. It also improves on-site exploration of the landscape, enhancing the "minor" archaeological sites, daily subjected to numerous emergency works and facilitating the understanding of heritage sites.

Moche: Archaeology, Ethnicity, Identity

OpenAIRE

Quilter, Jeffrey

2014-01-01

The two different modes of investigation in Art History and Anthropological Archaeology are discussed. This is followed by a consideration of these issues in relation to the Mochica archaeological culture. The “Mochica” have come to be considered a political or ethnic group and, in particular, considered as a prehistoric state. This essay questions these ideas and suggests that Moche is best considered as primarily a religious system. The ceremonial centers were likely places of pilgrimage wi...

An Information Technology Framework for the Development of an Embedded Computer System for the Remote and Non-Destructive Study of Sensitive Archaeology Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iliya Georgiev

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The paper proposes an information technology framework for the development of an embedded remote system for non-destructive observation and study of sensitive archaeological sites. The overall concept and motivation are described. The general hardware layout and software configuration are presented. The paper concentrates on the implementation of the following informational technology components: (a a geographically unique identification scheme supporting a global key space for a key-value store; (b a common method for octree modeling for spatial geometrical models of the archaeological artifacts, and abstract object representation in the global key space; (c a broadcast of the archaeological information as an Extensible Markup Language (XML stream over the Web for worldwide availability; and (d a set of testing methods increasing the fault tolerance of the system. This framework can serve as a foundation for the development of a complete system for remote archaeological exploration of enclosed archaeological sites like buried churches, tombs, and caves. An archaeological site is opened once upon discovery, the embedded computer system is installed inside upon a robotic platform, equipped with sensors, cameras, and actuators, and the intact site is sealed again. Archaeological research is conducted on a multimedia data stream which is sent remotely from the system and conforms to necessary standards for digital archaeology.

Maritime archaeology of Lakshadweep Islands, India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Tripati, S.; Gaur, A.S.; Sundaresh; Vora, K.H.

route from Europe to Asia before the opening of the Suez Canal In order to delineate the earliest human habitation and maritime contacts of Lakshadweep Islands, archaeological explorations was carried on by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI...

Comparison Study to the Use of Geophysical Methods at Archaeological Sites Observed by Various Remote Sensing Techniques in the Czech Republic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roman Křivánek

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A combination of geophysical methods could be very a useful and a practical way of verifying the origin and precise localisation of archaeological situations identified by different remote sensing techniques. The results of different methods (and scales of monitoring these fully non-destructive methods provide distinct data and often complement each other. The presented examples of combinations of these methods/techniques in this study (aerial survey, LIDAR-ALS and surface magnetometer or resistivity survey could provide information on some specifics and may also be limitations in surveying different archaeological terrains, types of archaeological situations and activities. The archaeological site in this contribution is considered to be a material of this study. In case of Neolithic ditch enclosure near Kolín were compared aerial prospection data, magnetometer survey and aerial photo-documentation of excavated site. In the case of hillforts near Levousy we compared LIDAR data with aerial photography and large-scale magnetometer survey. In the case of the medieval castle Liběhrad we compared LIDAR data with geoelectric resistivity measurement. In case of a burial mound cemetery we combined LIDAR data with magnetometer survey. In the case of the production area near Rynartice we combined LIDAR data with magnetometer and resistivity measurements and result of archaeological excavation. Fortunately for successful combination of geophysical and remote sensing results, their conditions and factors for efficient use in archaeology are not the same. On the other hand, the quality and state of many prehistoric, early medieval, medieval and also modern archaeological sites is rapidly changing over time and both groups of techniques represent important support for their comprehensive and precise documentation and protection.

Neutrons, radiation and archaeology: a multi analytical case study of incised rim tradition ceramics in Central Amazon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazenfratz-Marks, Roberto

2014-01-01

This thesis is an interdisciplinary archaeometric study involving archaeological ceramic material from two large archaeological sites in Central Amazon, namely Lago Grande and Osvaldo, on the confluence region of Negro and Solimoes rivers. It was tested a hypothesis about the existence of an exchange network between the former inhabitants of those sites, focusing on material and/or technological exchange. That hypothesis has implications for archaeological theories of human occupation of the pre-colonial Central Amazon, which try to relativise the role of ecological difficulties of the tropical forest as a limiting factor for the emergence of social complexity in the region. The physical-chemical characterization of potsherds and clay samples near the sites was carried out by: instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) to determine the elemental chemical composition; electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to determine the firing temperature; X-ray diffraction (XRD) to determine the mineralogical composition; and dating by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). Previous studies showed that Osvaldo and Lago Grande were occupied by people which produced pottery classified in the Manacapuru and Paredao phases, subclasses of the Incised Rim Tradition, around the 5-10th and 7-12th centuries BC, respectively. INAA results were analyzed by multivariate statistical methods, whereby two chemical groups of pottery were defined for each archaeological site. Significant variation in firing temperatures and mineralogical composition were not identified for such groups. By integration of the results with archaeological data, the superposition between pairs of chemical groups was interpreted as a correlate of an ancient exchange network, although it was not possible to define if it existed exclusively between Lago Grande and Osvaldo. On the contrary, it was suggested that Lago Grande participated in a more extensive exchange network by comparison of two chemical groups

Identification Of Natural Dyes On Archaeological Textile Objects Using Laser Induced Fluorescent Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdel-Kareem, O.; Eltokhy, A.; Harith, M. A.

2011-01-01

This study aims to evaluate the use of Laser Fluorescent as a non-destructive technique for identification of natural dyes on archaeological textile objects. In this study wool textile samples were dyed with 10 natural dyes such as cochineal, cutch, henna, indigo, Lac, madder, safflower, saffron, sumac and turmeric. These dyes common present on archaeological textile objects to be used as standard dyed textile samples. These selected natural dyes will be used as known references that can be used a guide to identify unknown archaeological dyes. The dyed textile samples were investigated with laser radiation in different wavelengths to detect the best wavelengths for identification each dye. This study confirms that Laser Florescent is very useful and a rapid technique can be used as a non-destructive technique for identification of natural dyes on archaeological textile objects. The results obtained with this study can be a guide for all conservators in identification of natural organic dyes on archaeological textile objects.

Identification Of Natural Dyes On Archaeological Textile Objects Using Laser Induced Fluorescent Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Kareem, O.; Eltokhy, A.; Harith, M. A.

2011-09-01

This study aims to evaluate the use of Laser Fluorescent as a non-destructive technique for identification of natural dyes on archaeological textile objects. In this study wool textile samples were dyed with 10 natural dyes such as cochineal, cutch, henna, indigo, Lac, madder, safflower, saffron, sumac and turmeric. These dyes common present on archaeological textile objects to be used as standard dyed textile samples. These selected natural dyes will be used as known references that can be used a guide to identify unknown archaeological dyes. The dyed textile samples were investigated with laser radiation in different wavelengths to detect the best wavelengths for identification each dye. This study confirms that Laser Florescent is very useful and a rapid technique can be used as a non-destructive technique for identification of natural dyes on archaeological textile objects. The results obtained with this study can be a guide for all conservators in identification of natural organic dyes on archaeological textile objects.

Digital Co-production in Archaeology. An editorial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Bonacchi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This special issue focuses on digitally-enabled co-production in archaeology, by bringing together papers that were presented at the session Communication as Collaboration: Digital Methods, Experiences and Values, organised at the 21st Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (University of Glasgow, 2015. The session was part of the Communicating Archaeology thematic cluster, which was partly inspired by the first published volume dedicated specifically to the topic of digital public engagement in archaeology (Bonacchi 2012. In that session and in this collection, we have been exploring communication as the collaborative construction of materials and interpretations rather than the dissemination of content at given stages of the archaeological research process (Bonacchi and Moshenska 2015.

From the archaeological record to archaeobim: the case study of the Etruscan temple of Uni in Marzabotto

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simone Garagnani

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The digital reconstruction of the recently discovered Tuscanic temple of Uni in Marzabotto gave the chance to test the application of the Building Information Modeling (BIM process to the combined fields of Archaeology and Engineering. In addition to the traditional historic and archaeological analysis, a new methodology in Experimental Archaeology is proposed; it proved to be original and innovative in the examination of the buried building, taking advantage of technologies focused on the architectural reliability validated by inferred digital models. The peculiar aspect of the research involves the elements at the beginning of the process, which consist of foundations or negative archaeological evidences only, supported by the clues and the rules that can be found in the historic and scientific literature. To better define this distinctive working process, the expression ArchaeoBIM was proposed, which highlights the common BIM matrix used for the data management through one or more analytical models, applied to the peculiar aspects of the Archaeological discipline.

The application of geophysical methods to archaeological prospection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linford, Neil [Geophysics Team, English Heritage, Fort Cumberland, Eastney, Portsmouth PO4 9LD (United Kingdom)

2006-07-15

The aim of this review is to combine the almost universal fascination we share for our past with the comparatively recent, in archaeological terms, application of geophysical prospection methods. For their success, each of these methods relies upon a physical contrast to exist between the buried archaeological feature and the properties of the surrounding subsoil. Understanding the archaeological origin of such physical contrasts, in terms of density, thermal conductivity, electrical resistance, magnetic or dielectric properties, remains fundamental to an appreciation of the discipline. This review provides a broad introduction to the subject area acknowledging the historical development of the discipline and discusses each of the major techniques in turn: earth resistance, magnetic and electromagnetic methods (including ground penetrating radar), together with an appreciation of more esoteric approaches, such as the use of micro-gravity survey to detect buried chambers and voids. The physical principles and field instrumentation involved for the acquisition of data with each method are considered and fully illustrated with case histories of results from the English Heritage archives.

The application of geophysical methods to archaeological prospection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linford, Neil

2006-01-01

The aim of this review is to combine the almost universal fascination we share for our past with the comparatively recent, in archaeological terms, application of geophysical prospection methods. For their success, each of these methods relies upon a physical contrast to exist between the buried archaeological feature and the properties of the surrounding subsoil. Understanding the archaeological origin of such physical contrasts, in terms of density, thermal conductivity, electrical resistance, magnetic or dielectric properties, remains fundamental to an appreciation of the discipline. This review provides a broad introduction to the subject area acknowledging the historical development of the discipline and discusses each of the major techniques in turn: earth resistance, magnetic and electromagnetic methods (including ground penetrating radar), together with an appreciation of more esoteric approaches, such as the use of micro-gravity survey to detect buried chambers and voids. The physical principles and field instrumentation involved for the acquisition of data with each method are considered and fully illustrated with case histories of results from the English Heritage archives

UAV archaeological reconstruction: The study case of Chamartin Hillfort (Avila, Spain)

OpenAIRE

Muñoz-Nieto, A. L.; Rodriguez-Gonzalvez, P.; Gonzales-Aguilera, D.; Fernandez-Hernandez, J.; Gomez-Lahoz, J.; Picon-Cabrera, I.; Herrero-Pascual, J. S.; Hernandez-Lopez, D.

2014-01-01

Photogrammetry from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) is a common technique for 3D modelling in a low-cost way. This technique is becoming essential to analyse the cultural heritage, e.g. historical buildings, monuments and archaeological remains in order not only to preserve them, but for disseminate accurate graphic information. The study case of Chamartin hillfort (Ávila, Spain) provided us the opportunity to apply automation techniques to generate geomatic products with high metric ...

Archaeometric studies of ceramics from the Sao Paulo II archaeological site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogerio Baria; Munita, C.S.; Cano, N.F.; Tatumi, S.H.; Silva-Carrera, B.N.; Shigueo Watanabe; Neves, E.G.

2015-01-01

This paper aims at studying the elementary chemical composition of 70 ceramic fragments from the Sao Paulo II archaeological site by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The concentration data was studied next using multivariate statistical methods, such as cluster analysis, principal component analysis and discriminant analysis. The results showed three different chemical groups of samples regarding the similarity/dissimilarity between the samples. Ceramics from each group have been selected and dated using thermoluminescence. The firing temperature of the ceramics was determined by electron paramagnetic resonance. (author)

Material Culture and Cultural Meanings: Current Studies of Archaeological Ceramics and in Ce­ramic Ethnoarchaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles C. Kolb

2000-05-01

Full Text Available Pottery and People: A Dynamic Interaction. James M. Skibo and Gary M. Feinman (editors. Founda­tions of Archaeological Inquiry. Salt Lake City. University of Utah Press. 1999. 260 pp. 91 figures. 30 tables. ISBN 0-87480-576-7. $55.00 (cloth; 0-87489-577-5. $25.00 (paperback. Material Meanings: Critical Approaches to the Interpretation of Material Culture. Elizabeth S. Chilton (editor. Foundations of Archaeological Inquiry. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. 1999.179pp. 35 figures. 11 tables. ISBN 0-87480-632-1. $55.00 (cloth; 087480-633-X. $35.00 (paperback. The description and interpretation of material culture may be regarded as the essence of archaeology, a discipline that seeks to recover, describe, document, and interpret past human culture. More recently, understanding that actions occur in a material world that is constituted symbolically, archaeological explanations are often framed in sociocultural meanings, the analysis of agencies, practices and behaviors. I shall subsequently return to this issue. Because of their longevity in the archaeological record, lithic and ceramic artifacts are crucial to the endeavor to interpret human culture. Objects fashioned from clay and subjected to intentional artificial sources of heat made their initial appearance in the archaeological record more than 26.000 years ago. Ceramic objects have been created in a seemingly endless variety of shapes and forms, varying from fertility figurines. to cooking and food storage vessels. lamps, smoking pipes, medicinal pastilles, tokens, beehives, and coffins to modern whitewares and pyroceramics.

Early Pleistocene archaeological occurrences at the Feiliang site, and the archaeology of human origins in the Nihewan Basin, North China.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuwen Pei

Full Text Available The Early Pleistocene archaeological evidence from the fluvio-lacustrine sequence of the Nihewan Basin (North China offers an excellent opportunity to explore early human evolution and behavior in a temperate setting in East Asia, following the earliest 'Out of Africa'. Here we present the first comprehensive study of the Feiliang (FL site, with emphasis on the archaeological sequence, site integrity, and stone artifact assemblages. Magnetostratigraphic dating results show that early humans occupied the site ca. 1.2 Ma. Archaeological deposits were buried rapidly in primary context within shallow lake margin deposits, with only minor post-depositional disturbance from relatively low energy hydraulic forces. The FL lithic assemblage is characterized by a core and flake, Oldowan-like or Mode 1 technology, with a low degree of standardization, expedient knapping techniques, and casually retouched flakes. The bone assemblage suggests that hominin occupation of the FL site was in an open habitat of temperate grassland with areas of steppe and water. The main features of the FL assemblage are discussed in the context of the early Pleistocene archaeology of Nihewan, for which an assessment of current and future research is also presented.

Mapping archaeological sites using digital cartography. Roman settlements from Potaissa to Napoca

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

FLORIN FODOREAN

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Mapping archeological sites using digital cartography. Roman settlements from potaissa to Napoca. We aim to analyze and correct several archaeological and historical data regarding some settlements included in an official document, issued by the Ministry of Culture from Romania, entitled the List of Historical Monuments (Lista Monumentelor Istorice / LMI. We focused our attention on the Roman road from Potaissa to Napoca, the main imperial road of Dacia. We described the route of the Roman road and corrected the old information in the list of historical monuments regarding the discoveries within the territory of the village of Aiton. Methodologically, we used data from the old literature, the modern Austro-Hungarian maps from the XVIIIth and the XIXth centuries, information from regional gazetteers and different journals. We aimed to offer new insights regarding the accurate location of these settlements and to debate upon the spatial relations of these settlements and their position within the landscape of Dacia. At the beginning of the study, we presented the present situation concerning the databases in Romania covering archaeological sites. The second part of our study discusses how the archaeological sites are recorded in the list of historical monuments. Then we offered several case studies This type of methodological approach will be applied in the future for other areas, in order to reconstruct the former landscape of the province of Dacia, as accurately as possible, using digital tools and modern maps. Our contribution also improved the quality of the data sets used for the topographical descriptions of archaeological sites in Romania.

Geoarchaeology: interdisciplinary explanations for the archaeological research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acevedo, Benjamin

2014-01-01

Geoarchaeological research carried out in Costa Rica and some Central American countries are described. The link between geology and archaeology is described as an interdisciplinary field of research within the earth sciences, with the purpose of to solve problems referring to the life of the pre-Columbian societies of Central American regions and until of postconquest period. The topics developed in the geoarchaeological works have been on geophysical prospecting in archaeological sites, provenance analysis and characterization of raw materials, analysis of processes and technologies of production, detailed reading of materials under study, among others [es

3D Virtual Dig: a 3D Application for Teaching Fieldwork in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paola Di Giuseppantonio Di Franco

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Archaeology is a material, embodied discipline; communicating this experience is critical to student success. In the context of lower-division archaeology courses, the present study examines the efficacy of 3D virtual and 2D archaeological representations of digs. This presentation aims to show a 3D application created to teach the archaeological excavation process to freshmen students. An archaeological environment was virtually re-created in 3D, and inserted in a virtual reality software application that allows users to work with the reconstructed excavation area. The software was tested in class for teaching the basics of archaeological fieldwork. The application interface is user-friendly and especially easy for 21st century students. The study employed a pre-survey, post-test, and post-survey design, used to understand the students' previous familiarity with archaeology, and test their awareness after the use of the application. Their level of knowledge was then compared with that of those students who had accessed written material only. This case-study demonstrates how a digital approach to laboratory work can positively affect student learning. Increased abilities to complete ill-defined problems (characteristic of the high-order thinking in the field, can, in fact, be demonstrated. 3D Virtual reconstruction serves, then, as an important bridge from traditional coursework to fieldwork.

LANDSCAPE ARCHAEOLOGY ALONG LIMES TRANSALUTANUS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eugen S. Teodor

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The project addresses the historical monuments comprised in the longest Roman ‘linear defence’ structure present on the Romanian territory.Despite it being the longest, this historic structure is the least protected and the least known in its technical details. Was indeed Limes Transalutanus an incomplete limes (lacking civilian settlements, for example, an odd construction (a vallum without fossa, an early-alarm line rather than a proper defensive line? Taking on these historical and archaeological challenges, the team attempts to develop an investigation technology applicable to large scale archaeological landscapes - a full evaluation chain, involving aerial survey, surface survey, geophysical investigation, multispectral images analysis, statistic evaluation and archaeological diggings. This technological chain will be systematically applied on the whole length of the objective, that is, on a 155 km distance. The attempt to find answers to issues related to the earth works’ functionality, layout, structure, chronology and relation with adjacent sites will be grounded on exploring the relations of the monument with the surrounding environment, by focussing on finding methods to reconstruct the features of the ancient landscapes, like systematic drilling, palynological tests and toponymical studies.

Feminism, theory and practice of a scientific archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berrocal, María Cruz

2009-12-01

Full Text Available The paper reviews American feminist archaeology and its emphasis on the scientific character of the discipline. It is a synthesis of the origin and development of feminist archaeology, its links to gender archaeology and postprocessual archaeology, and its value as an epistemological critique of the discipline. The paper also considers the development of feminist archaeology in Spain, and its link to historical materialist archaeology.

Este artículo revisa la arqueología feminista, fundamentalmente norteamericana, y su contribución a la comprensión de la arqueología como ciencia. Se sintetiza brevemente el origen y desarrollo de la arqueología feminista, su relación con la arqueología de género y la arqueología posprocesual, y su valor como crítica epistemológica de la disciplina. Se observa también el desarrollo de la arqueología feminista en España y su relación con la arqueología materialista histórica.

Archaeological data recovery at drill pad U19au, Nye County, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henton, G.H.; Pippin, L.C.

1991-01-01

Construction activities accompanying underground nuclear tests result in the disturbance of the surface terrain at the Nevada Test Site. In compliance with Federal legislation (National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 [PL 89-665] and National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 [PL 91-190]), the US Department of Energy (DOE), Field Office, Nevada, has long required that cultural resources studies must precede all land-disturbing activities on the Nevada Test Site. In accordance with 36 CFR Part 800, these studies consist of archaeological surveys conducted prior to the land-disturbing activities. The intent of these surveys is to identify and evaluate all cultural resources that might be adversely affected by the proposed construction activity. This report presents the final analysis of the data recovered from archaeological investigations conducted at the U19au drill site and access road. This report includes descriptions of the archaeological sites as recorded during the original survey, the research design used to guide the investigations, the method and techniques used to collect and analyze the data, and the results and interpretations of the analysis. 200 refs., 112 figs., 53 tabs

Archaeological data recovery at drill pad U19au, Nye County, Nevada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henton, G.H.; Pippin, L.C.

1991-01-01

Construction activities accompanying underground nuclear tests result in the disturbance of the surface terrain at the Nevada Test Site. In compliance with Federal legislation (National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (PL 89-665) and National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (PL 91-190)), the US Department of Energy (DOE), Field Office, Nevada, has long required that cultural resources studies must precede all land-disturbing activities on the Nevada Test Site. In accordance with 36 CFR Part 800, these studies consist of archaeological surveys conducted prior to the land-disturbing activities. The intent of these surveys is to identify and evaluate all cultural resources that might be adversely affected by the proposed construction activity. This report presents the final analysis of the data recovered from archaeological investigations conducted at the U19au drill site and access road. This report includes descriptions of the archaeological sites as recorded during the original survey, the research design used to guide the investigations, the method and techniques used to collect and analyze the data, and the results and interpretations of the analysis. 200 refs., 112 figs., 53 tabs.

Connecting Archaeological Data and Grey Literature via Semantic Cross Search

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas Tudhope

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Differing terminology and database structure hinders meaningful cross search of excavation datasets. Matching free text grey literature reports with datasets poses yet more challenges. Conventional search techniques are unable to cross search between archaeological datasets and Web-based grey literature. Results are reported from two AHRC funded research projects that investigated the use of semantic techniques to link digital archive databases, vocabularies and associated grey literature. STAR (Semantic Technologies for Archaeological Resources was a collaboration between the University of Glamorgan, Hypermedia Research Unit and English Heritage (EH. The main outcome is a research Demonstrator (available online, which cross searches over excavation datasets from different database schemas, including Raunds Roman, Raunds Prehistoric, Museum of London, Silchester Roman and Stanwick sampling. The system additionally cross searches over an extract of excavation reports from the OASIS index of grey literature, operated by the Archaeology Data Service (ADS. A conceptual framework provided by the CIDOC Conceptual Reference Model (CRM integrates the different database structures and the metadata automatically generated from the OASIS reports by natural language processing techniques. The methods employed for extracting semantic RDF representations from the datasets and the information extraction from grey literature are described. The STELLAR project provides freely available tools to reduce the costs of mapping and extracting data to semantic search systems such as the Demonstrator and to linked data representation generally. Detailed use scenarios (and a screen capture video provide a basis for a discussion of key issues, including cost-benefits, ontology modelling, mapping, terminology control, semantic implementation and information extraction issues. The scenarios show that semantic interoperability can be achieved by mapping and extracting

Archeologia delle risorse: tra archeologia ambientale, ecologia storica e archeologia rurale / Archaeology of resources: between environmental archaeology, historical ecology and rural archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlo Alessandro Montanari

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Il contributo, attraverso la discussione di alcuni casi di studio, prova ad esemplificare gli approcci del Laboratorio di Archeologia e Storia Ambientale (Dafist-Distav dell’Università di Genova allo studio delle aree rurali, insediate e non insediate. Oggetto principale delle ricerche è il tentativo di ricostruire, con un approccio analitico fortemente contestuale, le pratiche storiche di gestione e attivazione delle risorse ambientali (e le pratiche e i saperi naturalistici locali legati a tali pratiche a partire dal riconoscimento delle loro tracce archeologico-ambientali e attraverso gli apporti dell’archeologia, dell’archeobotanica, dell’ecologia storica e della ricerca documentaria. Gli esempi si concentrano su alcune tracce, riferibili per lo più a pratiche multiple di gestione delle risorse agro-silvo-pastorali (praterie alberate e boschi pascolati, agricoltura temporanea e uso del fuoco, colture permanenti e attività di pascolo, studiate in diverse aree dell’Appennino Ligure e riferibili a cronologie per lo più medievali e postmedievali. This contribution, through the discussion of case studies, tries to illustrate the study approach of the Laboratory of Environmental Archaeology and History (Dafist-Distav,University of Genoa to rural areas settled and not settled. The main object of the research is an attempt to reconstruct, with a strongly contextual analytical approach, historical practices of management and activation of environmental resources (and the practices and naturalistic knowledge related to such practices, starting from the analysis of their archaeological environmental evidence and through the contributions of archaeology, archaeobotany, historical ecology and documentary research. The examples focus on traces, related mostly to multiple practices of management of agro-forestry-pastoral resources (grazed wooded grassland and grazed woodland, temporary agriculture and use of fire, permanent crops and

NAA-applications in cosmology, archaeology and palaeontology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bichler, M.; Duma, B.; Musilek, A.; Steinhauser, G.; Huber, H.; Kutschera, W.; Vockenhuber, C.

2004-01-01

The use of the TRIGA reactor at the Atominstitute in Vienna as an irradiation facility in neutron activation analysis has a remarkable history. Present research work includes the recent determination of the precise half-life of 182 Hf and the participation in an archaeological long-term research program (SCIEM2000). (author)

Large-scale high-resolution non-invasive geophysical archaeological prospection for the investigation of entire archaeological landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Trinks, Immo; Neubauer, Wolfgang; Hinterleitner, Alois; Kucera, Matthias; Löcker, Klaus; Nau, Erich; Wallner, Mario; Gabler, Manuel; Zitz, Thomas

2014-05-01

Over the past three years the 2010 in Vienna founded Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology (http://archpro.lbg.ac.at), in collaboration with its ten European partner organizations, has made considerable progress in the development and application of near-surface geophysical survey technology and methodology mapping square kilometres rather than hectares in unprecedented spatial resolution. The use of multiple novel motorized multichannel GPR and magnetometer systems (both Förster/Fluxgate and Cesium type) in combination with advanced and centimetre precise positioning systems (robotic totalstations and Realtime Kinematic GPS) permitting efficient navigation in open fields have resulted in comprehensive blanket coverage archaeological prospection surveys of important cultural heritage sites, such as the landscape surrounding Stonehenge in the framework of the Stonehenge Hidden Landscape Project, the mapping of the World Cultural Heritage site Birka-Hovgården in Sweden, or the detailed investigation of the Roman urban landscape of Carnuntum near Vienna. Efficient state-of-the-art archaeological prospection survey solutions require adequate fieldwork methodologies and appropriate data processing tools for timely quality control of the data in the field and large-scale data visualisations after arrival back in the office. The processed and optimized visualisations of the geophysical measurement data provide the basis for subsequent archaeological interpretation. Integration of the high-resolution geophysical prospection data with remote sensing data acquired through aerial photography, airborne laser- and hyperspectral-scanning, terrestrial laser-scanning or detailed digital terrain models derived through photogrammetric methods permits improved understanding and spatial analysis as well as the preparation of comprehensible presentations for the stakeholders (scientific community, cultural heritage managers, public). Of

Cambridge Illustrated History of Archaeology, edited by Paul G. Bahn, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1996

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas R. Givens

1997-11-01

Full Text Available The Cambridge Illustrated History of Archaeology is another in a series of volumes devoted to the history of archaeology that have appeared in recent time. Paul Bahn, the editor of the volume, has broken down his coverage of the history of worldwide archaeology into the following arrangement 'The Archaeology of Archaeology", "Old Worlds and New, 1500-1760", "Antiquarians and Explorers, 1760-1820", "Science and Romanticism, 1820-1860", "The Search for Human Origins, 1860-1920", "Archaeology Comes of Age, 1920-1960", "New Techniques and Competing Philosophies, 1960-1990",and "Current Controversies and Future Trends". Bahn's volume explores many of the major developments in archaeological practice from both in the classical world and was as from the practice of archaeology in the Americas. The volume even gives the reader a glimpse into the origins and growth of archaeology in New Zealand. Of particular interest is coverage of the history of early archaeological efforts having to do with early studies of human origins.

Application of tandem accelerator mass spectrometor to the chronological study of archaeological samples on Ryukyu Islands

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taira, Hatsuo; Higa, Kenichi; Nakai, Nobuyuki; Nakamura, Toshio.

1987-01-01

Along with the urbanization of rural areas on Ryukyu Islands, many shell mounds and pre-historic sites have been found in resent years. Chrological studies of shell samples from these mounds will lead to the better understanding of cultural background for the pre-historic human activities on the Ryukyu Islands. C-14 dating by beta counting is the common method to obtain the ages of the archaeological samples. It is, however, very limitted in obtaining the absolute ages by the above mehtod due to the large sample sizes required and time consuming. There are many newly obtained archaeological samples left unstudied in detail. The alternate is a method called Tandem Accelerator Mass Spectrometer (AMS) installed at Nagoya University, which is composed of the tandem type accelerator to measure very low concentration of C-14 in archaeological samples. The system has been designed particularly to measure the radio-carbon and has advantages of being small sample size and very little time consuming for C-14 measurement as compared with the beta counting. It is the aim of this work to apply the above AMS for obtaining the absolute ages of the archaeological samples. The results agreed well with those estimated by the Erthenware method (relative method of dating), which ranged from 500 to 6000 y.b.p. The results may be helpful for the chronological arrangement of the samples and for the understanding of pre-historical human activities on the Ryukyu Islands. (author)

Steps Towards Operationalising an Evolutionary Archaeological Definition of Culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Riede, Felix

2011-01-01

This paper examines the definition of archaeological cultures/techno-complexes from an evolutionary perspective, in which culture is defined as a system of social information transmission. A formal methodology is presented through which the concept of a culture can be operationalised, at least...... within this approach. It has already been argued that in order to study material culture evolution in a manner similar to how palaeontologists study biological change over time, we need explicitly constructed archaeological taxonomic units . In palaeontology, the definition of such taxonomic units ? most...... are constructed, it is possible to define an archaeological culture at any given point in this hierarchy, depending on the scale of analysis. A brief example from the Late Glacial in Southern Scandinavia is presented, and it is shown that this approach can be used to operationalise an evolutionary definition...

FROM EXCAVATIONS TO WEB: A GIS FOR ARCHAEOLOGY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. G. D'Urso

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The study and the protection of Cultural Heritage in recent years have undergone a revolution about the search tools and the reference disciplines. The technological approach to the problem of the collection, organization and publication of archaeological data using GIS software has completely changed the essence of the traditional methods of investigation, paving the way to the development of several application areas, up to the Cultural Resource Management. A relatively recent specific sector of development for archaeological GIS development sector is dedicated to the intra - site analyses aimed to recording, processing and display information obtained during the excavations. The case - study of the archaeological site located in the south - east of San Pietro Vetere plateau in Aquino, in the Southern Lazio, is concerned with the illustration of a procedure describing the complete digital workflow relative to an intra-site analysis of an archaeological dig. The GIS project implementation and its publication on the web, thanks to several softwares, particularly the FOSS (Free Open Source Software Quantum - GIS, are an opportunity to reflect on the strengths and the critical nature of this particular application of the GIS technology. For future developments in research it is of fundamental importance the identification of a digital protocol for processing of excavations (from the acquisition, cataloguing, up data insertion, also on account of a possible future Open Project on medieval Aquino.

Archaeological studies at Drill Hole U20az Pahute Mesa, Nye county, Nevada. [Contains bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Simmons, A.H.; Hemphill, M.L.; Henton, G.H.; Lockett, C.L.; Nials, F.L.; Pippin, L.C.; Walsh, L.

1991-07-01

During the summer of 1987, the Quaternary Sciences Center (formerly Social Science Center) of the Desert Research Institute (DRI), University of Nevada System, conducted data recovery investigations at five archaeological sites located near Drill Hole U20az on the Nevada Test Site in southern Nevada. These sites were among 12 recorded earlier during an archaeological survey of the drill hole conducted as part of the environmental compliance activities of the Department of Energy (DOE). The five sites discussed in this report were considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and were in danger of being adversely impacted by construction activities or by effects of the proposed underground nuclear test. Avoidance of these sites was not a feasible alternative; thus DRI undertook a data recovery program to mitigate expected adverse impacts. DRI's research plan included controlled surface collections and excavation of the five sites in question, and had the concurrence of the Nevada Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology and the Advisory Council of Historic Preservation. Of the five sites investigated, the largest and most complex, 26Ny5207, consists of at least three discrete artifact concentrations. Sites 26Ny5211 and 26Ny5215, both yielded considerable assemblages. Site 26Ny5206 is very small and probably is linked to 26Ny5207. Site 26Ny5205 contained a limited artifact assemblage. All of the sites were open-air occurrences, and, with one exception contained no or limited subsurface cultural deposits. Only two radiocarbon dates were obtained, both from 26Ny5207 and both relatively recent. While the investigations reported in the volume mitigate most of the adverse impacts from DOE activities at Drill Hole U20az, significant archaeological sites may still exist in the general vicinity. Should the DOE conduct further activities in the region, additional cultural resource investigations may be required. 132 refs., 71 figs., 44 tabs.

Auditory Ossicles in Archaeological Skeletal Material from Medieval Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Qvist, M; Grøntved, A M

2000-01-01

Auditory ossicles were collected from two skeletal materials from early medieval Denmark. A total of 147 and 1,162 ossicles were obtained from the 2 materials, constituting 23% and 55% of the possible in vivo ossicles. The numbers and percentages found are among the highest reported from studies...... of archaeological skeletal material. Archaeological ossicles may be used in palaeopathological evaluation of chronic otitis media and otosclerosis, and morphometric studies of the ossicles might be valuable in analysis of population genetics and taxonomy....

Study of archaeological objects by neutron imaging, xrd and xrf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dinca, M.; Dinu, A. D.; Stanciulescu, M. G.; Mandescu, D.

2015-01-01

Archaeological objects were borrowed from Arges County History Museum (ACHM) and investigated at the Institute for Nuclear Research (INR). Metallic objects made in iron, copper alloys and silver discovered in southern part of Romania, mostly Dacian and Roman origin, were investigated. For imaging was used the neutron and gamma imaging facility from tangential channel of the TRIGA ACPR to put in evidence the internal structure of the objects. For elemental and chemical composition, concentration levels in objects were performed investigations by X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). These investigations offer valuable information in archaeological research about composition, structure of the bulk, presence of alteration, inclusions, typology of the location of material extraction, manufacturing techniques etc. This work is an example of application of neutron imaging and other radiation-based analytical methods for cultural heritage research that had the aim to involve some of the non-destructive investigation methods available at INR. (authors)

Archaeological Geophysics in Israel: Past, Present and Future

Science.gov (United States)

Eppelbaum, L. V.

2009-04-01

Stein, M., 2003. Archaeology, History, and geology of the A.D. 749 earthquake, Dead Sea transform. Geology, 31 (8), 665-668. Nahas, C., Bauman, P., Jol, H., Reeder, P., and Freund, R., 2006. Geophysical investigations at coastal archaeological sites in Israel. Proceed. of the Symp. on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Seattle, Washington, 1397-1406. Neishtadt, N.M., Eppelbaum, L.V., and Levitski, A.G., 2006. Application of seismo-electric phenomena in exploration geophysics: Review of Russian and Israeli experience. Geophysics, 71 (2), B41-B53. Nur, A. and Ron, H., 1997. Armageddon's earthquake. International Geology Review, 39, No. 6, 532-541. Paparo, H., 1991. Temperature study of the archaeological site Crusades Fortress Um Haled (Netanya). Trans. of the Conf. of Israel Geol. Soc., Annual Meeting, Akko, Israel, p. 77. Pelfer, P.G., Barcelo, J.A., McDonaill, C., and Pelfer, G., 2004. ArchaeoGRID, a GRID for archaeology. Proceed. of the IEEE Nuclear Science Symp. Conf., 4, 2095-2099. Porat, N., Zhou, L.P., Chazan, M., Noy, T., and Horwitz, L.K., 1999. Dating the lower Paleolithic open-air site of Holon, Israel, by luminescence and ESR techniques. Quaternary Research, 51, 328-341. Reeder, P., Jol, H., Bauman, P., and Freund, R., 2004. Multidisciplinary research at the Cave of Letters, Israel: a melding of physical and social sciences. Proceed. of Trans-Karst Intern. Transdisciplinary Conf. on Development and Conservation of Karst Regions, Ha Noi, Vietnam, 181-184. Reich, S., Leitus, G., and Shalev, S., 2003. Measurement of corrosion content of archaeological lead artifacts by their Meissner response in the superconducting state; a new dating method. New Journal of Physics, 5, 991-999, 2003. Reinhardt, E.G., Goodman, B.N., Boyce, J.I., Lopez, G., van Hengstum, P., Rink, W.J., Mart, Y., and Raban, A., 2006. The tsunami of 13 December A.D. 115 and the destruction of Herod the Great's harbor at Caesarea Maritima, Israel. Geology, 34

John Howard Marsden (1803–1891 First Disney Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cambridge 1851–1865

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Leach

2007-05-01

Full Text Available Although there were ten chairs of archaeology at universities in Germany, and one in France, by the mid-nineteenth century, in Great Britain it was the amateur societies and museums (the British Museum in particular that encouraged the study of this subject. In 1851 John Disney established the first university chair in Great Britain at Cambridge University. His proposal was initially received with considerable caution by the governing body of the university, and was only accepted by the narrowest margin of eight votes to seven. His agreement with the University of Cambridge stipulated that six lectures a year should be given on the subject of ‘Classical, Medieval, and other Antiquities, the Fine Arts and all matters and things connected therewith’ (Clark 1904, 222–225. However university archaeology was slow to establish its academic credibility nationally, and it was more than thirty years before Oxford University established its chair of classical archaeology. The Cambridge Board of Anthropological Studies, which included instruction in prehistoric archaeology, was not created until 1915, and as late as 1945 there were still only a few university lecturers in archaeology in Great Britain. It was not until 1946 that Oxford University appointed a Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology (Wilson 2002, 153; Daniel 1976, 6–12; Smith 2004, 4–5, 53–54.

From Web to Grid, a new perspective for archaeology

CERN Document Server

Pelfer, Pier Giovanni

2004-01-01

It is well known that in Archaeology large use is done of digital technologies and computer applications for data acquisition, storage, analysis and visualisation. In the last years the amount of information coming from remote sensing. from precise and fast acquisition of 3-D artefacts images by scanners laser, from GPS precise reference of geographical points and from other human and natural sciences are increasing at a large extent the amount of data that it need to be stored and made available for analysis. Moreover the use of Virtual Archaeology as a new approach to the narration and visualisation in Archaeology, is expanding rapidly, not only in the museum and archaeology professions, but also in the broadcast media, tourism and heritage industries. From another side recent natural and social disasters (wars) created enormous damages to the archaeological heritage and in many case destroyed definitively any information about ancient civilisations. It is urgent a longterm project for saving archaeological...

The satellite archaeological survey of Egypt

OpenAIRE

Sparavigna, Amelia Carolina

2011-01-01

A recent announcement of some pyramids, buried under the sand of Egypt and discovered by means of infrared remote sensing, renewed the interest on the archaeological surveys aided by satellites. Here we propose the use of images, obtained from those of Google Maps after some processing to enhance their details, to locate archaeological remains in Egypt.

Computer vision and machine learning for archaeology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Maaten, L.J.P.; Boon, P.; Lange, G.; Paijmans, J.J.; Postma, E.

2006-01-01

Until now, computer vision and machine learning techniques barely contributed to the archaeological domain. The use of these techniques can support archaeologists in their assessment and classification of archaeological finds. The paper illustrates the use of computer vision techniques for

Archaeology as an Avocation--A Certificate Program at Norwalk Community College.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlahos, Olivia

1979-01-01

Archaeology as an Avocation program certifies students as competent amateur archaeologists. The article describes how an independent study at local excavation sites grew into a community club that trains its members as archaeologists who help discover the archaeological potential of the community and help federal agencies in planning area…

[Study on Archaeological Lime Powders from Taosi and Yinxu Sites by FTIR].

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Guo-feng; Zhang, Chen; Chen, Guo-liang; He, Yu-ling; Gao, Jiang-tao; Zhang, Bing-jian

2015-03-01

Archaeological lime powders samples from Taosi and Yinxu sites, natural limestone and experimentally prepared lime mortar were investigated by means of Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) to identify the raw material of lime powders from Taosi and Yinxu sites. Results show that ν2/ν4 ratio of calcite resulted from carbonation reaction of man-made lime is around 6.31, which is higher than that of calcite in natural limestone and reflects the difference in the disorder of calcite crystal structure among the natural limestone and prepared lime mortar. With additional grinding, the values of v2 and ν4 in natural limestone and prepared lime mortar decrease. Meanwhile, the trend lines of ν2 versus ν4 for calcite in experimentally prepared lime mortar have a steeper slope when compared to calcite in natural limestone. These imply that ν2/ν4 ratio and the slope of the trend lines of ν2 versus ν4 can be used to determine the archaeological man-made lime. Based on the experiment results, it is possible that the archaeological lime powder from Taosi and Yinxu sites was prepared using man-made lime and the ancient Chinese have mastered the calcining technology of man-made lime in the late Neolithic period about 4 300 years ago.

ROV advanced magnetic survey for revealing archaeological targets and estimating medium magnetization

Science.gov (United States)

Eppelbaum, Lev

2013-04-01

Magnetic survey is one of most applied geophysical method for searching and localization of any objects with contrast magnetic properties (for instance, in Israel detailed magneric survey has been succesfully applied at more than 60 archaeological sites (Eppelbaum, 2010, 2011; Eppelbaum et al., 2011, 2010)). However, land magnetic survey at comparatively large archaeological sites (with observation grids 0.5 x 0.5 or 1 x 1 m) may occupy 5-10 days. At the same time the new Remote Operation Vehicle (ROV) generation - small and maneuvering vehicles - can fly at levels of few (and even one) meters over the earth's surface (flowing the relief forms or straight). Such ROV with precise magnetic field measurements (with a frequency of 20-25 observations per second) may be performed during 10-30 minutes, moreover at different levels over the earth's surface. Such geophysical investigations should have an extremely low exploitation cost. Finally, measurements of geophysical fields at different observation levels could provide new unique geophysical-archaeological information (Eppelbaum, 2005; Eppelbaum and Mishne, 2011). The developed interpretation methodology for magnetic anomalies advanced analysis (Khesin et al., 1996; Eppelbaum et al., 2001; Eppelbaum et al., 2011) may be successfully applied for ROV magnetic survey for delineation of archaeological objects and estimation averaged magnetization of geological medium. This methodology includes: (1) non-conventional procedure for elimination of secondary effect of magnetic temporary variations, (2) calculation of rugged relief influence by the use of a correlation method, (3) estimation of medium magnetization, (4) application of various informational and wavelet algorithms for revealing low anomalous effects against the strong noise background, (5) advanced procedures for magnetic anomalies quantitative analysis (they are applicable in conditions of rugged relief, inclined magnetization, and an unknown level of the total

Environmental Microbial Forensics and Archaeology of Past Pandemics.

Science.gov (United States)

Fornaciari, Antonio

2017-01-01

The development of paleomicrobiology with new molecular techniques such as metagenomics is revolutionizing our knowledge of microbial evolution in human history. The study of microbial agents that are concomitantly active in the same biological environment makes it possible to obtain a picture of the complex interrelations among the different pathogens and gives us the perspective to understand the microecosystem of ancient times. This research acts as a bridge between disciplines such as archaeology, biology, and medicine, and the development of paleomicrobiology forces archaeology to broaden and update its methods. This chapter addresses the archaeological issues related to the identification of cemeteries from epidemic catastrophes (typology of burials, stratigraphy, topography, paleodemography) and the issues related to the sampling of human remains for biomolecular analysis. Developments in the field of paleomicrobiology are described with the example of the plague. Because of its powerful interdisciplinary features, the paleomicrobiological study of Yersinia pestis is an extremely interesting field, in which paleomicrobiology, historical research, and archeology are closely related, and it has important implications for the current dynamics of epidemiology.

Nitrogen Isotope Analyses in Mollusk Shell: Applications to Environmental Sciences and Archaeology.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrus, C. F. T.; Bassett, C.; Black, H. D.; Payne, T. N.

2017-12-01

Several recent studies demonstrate that nitrogen isotope analysis of the organic fraction of mollusk shells can serve as a proxy for anthropogenic environmental impacts, including sewage input into estuaries. Analysis of δ15N in shells from archaeological sites permits construction of time-series proxy data from the present day to pre-industrial times, yielding insight into the history of some human environmental influences such as waste input and land use changes. Most such studies utilize a single bulk analysis per valve, combining shell material grown over time periods of one or more years. However, large, fast-growing species (e.g. some scallops and abalone) may permit sub-annual sampling, potentially yielding insight into seasonal processes. Such sclerochronological sampling of archaeological shells may enable researchers to detect variation at a finer temporal scale than has been attempted to date, which in turn may facilitate analysis of seasonal resource procurement strategies and related actions. This presentation will incorporate new and published data from the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts of North America to assess how sclerochronological δ15N data can be useful to better understand pre-industrial human-environmental interaction and change, and also address diagenesis and other preservational concerns commonly found in archaeological samples.

Megaliths, myths and men an introduction to astro-archaeology

CERN Document Server

Brown, Peter Lancaster

2000-01-01

As commonly used, the term ""megaliths"" refers to huge, free-standing, neolithic stones whose origin and meaning have long been debated by archaeologists and students of prehistory. Perhaps the most famous neolithic site is Stonehenge, the great circle of giant stones on Salisbury Plain in England. Twentieth-century studies of Stonehenge and other megalithic monuments have given rise to the science of astra-archaeology, i.e, the study of early astronomical knowledge through the interpretation of ancient monuments and other archaeological data.The present volume, by a noted British astronomer

Archaeology of Wari-Bateshwar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shahnaj Husne Jahan

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Wari and Bateshwar are two adjacent villages in Amlabo Union under Belabo police station in Narsingdi district, Bangladesh. It is situated on an isolated bit of the Pleistocene terrace at Manohardi-Sibpur, which is detached from the Madhupur tract by the Old Brahmaputra and the Laksya rivers. Since the 40s of the last century, a large number of cultural materials of Wari-Bateshwar have been reported from surface collections and chance excavations. Systematic archaeological exploration at the site was carried out in 1998-99 season by the author and subsequently a number of excavations conducted at the site since 2000. Archaeological investigations at Wari-Bateshwar revealed that the site had been occupied from the 4th century BC onwards with occasional breaks. The present paper is the detail report of all the evidences from the archaeological record in the form of physical remains unearthed from explorations and excavations till date and analyzes them to understand the nature and behaviors of the people who produced them. This also places Wari-Bateswar in the macro-level of Indian Ocean maritime trade network during the early historic period.

Soviet Archaeological Expedition as a Research Object

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Sveshnikova

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Soviet archaeological expeditions are the main focus of my research. They provide us with very interesting examples of archaeological expeditions as a part of a society, and not only as a part of science. After the 1960s it was an especially popular leisure practice. Many people who were not professional archaeologists went on expeditions in their leisure time and worked there as diggers or shovelmen (excavators. A Soviet archaeologist described them as people who ‘prefer to spend their vacation in archaeological expeditions in various parts of our country instead of seaside resorts.

Out of the archaeologist's desk drawer: communicating archaeological data online

Science.gov (United States)

Abate, D.; David, M.

2015-08-01

During archaeological field work a huge amount of data is collected, processed and elaborated for further studies and scientific publications. However, access and communication of linked data; associated tools for interrogation, analysis and sharing are often limited at the first stage of the archaeological research, mainly due to issues related to IPR. Information is often released months if not years after the fieldwork. Nowadays great deal of archaeological data is `born digital' in the field or lab. This means databases, pictures and 3D models of finds and excavation contexts could be available for public communication and sharing. Researchers usually restrict access to their data to a small group of people. It follows that data sharing is not so widespread among archaeologists, and dissemination of research is still mostly based on traditional pre-digital means like scientific papers, journal articles and books. This project has implemented a web approach for sharing and communication purposes, exploiting mainly open source technologies which allow a high level of interactivity. The case study presented is the newly Mithraeum excavated in Ostia Antica archaeological site in the framework of the Ostia Marina Project.

Study of the paleolithic parietal art from the archaeological perspective: old ghosts / new approaches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clara Hernando Álvarez

2010-03-01

Full Text Available This paper aims to analyse the parietal palaeolithic graphic designs from an archaeological perspective, leaving aside the aesthetic ties of traditional historiography. Traditional European analysis techniques of palaeolithic rock art will be contrasted with new interdisciplinary applications, looking for an archaeological knowledge about the artistic graphic expression of prehistoric societies. Finally, a methodological trial will be suggestedapplying the Harris Matrix in the reading and arrangement (ordination of the palaeolithic graphic designs of the central panel of Llonin's cave (Peñamellera Alta, Asturias.

Teaching Experimental Archaeology at the University of Copenhagen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyngstrøm, Henriette Syrach

2011-01-01

For more than ten years the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Copenhagen has offered the course Experimental Archaeology, Ethno-archaeology and Simple Technology to all students at BA level....

Forensic archaeology and anthropology : An Australian perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Oakley, Kate

2005-09-01

Forensic archaeology is an extremely powerful investigative discipline and, in combination with forensic anthropology, can provide a wealth of evidentiary information to police investigators and the forensic community. The re-emergence of forensic archaeology and anthropology within Australia relies on its diversification and cooperation with established forensic medical organizations, law enforcement forensic service divisions, and national forensic boards. This presents a unique opportunity to develop a new multidisciplinary approach to forensic archaeology/anthropology within Australia as we hold a unique set of environmental, social, and cultural conditions that diverge from overseas models and require different methodological approaches. In the current world political climate, more forensic techniques are being applied at scenes of mass disasters, genocide, and terrorism. This provides Australian forensic archaeology/anthropology with a unique opportunity to develop multidisciplinary models with contributions from psychological profiling, ballistics, sociopolitics, cultural anthropology, mortuary technicians, post-blast analysis, fire analysis, and other disciplines from the world of forensic science.

Trends in Archaeological Network Research: A Bibliometric Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom Brughmans

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an overview of major trends in archaeological network research through a bibliometric analysis of the full corpus of publications on the topic between 1965 and 2016. It illustrates we can begin identifying the outlines of a new sub-discipline within archaeology with its distinct traditions, including a diversity of research approaches, dedicated events and preferred publication venues. This sub-discipline is at a similar stage of development as historical network research, and we argue that archaeologists and historians alike interested in establishing network research as a key tool for exploring social change will have a greater chance for success to the extent that we actively collaborate, pool resources, engage in common community activities and publications, and learn from each other’s mistakes.

Box-Cox transformation on dataset from compositional studies of archaeological potteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, J.O.; Santana Reis, Michael; Silva, J.E.

2017-01-01

In archaeometric data set it was verified by statistical tests that some variables almost never follow a multivariate normal distribution using logarithmic transformation or other. This work presents a multivariate Box-Cox transformation for Mardia's and Royton's tests for a data set of fifty ceramic fragments from archaeological site Justino, Xingo, Brazil, and one clay sample collected near of the site. The samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis, INAA. The study was made using companion to applied regression package from R software and was tested by Hotelling's T"2 statistics. (author)

Archaeological applications of naturally occurring nanomagnets

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Linford, Neil [English Heritage, Fort Cumberland, Fort Cumberland Road, Eastney, Portsmouth PO4 9LD (United Kingdom)

2005-01-01

The ubiquitous presence of iron minerals within the soils and sediments forming archaeological sites can often provide a valuable record of past human activity. These records are formed through the alteration of weakly magnetic minerals to fine grained iron oxides, such as magnetite or maghaemite, that leave an almost indelible magnetic 'finger print' on the landscape. Archaeologists have exploited these magnetic records at a variety of levels from geophysical survey to reveal the location of a site, to determining how old a particular excavated feature may be through archaeomagnetic dating. More recent studies have investigated the process of magnetic enhancement through the often complex interaction of pedogenic, microbial and anthropogenic mechanisms and pathways. This research has revealed many unique magnetic signatures within archaeological sediments that may help to identify a range of significant environmental conditions, such as the effects of climate change or the deliberate use of fire. This paper aims to provide an overview of how the techniques of environmental magnetism may be applied to the analysis of archaeological remains. Both field based geophysical prospecting and the measurement of magnetic properties from samples recovered during excavation will be considered. The interpretation of the resulting magnetic measurements will also be addressed through the use of an unmixing algorithm applied to hysteresis data.

Archaeological applications of naturally occurring nanomagnets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linford, Neil

2005-01-01

The ubiquitous presence of iron minerals within the soils and sediments forming archaeological sites can often provide a valuable record of past human activity. These records are formed through the alteration of weakly magnetic minerals to fine grained iron oxides, such as magnetite or maghaemite, that leave an almost indelible magnetic 'finger print' on the landscape. Archaeologists have exploited these magnetic records at a variety of levels from geophysical survey to reveal the location of a site, to determining how old a particular excavated feature may be through archaeomagnetic dating. More recent studies have investigated the process of magnetic enhancement through the often complex interaction of pedogenic, microbial and anthropogenic mechanisms and pathways. This research has revealed many unique magnetic signatures within archaeological sediments that may help to identify a range of significant environmental conditions, such as the effects of climate change or the deliberate use of fire. This paper aims to provide an overview of how the techniques of environmental magnetism may be applied to the analysis of archaeological remains. Both field based geophysical prospecting and the measurement of magnetic properties from samples recovered during excavation will be considered. The interpretation of the resulting magnetic measurements will also be addressed through the use of an unmixing algorithm applied to hysteresis data

Satellite SAR data assessment for Silk Road archaeological prospection

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Fulong; Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola; Yang, Ruixia

2015-04-01

The development of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) in terms of multi-band, multi-polarization and high-resolution data, favored the application of this technology also in archaeology [1]. Different approaches based on both single and multitemporal data analysis, exploiting the backscattering and the penetration of radar data, have been used for a number of archaeological sites and landscapes [2-5]. Nevertheless, the capability of this technology in archaeological applications has so far not been fully assessed. It lacks a contribution aimed at evaluating the potential of SAR technology for the same study area by using different bands, spatial resolutions and data processing solutions. In the framework of the Chinese-Italian bilateral project "Smart management of cultural heritage sites in Italy and China: Earth Observation and pilot projects", we addressed some pioneering investigations to assess multi-mode (multi-band, temporal, resolution) satellite SAR data (including X-band TerraSAR, C-band Envisat and L-band ALOS PALSAR) in archaeological prospection of the Silk road [6]. The Silk Road, a series of trade and cultural transmission routes connecting China to Europe, is the witness of civilization and friendship between the East and West dated back to 2000 years ago, that left us various relics (e.g. lost cities) to be uncovered and investigated.. In particular, the assessment has been performed in the Xinjiang and Gansu section pf the Silk Road focusing on : i) the subsurface penetration capability of SAR data in the arid and semi-arid region ii) and sensitivity of SAR imaging geometry for the detection of relics As regards the point i) , apart from the soil moisture, the penetration is seriously restricted by the soil porosity. For instance, negligible penetration signs were detected in Yumen Frontier Pass either using X- or L-band SAR data due to the occurrence of Yardang landscape. As regards the point ii), the flight path of SAR images in parallel with the

Large-scale, high-definition Ground Penetrating Radar prospection in archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Trinks, I.; Kucera, M.; Hinterleitner, A.; Löcker, K.; Nau, E.; Neubauer, W.; Zitz, T.

2012-04-01

The future demands on professional archaeological prospection will be its ability to cover large areas in a time and cost efficient manner with very high spatial resolution and accuracy. The objective of the 2010 in Vienna established Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection and Virtual Archaeology (LBI ArchPro) in collaboration with its eight European partner organisations is the advancement of state-of-the-art archaeological sciences. The application and specific further development of remote sensing, geophysical prospection and virtual reality applications, as well as of novel integrated interpretation approaches dedicated to non-invasive spatial archaeology combining near-surface prospection methods with advanced computer science is crucial for modern archaeology. Within the institute's research programme different areas for distinct case studies in Austria, Germany, Norway, Sweden and the UK have been selected as basis for the development and testing of new concepts for efficient and universally applicable tools for spatial, non-invasive archaeology. In terms of geophysical prospection the investigation of entire archaeological landscapes for the exploration and protection of Europe's buried cultural heritage requires new measurement devices, which are fast, accurate and precise. Therefore the further development of motorized, multichannel survey systems and advanced navigation solutions is required. The use of motorized measurement devices for archaeological prospection implicates several technological and methodological challenges. Latest multichannel Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) arrays mounted in front off, or towed behind motorized survey vehicles permit large-scale GPR prospection surveys with unprecedented spatial resolution. In particular the motorized 16 channel 400 MHz MALÅ Imaging Radar Array (MIRA) used by the LBI ArchPro in combination with latest automatic data positioning and navigation solutions permits the reliable high

RESULTS CONCERNING PEDOLOGICAL STUDIES IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE FROM SLAVA RUSĂ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radu Pirnau

2009-10-01

Full Text Available The study of the elements, chemical processes and soil morphology, related to archaeo-zoological analysis of fauna material taken from the archaeological site of Slava Rusă, provides important information for understanding the evolution of the settlement, taking into account the close relationship between natural deposits, which include soil, and cultural features of the site. Thus, the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of soil are important in this context, because environmental factors that led to the formation of distinct soil, leaving traces in the morphology, are the same factors that influenced the morphology and the evolution of inhabited areas. This approach is useful if the environmental conditions that have affected the settlement have not been changed significantly over time, and, at the Slava Rusă, data regarding soil conditions suggest bioclimatic stability for a very long time. The soils are poorly evolved, texture is not differentiated, and calcium carbonates are present in the soil to depths of 3-4 m. All these features confirm that the current climate of the region remained unchanged, from the Neolithic to the present, climate underwent only insignificant oscillations.

Implementing Community Service Learning through Archaeological Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Nassaney, Michael S.

2004-01-01

The Anthropology Department at Western Michigan University has sponsored an annual archaeological field school since the mid-1970s. Over the past decade, students have worked with community and government organizations, learning to apply archaeological methods to real world problems to preserve and interpret significant heritage sites. They come…

The Materials Science and its applications in the Archaeology specific case: Teopancazco, Teotihuacan; La Ciencia de Materiales y su impacto en la Arqueologia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez L, V. [Centro Universitario de Vinculacion, BUAP, 29 Oriente 601-1, Col. Ladrillera de Benitez, 72540 Puebla (Mexico); Martinez G, C. [Facultad de Ingenieria Quimica, BUAP, Av. San Claudio y 18 Sur, Ciudad Universitaria, 72570 Puebla (Mexico); Manzanilla N, L. [Instituto de Investigaciones Antropologicas, UNAM, 04510 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2004-07-01

The cultural enormity wealth culture that exists in Mexico generates the necessity to reach a bigger interaction from the archaeology and restoration areas to the modern material science, with the purpose to establish new methodologies that allow to restore, conserve and preserve the materials that ancient civilizations used to construct buildings and objects of common use. It is in this sense that has been proposed methodologies for the use of analytical techniques in the study of archaeological materials to understand their nature, microstructural characteristics, deterioration causes, environmental factor influence, etc. We presents as example, a study of several archaeological samples that include mural painting fragments, ceramic with stucco and some pigment belonging to Teopancazco archaeological place located in San Sebastian Xolalpan (Teotihuacan, Mexico State). This study was performed by means of analytical scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Infrared spectroscopy. (Author) 31 refs., 6 tabs., 10 figs.

Management of the underwater and coastal archaeological heritage in Israel’s Seas (I)

OpenAIRE

Galili, Ehud; Arenson, Sarah

2014-01-01

The Maritime cultural heritage of Israel reflects important chapters in the history of humanity, including the Neolithic revolution and the beginning of agriculture, the emergence of the first empires and the foundation of the three monotheistic religions. Erosion due to sea level rise and human activity is destroying important coastal and underwater archaeological sites. Low levels in the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea exposed many archaeological remains, which are threate...

Archaeological Ceramics: Provenience Based on Neutron Activation Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yellin, J.

2014-01-01

Compositions of ancient artefacts are examined for a variety of reasons including chronology, provenience, ancient technology and conservation studies. In particular, the elemental composition of archaeological pottery is of prime importance in fixing the origin of the pottery and thereby throwing light on trade routes and inter-regional connections between settlements in antiquity4. An intensive program of INAA was conducted at the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, during the 1970-1990s5. Although that laboratory was closed as were other similar laboratories, new INAA laboratories have sprung up. Despite advances in other methods of analysis, INAA remains the favourite and best method for pottery provenience studies. The bulk of pottery data accumulated over the past five decades is based on INAA. These data, perhaps better than data obtained by other methods, can be integrated providing care is taken in accounting for the different standards employed by different laboratories and the different degrees of precisions attained. As a consequence projects that were suspended with the closure of laboratories can sometimes be concluded by combining resources from different laboratories. Examples will be given on how data from four laboratories, Hebrew University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Missouri University Research Reactor6 and the University of Texas at Austin are utilized

LIDAR, Point Clouds, and their Archaeological Applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, Devin A [ORNL

2013-01-01

It is common in contemporary archaeological literature, in papers at archaeological conferences, and in grant proposals to see heritage professionals use the term LIDAR to refer to high spatial resolution digital elevation models and the technology used to produce them. The goal of this chapter is to break that association and introduce archaeologists to the world of point clouds, in which LIDAR is only one member of a larger family of techniques to obtain, visualize, and analyze three-dimensional measurements of archaeological features. After describing how point clouds are constructed, there is a brief discussion on the currently available software and analytical techniques designed to make sense of them.

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis in archaeology interpretation beyond elemental abundance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishop, Ronald L.

2001-01-01

Application of instrumental neutron activation analysis to the study of archaeological ceramics involves the determination of the source or sources used to produce pottery. Groups of relatively homogeneous elemental abundances are shown to be statically distinct from one another often leading to the assesment of what was locally produced and what was imported to a site. These assesment, however are among the most preliminary interpretations. Archaeology is concerned with the reasons for artificial distributions and how and why the distribution varied through time 3 reasons that include the social and political basis of ancient economics and how these responded to other factors, such as ideology. These objectives are addressed through the increasing refinement of compositional groups leading toward greater specificity of attribution. In so doing the role of analytical precision among other considerations groves in importance. This paper illustration some of these considerations with examples from the U.S. southwest, the Maya region of southern mexico, and lower central America

Information Policy for (Digital Information in Archaeology: current state and suggestions for development

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisa Börjesson

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The introduction of digital data capturing and management technologies has transformed information practices in archaeology. Digital documentation and digital infrastructures are integrated in archaeologists' daily work now more than ever. International and national institutions and projects have contributed to the development of digital archiving and curation practices. Because knowledge production in archaeology depends heavily on documentation and information dissemination, and on retrieval of past documentation, the question of how information is managed is profoundly intertwined with the possibilities for knowledge production. Regulations at different levels articulate demands and expectations from the emerging digital information practices, but how are these different regulations coordinated, and do they support archaeological knowledge production? In this article we look into the state of information policy - the sum of principles guiding decisions about information - in archaeology and related areas. The aim of the article is to shed light on how information policy directs practice in archaeology, and to show that analysis of such policies is therefore vital. Information policy in legislation and guidelines in Swedish archaeology serves as a case study, and examples from development-led archaeology and the museum sector illustrate how information policies have varied roles across different heritage sectors. There are historical and local trajectories in the policy documents specific to Sweden, but the discussion shows that the emergence of Swedish policies have many parallels with processes in other countries. The article provides recommendations for information policy development for archaeology and related areas.

Analysis of archaeological pieces with nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenorio, D.

2002-01-01

In this work nuclear techniques such as Neutron Activation Analysis, PIXE, X-ray fluorescence analysis, Metallography, Uranium series, Rutherford Backscattering for using in analysis of archaeological specimens and materials are described. Also some published works and thesis about analysis of different Mexican and Meso american archaeological sites are referred. (Author)

Ion beam techniques in arts and archaeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Guangyong; Pan Xianjia; Sun Zhongtian; Gao Zhengyao

1991-01-01

The ion beam techniques used in studies of arts and archaeology are compared with other analytical techniques. Some examples are specially selected to illustrate the achievements and trends of the techniques in this field

Microanalysis study of archaeological mural samples containing Maya blue pigment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanchez del Rio, M.; Martinetto, P.; Somogyi, A.; Reyes-Valerio, C.; Dooryhee, E.; Peltier, N.; Alianelli, L.; Moignard, B.; Pichon, L.; Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.

2004-01-01

Elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission is applied to the study of several Mesoamerican mural samples containing blue pigments. The most characteristic blue pigment is Maya blue, a very stable organo-clay complex original from Maya culture and widely used in murals, pottery and sculptures in a vast region of Mesoamerica during the pre-hispanic time (from VIII century) and during the colonization until 1580. The mural samples come from six different archaeological sites (four pre-hispanic and two from XVI century colonial convents). The correlation between the presence of some elements and the pigment colour is discussed. From the comparative study of the elemental concentration, some conclusions are drawn on the nature of the pigments and the technology used

Microanalysis study of archaeological mural samples containing Maya blue pigment

Science.gov (United States)

Sánchez del Río, M.; Martinetto, P.; Somogyi, A.; Reyes-Valerio, C.; Dooryhée, E.; Peltier, N.; Alianelli, L.; Moignard, B.; Pichon, L.; Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.

2004-10-01

Elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission is applied to the study of several Mesoamerican mural samples containing blue pigments. The most characteristic blue pigment is Maya blue, a very stable organo-clay complex original from Maya culture and widely used in murals, pottery and sculptures in a vast region of Mesoamerica during the pre-hispanic time (from VIII century) and during the colonization until 1580. The mural samples come from six different archaeological sites (four pre-hispanic and two from XVI century colonial convents). The correlation between the presence of some elements and the pigment colour is discussed. From the comparative study of the elemental concentration, some conclusions are drawn on the nature of the pigments and the technology used.

Microanalysis study of archaeological mural samples containing Maya blue pigment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanchez del Rio, M. [ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble (France)]. E-mail: srio@esrf.fr; Martinetto, P. [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, CNRS, BP166 F-30842 Grenoble (France); Somogyi, A. [ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble (France); Reyes-Valerio, C. [INAH, Mexico DF (Mexico); Dooryhee, E. [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, CNRS, BP166 F-30842 Grenoble (France); Peltier, N. [Laboratoire de Cristallographie, CNRS, BP166 F-30842 Grenoble (France); Alianelli, L. [INFM-OGG c/o ESRF, BP220, F-38043 Grenoble Cedex (France); Moignard, B. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France); Pichon, L. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France); Calligaro, T. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France); Dran, J.-C. [C2RMF, 6 Rue des Pyramides, F-75041 Paris Cedex 01 (France)

2004-10-08

Elemental analysis by X-ray fluorescence and particle induced X-ray emission is applied to the study of several Mesoamerican mural samples containing blue pigments. The most characteristic blue pigment is Maya blue, a very stable organo-clay complex original from Maya culture and widely used in murals, pottery and sculptures in a vast region of Mesoamerica during the pre-hispanic time (from VIII century) and during the colonization until 1580. The mural samples come from six different archaeological sites (four pre-hispanic and two from XVI century colonial convents). The correlation between the presence of some elements and the pigment colour is discussed. From the comparative study of the elemental concentration, some conclusions are drawn on the nature of the pigments and the technology used.

The megalithic complex of highland Jambi: An archaeological perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mai Lin Tjoa-Bonatz

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The highlands of Sumatra remain one of the most neglected regions of insular Southeast Asia in terms of history and archaeology. No comprehensive research program incorporating both a survey and excavations within a defined geographical or environmental zone has been carried out there since Van der Hoop (1932 conducted his study of the megaliths on the Pasemah plateau in the 1930s. Meanwhile, Van der Hoop’s investigations and several other archaeological research activities at places such as northwest Lampung (McKinnon 1993, Pasemah (Sukendar and Sukidjo 1983-84; Caldwell 1997; Kusumawati and Sukendar 2000, Kerinci (Laporan 1995a, 1996a, and the Minangkabau heartland (Miksic 1986, 1987, 2004 have placed special emphasis on the megalithic remains. As a result, the megaliths are by far the bestknown archaeological attraction of the Sumatran highlands.

The identification of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in archaeological human bones and teeth.

Science.gov (United States)

Coulson-Thomas, Yvette M; Coulson-Thomas, Vivien J; Norton, Andrew L; Gesteira, Tarsis F; Cavalheiro, Renan P; Meneghetti, Maria Cecília Z; Martins, João R; Dixon, Ronald A; Nader, Helena B

2015-01-01

Bone tissue is mineralized dense connective tissue consisting mainly of a mineral component (hydroxyapatite) and an organic matrix comprised of collagens, non-collagenous proteins and proteoglycans (PGs). Extracellular matrix proteins and PGs bind tightly to hydroxyapatite which would protect these molecules from the destructive effects of temperature and chemical agents after death. DNA and proteins have been successfully extracted from archaeological skeletons from which valuable information has been obtained; however, to date neither PGs nor glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains have been studied in archaeological skeletons. PGs and GAGs play a major role in bone morphogenesis, homeostasis and degenerative bone disease. The ability to isolate and characterize PG and GAG content from archaeological skeletons would unveil valuable paleontological information. We therefore optimized methods for the extraction of both PGs and GAGs from archaeological human skeletons. PGs and GAGs were successfully extracted from both archaeological human bones and teeth, and characterized by their electrophoretic mobility in agarose gel, degradation by specific enzymes and HPLC. The GAG populations isolated were chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA). In addition, a CSPG was detected. The localization of CS, HA, three small leucine rich PGs (biglycan, decorin and fibromodulin) and glypican was analyzed in archaeological human bone slices. Staining patterns were different for juvenile and adult bones, whilst adolescent bones had a similar staining pattern to adult bones. The finding that significant quantities of PGs and GAGs persist in archaeological bones and teeth opens novel venues for the field of Paleontology.

Small drones for geo-archaeology in the steppe: locating and documenting the archaeological heritage of the Orkhon Valley in Mongolia

Science.gov (United States)

Oczipka, M.; Bemmann, J.; Piezonka, H.; Munkabayar, J.; Ahrens, B.; Achtelik, M.; Lehmann, F.

2009-09-01

The international project "Geo-Archaeology in the Steppe - Reconstruction of Cultural Landscapes in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia" was set up in July 2008. It is headed by the Department of Pre- and Protohistoric Archaeology of Bonn University. The project aims at the study of prehistoric and historic settlement patterns, human impact on the environment and the relation between towns and their hinterland in the Orkhon valley, Central Mongolia. The multidisciplinary project is mainly sponsored for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and bridges archaeology, natural sciences and engineering (sponsorship code 01UA0801C). Archaeologists of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences and of the Bonn University, geographers of Free University Berlin, geophysics of the Institute for Photonic Technology Jena and the RWTH Aachen University, and geographers and engineers of the German Aerospace Centre Berlin collaborate in the development of new technologies and their application in archaeology1. On the basis of Russian aerial photographs from the 1970s, an initial evaluation regarding potential archaeological sites was made. Due to the poor geometric and radiometric resolution of these photographs, identification of archaeological sites in many cases remained preliminary, and detailed information on layout and size could not be gained. The aim of the flight campaign in September 2008 was therefore the confirmation of these sites as well as their high resolution survey. A 10 megapixel range finder camera was used for the recording of high resolution aerial photography. This image data is suited for accurate determination and mapping of selected monuments. The airborne camera was adapted and mounted on an electrically operated eight propeller small drone. Apart from high resolution geo-referenced overview pictures, impressive panoramic images and very high resolution overlapping image data was recorded for photogrammetric stereoscopic

Provenance Study of Archaeological Ceramics from Syria Using XRF Multivariate Statistical Analysis and Thermoluminescence Dating

OpenAIRE

Bakraji, Elias Hanna; Abboud, Rana; Issa, Haissm

2014-01-01

Thermoluminescence (TL) dating and multivariate statistical methods based on radioisotope X-ray fluorescence analysis have been utilized to date and classify Syrian archaeological ceramics fragment from Tel Jamous site. 54 samples were analyzed by radioisotope X-ray fluorescence; 51 of them come from Tel Jamous archaeological site in Sahel Akkar region, Syria, which fairly represent ceramics belonging to the Middle Bronze Age (2150 to 1600 B.C.) and the remaining three samples come from Mar-T...

The Infertile Crescent Revisited: A Case (Study for the History of Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Bracewell

2015-05-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the history of archaeological research concerning the eastern coast of James Bay in northern Quebec. The construction of prehistory in northern Quebec began with the earliest contact of Europeans with Native Canadians and developed from religious explanations to Classical Evolutionary ones to Culture-Historical ones to Neoevolutionary scientific ones. Although the theoretical interpretations changed over time, the content remained surprisingly constant. The challenges of research in the area, and the resulting paucity of data, led to generalizations that telescoped thousands of years and eight million square miles into a single interpretation, based largely on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century assumptions about hunter-gatherer mobility, subsistence and social evolution. This paper traces how these assumptions have affected the archaeology of the twentieth century in James Bay and northern Quebec.

Reconstructing the archaeological landscape of Southern Dobrogea: integrating imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Oltean, I. A.; Hanson, W. S.

2007-10-01

The recent integrated aerial photographic assessment of Southern Dobrogea, Romania) is part of the first author's British Academy funded research programme 'Contextualizing change on the Lower Danube: Roman impact on Daco-Getic landscapes'. This seeks to study the effect of the Roman conquest and occupation on the native Daco-Getic settlement pattern on the Lower Danube. The methodology involves integrating a range of remotely sensed imagery including: low altitude oblique aerial photographs, obtained through traditional aerial reconnaissance; medium altitude vertical photographs produced by German, British and American military reconnaissance during the Second World War, selected from The Aerial Reconnaissance Achive at Keele University; and high altitude de-classified military satellite imagery (Corona) from the 1960s, acquired from the USGS. The value of this approach lies not just in that it enables extensive detailed mapping of large archaeological landscapes in Romania for the first time, but also that it allows the recording of archaeological features permanently destroyed by more recent development across wide areas. This paper presents some results and addresses some of the problems raised by each method of data acquisition.

Soil Scientific Research Methods Used in Archaeology – Promising Soil Biochemistry: a Mini-review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valerie Vranová

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This work seeks to review soil scientific methods that have been used and are still being used in archaeology. This review paper aims at emphasising the importance of soil science practice to archaeology thus adding a scientific analytical nature to the cultural nature of archaeology. Common methods (physical, chemical and biochemical used to analyse archaeological soils and artefacts is touched on and their strengths and shortcomings duly noted to become the base for future research. Furthermore, the authors made emphasis on distinctive excavating/sampling methods, biochemical analyses focused on distinctive features of plough-land and soil organic matter mineralization, Counter Immunoelectrophoresis (CEIP method by the presence of proteins testing, carbon analyses such as carbon-14 dating techniques, soil phosphorus studies and geochemical analyses of hematite Fe2O3 and cinnabaryte HgS contents. It is obvious that, the future of archaeology is in the soil because the soil harbours information of the past hence the synergy between soil and archaeological research has to be strengthened and archaeology made a prime agenda by soil scientists by expanding the analyses scope of total phosphorus extraction and giving attention to soil magnetism.

The Archaeologist Undeceived: Selecting Quality Archaeological Information from the Internet

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Sturges

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The amount of unreliable information and actual misinformation available via the Internet makes its use problematic for academic purposes, particularly for data-intensive disciplines such as archaeology. Whilst there are many sources for reviews of websites, few apply the type of criteria most appropriate to archaeology. Information and library professionals have developed sets of criteria that can be adapted for the evaluation of archaeological websites. An evaluative tool for archaeological websites, using al-ready-available criteria, was developed and tested on twenty archaeological web sites. It proved capable of allowing its user to make clear distinctions between sites on the basis of quality. Further refining of the evaluative tool is possible on the basis of testing by both archaeologists and information professionals.

ARCTIS — A MATLAB® Toolbox for Archaeological Imaging Spectroscopy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clement Atzberger

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Imaging spectroscopy acquires imagery in hundreds or more narrow contiguous spectral bands. This offers unprecedented information for archaeological research. To extract the maximum of useful archaeological information from it, however, a number of problems have to be solved. Major problems relate to data redundancy and the visualization of the large amount of data. This makes data mining approaches necessary, as well as efficient data visualization tools. Additional problems relate to data quality. Indeed, the upwelling electromagnetic radiation is recorded in small spectral bands that are only about ten nanometers wide. The signal received by the sensor is, thus quite low compared to sensor noise and possible atmospheric perturbations. The often small, instantaneous field of view (IFOV—essential for archaeologically relevant imaging spectrometer datasets—further limits the useful signal stemming from the ground. The combination of both effects makes radiometric smoothing techniques mandatory. The present study details the functionality of a MATLAB®-based toolbox, called ARCTIS (ARChaeological Toolbox for Imaging Spectroscopy, for filtering, enhancing, analyzing, and visualizing imaging spectrometer datasets. The toolbox addresses the above-mentioned problems. Its Graphical User Interface (GUI is designed to allow non-experts in remote sensing to extract a wealth of information from imaging spectroscopy for archaeological research. ARCTIS will be released under creative commons license, free of charge, via website (http://luftbildarchiv.univie.ac.at.

From Photogrammetry to the dissemination of archaeological heritage using game engines: Menga case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

José L. Caro

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Everyone knows the importance of new technologies and the growth they have had in mobile devices. Today in the field of study and dissemination of cultural heritage (including archaeological, the use of digital 3D models and associated technologies are a tool to increase the registration quality and consequently a better basis for interpretation and dissemination for cultural tourism, education and research. Within this area is gaining positions photogrammetry over other technologies due to its low cost. We can generate 3D models from forografí as through a set of algorithms that are able to obtain very approximate models and very realistic textures. In this paper we propose the use of game-engines to incorporate one element diffusion: the ability to navigate the 3D model realistically. As a case study we use a Menga dolmen that will serve as a study and demonstration of the techniques employed.

Assembling the Past: Studies in the Professionalization of Archaeology, edited by Alice B Kehoe and Mary Beth Emmerichs, 1999

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L. Browman

2000-11-01

Full Text Available The Assembling The Past volume, which focuses upon the issues of discrimination and marginalization in archaeology, is the delayed publication of two 1989 symposia dedicated to the history of archaeology - one in January of that year at the First Joint Archaeological Congress in Baltimore, chaired by Alice Kehoe and Jane Waldbaum, and the other in November at the 88th annual meetings of the American Anthropological Association, chaired by Nathan Reyman. Because of the time delay, in some cases the chapter authors have already published later papers, building on their presentations, so that the reader may already be familiar with part of the arguments presented. Nevertheless, I evaluate this work as a "must have" for any student of the history of Americanist archaeology.

Dating of archaeological objects using Carbon-14 facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kamisah Hj Alias; Noraishah Othman; Nasasni Nasrol

2004-01-01

Dating is the key to organising all archaeological evidence. Furthermore, the development of dating methods, whether traditional or scientific, illustrates the ingenuity and lateral thinking that make archaeological problem-solving such a fascinating exercise. The development of MINT radiocarbon dating procedures is reviewed. Basic principles and counting techniques are discussed. A sample is converted by chemical methods into a suitable form, such as carbon dioxide followed by the acetylene gas, and the benzene end-product is placed inside a proportional counter to measure the radioactivity of 14 C. Not until some years ago did absolute dates by radiocarbon dating become a reality for prehistoric archaeology in Malaysia where thermoluminescence and fission-track dating had begun to provide a locally applicable dating method some decades earlier. Applications of radiocarbon dating procedures in the fields of archaeology are also discussed. (Author)

The Archaeology of Smuggling and the Falmouth King's Pipe

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Sam

2009-06-01

This article demonstrates the potential of an historical archaeology of smuggling and the value of an interdisciplinary approach to the study of smuggling and its prevention. By exploring the previously unstudied history of the King’s Pipe in Falmouth, a large chimney used for the destruction of tobacco, a rare survivor of many that once existed in England’s port cities, it demonstrates that archaeology could transform our understanding of smuggling and its prevention, and more broadly the history of crime and punishment in eighteenth century England.

The Archaeologist Undeceived: Selecting Quality Archaeological Information from the Internet

OpenAIRE

Paul Sturges; Anne Griffin

2003-01-01

The amount of unreliable information and actual misinformation available via the Internet makes its use problematic for academic purposes, particularly for data-intensive disciplines such as archaeology. Whilst there are many sources for reviews of websites, few apply the type of criteria most appropriate to archaeology. Information and library professionals have developed sets of criteria that can be adapted for the evaluation of archaeological websites. An evaluative tool for archaeological...

Archaeological Monuments of the Siberian Khanates: Search of the Markers of the Statehood.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.F. Tataurov

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Research objectives: To identify several sets of archaeological materials, which allow to unite all the Turkic-Tatar population of the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia not only on the basis of socio-economic relations, but also on the principles of the existence of state entities. Research materials: Archaeological material (ceramics, weapons and funeral rite of warriors, ring-seals and attributes of supreme authority – helmets and tamgas. Results and novelty of the research: At present, the Turkic-Tatar state formations remain one of the most poorly studied issues in the medieval history of Western Siberia. An unformed base of archaeological sources could be added to a small amount of written documents. As a result, academic community is not able to make a full description of specific khanates – of their boundaries, administrative division and management, the level of development of state institutions, etc. Moreover, we do not have a chronological scale of cultural layers of any archaeological complex of this time including the capitals of khanates – Chimgi-Tura and Isker. Ordinary settlements and cemeteries remain with indefinite characteristics (cultural phenomena, which could allow to combine all these complexes into one whole, to become markers of the Siberian statehood. The author proposes to identify several sets of archaeological materials, which allow to unite all the Turkic-Tatar population of the forest-steppe zone of Western Siberia not only on the basis of socio-economic relations, but also on the principles of the existence of state entities. The author presents as these features ceramics, weapons and funeral rite of warriors, ring-seals and attributes of supreme authority – helmets and tamgas. It is possible that in the course of research this range of sources can be increased. Therefore, this work serves as an impulse for the development of scientific research in this direction.

The Archaeology and Remote Sensing of Santa Elena’s Four Millennia of Occupation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor D. Thompson

2018-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, we present the results of a comprehensive, landscape-scale remote sensing project at Santa Elena on Parris Island, South Carolina. Substantial occupation at the site extends for over 4000 years and has resulted in a complex array of features dating to different time periods. In addition, there is a 40-year history of archaeological research at the site that includes a large-scale systematic shovel test survey, large block excavations, and scattered test units. Also, modern use of the site included significant alterations to the subsurface deposits. Our goals for this present work are threefold: (1 to explicitly present a logical approach to examine sites with long-term occupations; (2 to examine changes in land use at Santa Elena and its implications for human occupation of this persistent place; and (3 to use the remote sensing program and past archaeological research to make substantive suggestions regarding future research, conservation, and management of the site. Our research provides important insight into the distribution of cultural features at this National Historic Landmark. While the majority of archaeological research at the site has focused on the Spanish period, our work suggests a complex and vast array of archaeological features that can provide insight into over 4000 years of history in the region. At a gross level, we have identified possible Late Archaic structures, Woodland houses and features, Late Prehistoric and early Historic council houses, and a suite of features related to the Spanish occupation which builds on our previous research at the site. In addition to documenting possible cultural features at the site, our work illustrates the value of multiple remote sensing techniques used in conjunction with close-interval shovel test data.

Greek perceptions of frontier in Magna Graecia: literature and archaeology in dialogue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Airton POLLINI

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The paper deals with Greek perceptions of frontier in Magna Graecia, from a historical archaeological, contextual standpoint. Considering the complex relationship between literary and archaeological evidence, the paper uses as a case study the frontier in Southern Italy, discussing the subjective frontier perceptions by Greeks and Natives in interaction.

The identification of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in archaeological human bones and teeth.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yvette M Coulson-Thomas

Full Text Available Bone tissue is mineralized dense connective tissue consisting mainly of a mineral component (hydroxyapatite and an organic matrix comprised of collagens, non-collagenous proteins and proteoglycans (PGs. Extracellular matrix proteins and PGs bind tightly to hydroxyapatite which would protect these molecules from the destructive effects of temperature and chemical agents after death. DNA and proteins have been successfully extracted from archaeological skeletons from which valuable information has been obtained; however, to date neither PGs nor glycosaminoglycan (GAG chains have been studied in archaeological skeletons. PGs and GAGs play a major role in bone morphogenesis, homeostasis and degenerative bone disease. The ability to isolate and characterize PG and GAG content from archaeological skeletons would unveil valuable paleontological information. We therefore optimized methods for the extraction of both PGs and GAGs from archaeological human skeletons. PGs and GAGs were successfully extracted from both archaeological human bones and teeth, and characterized by their electrophoretic mobility in agarose gel, degradation by specific enzymes and HPLC. The GAG populations isolated were chondroitin sulfate (CS and hyaluronic acid (HA. In addition, a CSPG was detected. The localization of CS, HA, three small leucine rich PGs (biglycan, decorin and fibromodulin and glypican was analyzed in archaeological human bone slices. Staining patterns were different for juvenile and adult bones, whilst adolescent bones had a similar staining pattern to adult bones. The finding that significant quantities of PGs and GAGs persist in archaeological bones and teeth opens novel venues for the field of Paleontology.

Archaeology of Arid Environments Points to Management Options for Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

N. Chapman; A. Dansie; C. McCombie

2006-01-01

As with all planned repositories for spent fuel, the critical period over which Yucca Mountain needs to provide isolation is the first hundreds to thousands of years after the fuel is emplaced, when it is at its most hazardous. Both the original and the proposed new EPA standards highlight the central importance of this performance period by focusing on repository behavior during the first 10,000 years. Archaeology has a lot to tell us about the behavior of materials and structures over this time period. There have been numerous studies of archaeological artifacts in conditions relevant to the groundwater saturated environments that are a feature of most international geological disposal concepts, but relatively few in arid environments like that of the Nevada desert. However, there is much information to be gleaned, not only from classic archaeological areas in the Middle East and around the Mediterranean but also, perhaps surprisingly to some, from Nevada itself. Our recent study evaluated archaeological materials from underground openings and shallow burial in arid environments relevant to Yucca Mountain, drawing conclusions about how their state and their environment of preservation could help to assess design and operational options for the high-level waste repository

Sea-level rise and archaeological site destruction: An example from the southeastern United States using DINAA (Digital Index of North American Archaeology).

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, David G; Bissett, Thaddeus G; Yerka, Stephen J; Wells, Joshua J; Kansa, Eric C; Kansa, Sarah W; Myers, Kelsey Noack; DeMuth, R Carl; White, Devin A

2017-01-01

The impact of changing climate on terrestrial and underwater archaeological sites, historic buildings, and cultural landscapes can be examined through quantitatively-based analyses encompassing large data samples and broad geographic and temporal scales. The Digital Index of North American Archaeology (DINAA) is a multi-institutional collaboration that allows researchers online access to linked heritage data from multiple sources and data sets. The effects of sea-level rise and concomitant human population relocation is examined using a sample from nine states encompassing much of the Gulf and Atlantic coasts of the southeastern United States. A 1 m rise in sea-level will result in the loss of over >13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites, as well as over 1000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), encompassing archaeological sites, standing structures, and other cultural properties. These numbers increase substantially with each additional 1 m rise in sea level, with >32,000 archaeological sites and >2400 NRHP properties lost should a 5 m rise occur. Many more unrecorded archaeological and historic sites will also be lost as large areas of the landscape are flooded. The displacement of millions of people due to rising seas will cause additional impacts where these populations resettle. Sea level rise will thus result in the loss of much of the record of human habitation of the coastal margin in the Southeast within the next one to two centuries, and the numbers indicate the magnitude of the impact on the archaeological record globally. Construction of large linked data sets is essential to developing procedures for sampling, triage, and mitigation of these impacts.

Animated GIFs as Expressive Visual Narratives and Expository Devices in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colleen Morgan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Animated GIFs are uncommonly well suited for representing archaeology. A shudder-start, temporally ambiguous fragment of sequential media, the animated GIF (just GIFs, hereafter occupies the margins of formal discourse, visually annotating everyday life on the Internet. The creation of a GIF – compiling frames of action into a sequence – draws an easy parallel with the mode of atomizing that characterises excavation, treating archaeological deposits as discrete entities and their subsequent reassembly into a stratigraphic sequence (Morgan 2012; Morgan and Wright in press. Complex cultural expression is distilled into a brief gesture, the digital equivalent of an archaeological trace. Yet GIFs are fleetingly rare in archaeological representations, with only a handful of examples since the introduction of the media format in 1989. In this GIF essay (modelled on a photo essay, we briefly review the history of the animated GIF with particular attention to archaeological GIFs, discuss their utility in representing archaeological remains and narratives, and argue for a more creative integration of visual media into archaeological practice.

The Politics and Practice of Archaeology in Conflict

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Linde, van der S.J.; Perring, D.

2010-01-01

This introductory paper reviews recent writings on archaeology and conflict, setting the other contributions to this volume into context. We draw attention to the political nature of archaeological work, and to the problems of reconciling professional interest in the protection and management of

Developing technologies for the management of the Archaeological Heritage: towards a model of Evaluation of the Archaeological Impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barreiro Martínez, David

1999-06-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes to establish criteria and procedures of archaeological practice to solve the problems and demands posed by the Management of the Archaeological Heritage. Our Research Unit is developing the CLAAR Programme, to define criteria and conventions for Landscape Archaeology and Archaeological Heritage. The main aim of this programme is to contribute to the development of systems and methodologies to manage and evaluate the Archaeological Heritage. In a practical sense, it tries to compose a Handbook of Practice to apply to research and commercial projects. As an example, this paper deals with the Evaluation of Archaeological Impact, proposing a methodological scheme to be applied to this new practice, which is an important part of the Evaluation of Environmental Impact.

Este texto plantea la necesidad de establecer procedimientos y convenciones de práctica arqueológica para resolver los problemas y demandas en la gestión actual del Patrimonio Arqueológico. En concreto se presenta el programa CAPA (criterios y convenciones en Arqueología del Paisaje y Patrimonio Arqueológico en vía de realización por nuestro Grupo de Investigación. El objetivo de este programa es contribuir al desarrollo de sistemas y metodologías de gestión y evaluación del Patrimonio Arqueológico y llegar a componer un Manual de Usos Internos que nuestro grupo aplicaría en los diferentes proyectos de investigación y de asistencia técnica. Como ejemplo de estos desarrollos, se considera la Evaluación de Impacto Arqueológico y se propone un esquema metodológico para la realización de este nuevo tipo de práctica arqueológica, que forma parte importante de la Evaluación de Impacto Ambiental.

Development of Rapid and Low Cost Archaeological Site Mapping Using Photogrammetric Technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azhar, N A Mohd; Ahmad, Anuar

2014-01-01

In digital photogrammetry, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform is a new technology that can be used to capture digital images for large scale mapping with accuracy down to centimeter level from various waypoints for archaeological site documentation. UAV is one of the great alternatives to replace piloted aircraft and with combination of non -metric camera, thus it can be applied for small area such as cultural heritage building/ archeological site area. With the recent technology of non-metric cameras, this camera is capable of producing high resolution digital images. This study investigates the application of UAV images for documentation and mapping of a simulated archaeological sites. An archaeological site simulation modelwith dimension of 2.4 m × 3.5 m is used in this study. The accuracy for mapping the archeological sites based on the UAV system is evaluated and analyzed by performing the Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) derived from the differences of coordinates between reference value and the coordinates observed from photogrammetric output such as digital terrain model and orthophoto. In this application, a simulation model was used to simulate the archaeological site excavation. The results clearly demonstrate the potential and the capability of UAV and non-metric camera in providing the accuracy of centimetre level for this application. From this study, it can be concluded that the UAV and the photogrammetric technique procedure satisfied the needs of archaeological sites survey and documentation

Comparison study to the use of geophysical methods at archaeological sites observed by various remote sensing techniques in the Czech Republic

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křivánek, Roman

2017-01-01

Roč. 7, č. 3 (2017), č. článku 81. ISSN 2076-3263 Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) R300021421 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : archaeological prospection * remote sensing * non-destructive archaeology * geophysical survey Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology OBOR OECD: Archaeology http://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/7/3/81/pdf

River archaeology - a new tool for historical hydrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toth, Attila J

2008-01-01

River archaeology consists of underwater research on the rivers themselves. It is also concerned with the archaeology of the valleys/floodplains with special attention to human-environmental interactions (reconstructing landscape, the environment, economy and society from material culture and traces of human impact on their surroundings). As historical hydrology is concerned with similar questions, from the hydrologist's point of view, the combination of different approaches offers the possibilities for fruitful cooperation for both disciplines. The intent of this paper is to present the type, nature and limitations of this part of the archaeological record through recent work in the Drava River basin.

Vernon Lee in the Vatican: the uneasy alliance of aestheticism and archaeology.

Science.gov (United States)

Evangelista, Stefano

2009-01-01

From the 1800s onward, aesthetic critics attempted to free the study of ancient Greek art from the frameworks of institutional education and professionalized criticism. In this process, aestheticism entered an uneasy alliance with archaeology, a discipline that was likewise challenging traditional modes of classical learning practiced in public schools and the old universities. In "The Child in the Vatican" (1881), Vernon Lee -- writing under the influence of Pater and from a position of cosmopolitan female amateurism -- examines the uses of archaeological science in the study of classical art. Her analysis of the sculptures of the Niobe Group at once relies on the archaeological method and asks readers to doubt scientific approaches to art that dim the sublime power of the art object.

Diagnostic analysis of stone materials from underwater excavations: the case study of the Roman archaeological site of Baia (Naples, Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aloise, P.; Ricca, M.; La Russa, M.F.; Ruffolo, S.A.; Crisci, G.M.; Belfiore, C.M.; Padeletti, G.

2014-01-01

This work belongs to the framework of the national research project ''COMAS'' (Planned COnservation, ''in situ'', of underwater archaeological artifacts), funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), concerning the submarine archaeological area of Baia (Naples, Italy). The site includes remains of the ancient cities of Baiae and Portus Iulius, which, since the 4th century AD, started to be submerged because of the bradyseism phenomenon. The work aims to the characterization of four different types of stone materials collected from the site, specifically marbles, limestones, ignimbrites, and bricks, in order to investigate their state of conservation. In particular, specimens were sampled from some masonry structures and pavement slabs (opus sectile) in a specific area of the submerged site, called ''Villa a Protiro''. In order to characterize archaeological samples from a mineralogical-petrographic point of view, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out, while to assess their conservation state, the surface colonization by biodeteriogen agents and their interaction with the substrate were studied through observations under a stereomicroscope, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Marble and limestone samples revealed an intense bioerosion phenomena, attributable to epilithic and endolithic forms, particularly boring sponges. On the contrary, ignimbrites suffer a lower degree of biological colonization related to the activity of other species, such as serpulids and bryozoans. In bricks, biocolonisation is correlated to the type of temper used in the artifact, the quartz pastes having a greater susceptibility to biological attack than the volcanic ones. (orig.)

Diagnostic analysis of stone materials from underwater excavations: the case study of the Roman archaeological site of Baia (Naples, Italy)

Science.gov (United States)

Aloise, P.; Ricca, M.; La Russa, M. F.; Ruffolo, S. A.; Belfiore, C. M.; Padeletti, G.; Crisci, G. M.

2014-03-01

This work belongs to the framework of the national research project "COMAS" (Planned COnservation, " in situ", of underwater archaeological artifacts), funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), concerning the submarine archaeological area of Baia (Naples, Italy). The site includes remains of the ancient cities of Baiae and Portus Iulius, which, since the 4th century AD, started to be submerged because of the bradyseism phenomenon. The work aims to the characterization of four different types of stone materials collected from the site, specifically marbles, limestones, ignimbrites, and bricks, in order to investigate their state of conservation. In particular, specimens were sampled from some masonry structures and pavement slabs ( opus sectile) in a specific area of the submerged site, called " Villa a Protiro". In order to characterize archaeological samples from a mineralogical-petrographic point of view, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out, while to assess their conservation state, the surface colonization by biodeteriogen agents and their interaction with the substrate were studied through observations under a stereomicroscope, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Marble and limestone samples revealed an intense bioerosion phenomena, attributable to epilithic and endolithic forms, particularly boring sponges. On the contrary, ignimbrites suffer a lower degree of biological colonization related to the activity of other species, such as serpulids and bryozoans. In bricks, biocolonisation is correlated to the type of temper used in the artifact, the quartz pastes having a greater susceptibility to biological attack than the volcanic ones.

22 CFR 1104.12 - Custody of archaeological resources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Custody of archaeological resources. 1104.12 Section 1104.12 Foreign Relations INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED STATES AND MEXICO... resources. (a) Archaeological resources excavated or removed from the public lands remain the property of...

"Interred with their bones" - linking soil micromorphology and chemistry to unlock the hidden archive of archaeological human burials

Science.gov (United States)

Brothwell, Don; Usai, Maria-Raimonda; Keely, Brendan; Pickering, Matt; Wilson, Clare

2010-05-01

"Interred with their bones" Acronym: InterArChive - an ERC-funded project *** " Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; " I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. " The evil that men do lives after them; " The good is oft 'interred with their bones'; " So let it be with Caesar. William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene 2. *** Background The state of decay within soils in archaeological graves is often such that degradable objects are not preserved in a condition that can be visually recognised. However, microscopic soil features, inorganic element distributions and organic residues can be measured. Thus, archaeological burial soils have the potential to reveal signatures of decay; pre-burial treatment; presence and nature of associated clothing and perishable artefacts; diet of the individual; cause of death; evidence of morbidity and drug-use. Aims • To develop and test a multidisciplinary approach linking soil micromorphology and chemistry to recover environmental and cultural information; • Revealing the hidden archaeological archive within the burial soil • Developing soil sampling and analysis recommendations for archaeological human burials Methods 1: Sampling and soil field description from archaeological sites contrasting in soil, geology, age, and culture and from experimental piglet burials 2: Microscopic/micromorphological analysis (micro-scale observations) of remains and features in burial soils. We will establish the order of occurrence, spatial patterns, displacement, mode of formation and decay of micromorphological features including exotic components, parasites, hair and remnants of footwear and clothing [cf. pilot study of soils from Yemen]; microfabrics and textural pedofeatures, also to facilitate resolution of body decay products from other accumulations. 3: Microprobe analysis (nano-scale) will generate elemental maps of soil thin sections, allowing identification of features with distinct chemical signatures

Online Tribes and Digital Authority: What Can Social Theory Bring to Digital Archaeology?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richardson Lorna-Jane

2017-01-01

Full Text Available From early discussions of the disruptive potential of computer technologies for archaeological applications, to the present era of digital archaeology as the technical underpinning of modern archaeological practice, we have continued to debate the potential impacts of digital communication and digital capture and storage on our knowledge, profession and communications. The increased use of digital tools and methods for archaeological research and dissemination, as well as what Roosevelt (2015 has referred to as the shift to the digital paradigm within archaeological practice, leads us to suggest that the impact of this paradigm shift requires careful and critical examination. This article will examine the edges of the disciplines of archaeology and sociology, where we aim to advance our understanding of the relationship between digital technologies and archaeological knowledge from a uniquely social perspective, using the theoretical approaches of both classic and modern sociologists. The application of this lens of sociology to digital archaeology equips us to understand how archaeology and archaeological practice is situated in a social world, which is especially relevant in the Global West, where digital technology is ubiquitous. Through a critical consideration of the complexity of use of digital technologies within digital archaeology, we can begin to shift our focus away from the character and method of tools and workflow, to the background of intellectual power and influence.

Improving archaeological site analysis: a rampart in the middle Orkhon Valley investigated with combined geoscience techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grützner, C; Bemmann, J; Reichert, S; Berking, J; Klinger, R; Frechen, M; Schütt, B; Klitzsch, N; Linzen, S; Schneider, M; Mackens, S; Oczipka, M; Piezonka, H

2012-01-01

The Orkhon Valley in the Central Mongolia was included in the World Heritage list in 2004. It hosts multiple archaeological sites from Palaeolithic to recent times, which can contribute to the reconstruction of settlement history in this part of the Eurasian Steppe landscape. Almost 100 archaeological sites from prehistoric and historic times including ramparts and khirigsuurs were investigated in five field campaigns from 2008 to 2010 in the middle and upper Orkhon Valley. One site, MOR-2 (Dörvölzhin), proved especially difficult to date due to the lack of sufficient archaeological surface finds, and its role within a manifold of walled enclosures from different times in the study area remained unclear. Therefore, different techniques of archaeology, geophysics and geoarchaeology were combined at MOR-2 in order to determine a comprehensive picture about its timing, archaeological meaning, and environmental history. Information on topographical setting and morphometry of the rampart was gathered by an octocopter equipped with a high-resolution range finder camera. We achieved a high-resolution DEM that allowed us to map the rampart in detail and this served as a base map for all other investigations. SQUID magnetometry, ground-penetrating radar, and electric resistivity measurements (capacitive coupled geoelectrics) were subsequently used to detect archaeological remains and to characterize the sediment distribution of the inner part of the enclosure and the ramparts themselves. The data show that the construction of the walls is similar to well-known Uighur neighbouring sites. Man-made sub-surface structures or bigger finds could not be detected. Sediment cores were drilled in a nearby meander, covering 3000 years BP. The analysis of the strata in terms of elemental composition (P, N, Mn, Fe, etc) revealed an increase of organic content in Medieval times, whereas the allochthonous filling of the back water must have started around the beginning of the 6th

Multi-analytical characterization of archaeological ceramics. A case study from the Sforza Castle (Milano, Italy).

Science.gov (United States)

Barberini, V.; Maspero, F.; Galimberti, L.; Fusi, N.

2009-04-01

The aim of this work was the characterization, using several analytical techniques, of a sample of ancient pottery found during archaeological excavations in the 14th century's Sforza Castle in Milano. The use of a multi-analytical approach is well established in the study of archaeological materials (e.g. Tite et al. 1984, Ribechini et al. 2008). The chemical composition of the sample was determined with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. The chemical composition is: SiO2 61.3(±3)%, Al2O3 22.5(±2)%, Fe2O3 7.19(±6)%, K2O 3.85(±1)%, MgO 1.6(±1)%, Na2O 1.6(±4)% (probably overestimated), TiO2 1.02(±2)%, CaO 0.93(±1)%, MnO 0.15(±1)% and P2O5 0.06(±2)%. The K2O content, important when dealing with TL dating, was determined also with atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The K2O content determined with atomic absorption is 3.86(±3)%, in agreement with X-ray fluorescence analysis. The mineralogical composition of the sample was determined with X-ray powder diffraction: quartz 59.6(±1) wt%, mica 37.8(±3) wt% and feldspar (plagioclase) 2.6(±2) wt%. The sample homogeneity was assessed with X-ray computerised tomography (CT), which is a very powerful non-destructive analysis tool for 3D characterization (Sèguin, 1991). CT images show differences in materials with different X-ray absorption (mainly depending on different densities) and 3D reconstruction has many interesting archaeological applications (e.g. study of sealed jars). CT images of the studied sample showed the presence of angular fragments (probably quartz) few millimetres wide immersed in a fine grained matrix. Moreover, before and after the CT analysis, some ceramic powder was sampled to perform thermoluminescence analysis (TL, the powder used for this analysis can not be recovered). It was thus possible to evaluate the dose absorbed by the material due the X-ray irradiation. The dose absorbed after 3 hours of irradiation, the time needed for a complete scan of a 7 x 5 x 1 cm, is about 100 Gy, which

WATER AND ARCHAEOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

NICHOLAS KATHIJOTES

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Water is undoubtedly the most precious resource of the planet and the accessibility to water resources marked the history of mankind since the dawn of times. Water has been indeed very central to archaeology and anthropology, that studied the ways in which water was provisioned, tanked, distributed, worshipped, exploited for agricultural irrigation or to power machines like water-mills, used for leisure, hygiene and healing, or abused to confer power on particular groups ,and how it played a central role in political and economic strategies. More than any other factor, waterways marked cultural and economic developments in history. This paper outlines examples of water resources management throughout the ages, in Cyprus and the Hellenic Civilization on different aspects of the use and management of water, investigates technical issues and gives suggestions, thus promoting a new approach to archaeological heritage and sustainable tourism.

Archaeology and global information systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian Hodder

1999-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper I wish to reinforce the view that there is a potential in the use of the Internet by archaeology for an important change in the organisation and institutionalisation of archaeological knowledge. As many have argued, this change involves a shift from hierarchy to networks and flows. But there are dangers that the Internet will simply translate old forms of elite knowledge into new forms, increasingly excluding the un-networked. Care needs to be taken to provide different modes of access for different groups and to find ways round the exclusive tendencies associated with the dispersal of any new technology.

Iowa Intensive Archaeological Survey

Data.gov (United States)

Iowa State University GIS Support and Research Facility — This shape file contains intensive level archaeological survey areas for the state of Iowa. All intensive Phase I surveys that are submitted to the State Historic...

ETANA-DL: Managing Complex Information Applications - an Archaeology Digital Library

OpenAIRE

Ravindranathan, Unni; Shen, Rao; Goncalves, Marcos A.; Fan, Weiguo; Fox, Edward A.; Flanagan, James

2004-01-01

Archaeological research results in the generation of large quantities of heterogeneous information managed by different projects using custom information systems. We will demonstrate a prototype Digital Library (DL) for integrating and managing archaeological data and providing services useful to various user communities. ETANA-DL is a model-based, componentized, extensible, archaeological DL that manages complex information sources using the client-server paradigm of the Open Archives Initia...

Switching To Digital Tools: heritage Evaluation For Preventive Archaeology in Hungary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Máté Stibrányi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available During the last decade in Hungary, preliminary operations for large-scale archaeological excavations have became more and more important: the stakeholders have realised that it is cost-effective to spend more on the assessment phase rather than incurring higher expenditure because of problems related to an ill-planned project. Thorough knowledge of the size and characteristics of archaeological sites can largely contribute to the protection of the cultural heritage, as well as saving time and money. From 2011 Preliminary Archaeological Evaluations have been a mandatory part of the permission process of large-scale constructions (that is to say, a total minimum cost of c.1,600,000 EUR. These evaluations consist of desktop studies (such as analyses of historical documents and maps, as well as field investigations with a budget of 0.35% of the total construction cost. The goal is to make precise archaeological project plans, and to assess the optimal mitigation process. The Forster Centre – and its predecessor – has been responsible for the coordination and execution of preventive archaeological evaluations since 2013. During that time we have established and tested a GIS-based method which has been effective in large-scale investments and which – due to financial constraints – relies greatly on non-invasive methods as tools to help our investigation strategies. Our current strategy relies on three interdependent tasks: GIS-based field surveys, large-scale magnetometer surveys and targeted trial excavations. The scale of our tasks is challenging and demanding at the same time: the investigation of large areas with various methods gives us substantial and reliable datasets on the archaeological landscape. Collecting and comparing these GIS-based datasets on a nationwide scale gives us an opportunity to determine the most effective methods to identify and protect the archaeological heritage. One of the most promising opportunities is to

Complex adaptative systems and computational simulation in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvador Pardo-Gordó

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Traditionally the concept of ‘complexity’ is used as a synonym for ‘complex society’, i.e., human groups with characteristics such as urbanism, inequalities, and hierarchy. The introduction of Nonlinear Systems and Complex Adaptive Systems to the discipline of archaeology has nuanced this concept. This theoretical turn has led to the rise of modelling as a method of analysis of historical processes. This work has a twofold objective: to present the theoretical current characterized by generative thinking in archaeology and to present a concrete application of agent-based modelling to an archaeological problem: the dispersal of the first ceramic production in the western Mediterranean.

V. F. Gening and problems of the Volga Bulgaria archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudenko Konstantin A.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available V.F. Gening’s contribution to the study of the Volga Bulgaria and his views concerning the history and archaeology of this state formation are considered in the article. His sphere of interest first of all included the links between the Volga Bulgaria population and the tribes belonging to preceding cultures, such as Pyanoborye and Imenkovo ones. V.F. Gening investigated the Bolshie Tarkhany, Turaevo and Rozdestveno burial grounds dated by the 8-9th, 5th and 6-7th centuries A.D., and the materials collected modified the notion of the time and character of the Bulgars arrival in the Volga area. He reconsidered the chronology and interpretation of the archaeological monuments, which referred to the epoch preceding the Bulgars appearance on the Volga, and proposed a hypothesis of the Volga Bulgars as a Turkic-Ugrian ethnos. V.F. Gening created a periodization of the Bolgars history in Eastern Europe within the time span between 1st-3rd centuries AD and the early 13th century AD

Characterization, analysis and dating of archaeological ceramics from the Amazon basin through nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latini, Rose Mary

1998-01-01

The aim of this work is to contribute to the research in the reconstruction of part of the pre-history of the Amazon Basin by means of an analytical methods combined with multivariate analysis, given a analytic basis that can be continued by the archaeological work, through the identification, classification, provenance and dating the ceramics found in different archaeological sites of the Hydro graphic Basin of the Purus river. Neutron activation analysis in conjunction multivariate statistical methods were used for the identification and classification and thermoluminescence was used for the dating. Chemical composition results were in better agreement with archaeological classification for the archaeologically define Iquiri, Quinan and Xapuri phases and less characteristics the Iaco and Jacuru archaeological phase were not well characterized. An homogeneous group was established by most of the samples collected from the Los Angeles Archaeological Site (LA) and was distinct from all the other groups analysed. The provenance studies made with ceramics collected at this site shows that they were made with clay from nearby river (Rio Ina). From the LA ceramics dating the average date of site occupation was 1660 years. The ceramic dating results from the external wall of a circular earth wall construction confirm the relation with the local pre-history. Beyond the Acre material two urns were dated from the Archaeological Site Morro Grande and Sao Jose at Araruama, Rio de Janeiro. (author)

Modelling past land use using archaeological and pollen data

Science.gov (United States)

Pirzamanbein, Behnaz; Lindström, johan; Poska, Anneli; Gaillard-Lemdahl, Marie-José

2016-04-01

Accurate maps of past land use are necessary for studying the impact of anthropogenic land-cover changes on climate and biodiversity. We develop a Bayesian hierarchical model to reconstruct the land use using Gaussian Markov random fields. The model uses two observations sets: 1) archaeological data, representing human settlements, urbanization and agricultural findings; and 2) pollen-based land estimates of the three land-cover types Coniferous forest, Broadleaved forest and Unforested/Open land. The pollen based estimates are obtained from the REVEALS model, based on pollen counts from lakes and bogs. Our developed model uses the sparse pollen-based estimations to reconstruct the spatial continuous cover of three land cover types. Using the open-land component and the archaeological data, the extent of land-use is reconstructed. The model is applied on three time periods - centred around 1900 CE, 1000 and, 4000 BCE over Sweden for which both pollen-based estimates and archaeological data are available. To estimate the model parameters and land use, a block updated Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is applied. Using the MCMC posterior samples uncertainties in land-use predictions are computed. Due to lack of good historic land use data, model results are evaluated by cross-validation. Keywords. Spatial reconstruction, Gaussian Markov random field, Fossil pollen records, Archaeological data, Human land-use, Prediction uncertainty

Through the looking glass: Applications of ground-penetrating radar in archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Stamos, Antonia

The focus of this dissertation is to present the results of four years' worth of geophysical surveying at four major archaeological sites in Greece and the benefits to the archaeological community. The ground penetrating radar offers an inexpensive, non-destructive solution to the problem of deciding how much of a site is worth excavating and which areas would yield the most promising results. An introduction to the ground penetrating radar, or GPR, the equipment necessary to conduct a geophysical survey in the field, and the methods of data collection and subsequent data processing are all addressed. The benefits to the archeological community are many, and future excavations will incorporate such an important tool for a greater understanding of the site. The history of GPR work in the archaeological field has grown at an astounding rate from its beginnings as a simple tool for petroleum and mining services in the beginning of the twentieth century. By mid-century, the GPR was first applied to archaeological sites rather than its common use by utility companies in locating pipes, cables, tunnels, and shafts. Although the preliminary surveys were little more than a search to locate buried walls, the success of these initial surveys paved the ground for future surveys at other archaeological sites, many testing the radar's efficacy with a myriad of soil conditions and properties. The four sites in which geophysical surveys with a ground penetrating radar were conducted are Azorias on the island of Crete, Kolonna on the island of Aegina, Mochlos Island and Coastal Mochlos on the island of Crete, and Mycenae in the Peloponnese on mainland Greece. These case studies are first presented in terms of their geographical location, their mythology and etymology, where applicable, along with a brief history of excavation and occupation of the site. Additional survey methods were used at Mycenae, including aerial photography and ERDAS Imagine, a silo locating program now

Natural science methods in field archaeology, with the case study of Crimea

Science.gov (United States)

Smekalova, T. N.; Yatsishina, E. B.; Garipov, A. S.; Pasumanskii, A. E.; Ketsko, R. S.; Chudin, A. V.

2016-07-01

The natural science methods applied in archaeological field survey are briefly reviewed. They are classified into several groups: remote sensing (analysis of space and airspace photographs, viewshed analysis, study of detailed topographic and special maps, and three-dimensional photogrammetry), geophysical survey, and analysis of cultural layer elements (by geochemical, paleosol, and other methods). The most important principle is the integration of complementary nondestructive and fast natural science methods in order to obtain the most complete and reliable results. Emphasis is placed on the consideration of geophysical methods of the study, primarily, magnetic exploration. A multidisciplinary study of the monuments of ancient Chersonesos and its "barbarian" environment is described as an example of successful application of a complex technique.

Unmanned Aerial Systems and Spectroscopy for Remote Sensing Applications in Archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Themistocleous, K.; Agapiou, A.; Cuca, B.; Hadjimitsis, D. G.

2015-04-01

Remote sensing has open up new dimensions in archaeological research. Although there has been significant progress in increasing the resolution of space/aerial sensors and image processing, the detection of the crop (and soil marks) formations, which relate to buried archaeological remains, are difficult to detect since these marks may not be visible in the images if observed over different period or at different spatial/spectral resolution. In order to support the improvement of earth observation remote sensing technologies specifically targeting archaeological research, a better understanding of the crop/soil marks formation needs to be studied in detail. In this paper the contribution of both Unmanned Aerial Systems as well ground spectroradiometers is discussed in a variety of examples applied in the eastern Mediterranean region (Cyprus and Greece) as well in Central Europe (Hungary). In- situ spectroradiometric campaigns can be applied for the removal of atmospheric impact to simultaneous satellite overpass images. In addition, as shown in this paper, the systematic collection of ground truth data prior to the satellite/aerial acquisition can be used to detect the optimum temporal and spectral resolution for the detection of stress vegetation related to buried archaeological remains. Moreover, phenological studies of the crops from the area of interest can be simulated to the potential sensors based on their Relative Response Filters and therefore prepare better the satellite-aerial campaigns. Ground data and the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) can provide an increased insight for studying the formation of crop and soil marks. New algorithms such as vegetation indices and linear orthogonal equations for the enhancement of crop marks can be developed based on the specific spectral characteristics of the area. As well, UAS can be used for remote sensing applications in order to document, survey and model cultural heritage and archaeological sites.

Geospatial revolution and remote sensing LiDAR in Mesoamerican archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Chase, Arlen F.; Fisher, Christopher T.; Leisz, Stephen J.; Weishampel, John F.

2012-01-01

The application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a laser-based remote-sensing technology that is capable of penetrating overlying vegetation and forest canopies, is generating a fundamental shift in Mesoamerican archaeology and has the potential to transform research in forested areas world-wide. Much as radiocarbon dating that half a century ago moved archaeology forward by grounding archaeological remains in time, LiDAR is proving to be a catalyst for an improved spatial understanding of the past. With LiDAR, ancient societies can be contextualized within a fully defined landscape. Interpretations about the scale and organization of densely forested sites no longer are constrained by sample size, as they were when mapping required laborious on-ground survey. The ability to articulate ancient landscapes fully permits a better understanding of the complexity of ancient Mesoamerican urbanism and also aids in modern conservation efforts. The importance of this geospatial innovation is demonstrated with newly acquired LiDAR data from the archaeological sites of Caracol, Cayo, Belize and Angamuco, Michoacán, Mexico. These data illustrate the potential of technology to act as a catalytic enabler of rapid transformational change in archaeological research and interpretation and also underscore the value of on-the-ground archaeological investigation in validating and contextualizing results. PMID:22802623

Geospatial revolution and remote sensing LiDAR in Mesoamerican archaeology.

Science.gov (United States)

Chase, Arlen F; Chase, Diane Z; Fisher, Christopher T; Leisz, Stephen J; Weishampel, John F

2012-08-07

The application of light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a laser-based remote-sensing technology that is capable of penetrating overlying vegetation and forest canopies, is generating a fundamental shift in Mesoamerican archaeology and has the potential to transform research in forested areas world-wide. Much as radiocarbon dating that half a century ago moved archaeology forward by grounding archaeological remains in time, LiDAR is proving to be a catalyst for an improved spatial understanding of the past. With LiDAR, ancient societies can be contextualized within a fully defined landscape. Interpretations about the scale and organization of densely forested sites no longer are constrained by sample size, as they were when mapping required laborious on-ground survey. The ability to articulate ancient landscapes fully permits a better understanding of the complexity of ancient Mesoamerican urbanism and also aids in modern conservation efforts. The importance of this geospatial innovation is demonstrated with newly acquired LiDAR data from the archaeological sites of Caracol, Cayo, Belize and Angamuco, Michoacán, Mexico. These data illustrate the potential of technology to act as a catalytic enabler of rapid transformational change in archaeological research and interpretation and also underscore the value of on-the-ground archaeological investigation in validating and contextualizing results.

Images of Miloje M. Vasić in Serbian Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aleksandar Palavestra

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Miloje M. Vasić, "the first academically educated archaeologist in Serbia", has a strange destiny in the Serbian archaeology. On the one hand, he has been elevated to the post of the "founding father" of the discipline, with almost semidivine status and iconic importance, while on the other hand, his works have been largely unread and neglected. This paradoxical split is the consequence of the fact that Vasić has been postulated as the universal benchmark of the archaeological practice in Serbia, regardless of his interpretation of the past on the grounds of the archaeological record – the essence of archaeology. Strangely, the life and work of Vasić have not been the subject of much writing, apart from several obituaries, two short appropriate texts (Srejović, Cermanović, and rare articles in catalogues and collections dedicated to the research of Vinča (Garašanin, Srejović, Tasić, Nikolić and Vuković. The critical analysis of his whole interpretive constellation, with "The Ionian colony Vinča" being its brightest star, was limited before the World War II to the rare attempts to rectify the chronology and identify the Neolithic of the Danube valley (Fewkes, Grbić, Holste. After the war, by the middle of the 20th century, the interpretation of Vasić has been put to severe criticism of his students (Garašanin, Milojčić, Benac, which led to the significant paradigm shift, the recognition of the importance of the Balkan Neolithic, and the establishment of the culture-historical approach in the Serbian archaeology. However, from this moment on, the reception of Vasić in the Serbian archaeology has taken a strange route: Vasić as a person gains in importance, but his works are neglected, though referred to, but almost in a cultic fashion, without reading or interpreting them. Rare is a paper on the Neolithic of the Central Balkans that does not call upon the name of Vasić and his four- volume "Vinča", in which Neolithic is not

What Kind of Archaeology do We Need?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Staša Babić

2016-02-01

Full Text Available From the time of the constitution of archaeology as an academic discipline to the present, two radical changes have taken place of theoretical postulates, aims, methods, relationships with other disciplines. However, potentially farreaching consequences of these fundamental changes have not had the same impact in all the academic communities. The critical assessment of the epistemological foundations of archaeology in Serbia indicates that our professional community has remained resistant to the large extent to the paradigm changes in the wider disciplinary surrounding, so the culture-historical approach still prevails, even though it was severely criticized as early as by the middle of the 20th century. Facing this significant delay raises many important questions, starting by the issue of selection among various, sometimes mutually conflicting theoretical approaches, being a part of archaeological research for several decades and implying certain consequences in terms of methodological aspects of the discipline. Partial, non-critical and insufficiently theoretically informed borrowing of individual elements of research may lead to equally bad results as the total rejection of influences from other archaeological environments. It is therefore necessary to bring into the discipline the comprehension of the social responsibility of archaeologists, the importance of the academic narratives we produce and the ways of their creation.

Checking collagen preservation in archaeological bone by non-destructive studies (Micro-CT and IBA)

Science.gov (United States)

Beck, L.; Cuif, J.-P.; Pichon, L.; Vaubaillon, S.; Dambricourt Malassé, A.; Abel, R. L.

2012-02-01

The material to be studied is a piece of human skull discovered (1999) in Pleistocene sediments from the Orsang river (Gujarat state, India). From anatomical view point, this skull is highly composite: modern Homo sapiens characters are associated to undoubtedly more ancient features. Absolute dating by 14C is critical to understand this discovery. Prior to dating measurements, non-destructive studies have been carried out. Micro-CT reconstruction (X-ray microtomography) and Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) have been undertaken to check the structural preservation of the fossil and the collagen preservation. PIXE elemental map was used to select well-preserved bone area. RBS/EBS and NRA were used for light element quantification, in particular C, N and O contents. We also demonstrate that the PIXE-RBS/EBS combination is a effective tool for the whole characterization of archaeological and recent bones by analysing in one experiment both mineral and organic fractions. We have shown that the archaeological bone, a fragment of the potentially oldest modern Indian, is enough preserved for radiocarbon dating. We propose that Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS) using 3 MeV protons could be a good non destructive alternative to conventional CHN method using Carbon-Hydrogen-Nitrogen analyzer for measuring C and N before 14C dating.

Checking collagen preservation in archaeological bone by non-destructive studies (Micro-CT and IBA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beck, L.; Cuif, J.-P.; Pichon, L.; Vaubaillon, S.; Dambricourt Malassé, A.; Abel, R.L.

2012-01-01

The material to be studied is a piece of human skull discovered (1999) in Pleistocene sediments from the Orsang river (Gujarat state, India). From anatomical view point, this skull is highly composite: modern Homo sapiens characters are associated to undoubtedly more ancient features. Absolute dating by 14 C is critical to understand this discovery. Prior to dating measurements, non-destructive studies have been carried out. Micro-CT reconstruction (X-ray microtomography) and Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) have been undertaken to check the structural preservation of the fossil and the collagen preservation. PIXE elemental map was used to select well-preserved bone area. RBS/EBS and NRA were used for light element quantification, in particular C, N and O contents. We also demonstrate that the PIXE-RBS/EBS combination is a effective tool for the whole characterization of archaeological and recent bones by analysing in one experiment both mineral and organic fractions. We have shown that the archaeological bone, a fragment of the potentially oldest modern Indian, is enough preserved for radiocarbon dating. We propose that Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS) using 3 MeV protons could be a good non destructive alternative to conventional CHN method using Carbon–Hydrogen–Nitrogen analyzer for measuring C and N before 14 C dating.

Checking collagen preservation in archaeological bone by non-destructive studies (Micro-CT and IBA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beck, L., E-mail: lucile.beck@cea.fr [C2RMF - UMR171 CNRS, Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France, Palais du Louvre, Porte des Lions, 14 quai Francois Mitterrand, 75001 Paris (France); CEA, DEN, Service de Recherches de Metallurgie Physique, Laboratoire JANNUS, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Cuif, J.-P. [UMR IDES 8148, Universite Paris XI-Orsay, 91405 Orsay cedex (France); Pichon, L. [C2RMF - UMR171 CNRS, Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musees de France, Palais du Louvre, Porte des Lions, 14 quai Francois Mitterrand, 75001 Paris (France); Vaubaillon, S. [CEA, INSTN, Laboratoire JANNUS, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Dambricourt Malasse, A. [Departement de Prehistoire, Museum national d' Histoire naturelle, UMR 7194 - CNRS, Institut de Paleontologie Humaine, 1, rue Rene Panhard, 75013 Paris (France); Abel, R.L. [The Natural History Museum, London (United Kingdom)

2012-02-15

The material to be studied is a piece of human skull discovered (1999) in Pleistocene sediments from the Orsang river (Gujarat state, India). From anatomical view point, this skull is highly composite: modern Homo sapiens characters are associated to undoubtedly more ancient features. Absolute dating by {sup 14}C is critical to understand this discovery. Prior to dating measurements, non-destructive studies have been carried out. Micro-CT reconstruction (X-ray microtomography) and Ion Beam Analysis (IBA) have been undertaken to check the structural preservation of the fossil and the collagen preservation. PIXE elemental map was used to select well-preserved bone area. RBS/EBS and NRA were used for light element quantification, in particular C, N and O contents. We also demonstrate that the PIXE-RBS/EBS combination is a effective tool for the whole characterization of archaeological and recent bones by analysing in one experiment both mineral and organic fractions. We have shown that the archaeological bone, a fragment of the potentially oldest modern Indian, is enough preserved for radiocarbon dating. We propose that Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS) using 3 MeV protons could be a good non destructive alternative to conventional CHN method using Carbon-Hydrogen-Nitrogen analyzer for measuring C and N before {sup 14}C dating.

Architecture and Landscape. Approaches from archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebeca Blanco-Rotea

2017-11-01

Full Text Available This work proposes a theoretical and conceptual basis for the study of the fortified landscapes of the Galician- Portuguese border in the Modern Age. From this theoretical framework there was designed a research program that studies these landscapes. It proposes an approach to the study of this type of archaeological record from the Landscape Archeology and the Archeology of Architecture, introducing the concepts of built space and Archeology of Built Space.

The Impact of Climate Change on an Archaeological Site in the Arctic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hollesen, Jørgen; Matthiesen, H.; Elberling, Bo

2017-01-01

Climate change may accelerate the degradation of archaeological sites in the Arctic and lead to a loss of important historical information. This study assesses the current preservation conditions and the processes controlling the physical and chemical stability of the Qajaa kitchen midden......, thermal and hydrological erosion and oxygen exposure may lead to substantial loss of archaeological evidence before the end of the 21st century....

An archaeology of Adam Smith's epistemic context

OpenAIRE

Vigo de Lima, I.; Guizzo, D.

2015-01-01

Adam Smith played a key role in Foucault's archaeology of political economy. This archaeology, which Foucault accomplished in The Order of Things, is the focus of this article. Foucault may have disagreed with the writings of the classical political economists but he widens our perspective through new possibilities of understanding. It is very illuminating to understand Smith's thinking as following a discursive practice that economic thought shared with the knowledge of living beings (natura...

Diagnostic analysis of stone materials from underwater excavations: the case study of the Roman archaeological site of Baia (Naples, Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aloise, P.; Ricca, M.; La Russa, M.F.; Ruffolo, S.A.; Crisci, G.M. [Universita della Calabria, Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra (DiBEST), Arcavacata di Rende (Italy); Belfiore, C.M. [Universita della Calabria, Dipartimento di Biologia, Ecologia e Scienze della Terra (DiBEST), Arcavacata di Rende (Italy); Universita di Catania, Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali - Sezione di Scienze della Terra, Catania (Italy); Padeletti, G. [CNR-ICMAT, Roma (Italy)

2014-03-15

This work belongs to the framework of the national research project ''COMAS'' (Planned COnservation, ''in situ'', of underwater archaeological artifacts), funded by the Italian Ministry of Education, Universities and Research (MIUR), concerning the submarine archaeological area of Baia (Naples, Italy). The site includes remains of the ancient cities of Baiae and Portus Iulius, which, since the 4th century AD, started to be submerged because of the bradyseism phenomenon. The work aims to the characterization of four different types of stone materials collected from the site, specifically marbles, limestones, ignimbrites, and bricks, in order to investigate their state of conservation. In particular, specimens were sampled from some masonry structures and pavement slabs (opus sectile) in a specific area of the submerged site, called ''Villa a Protiro''. In order to characterize archaeological samples from a mineralogical-petrographic point of view, polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses were carried out, while to assess their conservation state, the surface colonization by biodeteriogen agents and their interaction with the substrate were studied through observations under a stereomicroscope, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Marble and limestone samples revealed an intense bioerosion phenomena, attributable to epilithic and endolithic forms, particularly boring sponges. On the contrary, ignimbrites suffer a lower degree of biological colonization related to the activity of other species, such as serpulids and bryozoans. In bricks, biocolonisation is correlated to the type of temper used in the artifact, the quartz pastes having a greater susceptibility to biological attack than the volcanic ones. (orig.)

GEOLOGICAL ANDGEOMORPHOLOGICAL MAPPING ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONUMENTS OF MOUNTAIN ALTAI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Y. Baryshnikov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the results of geological and geomorphological mapping of archaeological monument, mainly Paleolithic age, the location of which is confined to low-mountain spaces of the Mountain Altai. Using this mapping would greatly clarify the sequence of relief habitat of ancient people and more objectively determine the age characteristics of archaeological monument. 

Biometric identification of capillariid eggs from archaeological sites in Patagonia.

Science.gov (United States)

Taglioretti, V; Fugassa, M H; Beltrame, M O; Sardella, N H

2014-06-01

Numerous eggs of capillariid nematodes have been found in coprolites from a wide range of hosts and in raptor pellets in archaeological samples from Patagonia. The structure and sculpture of the eggshell of these nematodes and their biometry are commonly used for identification. The aim of this study was to determine whether eggs of the genus Calodium with similar morphology, found in different archaeological samples from Patagonia, belong to the same species. For this purpose, capillariid eggs (N= 843) with thick walls and radial striations were studied by permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA). Eggs exhibiting similar shape and structure also showed similar biometry, regardless of the zoological origin of coprolites (P= 0.84), host diet (P= 0.19), character of the archaeological sites (P= 0.67) and chronology (P= 0.66). Thus, they were attributed to the same species. We suggest that an unidentified zoonotic species of the genus Calodium occurred in the digestive tract of a wide range of hosts in Patagonia during the Holocene and that both human and animal populations were exposed to this parasite during the Holocene in the study area.

22 CFR 1104.17 - Confidentiality of archaeological resource information.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 22 Foreign Relations 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 true Confidentiality of archaeological resource information. 1104.17 Section 1104.17 Foreign Relations INTERNATIONAL BOUNDARY AND WATER COMMISSION, UNITED... of archaeological resource information. (a) The Commissioner shall not make available to the public...

Archaeological predictive model set.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

This report is the documentation for Task 7 of the Statewide Archaeological Predictive Model Set. The goal of this project is to : develop a set of statewide predictive models to assist the planning of transportation projects. PennDOT is developing t...

Study of Syrian archaeological pottery by the combined application of thermoluminescence (TL) dating, X-ray fluorescence analysis and statistical multivariate analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakraji, E.H.

2012-01-01

X-ray fluorescence method and the technique of thermoluminescence (TL) dating have been utilized for the study of archaeological pottery fragment samples, fairly representative of Romanian period between 1 st century B.C. and 4th century A.D, from Judaidet Yabous site, which is located north-west of Damascus city, Syria. Four samples were chosen randomly among the forty six samples for dating using thermoluminescence technique and the results were in good agreement with the date assigned by archaeologists. The samples were irradiated for 1000 s live time twice, first using a Mo X-ray Tube and second using a 109 Cd radioactive source. Fifteen elements (K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, and Pb) were determined. The elemental concentrations have been processed using two multivariate statistical methods. The purpose of the study was to characterize by means of elements contents the pottery paste from Judaidet Yabous archaeological site and providing new data to the Syrian databases for future studies. From an archaeological point of view the results indicated that most of the potteries, were locally produced. (author)

Landscape Archaeology in the Wādī al-ʿArab Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soennecken Katja

2017-12-01

Full Text Available As an integral part of the Gadara-Region-Project, a survey of the Wādī al-‘Arab region was conducted during the years 2009-2012, by the Biblical-Archaeological Institute Wuppertal and the German Protestant Institute for Archaeology in order to achieve a better understanding of the hinterland of the main study site Tall Zirāʿa and to provide answers concerning settlement pattern, trade relationships and the importance of sites throughout time.

Digital fruition of archaeological finds. The experience at the Archaeological Museum of Bologna

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Maria Manferdini

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This contribution presents a series of investigations undertaken thanks to the collaboration between the Department of Architecture and Territorial Planning of the University of Bologna and the Archaeological Museum of Bologna , aimed at finding a procedure for the 3d digital survey and exploration of archaeological finds. In particular, this paper shows how users can benefit from the use of digital technologies for the fruition of historical-artistic heritage. As a matter of fact, digital communication tools stimulate multisensory perception mechanisms and therefore allow to actively involve users in the exploration of contents presented through collections. Immersive visualizations, augmented reality and both tactile and visual exploration of findings can ease the establishment of a more immediate and direct communication channel with users that generally communicate and access information using digital technologies and mediums.

Acanthocefalan eggs in animal coprolites from archaeological sites from Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, L F; Araújo, A; Confalonieri, U; Chame, M

1989-01-01

An important point in paleoparasitology is the correct diagnosis of the origin of coprolites found in archaeological sites. The identification of human and animal coprolites, through the study of the shape, size, characteristics after rehydration, alimentary contents, and the presence of parasites, has proved to be accurate for human coprolites. For non-human ones we compared coprolites with recent faeces of animals collected near the archaeological sites, following the methodology above mentioned. In this paper anteaters coprolites (Tamandua tetradactyla; Myrmecophaga tridactyla) with eggs of Gigantorhynchus echinodiscus (Archiancanthocephala; Gigantorynchidae) were identified.

AIRBORNE LASER BATHYMETRY FOR DOCUMENTATION OF SUBMERGED ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN SHALLOW WATER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Doneus

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of underwater topography is essential to the understanding of the organisation and distribution of archaeological sites along and in water bodies. Special attention has to be paid to intertidal and inshore zones where, due to sea-level rise, coastlines have changed and many former coastal sites are now submerged in shallow water. Mapping the detailed inshore topography is therefore important to reconstruct former coastlines, identify sunken archaeological structures and locate potential former harbour sites. However, until recently archaeology has lacked suitable methods to provide the required topographical data of shallow underwater bodies. Our research shows that airborne topo-bathymetric laser scanner systems are able to measure surfaces above and below the water table over large areas in high detail using very short and narrow green laser pulses, even revealing sunken archaeological structures in shallow water. Using an airborne laser scanner operating at a wavelength in the green visible spectrum (532 nm two case study areas in different environmental settings (Kolone, Croatia, with clear sea water; Lake Keutschach, Austria, with turbid water were scanned. In both cases, a digital model of the underwater topography with a planimetric resolution of a few decimeters was measured. While in the clear waters of Kolone penetration depth was up to 11 meters, turbid Lake Keutschach allowed only to document the upper 1.6 meters of its underwater topography. Our results demonstrate the potential of this technique to map submerged archaeological structures over large areas in high detail providing the possibility for systematic, large scale archaeological investigation of this environment.

Sample Archaeological Survey of Public Use Areas, Milford Lake, Kansas

Science.gov (United States)

1982-09-01

especially ceramics); Middle "" Mississippian, Middle Woodland and Central Plains archaeology ; the engineering and building technology of the Maya ...Sample Archaeological Survey of Public Use Areas -- 0C 0 awo (L" . .614 4.- -. 1?CNOV 1 40484 * , "n. O ji - 0" By Laura S. Schwiekhard Thn ’.iint haUs...RECIPIENT’S CATALOG NUMBER 4. TITLE (and Subtitle) 5. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED Milford Lake, Kansas Sample Archaeological Survey of Public Use

Archaeology in the Átures Rapids of the Middle Orinoco, Venezuela

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Lozada Mendieta

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper briefly reports on the initial results of a new Leverhulme-sponsored four-year archaeological project (RPG 234- 2014 centred on the Átures Rapids area of the Middle Orinoco River, Amazonas State, Venezuela (Fig. 1. The Cotúa Island Reflexive Archaeology Project seeks to establish the longue durée historical processes that by early colonial times culminated in the region’s reputation for being a key crossroads – where diverse ethno-linguistic groups from far-flung regions converged to trade (Oliver et al. 2014. Harnessing new evi- dence, it aims to elucidate how interaction between such diverse indigenous groups unfolded and the role it played in forg- ing ethnogenesis. Through archaeological research, it seeks to gain new insights into its history and elucidate regional patterns of exchange through the study of technical andstylisticdimensionsofmaterialculture. It also aims to investigate the abundant pre-colonial rock art and its relationships to the landscape and aboriginal oral tradi- tions. Finally, it seeks to understand how Western and Non-western archaeological knowledge is produced by engaging with the current indigenous groups as partners in (reconstructing history.

The development of a GIS for New Deal Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernard K. Means

2011-05-01

Full Text Available I have recently launched an effort to create a GIS of all New Deal-funded archaeological investigations conducted in the 48 states that comprised the USA during the Great Depression (Means 2011. This effort was inspired by the persistent notion that New Deal archaeology was largely limited to the southeastern United States, where the generally warmer climate was seen as conducive to the lengthy field seasons that ensured continuous work for the unemployed (Lyon 1996. The large mound sites that dotted the southeastern USA also ensured that there would be sufficient work for the large relief crews seen as ideal from the perspective of federal officials. While it may prove true that the majority of New Deal archaeology was conducted in the southeast, it is also demonstrably true that the various ‘Alphabet Soup’ work relief programs – notably the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC and the Works Progress Administration/Work Projects Administration (WPA – supported archaeological investigations throughout the USA. In my preliminary efforts to create a GIS for New Deal archaeology, I have determined that at least 75 percent of the 48 states that comprised the USA during the Great Depression had some form of federally funded work relief survey or excavation.

Is Question-driven Fieldwork Vital or not? An Archaeological Heritage Manager's Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnieszka Oniszczuk

2018-03-01

Full Text Available This article is a follow-up to discussions held in the EAC Heritage Symposiums, and aims to answer one of the basic questions regarding the reasons for commencing any archaeological fieldwork. The subject is approached from the archaeological heritage manager's viewpoint, and question-driven fieldwork is understood here as scientific, as opposed to preventive and development-led archaeology. Basing my arguments mainly on the experiences of Polish archaeology, I argue in favour of the development-led research. It has been shaping European archaeology to the highest degree for several decades, and therefore should not be considered inferior or secondary. Considering the quality gap between purely scientific and development-led fieldwork, there is still a lot to be improved regarding the scope of research and its standards. Nevertheless, it still seems to have the highest potential for systemic heritage management consistent with the rules set out by the Valletta Convention and the Lausanne Charter (PDF, and for the development of archaeology as a science. Development-led archaeology is also the closest to the public and forces archaeologists to cooperate with various stakeholders.

Further studies on the problems of geomagnetic field intensity determination from archaeological baked clay materials

Science.gov (United States)

Kostadinova-Avramova, M.; Kovacheva, M.

2015-10-01

Archaeological baked clay remains provide valuable information about the geomagnetic field in historical past, but determination of the geomagnetic field characteristics, especially intensity, is often a difficult task. This study was undertaken to elucidate the reasons for unsuccessful intensity determination experiments obtained from two different Bulgarian archaeological sites (Nessebar - Early Byzantine period and Malenovo - Early Iron Age). With this aim, artificial clay samples were formed in the laboratory and investigated. The clay used for the artificial samples preparation differs according to its initial state. Nessebar clay was baked in the antiquity, but Malenovo clay was raw, taken from the clay deposit near the site. The obtained artificial samples were repeatedly heated eight times in known magnetic field to 700 °C. X-ray diffraction analyses and rock-magnetic experiments were performed to obtain information about the mineralogical content and magnetic properties of the initial and laboratory heated clays. Two different protocols were applied for the intensity determination-Coe version of Thellier and Thellier method and multispecimen parallel differential pTRM protocol. Various combinations of laboratory fields and mutual positions of the directions of laboratory field and carried thermoremanence were used in the performed Coe experiment. The obtained results indicate that the failure of this experiment is probably related to unfavourable grain sizes of the prevailing magnetic carriers combined with the chosen experimental conditions. The multispecimen parallel differential pTRM protocol in its original form gives excellent results for the artificial samples, but failed for the real samples (samples coming from previously studied kilns of Nessebar and Malenovo sites). Obviously the strong dependence of this method on the homogeneity of the used subsamples hinders its implementation in its original form for archaeomaterials. The latter are often

Synchrotron radiation in art and archaeology SRA 2005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pollard, A.M.; Janssens, K.; Artioli, G.; Young, M.L.; Casadio, F.; Schnepp, S.; Marvin, J.; Dunand, D.C.; Almer, J.; Fezzaa, K.; Lee, W.K.; Haeffner, D.R.; Reguer, S.; Dillmann, Ph.; Mirambet, F.; Susini, J.; Lagarde, P.; Pradell, T.; Molera, J.; Brunetti, B.; D'acapito, F.; Maurizio, C.; Mazzoldi, P.; Padovani, S.; Sgamellotti, A.; Garges, F.; Etcheverry, M.P.; Flank, A.M.; Lagarde, P.; Marcus, M.A.; Scheidegger, A.M.; Grolimund, D.; Pallot-Frossard, I.; Smith, A.D.; Jones, M.; Gliozzo, E.; Memmi-Turbanti, I.; Molera, J.; Vendrell, M.; Mcconachie, G.; Skinner, T.; Kirkman, I.W.; Pantos, E.; Wallert, A.; Kanngiesser, B.; Hahn, O.; Wilke, M.; NekaT, B.; Malzer, W.; Erko, A.; Chalmin, E.; Vignaud, C.; Farges, F.; Susini, J.; Menu, M.; Sandstrom, M.; Cotte, M.; Kennedy, C.J.; Wess, T.J.; Muller, M.; Murphy, B.; Roberts, M.A.; Burghammer, M.; Riekel, C.; Gunneweg, J.; Pantos, E.; Dik, J.; Tafforeau, P.; Boistel, R.; Boller, E.; Bravin, A.; Brunet, M.; Chaimanee, Y.; Cloetens, P.; Feist, M.; Hoszowska, J.; Jaeger, J.J.; Kay, R.F.; Lazzari, V.; Marivaux, L.; Nel, A.; Nemoz, C.; Thibault, X.; Vignaud, P.; Zabler, S.; Sciau, P.; Goudeau, P.; Tamura, N.; Doormee, E.; Kockelmann, W.; Adriaens, A.; Ryck, I. de; Leyssens, K.; Hochleitner, B.; Schreiner, M.; Drakopoulos, M.; Snigireva, I.; Snigirev, A.; Sanchez Del Rio, M.; Martinetto, P.; Dooryhee, E.; Suarez, M.; Sodo, A.; Reyes-Valerio, C.; Haro Poniatowski, E.; Picquart, M.; Lima, E.; Reguera, E.; Gunneweg, J.; Reiche, I.; Berger, A.; Bevers, H.; Duval, A.

2005-01-01

Materials - bones, artifacts, artwork,.... - lie at the heart of both archaeology and art conservation. Synchrotron radiation techniques provide powerful ways to interrogate these records of our physical and cultural past. In this workshop we will discuss and explore the current and potential applications of synchrotron radiation science to problems in archaeology and art conservation. This document gathers the abstracts of the presentations

Synchrotron radiation in art and archaeology SRA 2005

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pollard, A M; Janssens, K; Artioli, G; Young, M L; Casadio, F; Schnepp, S; Marvin, J; Dunand, D C; Almer, J; Fezzaa, K; Lee, W K; Haeffner, D R; Reguer, S; Dillmann, Ph; Mirambet, F; Susini, J; Lagarde, P; Pradell, T; Molera, J; Brunetti, B; D' acapito, F; Maurizio, C; Mazzoldi, P; Padovani, S; Sgamellotti, A; Garges, F; Etcheverry, M P; Flank, A M; Lagarde, P; Marcus, M A; Scheidegger, A M; Grolimund, D; Pallot-Frossard, I; Smith, A D; Jones, M; Gliozzo, E; Memmi-Turbanti, I; Molera, J; Vendrell, M; Mcconachie, G; Skinner, T; Kirkman, I W; Pantos, E; Wallert, A; Kanngiesser, B; Hahn, O; Wilke, M; NekaT, B; Malzer, W; Erko, A; Chalmin, E; Vignaud, C; Farges, F; Susini, J; Menu, M; Sandstrom, M; Cotte, M; Kennedy, C J; Wess, T J; Muller, M; Murphy, B; Roberts, M A; Burghammer, M; Riekel, C; Gunneweg, J; Pantos, E; Dik, J; Tafforeau, P; Boistel, R; Boller, E; Bravin, A; Brunet, M; Chaimanee, Y; Cloetens, P; Feist, M; Hoszowska, J; Jaeger, J J; Kay, R F; Lazzari, V; Marivaux, L; Nel, A; Nemoz, C; Thibault, X; Vignaud, P; Zabler, S; Sciau, P; Goudeau, P; Tamura, N; Doormee, E; Kockelmann, W; Adriaens, A; Ryck, I de; Leyssens, K; Hochleitner, B; Schreiner, M; Drakopoulos, M; Snigireva, I; Snigirev, A; Sanchez Del Rio, M; Martinetto, P; Dooryhee, E; Suarez, M; Sodo, A; Reyes-Valerio, C; Haro Poniatowski, E; Picquart, M; Lima, E; Reguera, E; Gunneweg, J; Reiche, I; Berger, A; Bevers, H; Duval, A

2005-07-01

Materials - bones, artifacts, artwork,.... - lie at the heart of both archaeology and art conservation. Synchrotron radiation techniques provide powerful ways to interrogate these records of our physical and cultural past. In this workshop we will discuss and explore the current and potential applications of synchrotron radiation science to problems in archaeology and art conservation. This document gathers the abstracts of the presentations.

Refinement of a Method for Identifying Probable Archaeological Sites from Remotely Sensed Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tilton, James C.; Comer, Douglas C.; Priebe, Carey E.; Sussman, Daniel; Chen, Li

2012-01-01

To facilitate locating archaeological sites before they are compromised or destroyed, we are developing approaches for generating maps of probable archaeological sites, through detecting subtle anomalies in vegetative cover, soil chemistry, and soil moisture by analyzing remotely sensed data from multiple sources. We previously reported some success in this effort with a statistical analysis of slope, radar, and Ikonos data (including tasseled cap and NDVI transforms) with Student's t-test. We report here on new developments in our work, performing an analysis of 8-band multispectral Worldview-2 data. The Worldview-2 analysis begins by computing medians and median absolute deviations for the pixels in various annuli around each site of interest on the 28 band difference ratios. We then use principle components analysis followed by linear discriminant analysis to train a classifier which assigns a posterior probability that a location is an archaeological site. We tested the procedure using leave-one-out cross validation with a second leave-one-out step to choose parameters on a 9,859x23,000 subset of the WorldView-2 data over the western portion of Ft. Irwin, CA, USA. We used 100 known non-sites and trained one classifier for lithic sites (n=33) and one classifier for habitation sites (n=16). We then analyzed convex combinations of scores from the Archaeological Predictive Model (APM) and our scores. We found that that the combined scores had a higher area under the ROC curve than either individual method, indicating that including WorldView-2 data in analysis improved the predictive power of the provided APM.

Ground-Penetrating Radar Prospecting in the Peinan Archaeological Site, Taiwan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lun-Tao Tong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The Peinan archaeological site is the largest prehistoric village in Taiwan. Only small-scale pits are allowed for research purposes because the Peinan site is protected by the Cultural Heritage Preservation Act. Careful selection of the pit locations is crucial for future archaeological research at this site. In this study, a ground-penetrating radar (GPR survey was applied near the stone pillar to understand the GPR signatures of the subsurface remains. Seven GPR signatures were categorized based on the radar characters shown on the GPR image. A detailed GPR survey with dense parallel survey lines was subsequently conducted in the area of northern extent of the onsite exhibition to map the subsurface ancient buildings. The results were verified by two test pits, which indicate that the distribution of the subsurface building structures can be well recognized from GPR depth slices. It will be very helpful for setting proper pits priorities for future archaeological research, and for making proper design of the new onsite exhibition.

Archaeomagnetic dating of seven archaeological fireplaces in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoof, A.A.M. van; Langereis, C.G.; Joosten, I.; Thijssen, J.R.A.M.; Nijhof, E.; Groenendijk, H.A.; Eynde, G.R.M. van den

1997-01-01

The palaeomagnetic directions of seven Dutch fireplaces are compared with the archaeological age estimates which range from the first to the 17th century AD. A comparison with the British master curve of secular variation for archaeomagnetic dating results in a refinement of the archaeological age

Satellite imagery-based monitoring of archaeological site damage in the Syrian civil war.

Science.gov (United States)

Casana, Jesse; Laugier, Elise Jakoby

2017-01-01

Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the rich archaeological heritage of Syria and northern Iraq has faced severe threats, including looting, combat-related damage, and intentional demolition of monuments. However, the inaccessibility of the conflict zone to archaeologists or cultural heritage specialists has made it difficult to produce accurate damage assessments, impeding efforts to develop mitigation strategies and policies. This paper presents results of a project, undertaken in collaboration with the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) and the US Department of State, to monitor damage to archaeological sites in Syria, northern Iraq, and southern Turkey using recent, high-resolution satellite imagery. Leveraging a large database of archaeological and heritage sites throughout the region, as well as access to continually updated satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe, this project has developed a flexible and efficient methodology to log observations of damage in a manner that facilitates spatial and temporal queries. With nearly 5000 sites carefully evaluated, analysis reveals unexpected patterns in the timing, severity, and location of damage, helping us to better understand the evolving cultural heritage crisis in Syria and Iraq. Results also offer a model for future remote sensing-based archaeological and heritage monitoring efforts in the Middle East and beyond.

Satellite imagery-based monitoring of archaeological site damage in the Syrian civil war.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesse Casana

Full Text Available Since the start of the Syrian civil war in 2011, the rich archaeological heritage of Syria and northern Iraq has faced severe threats, including looting, combat-related damage, and intentional demolition of monuments. However, the inaccessibility of the conflict zone to archaeologists or cultural heritage specialists has made it difficult to produce accurate damage assessments, impeding efforts to develop mitigation strategies and policies. This paper presents results of a project, undertaken in collaboration with the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR and the US Department of State, to monitor damage to archaeological sites in Syria, northern Iraq, and southern Turkey using recent, high-resolution satellite imagery. Leveraging a large database of archaeological and heritage sites throughout the region, as well as access to continually updated satellite imagery from DigitalGlobe, this project has developed a flexible and efficient methodology to log observations of damage in a manner that facilitates spatial and temporal queries. With nearly 5000 sites carefully evaluated, analysis reveals unexpected patterns in the timing, severity, and location of damage, helping us to better understand the evolving cultural heritage crisis in Syria and Iraq. Results also offer a model for future remote sensing-based archaeological and heritage monitoring efforts in the Middle East and beyond.

Alchemy or Science? Compromising Archaeology in the Deep Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Jonathan

2007-06-01

In the torrid debate between archaeology and treasure hunting, compromise is often suggested as the pragmatic solution, especially for archaeology carried out either in deep water or beyond the constraints that commonly regulate such activities in territorial seas. Both the wisdom and the need for such compromise have even been advocated by some archaeologists, particularly in forums such as the internet and conferences. This paper argues that such a compromise is impossible, not in order to fuel confrontation but simply because of the nature of any academic discipline. We can define what archaeology is in terms of its aims, theories, methods and ethics, so combining it with an activity founded on opposing principles must transform it into something else. The way forward for archaeology in the deep sea does not lie in a contradictory realignment of archaeology’s goals but in collaborative research designed to mesh with emerging national and regional research and management plans.

Preliminary characterization of ceramics from the Lago Grande archaeological site in the central Amazon by INAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazenfratz, Roberto; Munita, Casimiro S.; Neves, Eduardo G.; Oliveira, Paulo M.S.; Toyota, Rosimeiri G.

2009-01-01

The macroscopic characteristics of archaeological ceramics, such as the surface decoration and shape, are used as cultural and chronological indicators of ancient people. The combination of stylistic-typological studies with archaeometric analysis, as provenance studies, has been considered of great importance in Archaeology. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the pre-colonial Amazonian occupations. Inside this context, fifty ceramic fragments from the Lago Grande archaeological site were analyzed by INAA in order to characterize its elemental composition. The results were treated with multivariate statistics: Cluster, Principal Components and Discriminant Analysis. The results obtained by these three methods were compared in an effort to achieve some correlation with the archaeological context. It was stated the existence of two different groups of artifacts. They probably regard to the main ceramic phases found in the site excavation: Paredao and Manacapuru. Once confirmed by other archaeological analyses, these results could corroborate an exchange net among the former inhabitants of Lago Grande and other sites in the neighborhood. (author)

Comprehensive Bibliography of Pakistan Archaeology: Paleolithic to Historic Times. South Asia Series, Occasional Paper No. 24.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Denise E.

The comprehensive bibliography is a compilation of twentieth century documents about Pakistan prehistory from Paleolithic times to the arrival of the Greeks in approximately 330 B.C., also includes some of the major archaeological studies in adjacent countries which have a bearing on the interpretation and comparative analysis of Pakistan…

Detection of Shallow Buried Archaeological Remains Structure using 2-D Resistivity Method at Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang, Kedah

Science.gov (United States)

Ismail, Nurina; Nordiana, M. M.; Saidin, M.; Masnan, S. S. K.; Abir, I. A.

2018-04-01

In an archaeological study, 2-D resistivity becomes important tools for the scientific investigation and also can be applied to map shallow subsurface structures at the archaeological site. The main purpose of the research is to locate the shallow buried archaeological remains structure in the area of Sungai Batu, Lembah Bujang, Kedah (Malaysia). Resistivity surveys have been applied using a Pole-dipole array with both 5 survey lines for SB1 and SB2 sites using 0.75 m electrode spacing. Both results revealed high resistivity zone with ≥ 3000 Ωm at a depth ranging from 0-1.5 m at the study area. SB1 site conducting an excavation to validate the result obtain while SB2 is not conducting any excavation. Besides that, the other characteristics of the buried archaeological remains are indicated as mound area and there is exposed remain found on top of the surface. Based on the archaeological evidence, the higher resistivity value indicates the interesting anomaly which is clay bricks for archaeological excavation.

V.F. Gening and issues on the archaeology of Volga Bulgaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rudenko Konstantin A.

2014-03-01

Full Text Available V.F. Gening’s contribution to the study of the Volga Bulgaria and his views concerning the history and archaeology of this state formation are considered in the article. His sphere of interest first of all included the links between the Volga Bulgaria population and the tribes belonging to preceding cultures, such as Pyanoborye and Imenkovo ones. V.F. Gening investigated the Bolshie Tarkhany, Turaevo and Rozdestveno burial grounds dated by the 8-9th, 5th and 6-7th centuries A.D., and the materials collected modified the notion of the time and character of the Bulgars arrival in the Volga area. He reconsidered the chronology and interpretation of the archaeological monuments, which referred to the epoch preceding the Bulgars appearance on the Volga, and proposed a hypothesis of the Volga Bulgars as a Turkic-Ugrian ethnos. V.F. Gening created a periodization of the Bolgars history in Eastern Europe within the time span between 1st-3rd centuries AD and the early 13th century AD

Response to ‘Brexit, Archaeology and Heritage: Reflections and Agendas’

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lorna-Jane Richardson

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This research was presented at the UCL Brexit, Archaeology and Heritage workshop and here it is summarised as a response to the lead forum article ‘Brexit, Archaeology and Heritage: Reflections and Agendas’.

"If We Just Knew Who Should Do It", or the Social Organization of the Archiving of Archaeology in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

Huvila, Isto

2016-01-01

Introduction: This paper analyses the work practices and perspectives of professionals working with archaeological archives and the social organization of archaeological archiving and information management in Sweden. Method: The paper is based on an interview study of Swedish actors in the field of archaeological archiving (N = 16). Analysis: The…

Substance and materiality? The archaeology of Talensi medicine shrines and medicinal practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Insoll, Timothy

2011-08-01

Talensi materia medica is varied, encompassing plant, mineral, and animal substances. Healing, medicines, and medicinal practices and knowledge can be shrine-based and linked with ritual practices. This is explored utilising ethnographic data and from an archaeological perspective with reference to future possibilities for research both on Talensi medicine and, by implication, more generally through considering the archaeology of Talensi medicine preparation, use, storage, spread, and disposal. It is suggested that configuring the archaeology of medicine shrines and practices more broadly in terms of health would increase archaeological visibility and research potential.

Augmented Reality System for the musealization of archaeological sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Esclapés

2013-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper we are presenting a multi-marker and semi-immersive system for augmented reality to visualize and interact with archaeological sites, specifically those located in inaccessible or complex environments, such as caves or underwater locations. The use of this system in museum exhibitions helps visitors to come closer to archaeological heritage. As an example for the implementation of this system, an archaeological site has been used. It is the “Cova del Barranc del Migdia”, located in the “Sierra del Montgó”, Xàbia (Spain. The product obtained has been exhibited in various museums nationwide.

Back to the Future? Presenting archaeology at the Green Man Festival

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Matt Law

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In the summer of 2011, Cardiff Osteoarchaeology Research Group was invited to present a number of archaeological engagement activities at the Green Man music festival as part of the Einstein’s Garden science learning area. The project, called Back to the Future?: Animals and archaeology in Einstein’s Garden comprised a number of activities, designed to cater for a wide range of ages as the festival audience typically includes young people and families. Over four days more than 2000 people visited the stall. This paper will briefly outline the activities presented, and will reflect on the challenges posed by outreach at a music festival, in particular how to hook the main festival demographic, and how to evaluate success.

GPR impedance inversion for imaging and characterization of buried archaeological remains: A case study at Mudu city cite in Suzhou, China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yu; Shi, Zhanjie; Wang, Bangbing; Yu, Tianxiang

2018-01-01

As a method with high resolution, GPR has been extensively used in archaeological surveys. However, conventional GPR profile can only provide limited geometry information, such as the shape or location of the interface, but can't give the distribution of physical properties which could help identify the historical remains more directly. A common way for GPR to map parameter distribution is the common-midpoint velocity analysis, but it provides limited resolution. Another research hotspot, the full-waveform inversion, is unstable and relatively dependent on the initial model. Coring method could give direct information in drilling site, while the accurate result is only limited in several boreholes. In this paper, we propose a new scheme to enhance imaging and characterization of archaeological targets by fusion of GPR and coring data. The scheme mainly involves the impedance inversion of conventional common-offset GPR data, which uses well log to compensate GPR data and finally obtains a high-resolution estimation of permittivity. The core analysis result also contributes to interpretation of the inversion result. To test this method, we did a case study at Mudu city site in Suzhou, China. The results provide clear images of the ancient city's moat and wall subsurface and improve the characterization of archaeological targets. It is shown that this method is effective and feasible for archaeological exploration.

The Use of PDF/A in Digital Archives: A Case Study from Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tim N. L. Evans

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In recent years the Portable Document Format (PDF has become a ubiquitous format in the exchange of documents; in 2005 the PDF/A profile was defined in order to meet long term accessibility needs, and has accordingly come to be regarded as a long-term archiving strategy for PDF files. In the field of archaeology, a growing number of PDF files – containing the detailed results of fieldwork and research – are beginning to be deposited with digital archives such as the Archaeology Data Service (ADS. In the ADS’ experience, the use of PDF/A has had benefits as well as drawbacks: the majority of PDF reports are now in a standard format better suited to longer-term access, however migrating to PDF/A and managing and ensuring reuse of these files is intensive, and fraught with potential pitfalls. Of these, perhaps the most serious has been an unreliability in PDF/A conformance by the wide range of tools and software now available. There are also practical and more theoretical implications for reuse which, as our discipline of archaeology alongside so many others rapidly becomes digitized, presents us with a large corpus of ‘data’ that is human readable, but may not be amenable to machine-based technologies such as NLP. It may be argued that these factors effectively undermine some of the perceived cost benefit of moving from paper to digital, as well as the longer-term sustainability of PDF/A within digital archives.

Toward a Historical Archaeology of West African Borderlands ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Whereas, the ethnographic cum archival study of West African borderlands abounds in the literature, there is the dearth of the comparative analysis of these sources in tandem with the archaeological findings of material culture. Thus, this paper seeks to open up a new dialogue on the importance of borderlands studies in ...

VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENTS GENERATED IN AVAYALIVE ENGAGE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ANTHONY Rigby

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Realistically rendered and textured virtual spaces can be created in the AVAYALIVE ENGAGE platform by importing high polygon models and scaled accurately reproduced textures. In addition MellaniuM has successfully developed an application for utilizing all the archaeological virtual assets developed in 3D Studio Max or generated over the past several years using photogrammetry and laser scanning. It is possible therefore to create interactive environments of archaeological significance that can be accessed through the Internet and available to up to 40 participants. 

Archaeology and the future: Managing nuclear waste as a living heritage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holtorf, Cornelius; Hoegberg, Anders

2015-01-01

Archaeology, the study of the remains of the ancient past, may be relevant to the long-term preservation of RK and M, because it works to recover information, knowledge and meaning that have been lost. As a discipline, archaeology studies how the past is understood in the present, potentially drawing lessons that could guide future action concerning the preservation of RK and M across time by indicating how future societies could make sense of the past. Case studies, such as an examination of European megalithic tombs, show that the understanding of the past varies across time. It was emphasised that archaeological interpretation always reflects contemporary perceptions of past and future, which are socially and culturally embedded and highly mutable over time. What is more, archaeology is a fairly recent discipline and there is no certainty that it will exist in the long term, to help recover and reconstruct lost RK and M. As a result, it cannot be assumed that information, knowledge and meaning of the past can be transmitted reliably in the long term. Based on this understanding Profs. Cornelius Holtorf and Anders Hoegberg made a case for trying to keep knowledge alive over time, continuously engaging each present. They used the notion of 'living heritage', which refers to striving for continuity in the short and medium terms as a way to reach the long term, keeping in mind that reinterpretation and knowledge development over time is a given. As a result, they suggest to 'think about the long term but act for the short and medium terms'

PHOTOGRAMMETRIC TECHNIQUES FOR PROMOTION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM OF PARMA (ITALY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Dall’Asta

2016-06-01

Full Text Available In a context rich in history and cultural heritage, such as the Italian one, promotion and enhancement of historical evidences are crucial. The paper describes the case study of the Archaeological Museum of Parma, which, for the main part, conserves evidences found in the roman archaeological site of Veleia (Piacenza, Italy. To enhance the comprehension of the past, the project aims to promote the exhibits through new digital contents, in particular 3D models and AR applications, to improve their usability by the public. Projects like this pose some difficulties especially in data acquisition and restitution due to complexity of the objects and their dimension and position that are not always adequate for an easy survey. Furthermore, in this case, it was necessary to find a solution that takes into account, on one hand, the necessity of a high degree of detail to ensure high metric quality and, on the other hand, the need of producing small files, in order to easy load and consult them on the web or smartphone applications. For all these reasons, close-range photogrammetry was considered the most adequate technique to produce the major part of the models. In this paper, particular attention will be dedicated to the description of the survey campaign and data processing, underlining difficulties and adopted solutions, in order to provide a methodological summary of the actions performed.

GPR Diagnostics of columns in archaeological contexts

Science.gov (United States)

Soldovieri, Francesco; Masini, Nicola; Persico, Raffaele; Catapano, Ilaria

2017-04-01

In the last decade the use of Ground Penetrating radar (GPR) applied to cultural heritage has been strongly increasing thanks to both technological development of sensors and softwares for data processing and cultural reasons such as the increasing awareness of conservators and archaeologist of the benefits of this method in terms of reduction of costs and time and risk associated with restoration works. This made GPR a mature technique for investigating different types of works of art and building elements of historical interest, including masonry structures, frescoes, mosaics [1-3], in the context of scientific projects, decision support activities aimed at the diagnosis of decay pathologies, and educational activities. One of the most complex building elements to be investigated by GPR are the columns both for the geometry of the object and for the several expected features to be detected including fractures, dishomogeneities and metallic connection elements. The work deals with the Ground Penetrating Radar diagnostic surveys at the prestigious archaeological site of Pompei. In particular, GPR surveys were carried out in two different areas, Palestra Grande and Tempio di Giove. The first campaign was carried out also as educational activity of the "International School "GEOPHYSICS AND REMOTE SENSING FOR ARCHAEOLOGY". The School aimed at giving the opportunity to scholars, PhD students, researchers and specialists in Geophysics, Remote Sensing and Archaeology to deepen their knowledge and expertise with geophysical and remote sensing techniques for archaeology and cultural heritage documentation and management. This survey was carried on two kinds of columns, with circular and rectangular section in order to detect possible hidden defects affecting their integrity. The second survey was carried out at Tempio di Giove, on request of the Soprintendenza Pompei, in order to gain information about the presence of reinforcement structures, which may be put inside the

Archaeological Excavations on the BTC Pipeline, Azerbaijan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Michael Taylor

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The archaeology and history of the Republic of Azerbaijan is not widely known in comparison with that of its neighbours. A recent summary of work in the Caucasus (Smith and Rubinson 2003 contained no specific references to results from Azerbaijan, although the studies were directly comparable and overlapped in period and geography. The reasons for this are many, perhaps the most influential is the presentation of material from Azerbaijan being confused with southern Azerbaijan in Iran in the wider academic audience and the use of the Cyrillic alphabet for reports written in the Azeri language over the past century. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC and South Caucasus Pipelines (SCP were constructed through Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey during the period 2003-5. BTC was built first from the Caspian Coast to the Georgian border during 2003 and 2004, while the SCP pipeline was built from the Georgian border towards the Caspian and parallel to the BTC in 2005. To investigate and mitigate the effects of this construction, a four year archaeological fieldwork programme (2001-2005 was carried out, followed by a further six-year post-excavation programme that ended in early 2011. This article draws on this extensive archaeological project that combines both the broad corpus of material known in Azerbaijan and new techniques introduced in the Republic for the first time and used on a range of sites that are of both national and international significance.

GIS and infographic applications in the North House of Arucci archaeological site (Aroche, Huelva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro Corrales Álvarez

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper is focused on the application of a methodological model specifically designed to develop the tasks related to analysis and dissemination of the Roman Hispania site of Arucci (Aroche, Huelva. The main aim of our approach is to reconcile the diffusion of the results obtained after the excavation, documentation, and the study of the archaeological record with the methodological analysis of a Geographic Information System (GIS. We consider that a GIS is the most appropriate tool in archaeology for this purpose since it allows users to manage a large amount of data in diverse formats and insert it in a closed topographic reference frame. For that purpose, we restrict the field of action to the North House (a house built in the time of Emperor Augustus that lasted until the 3rd century AD. The real power of this research relies on the integration of the digital building archaeological record in a GIS, while the architecture of the Roman house is reconstructed virtually from archaeological remains, in this way the domestic space is visually comprehensible. According to the results obtained in this pilot experience, we can affirm that the union of GIS and infographics allows archaeological reality to surpass the strictly academic scope and promote it to society making possible the Arucci site approachable to professionals of archaeology as well as to the uninitiated. The feasibility of the proposal that was carried out within the North House encourages us to consider the export of this study model to the rest of buildings that make up the site such as the foro, macellum, balneum as, well as other domus.

Study of archaeological coins of different dynasties using libs coupled with multivariate analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Awasthi, Shikha; Kumar, Rohit; Rai, G. K.; Rai, A. K.

2016-04-01

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) is an atomic emission spectroscopic technique having unique capability of an in-situ monitoring tool for detection and quantification of elements present in different artifacts. Archaeological coins collected form G.R. Sharma Memorial Museum; University of Allahabad, India has been analyzed using LIBS technique. These coins were obtained from excavation of Kausambi, Uttar Pradesh, India. LIBS system assembled in the laboratory (laser Nd:YAG 532 nm, 4 ns pulse width FWHM with Ocean Optics LIBS 2000+ spectrometer) is employed for spectral acquisition. The spectral lines of Ag, Cu, Ca, Sn, Si, Fe and Mg are identified in the LIBS spectra of different coins. LIBS along with Multivariate Analysis play an effective role for classification and contribution of spectral lines in different coins. The discrimination between five coins with Archaeological interest has been carried out using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results show the potential relevancy of the methodology used in the elemental identification and classification of artifacts with high accuracy and robustness.

Pajarito Plateau archaeological surveys and excavations. II

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steen, C R

1982-04-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory continues its archaeological program of data gathering and salvage excavations. Sites recently added to the archaeological survey are described, as well as the results of five excavations. Among the more interesting and important discoveries are (1) the apparently well-established local use of anhydrous lime, and (2) a late pre-Columbian use of earlier house sites and middens for garden plots. Evidence indicated that the local puebloan population was the result of an expansion of upper Rio Grande peoples, not an influx of migrants.

Grid for Meso american Archaeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lucet, G.

2007-01-01

Meso american archaeology works with large amounts of disperse and diverse information, thus the importance of including new methods that optimise the acquisition, conservation, retrieval, and analysis of data to generate knowledge more efficiently and create a better understanding of history. Further, this information --which includes texts, coordinates, raster graphs, and vector graphs-- comes from a considerable geographical area --parts of Mexico, Nicaragua, Honduras and Costa Rica as well as Guatemala, El Salvador and Belize-- is constantly expanding. This information includes elements like shards, buildings, mural paintings, high and low reliefs, topography, maps, and information about the fauna and soil. Grid computing offers a solution to handle all this information: it respects researchers' need for independence while supplying a platform to share, process and compare the data obtained. Additionally, the Grid can enhance space-time analyses with remote visualisation techniques that can, in turn, incorporate geographical information systems and virtual reality. (Author)

Archaeological and taxonomic significance of ancient wood samples ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Ancient wood samples from an archaeological excavation, Test Pit II, in Ahanve, near Badagry were analysed to ascertain their identity. Anatomical study of the wood samples revealed oval-circular xylem pores, diffuse apotracheal axial parenchyma, procumbent and homogeneous ray and non-septate fibres, all consistent ...

A Space View of Radar Archaeological Marks: First Applications of COSMO-SkyMed X-Band Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fulong Chen

2014-12-01

Full Text Available With the development of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR in terms of multi-band, multi-polarization and high-resolution data, space radar remote sensing for archaeology has become a potential field for research. Nevertheless, the archaeological detection capability of this technology has so far not been fully assessed. This paper is a pioneering effort to assess the potential of satellite SAR X-band data in the detection of archaeological marks. We focus on the results obtained from a collaborative contribution jointly carried out by archaeologists and remote sensing experts in order to test the use of COSMO-SkyMed data in different contexts and environmental conditions. The methodological approaches we adopted are based on two different feature-enhancement procedures: (i multi-temporal analysis performed to reduce noise and highlight archaeological marks; (ii single-date analysis to assess the ability of the single SAR scene to detect archaeological features like with optical remote sensing. Results from multi-temporal data analysis, conducted using 40 scenes from COSMO-SkyMed X-band Stripmap data (27 February to 17 October 2013, enable us to detect unknown archaeological crop, soil, and shadow marks representing Luoyang city, dating from the Eastern-Han to Northern-Wei Dynasties. Single-date analyses were conducted using COSMO-SkyMed Spotlight scenes acquired for Sabratha (Libya and Metapontum (southern Italy. These case studies were selected because they are characterized by diverse superficial conditions (desert and Mediterranean area and archaeological marks (crop, soil and shadow. The results we obtained for both of them show that even a single SAR X-band acquisition is a feasible and effective approach for archaeological prospection. Overall, the methodological approach adopted demonstrated that both multi-temporal and single-date analysis are suitable for the enhancement of archaeological and palaeoenvironmental features.

Elemental, isotopic, and geochronological variability in Mogollon-Datil volcanic province archaeological obsidian, southwestern USA: Solving issues of intersource discrimination

Science.gov (United States)

Shackley, M. Steven; Morgan, Leah; Pyle, Douglas

2017-01-01

Solving issues of intersource discrimination in archaeological obsidian is a recurring problem in geoarchaeological investigation, particularly since the number of known sources of archaeological obsidian worldwide has grown nearly exponentially in the last few decades, and the complexity of archaeological questions asked has grown equally so. These two parallel aspects of archaeological investigation have required more exacting understanding of the geological relationship between sources and the more accurate analysis of these sources of archaeological obsidian. This is particularly the case in the North American Southwest where the frequency of archaeological investigation is some of the highest in the world, and the theory and method used to interpret that record has become increasingly nuanced. Here, we attempt to unravel the elemental similarity of archaeological obsidian in the Mogollon-Datil volcanic province of southwestern New Mexico where some of the most important and extensively distributed sources are located and the elemental similarity between the sources is great even though the distance between the sources is large. Uniting elemental, isotopic, and geochronological analyses as an intensive pilot study, we unpack this complexity to provide greater understanding of these important sources of archaeological obsidian.

Application of acoustic, magnetic and electromagnetic systems in marine archaeology

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

SubbaRaju, L.V.

The importance of integrated geoscientific studies is reiterated for underwater archaeological exploration. Geophysical systems applied for the detection of artefacts, ancient places and underwater sites/objects are explained and detailed...

Is the Truth Down There?: Cultural Heritage Conflict and the Politics of Archaeological Authority

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian Barber

2006-06-01

Full Text Available The selective pressures and processes of cultural heritage management effectively disinherit some interest groups. Where this occurs in the context of postcolonial or nationalist conflict, the material archaeological record may be referenced to support or reject particular views. The disciplinary assumptions behind the archaeological evidence so produced are not usually contested in judicial contexts. A review of archaeology’s theoretical foundations suggests that this naivety itself may be problematic. A descriptive culture history approach dominated archaeology over the first half of the twentieth century with a strong political appeal to nationalist politics. Subsequently archaeology became concerned with processual explanation and the scientific identification of universal laws of culture, consistent with postwar technological optimism and conformity. A postprocessual archaeology movement from the 1970s has promoted relativism and challenged the singular authority of scientific explanation. Archaeologists caught within this debate disagree over the use of the archaeological record in situations of political conflict. Furthermore, the use of archaeology in the sectarian debate over the Ayodhya birthplace of Rama suggests that the material record of the past can become highly politicized and seemingly irresolvable. Archaeological research is also subject to other blatant and subtle political pressures throughout the world, affecting the nature and interpretation of the record. A system that privileges archaeological information values may be irrelevant also to communities who value and manage their ancestral heritage for customary purposes. Collectively this review of theory and applied knowledge suggests that it is unrealistic to expect that archaeology can authoritatively resolve strident claims and debates about the past. Instead, an important contemporary contribution of archaeology may be its potential to document cultural and

Archaeology of Bet Dwarka Island

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Sundaresh; Gaur, A.S.

Explorations along the shore and in the intertidal zone at Bet Dwarka island, Gujarat, India were carried out by the Marine Archaeology Centre of National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), Goa, India between 1981-1994. Artefacts of both...

Ion beam studies of archaeological gold jewellery items

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Demortier, G.

1996-01-01

Analytical work on material of archaeological interest performed at LARN mainly concerns gold jewellery, with an emphasis to solders on the artefacts and to gold plating or copper depletion gilding. PIXE, RBS but also PIGE and NRA have been applied to a large variety of items. On the basis of elemental analysis, we have identified typical workmanship of ancient goldsmiths in various regions of the world: finely decorated Mesopotamian items, Hellenistic and Byzantine craftsmanship, cloisonne of the Merovingian period, depletion gilding on Pre-Colombian tumbaga. This paper is some shortening of the work performed at LARN during the last ten years. Criteria to properly use PIXE for quantitative analysis of non-homogeneous ancient artefacts presented at the 12th IBA conference in 1995 are also shortly discussed. (orig.)

Ion beam studies of archaeological gold jewellery items

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Demortier, G [Facultes Universitaires Notre-Dame de la Paix, Namur (Belgium). Lab. d` Analyses par Reactions Nucleaires

1996-06-01

Analytical work on material of archaeological interest performed at LARN mainly concerns gold jewellery, with an emphasis to solders on the artefacts and to gold plating or copper depletion gilding. PIXE, RBS but also PIGE and NRA have been applied to a large variety of items. On the basis of elemental analysis, we have identified typical workmanship of ancient goldsmiths in various regions of the world: finely decorated Mesopotamian items, Hellenistic and Byzantine craftsmanship, cloisonne of the Merovingian period, depletion gilding on Pre-Colombian tumbaga. This paper is some shortening of the work performed at LARN during the last ten years. Criteria to properly use PIXE for quantitative analysis of non-homogeneous ancient artefacts presented at the 12th IBA conference in 1995 are also shortly discussed. (orig.).

Archaeology and astronomy

Science.gov (United States)

2009-10-01

MEETING REPORT The interaction between archaeology and astronomy has a long, tangled and not entirely creditable history, marred by misunderstandings on both sides. But statistics and cultural awareness are bringing a better picture of how and why lasting monuments such as Stonehenge were built. Sue Bowler reports on a joint meeting of the Royal Astronomical Society and the Prehistoric Society, held at Jodrell Bank on 17 July 2009.

MUSEUMS: A STRATEGY TO PRESERVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN CAMPECHE, MEXICO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marisol Ordaz Tamayo

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Mexico’s long history and rich cultural diversity translates into an equally rich offer of national patrimony. That offer, both national and international in scope, adopts diverse formats, such as and/ or archaeological parks. Several Maya archaeological sites in the state of have been exposed without previous planning for their conservation, management, and further research. This leads to and, consequently, their devaluation as a priceless patrimonial heritage. This study explores the prospect and of a community and museum-based strategy as a key to integrate the value of said sites as educational, cultural, economic, and tourist assets and contributing factors to the region’s sustainable

The Materials Science and its impact in the Archaeology. Volume 3; La Ciencia de Materiales y su impacto en la Arqueologia. Volumen 3

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendoza A, D. [ININ, 52750 La Marquesa, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Arenas A, J.A.; Ruvalcaba S, J.L. [IFUNAM, 04510 Mexico D.F. (Mexico); Rodriguez L, V. [CUV, BUAP, Puebla (Mexico)

2006-07-01

From the half-filled nineties the 'Archaeological and Art issues in Materials Science' symposium has come carrying out inside the International Congress of Materials Science that annually organizes the Mexican Academy of Materials Science. In this symposium, investigators of different nationalities, including Mexico, they have participated exposing their results in the study, consolidation and conservation of materials of archaeological origin and of works of art. By this way, the symposium has been promoted the exchange of experiences among the scientists, fomenting the collaboration among these. Due to the quality of the presented works and as an effort of the participants of disclosing their studies, the symposium organizing committee decided to capture in this third book series, the works presented in 2005, in such a way that its can be consulted by colleagues, students and public in general and know the investigations that are carried out in the field of the materials science applied to the study of archaeological samples and of works of art. (Author)

A survey of archaeological samples dated in 1984

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejdahl, V.

1985-10-01

A survey is given of archaeological samples dated in 1984 at the Nordic Laboratory for Thermoluminescence Dating. A total of 79 samples were dated, 49 of which were burnt stones. All results were corrected for fading as measured for samples stored for four weeks at room temperature. The alpha dose contribution from uranium in the quartz and feldspar grains was included assuming an alpha efficiency facotr of 0.1 for quartz and 0.2 for feldspars. (author)

Crumbling UNESCO and aggregating archaeology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Carman, J.; Turek, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 13, č. 3 (2017), s. 387-391 ISSN 1555-8622 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : indigenous people of Amazonia * Canaanite site in Gaza * UNESCO * world archaeology * European Association of Archaeologists Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Toward a Historical Archaeology of West African Borderlands

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Keywords: African History; Borderlands Studies; Historical Archaeology; ... Thus, the analysis of cultural heritage in the region has been .... In a similar development, ... arrived on the coast, West Africa was already linked by trade networks that ... For instance, in the ancient city of Badagry, the 'relics of the enslavement ...

fiReproxies: A computational model providing insight into heat-affected archaeological lithic assemblages.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Andrew C; Scherjon, Fulco

2018-01-01

Evidence for fire use becomes increasingly sparse the further back in time one looks. This is especially true for Palaeolithic assemblages. Primary evidence of fire use in the form of hearth features tends to give way to clusters or sparse scatters of more durable heated stone fragments. In the absence of intact fireplaces, these thermally altered lithic remains have been used as a proxy for discerning relative degrees of fire use between archaeological layers and deposits. While previous experimental studies have demonstrated the physical effects of heat on stony artefacts, the mechanisms influencing the proportion of fire proxy evidence within archaeological layers remain understudied. This fundamental study is the first to apply a computer-based model (fiReproxies) in an attempt to simulate and quantify the complex interplay of factors that ultimately determine when and in what proportions lithic artefacts are heated by (anthropogenic) fires. As an illustrative example, we apply our model to two hypothetical archaeological layers that reflect glacial and interglacial conditions during the late Middle Palaeolithic within a generic simulated cave site to demonstrate how different environmental, behavioural and depositional factors like site surface area, sedimentation rate, occupation frequency, and fire size and intensity can, independently or together, significantly influence the visibility of archaeological fire signals.

77 FR 34987 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-12

... Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of... of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology has completed an inventory of human remains in..., University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania, 3260 South...

Wari influence in southern Peru: provenance study of middle horizon pottery from the archaeological site of La Real using k0-INAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedregal, P.S.; Mendoza, P.A.; Ubillus, M.S.; Montoya, E.H.; Jennings, J.

2015-01-01

Fragments of archaeological pottery from a rescue excavation at the site of La Real in Arequipa, Peru, were studied by instrumental neutron activation analysis, k 0 method. Analytical data were processed by multivariate statistical techniques, comparing the chemical composition of the studied samples versus the information available in our database on the chemical composition of archaeological pottery from Conchopata (Ayacucho), Cotahuasi (Arequipa), Huaro (Cusco) and Tiwanaku (Bolivia). The results obtained revealed that most of the samples were likely made locally at La Real, while others correspond to the chemical composition of the different groups considered, showing evidence of the presence of foreign pottery in the site and a small group which were not classified. (author)

Marine archaeological research in India

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Tripati, S.; Sundaresh; Vora, K.H.; Bandodkar, S.N.

of this activity. All the developed countries have made tremendous progress in this field and substantial progress has been made in India in marine archaeology. Over the years the National Institute of Oceanography in collaboration with other Government agencies...

Cambridge Illustrated History of Archaeology, edited by Paul G. Bahn, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1996

OpenAIRE

Givens, Douglas R.

1997-01-01

The Cambridge Illustrated History of Archaeology is another in a series of volumes devoted to the history of archaeology that have appeared in recent time. Paul Bahn, the editor of the volume, has broken down his coverage of the history of worldwide archaeology into the following arrangement 'The Archaeology of Archaeology", "Old Worlds and New, 1500-1760", "Antiquarians and Explorers, 1760-1820", "Science and Romantic...

Marine archaeological investigations in inferring shoreline / sea level changes along the Indian coast

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Vora, K.H.

disturbances from the excavations, for instance Harappan sites at Kalibanga in Rajasthan and Dholavira in Khadir Bet of Kachchh in Gujarat. National Institute of Oceanography has initiated marine archaeological investigations in 1981. Initially... coastline of Gujarat, which based on artefacts of the sites can be dated to late Harappan period, i.e. 3500 yrs B. P. Our archaeological studies in Bet Dwarka island suggest that at least two historical period sites gets submerged - one complete...

Successful adaptation of three-dimensional inversion methodologies for archaeological-scale, total-field magnetic data sets

Science.gov (United States)

Cheyney, S.; Fishwick, S.; Hill, I. A.; Linford, N. T.

2015-08-01

Despite the development of advanced processing and interpretation tools for magnetic data sets in the fields of mineral and hydrocarbon industries, these methods have not achieved similar levels of adoption for archaeological or very near surface surveys. Using a synthetic data set we demonstrate that certain methodologies and assumptions used to successfully invert more regional-scale data can lead to large discrepancies between the true and recovered depths when applied to archaeological-type anomalies. We propose variations to the current approach, analysing the choice of the depth-weighting function, mesh design and parameter constraints, to develop an appropriate technique for the 3-D inversion of archaeological-scale data sets. The results show a successful recovery of a synthetic scenario, as well as a case study of a Romano-Celtic temple in the UK. For the case study, the final susceptibility model is compared with two coincident ground penetrating radar surveys, showing a high correlation with the comparative depth slices. The new approach takes interpretation of archaeological data sets beyond a simple 2-D visual interpretation based on pattern recognition.

Prehistoric Agricultural Communities in West Central Alabama. Volume 2. Studies of Material Remains from the Lubbub Creek Archaeological Locality.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-01-01

and excessive calculus deposits which promoted periodontal disease , was not observed in the sample. In a survey of caries experience in populations of...class. General categories such as large mammal (e.g., deer or bear), medium mammal (e.g., raccoon or dog sized), and small mammal (e.g., mouse or rabbit...sample from the Lubbub Creek Archaeological Locality. We know from ethnohistoric accounts and from archaeological remains that dogs were commensals

Application of photo-detection to art and archaeology at the C2RMF

Science.gov (United States)

Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.; Klein, M.

2003-05-01

The Centre for research and restoration of the museums of France (C2RMF), located in the Louvre palace in Paris routinely uses photodetector-based techniques for the study of objects of cultural heritage. Among these methods, the ion beam analysis techniques (IBA) provided by the 2-MV electrostatic accelerator "AGLAE" installed in the C2RMF have the specific qualities required for the study of these valuable objects. Indeed, PIXE and PIGE are non-destructive, non-invasive, rapid and sensitive tools for the determination of the chemical composition. Their use enables to answer three major questions in the field of Art and Archaeology: (1) identification of the material, (2) determination of the provenance, and (3) study of surface modification (ageing, alteration). Applications of radiation detectors are exemplified through case studies performed at the Centre: the identification of the pigments used on an Egyptian papyrus, the provenance of gemstones set on ancient jewels and the indirect dating of archaeological flints. New trends in the use of photo-detectors in Art and Archaeology are presented.

Application of photo-detection to art and archaeology at the C2RMF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calligaro, T.; Dran, J.-C.; Klein, M.

2003-01-01

The Centre for research and restoration of the museums of France (C2RMF), located in the Louvre palace in Paris routinely uses photodetector-based techniques for the study of objects of cultural heritage. Among these methods, the ion beam analysis techniques (IBA) provided by the 2-MV electrostatic accelerator 'AGLAE' installed in the C2RMF have the specific qualities required for the study of these valuable objects. Indeed, PIXE and PIGE are non-destructive, non-invasive, rapid and sensitive tools for the determination of the chemical composition. Their use enables to answer three major questions in the field of Art and Archaeology: (1) identification of the material, (2) determination of the provenance, and (3) study of surface modification (ageing, alteration). Applications of radiation detectors are exemplified through case studies performed at the Centre: the identification of the pigments used on an Egyptian papyrus, the provenance of gemstones set on ancient jewels and the indirect dating of archaeological flints. New trends in the use of photo-detectors in Art and Archaeology are presented

Application of photo-detection to art and archaeology at the C2RMF

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calligaro, T. E-mail: thomas.calligaro@culture.gouv.fr; Dran, J.-C.; Klein, M

2003-05-21

The Centre for research and restoration of the museums of France (C2RMF), located in the Louvre palace in Paris routinely uses photodetector-based techniques for the study of objects of cultural heritage. Among these methods, the ion beam analysis techniques (IBA) provided by the 2-MV electrostatic accelerator 'AGLAE' installed in the C2RMF have the specific qualities required for the study of these valuable objects. Indeed, PIXE and PIGE are non-destructive, non-invasive, rapid and sensitive tools for the determination of the chemical composition. Their use enables to answer three major questions in the field of Art and Archaeology: (1) identification of the material, (2) determination of the provenance, and (3) study of surface modification (ageing, alteration). Applications of radiation detectors are exemplified through case studies performed at the Centre: the identification of the pigments used on an Egyptian papyrus, the provenance of gemstones set on ancient jewels and the indirect dating of archaeological flints. New trends in the use of photo-detectors in Art and Archaeology are presented.

Immediate Realities: an anthropology of computer visualisation in archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Bateman

2000-06-01

Full Text Available The use of computer visualisation techniques is an increasing part of archaeology's illustrative repertoire - but how do these images relate to the wider visual language that archaeologists use? This article assesses computer visualisations in the light of a range of anthropological, art historical, and cultural critiques to place them and their production squarely within the broader spectrum of the discipline's output. Moving from identifying the shortcomings in the methods and scope of existing critiques of archaeological illustrations, a comprehensive approach to understanding the visual culture of archaeology is outlined. This approach is specifically applied to computer visualisations, and identifies both the sociology of their production, and the technological nature of their creation and reproduction as key elements influencing their readings as communicators of archaeological ideas. In order to develop useful understandings of how the visual languages we employ act within the discourse of the discipline, we must be inclusive in our critiques of those languages. Until we consider the cultural products of our discipline with the same sophistication with which we examine the products of other cultures (past and present, we will struggle to use them to their full potential.

Magnitude of 14C/12C variations based on archaeological samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kusumgar, S.; Agrawal, D.P.

1977-01-01

The magnitude of 14 C/ 12 C variations in the period A.D. 5O0 to 200 B.C. and 370 B.C. to 2900 B.C. is discussed. The 14 C dates of well-dated archaeological samples from India and Egypt do not show any significant divergence from the historical ages. On the other hand, the corrections based on dendrochronological samples show marked deviations for the same time period. A plea is, therefore, made to study old tree samples from Anatolia and Irish bogs and archaeological samples from west Asia to arrive at a more realistic calibration curve. (author)

Archaeological and anthropological studies on the Harappan cemetery of Rakhigarhi, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasant S Shinde

Full Text Available An insufficient number of archaeological surveys has been carried out to date on Harappan Civilization cemeteries. One case in point is the necropolis at Rakhigarhi site (Haryana, India, one of the largest cities of the Harappan Civilization, where most burials within the cemetery remained uninvestigated. Over the course of the past three seasons (2013 to 2016, we therefore conducted excavations in an attempt to remedy this data shortfall. In brief, we found different kinds of graves co-existing within the Rakhigarhi cemetery in varying proportions. Primary interment was most common, followed by the use of secondary, symbolic, and unused (empty graves. Within the first category, the atypical burials appear to have been elaborately prepared. Prone-positioned internments also attracted our attention. Since those individuals are not likely to have been social deviants, it is necessary to reconsider our pre-conceptions about such prone-position burials in archaeology, at least in the context of the Harappan Civilization. The data presented in this report, albeit insufficient to provide a complete understanding of Harappan Civilization cemeteries, nevertheless does present new and significant information on the mortuary practices and anthropological features at that time. Indeed, the range of different kinds of burials at the Rakhigarhi cemetery do appear indicative of the differences in mortuary rituals seen within Harappan societies, therefore providing a vivid glimpse of how these people respected their dead.

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of archaeological ceramics from Osvaldo and Lago Grande sites in central Amazon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazenfratz, Roberto; Tudela, Diego R.G.; Munita, Casimiro S.; Mittani, Juan C.R.; Tatumi, Sonia H.

2013-01-01

Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating are two important techniques for dating archaeological and geological material, especially suitable for archaeological ceramics, where samples for 14 C dating are not available. In this work, five pottery shards from Osvaldo and Lago Grande archaeological sites were dated by OSL. For measurements, it was used the SAR protocol. The annual dose rates were estimated by the contents of U, Th and K, determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of the pottery shards and clay samples near both sites. Lago Grande and Osvaldo represent a microcosm of the region, and their proximity and high density of archaeological record turn them interesting to study possible relations of cultural and/or commercial exchange. Calculations showed that the water content is an important variable that cannot be neglected in OSL dating of pottery shards from central Amazon, due to the high humidity in regional soils. The results between 867 ± 101 and 1154 ± 62 years AD agreed with the average time span for the archaeological sites occupation found in the literature. (author)

Optically stimulated luminescence dating of archaeological ceramics from Osvaldo and Lago Grande sites in central Amazon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hazenfratz, Roberto; Tudela, Diego R.G.; Munita, Casimiro S., E-mail: robertohm@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Mittani, Juan C.R.; Tatumi, Sonia H. [Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Santos, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

Thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating are two important techniques for dating archaeological and geological material, especially suitable for archaeological ceramics, where samples for {sup 14}C dating are not available. In this work, five pottery shards from Osvaldo and Lago Grande archaeological sites were dated by OSL. For measurements, it was used the SAR protocol. The annual dose rates were estimated by the contents of U, Th and K, determined by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) of the pottery shards and clay samples near both sites. Lago Grande and Osvaldo represent a microcosm of the region, and their proximity and high density of archaeological record turn them interesting to study possible relations of cultural and/or commercial exchange. Calculations showed that the water content is an important variable that cannot be neglected in OSL dating of pottery shards from central Amazon, due to the high humidity in regional soils. The results between 867 ± 101 and 1154 ± 62 years AD agreed with the average time span for the archaeological sites occupation found in the literature. (author)

Archaeological mounds as analogs of engineered covers for waste disposal sites: Literature review and progress report. [Appendix contains bibliography and data on archaeological mounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chatters, J C; Gard, H A

1991-09-01

Closure caps for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities are typically designed as layered earthen structures, the composition of which is intended to prevent the infiltration of water and the intrusion of the public into waste forms. Federal regulations require that closure caps perform these functions well enough that minimum exposure guidelines will be met for at least 500 years. Short-term experimentation cannot mimic the conditions that will affect closure caps on the scale of centuries, and therefore cannot provide data on the performance of cap designs over long periods of time. Archaeological mounds hundreds to thousands of years old which are closely analogous to closure caps in form, construction details, and intent can be studied to obtain the necessary understanding of design performance. Pacific Northwest Laboratory conducted a review and analysis of archaeological literature on ancient human-made mounds to determine the quality and potential applicability of this information base to assessments of waste facility design performance. A bibliography of over 200 English-language references was assembled on mound structures from the Americas, Europe, and Asia. A sample of these texts was read for data on variables including environmental and geographic setting, condition, design features, construction. Detailed information was obtained on all variables except those relating to physical and hydrological characteristics of the mound matrix, which few texts presented. It is concluded that an extensive amount of literature and data are available on structures closely analogous to closure caps and that this information is a valuable source of data on the long-term performance of mounded structures. Additional study is recommended, including an expanded analysis of design features reported in the literature and field studies of the physical and hydraulic characteristics of different mound designs. 23 refs., 10 figs., 12 tabs.

Study of archaeological analogs for the validation of nuclear glass long-term behavior models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verney-Carron, A.

2008-10-01

Fractured archaeological glass blocks collected from a shipwreck discovered in the Mediterranean Sea near Embiez Island (Var) were investigated because of their morphological analogy with vitrified nuclear waste and of a known and stable environment. These glasses are fractured due to a fast cooling after they were melted (like nuclear glass) and have been altered for 1800 years in seawater. This work results in the development and the validation of a geochemical model able to simulate the alteration of a fractured archaeological glass block over 1800 years. The kinetics associated with the different mechanisms (interdiffusion and dissolution) and the thermodynamic parameters of the model were determined by leaching experiments. The model implemented in HYTEC software was used to simulate crack alteration over 1800 years. The consistency between simulated alteration thicknesses and measured data on glass blocks validate the capacity of the model to predict long-term alteration. This model is able to account for the results from the characterization of crack network and its state of alteration. The cracks in the border zone are the most altered due to a fast renewal of the leaching solution, whereas internal cracks are thin because of complex interactions between glass alteration and transport of elements in solution (influence of initial crack aperture and of the crack sealing). The lowest alteration thicknesses, as well as their variability, can be explained. The analog behavior of archaeological and nuclear glasses from leaching experiments makes possible the transposition of the model to nuclear glass in geological repository. (author)

"Atypical" use of combinations of geophysical methods for archaeological heritage preservation in the Czech Republic

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Křivánek, Roman

2015-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 2015 (2015), s. 472-476 ISSN 0066-5924. [International Conference on Archaeological Prospection /11./. Warszawa, 15.09.2015-19.09.2015] Grant - others:AV ČR(CZ) R300021421 Institutional support: RVO:67985912 Keywords : archaeological prospection * archaeological heritage preservation * medieval siege camp * archaeology of castle park and gardens * flood plain area Subject RIV: AC - Archeology, Anthropology, Ethnology

Southwestern (U.S.A. Archaeological Tree-Ring Dating: 1930-1942

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen E. Nash

1997-11-01

Full Text Available Dendrochronology, the science of assigning precise and accurate calendar dates to annual growth rings in trees (Stokes and Smiley 1968, was the first independent dating technique available to prehistorians. Ar­chaeological tree-ring dating came of age at a time when North American archaeologists concerned them­selves primarily with time/space systematics (Willey and Sabloff 1980 and yet had no absolute and inde­pendent dating techniques available to guide their analyses. Histories of archaeology typically have not considered the development of archaeological tree-ring dating in detail. Willey and Sabloff (1980:12 devote one paragraph to the development of Southwestern archaeological tree-ring dating, as does Steibing (1993:261. Trigger (1989:305 considers dendrochronology (in the sense of the Douglass method only in light of radiocarbon dating. Textbooks and regional histories of archaeology do a little better in their treat­ment of dendrochronology, though discussions typically focus on the interpretation of tree-ring dates and not on the developmental history of the technique itself (e.g. Cordell 1984:88-90; Fagan 1991:129-133; Lyon 1996:46; Michels 1973:116; Thomas 1979:190-194. Scott (1966:9 argues that 'the story of the discovery of archaeological tree-ring dating by A E. Douglass and others has been told and retold and is now familiar to scientists and laymen alike'. I beg to differ.

The potential of statistical shape modelling for geometric morphometric analysis of human teeth in archaeological research.

Science.gov (United States)

Woods, Christopher; Fernee, Christianne; Browne, Martin; Zakrzewski, Sonia; Dickinson, Alexander

2017-01-01

This paper introduces statistical shape modelling (SSM) for use in osteoarchaeology research. SSM is a full field, multi-material analytical technique, and is presented as a supplementary geometric morphometric (GM) tool. Lower mandibular canines from two archaeological populations and one modern population were sampled, digitised using micro-CT, aligned, registered to a baseline and statistically modelled using principal component analysis (PCA). Sample material properties were incorporated as a binary enamel/dentin parameter. Results were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using anatomical landmarks. Finally, the technique's application was demonstrated for inter-sample comparison through analysis of the principal component (PC) weights. It was found that SSM could provide high detail qualitative and quantitative insight with respect to archaeological inter- and intra-sample variability. This technique has value for archaeological, biomechanical and forensic applications including identification, finite element analysis (FEA) and reconstruction from partial datasets.

International Conference on Remote Sensing Applications for Archaeological Research and World Heritage Conservation

Science.gov (United States)

2002-01-01

Contents include the following: Monitoring the Ancient Countryside: Remote Sensing and GIS at the Chora of Chersonesos (Crimea, Ukraine). Integration of Remote Sensing and GIS for Management Decision Support in the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (Republic of Benin). Monitoring of deforestation invasion in natural reserves of northern Madagascar based on space imagery. Cartography of Kahuzi-Biega National Park. Cartography and Land Use Change of World Heritage Areas and the Benefits of Remote Sensing and GIS for Conservation. Assessing and Monitoring Vegetation in Nabq Protected Area, South Sinai, Egypt, using combine approach of Satellite Imagery and Land Surveys. Evaluation of forage resources in semi-arid savannah environments with satellite imagery: contribution to the management of a protected area (Nakuru National Park) in Kenya. SOGHA, the Surveillance of Gorilla Habitat in World Heritage sites using Space Technologies. Application of Remote Sensing to monitor the Mont-Saint-Michel Bay (France). Application of Remote Sensing & GIS for the Conservation of Natural and Cultural Heritage Sites of the Southern Province of Sri Lanka. Social and Environmental monitoring of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: Case Study over the Vosges du Nord and Pfalzerwald Parks using Corona and Spot Imagery. Satellite Remote Sensing as tool to Monitor Indian Reservation in the Brazilian Amazonia. Remote Sensing and GIS Technology for Monitoring UNESCO World Heritage Sites - A Pilot Project. Urban Green Spaces: Modern Heritage. Monitoring of the technical condition of the St. Sophia Cathedral and related monastic buildings in Kiev with Space Applications, geo-positioning systems and GIS tools. The Murghab delta palaeochannel Reconstruction on the Basis of Remote Sensing from Space. Acquisition, Registration and Application of IKONOS Space Imagery for the cultural World Heritage site at Mew, Turkmenistan. Remote Sensing and VR applications for the reconstruction of archaeological landscapes

Analysis and interpretation of geophysical surveys in archaeological sites employing different integrated approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Piro, Salvatore; Papale, Enrico; Kucukdemirci, Melda; Zamuner, Daniela

2017-04-01

dating from the third century B.C. The second site is always in suburban area and is part of the ancient acropolis Etruscan town of Cerveteri (central Italy). The third site is part of Aizanoi archaeological park (Cavdarhisar, Kutahya, Turkey). To have a better understanding of the subsurface, we performed a different integrated approaches of these data, which consists in fusing the data from all the employed methods, to have a complete visualization of the investigated area. For the processing we have used the following techniques: graphical integration (overlay and RGB colour composite), discrete data analysis (binary data analysis and cluster analysis) and continuous data analysis (data sum, product, max, min and PCA). Ernenwein, E.G. 2009. Integration of multidimensional archaeogeophysical data using supervised and unsupervised classification. Near surface geophysics. Vol 7: 147-158. DOI:10.3997/1873-0604.2009004 Kucukdemirci,M., Piro.S.,Baydemir,N.,Ozer.,E. Zamuner.,D. 2015. Mathematical and Statistical Integration approach on archaeological prospection data,case studies from Aizanoi-Turkey. 43rd Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Siena. Kvamme,K.,2007. Integrating Multiple Geophysical Datasets, Remote Sensing in archaeology, Springer,Boston. Piro,S.,Mauriello.,P. and Cammarano.,F.2000. Quantitative Integration of Geophysical methods for Archaeological Prospection. Archaeological prospection 7(4): 203-213. Piro S., Papale E., Zamuner D., 2016. Different integrated geophysical approaches to investigate archaeological sites in urban and suburban area. Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 18, EGU2016.

Theorising 3D Visualisation Systems in Archaeology: Towards more effective design, evaluations and life cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrizio Galeazzi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available 3D visualisation in archaeology has become a suitable solution and effective instrument for the analysis, interpretation and communication of archaeological information. However, so far only a few attempts have been made to understand and evaluate the real impact that 3D imaging has on the discipline under its different forms (off-line immersive and not immersive, and on-line platform. There is a need in archaeology and cultural heritage for a detailed analysis of the different infrastructural options that are available and a precise evaluation of the differing impact that they can have in reshaping the discipline. To achieve this, it is important to develop new methodologies that consider the evaluation process as a fundamental and central part for assessing digital infrastructures. These new methods should include flexible evaluation approaches that can be adapted to the infrastructure that needs to be assessed. This article aims to provide some examples of 3D applications in archaeology and cultural heritage and describe how the selection of the infrastructure is related to specific needs of the project. This work will describe the different applications and propose guidelines and protocols for evaluating their impact within academia and the general public.

Archaeological Feedback as a Research Methodology in Near-Surface Geophysics

Science.gov (United States)

Maillol, J.; Ortega-Ramírez, J.; Berard, B.

2005-05-01

A unique characteristic of archaeological geophysics is to present the researchers in applied geophysics with the opportunity to verify their interpretation of geophysical data through the direct observation of often extremely detailed excavations. This is usually known as archaeological feedback. Archaeological materials have been slowly buried over periods ranging from several hundreds to several thousands of years, undergoing natural sedimentary and soil-forming processes. Once excavated, archaeological features therefore constitute more realistic test subjects than the targets artifically buried in common geophysical test sites. We are presenting the outcome of several such verification tests aimed at clarifying issues in geometry and spatial resolution of ground penetrating radar (GPR) images. On the site of a Roman villa in SE Portugal 500 Mhz GPR images are shown to depict very accurately the position and geometry of partially excavated remains. In the Maya city of Palenque, Mexico, 900 Mhz data allows the depth of tombs and natural cavities to be determined with cm accuracy. The predicted lateral extent of the cavities is more difficult to match with the reality due to the cluttering caused by high frequency. In the rainforest of Western Africa, 500 MHz GPR was used to prospect for stone tool sites. When very careful positioning and high density data sampling is achieved, stones can be accurately located and retrieved at depths exceeding 1 m with maximum positioning errors of 12cm horizontally and 2 cm vertically. In more difficult data collection conditions however, errors in positioning are shown to actually largely exceed the predictions based on quantitative theoretical resolution considerations. Geophysics has long been recognized as a powerful tool for prospecting and characterizing archaeological sites. Reciprocally, these results show that archaeology is an unparalleled test environment for the assesment and development of high resolution

Characterization of ceramic archaeological by high resolution X ray microtomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Machado, Alessandra C.; Freitas, Renato; Calza, Cristiane F.; Lopes, Ricardo T.; Lima, Inaya; Carvalho, Daniele D.; Gaspar, Maria D.

2013-01-01

Characterization of ceramic fragments is a very important area of research in art and archeometry area because it enables a greater understanding of how ancient civilizations behave and what were their traditions and customs. Petrography and chemical analyses are commonly used, but these techniques are destructive, which is not interesting for this type of sample. Through the exchange of multidisciplinary scientific knowledge and new partnerships, high resolution X-ray microtomography has been introduced in archaeological area as a great possibility of 3D inspection in a non-destructive way. The goal of this work is to investigate the internal microstructures of four samples of archeological ceramic, from the Archaeological Site of Macacu - RJ. The X-ray microtomography were performed in a high resolution setup, and can be used to infer the nature of organic temper even with all plant remains completely burnt out during the firing process and also to ensure the homogeneity of samples envisaged for geochemical analyses, especially with respect to the distribution of chemically diverse fabric compounds. In this way this study intends to contribute to our understanding of the archaeological and historical formations of this region. (author)

Characterization of ceramic archaeological by high resolution X ray microtomography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machado, Alessandra C.; Freitas, Renato; Calza, Cristiane F.; Lopes, Ricardo T.; Lima, Inaya, E-mail: alecastro@lin.ufrj.br [Coordenacao dos Programas de Pos-Graduacao de Engenharia (COPPE/UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Lab. de Instrumentacao Nuclear; Carvalho, Daniele D.; Gaspar, Maria D. [Museu Nacional (MN/UFRJ), RJ (Brazil). Centro de Tecnologia

2013-07-01

Characterization of ceramic fragments is a very important area of research in art and archeometry area because it enables a greater understanding of how ancient civilizations behave and what were their traditions and customs. Petrography and chemical analyses are commonly used, but these techniques are destructive, which is not interesting for this type of sample. Through the exchange of multidisciplinary scientific knowledge and new partnerships, high resolution X-ray microtomography has been introduced in archaeological area as a great possibility of 3D inspection in a non-destructive way. The goal of this work is to investigate the internal microstructures of four samples of archeological ceramic, from the Archaeological Site of Macacu - RJ. The X-ray microtomography were performed in a high resolution setup, and can be used to infer the nature of organic temper even with all plant remains completely burnt out during the firing process and also to ensure the homogeneity of samples envisaged for geochemical analyses, especially with respect to the distribution of chemically diverse fabric compounds. In this way this study intends to contribute to our understanding of the archaeological and historical formations of this region. (author)

Combining different Technologies in a Funerary Archaeology content and language integrated Learning (CLIL) Course

OpenAIRE

Cignoni, Laura; Fornaciari, Gino

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper is to describe a project in which Italian undergraduate students at the Palaeopathology Division of Pisa University will attend a two-year Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) course combining the study of funerary archaeology with English as vehicular language. At the presence of a subject and language teacher working together, the trainees will use different types of technology including devices such as electronic blackboards and Word applications with user-...

Multitemporal satellite data analyses for archaeological mark detection: preliminary results in Italy and Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Lasaponara, Rosa; Masini, Nicola

2014-05-01

within Basilicata and Puglia Region, southern Patagonia and Payunia-Campo Volcanicos Liancanelo e PayunMatru respectively, in Italy and Argentina. We focused our attention on diverse surfaces and soil types in different periods of the year in order to assess the capabilities of both optical and radar data to detect archaeological marks in different ecosystems and seasons. We investigated not only crop culture during the "favourable vegetative period" to enhance the presence of subsurface remains but also the "spectral response" of spontaneous, sparse herbaceous covers during periods considered and expected to be less favourable (as for example summer and winter) for this type of investigation. The main interesting results were the capability of radar (cosmoskymed) and multispectral optical data satellite data (Pleiades, Quickbird, Geoeye) to highlight the presence of structures below the surface even (i) in during period of years generally considered not "suitable for crop mark investigations" and even (ii) in areas only covered by sparse, spontaneous herbaceous plants in several test sites investigate din both Argentine and Italian areas of interest. Preliminary results conducted in both Italian and Argentina sites pointed out that Earth Observation (EO) technology can be successfully used for extracting useful information on traces the past human activities still fossilized in the modern landscape in different ecosystems and seasons. Moreover the multitemporal analyses of satellite data can fruitfully applied to: (i) improve knowledge, (ii) support monitoring of natural and cultural site, (iii) assess natural and man-made risks including emerging threats to the heritage sites. References Lasaponara R, N Masini 2009 Full-waveform Airborne Laser Scanning for the detection of medieval archaeological microtopographic relief Journal of Cultural Heritage 10, e78-e82 Ciminale M, D Gallo, R Lasaponara, N Masini 2009 A multiscale approach for reconstructing archaeological

archAR: an archaeological augmented reality experience

Science.gov (United States)

Wiley, Bridgette; Schulze, Jürgen P.

2015-03-01

We present an application for Android phones or tablets called "archAR" that uses augmented reality as an alternative, portable way of viewing archaeological information from UCSD's Levantine Archaeology Laboratory. archAR provides a unique experience of flying through an archaeological dig site in the Levantine area and exploring the artifacts uncovered there. Using a Google Nexus tablet and Qualcomm's Vuforia API, we use an image target as a map and overlay a three-dimensional model of the dig site onto it, augmenting reality such that we are able to interact with the plotted artifacts. The user can physically move the Android device around the image target and see the dig site model from any perspective. The user can also move the device closer to the model in order to "zoom" into the view of a particular section of the model and its associated artifacts. This is especially useful, as the dig site model and the collection of artifacts are very detailed. The artifacts are plotted as points, colored by type. The user can touch the virtual points to trigger a popup information window that contains details of the artifact, such as photographs, material descriptions, and more.

Contextualising Archaeological Information Through Interactive Maps

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ian Johnson

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Many web sites use maps delivered as non-interactive images. With the development of web-enabled mapping, new methods of presenting and contextualising archaeological and historical data are becoming available. However, most current examples are static views of contemporary framework data or specific time slices, and do not provide interactivity relating to the time dimension, which is so important to archaeology and related disciplines. In this article I look at some of the advantages of time-enabled interactive mapping and map animation in providing educational experiences to museum visitors and the web-browsing public. These will be illustrated through three example applications of the TimeMap methodology developed at the University of Sydney Archaeological Computing Laboratory: 1. the Sydney TimeMap kiosk at the Museum of Sydney; 2. an embedded Java mapping applet developed for MacquarieNet, a major Australian online educational encyclopaedia; and 3. the metadata clearinghouse mapping applet developed for the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative, Berkeley. In each of these examples, a wide range of resources are delivered through a time-enabled map interface which accesses live database data rather than pre-structured curated presentations of data. This flexibility brings its own challenges in providing intuitive pathways and appropriate levels of detail in response to free-ranging user enquiries. The paper outlines some of the approaches I have adopted to resolve these issues.

GPR investigation to allocate the archaeological remains in Mut temple, Luxor, Upper Egypt

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.A. Atya

2012-06-01

Full Text Available GPR investigation has been conducted on Mut temple; to the south portion of Al-Karnak temple at the eastern bank of Luxor city. Within the survey, the GPR SIR system-10A has been used connected to 100/500 MHz antenna. The present work is oriented to allocate the buried Archaeological ruins at the site, and also to evaluate the archaeological significance of the artifacts in concern to the hydro-situation. The survey is composed of three data sets; the first set (A includes three GPR profiles located inside the temple palisade at the western bank of the holy lake, the second set (B includes four profiles distributed on the yard between Mute and Al Karnak temples, and the third set (C includes three profiles oriented to study the EW Sphinx Avenue front of Mute temple. The measured GPR data has been processed and visualized in different ways to show the infra-content of the artifacts in the buried subsurface of the temple. Furthermore, intensive mutual work and discussion with the local inspectorate at Luxor about the results would lead to detect the zones of possible findings and, as much as possible, to define their identities. A series of sectional GPR records, time slices, maps, and 3D graphs are introduced to represent the remains of Mut temple and its infrastructure.

Lead isotope ratios in Japanese galena ores and archaeological objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamasaki, Kazuo; Murozumi, Masayo; Nakamura, Seiji; Hinata, Makoto; Yuasa, Mitsuaki.

1978-01-01

Lead isotope ratios 206 Pb/ 204 Pb, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb, 207 Pb/ 206 Pb and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb in Japanese galena ores and archaeological bronze objects were determined by a Hitachi RMU-6 mass spectrometer using a rhenium single filament as a surface ionization device. Basic experimental conditions including detection limit, fractionation effect, memory effect, etc. were examined, and the accuracy of determination was checked using the CIT shelf standard No. 1. Archaeological bronze objects were dissolved in nitric acid and lead was extracted by the dithizone method using specially purified reagents in a so-called clean laboratory. When 0.5 μg lead was loaded on the rhenium filament with phosphoric acid and silica gel as stabilizers, an ion current of 10 -13 -- 10 -15 A due to Pb + was obtained and maintained stable for several hours. Coefficients of variation found for the isotope ratios 207 Pb/ 206 Pb and 208 Pb/ 206 Pb were 0.1 -- 0.5%. Lead isotope ratios are given for 17 Japanese galena ores and for archaeological bronze objects such as bronze bells, halberds (Yayoi period), Horyuji pagoda spire (7th century), and Northern Sung coins (11th century). A close resemblance of the isotope ratios was found between Japanese galena ores and some Japanese bronze objects of the 7th century, suggesting the use of the former as raw materials of the latter. (auth.)

LiDAR-guided Archaeological Survey of a Mediterranean Landscape: Lessons from the Ancient Greek Polis of Kolophon (Ionia, Western Anatolia).

Science.gov (United States)

Grammer, Benedikt; Draganits, Erich; Gretscher, Martin; Muss, Ulrike

2017-01-01

In 2013, an airborne laser scan survey was conducted in the territory of the Ionian city of Kolophon near the western coast of modern Turkey as part of an archaeological survey project carried out by the Mimar Sinan University of Istanbul (Turkey) and the University of Vienna (Austria). Several light detection and ranging (LiDAR) studies have been carried out in the temperate climate zones of Europe, but only a few in Mediterranean landscapes. Our study is based on the first LiDAR survey carried out for an archaeological purpose in Turkey and one of the first in the Mediterranean that have been planned, measured and filtered especially for archaeological research questions. The interpretation of LiDAR data combined with ground-observations proved extremely useful for the detection and documentation of archaeological remains below Mediterranean evergreen vegetation and dense maquis. This article deals with the methodological aspects of interpreting LiDAR data, using the Kolophon data as a case study. We offer a discussion of the strengths and limitations of LiDAR as an archaeological remote sensing method and suggest a best practice model for interpreting LiDAR data in a Mediterranean context. © 2017 The Authors. Archaeological Prospection published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Archaeological analogs and corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, D.

2008-01-01

In the framework of the high level and long life radioactive wastes disposal deep underground, the ANDRA built a research program on the material corrosion. In particular they aim to design containers for a very long time storage. Laboratory experiments are in progress and can be completed by the analysis of metallic archaeological objects and their corrosion after hundred years. (A.L.B.)

Gold Provenance Studies for Romanian Archaeological Objects Using Micro-SR-XRF

Science.gov (United States)

Vasilescu, Angela; Constantinescu, Bogdan; Bugoi, Roxana; Radtke, Martin; Reinholz, Uwe; Simon, Rolf

2010-04-01

Studies by Synchrotron Radiation—X-Ray Fluorescence (SR-XRF) for the search of the presence of trace elements like Sb, Sn, Te and Pb in archaeological metallic objects found on the territory of Romania—old coins and Bronze Age jewelry, aimed to determine the provenance of the gold used in their manufacture. The results are compared with the detailed elemental composition of alluvial or primary gold samples, obtained by the same technique. This work attempted to establish the origin of the gold used for the mint of two different types of koson coins. We found that the kosons with monogram are made of refined gold, while the one used for the kosons without monogram is mainly alluvial. The gold used in the manufacture of the Calarasi Vulchitrun-type disk and the Tauteu hair ring is also of alluvial origin.

Optical micro-profilometry for archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Carcagni, Pierluigi; Daffara, Claudia; Fontana, Raffaella; Gambino, Maria Chiara; Mastroianni, Maria; Mazzotta, Cinazia; Pampaloni, Enrico; Pezzati, Luca

2005-06-01

A quantitative morphological analysis of archaeological objects represents an important element for historical evaluations, artistic studies and conservation projects. At present, a variety of contact instruments for high-resolution surface survey is available on the market, but because of their invasivity they are not well received in the field of artwork conservation. On the contrary, optical testing techniques have seen a successful growth in last few years due to their effectiveness and safety. In this work we present a few examples of application of high-resolution 3D techniques for the survey of archaeological objects. Measurements were carried out by means of an optical micro-profilometer composed of a commercial conoprobe mounted on a scanning device that allows a maximum sampled area of 280×280 mm2. Measurements as well as roughness calculations were carried out on selected areas, representative of the differently degraded surface, of an ellenestic bronze statue to document the surface corrosion before restoration intervention started. Two highly-corroded ancient coins and a limestone column were surveyed to enhance the relief of inscriptions and drawings for dating purposes. High-resolution 3D survey, beyond the faithful representation of objects, makes it possible to display the surface in an image format that can be processed by means of image processing software. The application of digital filters as well as rendering techniques easies the readability of the smallest details.

Review of Environmental and Geological Microgravity Applications and Feasibility of Its Employment at Archaeological Sites in Israel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lev V. Eppelbaum

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Microgravity investigations are widely applied at present for solving various environmental and geological problems. Unfortunately, microgravity survey is comparatively rarely used for searching for hidden ancient targets. It is caused mainly by small geometric size of the desired archaeological objects and various types of noise complicating the observed useful signal. At the same time, development of modern generation of field gravimetric equipment allows to register promptly and digitally microGal (10-8 m/s2 anomalies that offer a new challenge in this direction. An advanced methodology of gravity anomalies analysis and modern 3D modeling, intended for ancient targets delineation, is briefly presented. It is supposed to apply in archaeological microgravity the developed original methods for the surrounding terrain relief computing. Calculating second and third derivatives of gravity potential are useful for revealing some closed peculiarities of the different Physical-Archaeological Models (PAMs. It is underlined that physical measurement of vertical gravity derivatives in archaeological studying has a significant importance and cannot be replaced by any transformation methods. Archaeological targets in Israel have been ranged by their density/geometrical characteristics in several groups. The performed model computations indicate that microgravity investigations might be successfully applied at least in 20–25% of archaeological sites in Israel.

Archaeological obsidian from La Sierra Gorda Mexico, by PIXE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juarez-Cossio, D.; Terreros, E.; Quiroz-Moreno, J.; Romero-Sanchez, S.; Calligaro, T.F.; Tenorio, D.; Jimenez-Reyes, M.; Los Rios, M. de

2009-01-01

The chemical compositions of 42 obsidian pre-Hispanic artifacts from Tancama and Purisima, both archaeological sites of La Sierra Gorda Valleys, Mexico, were analyzed by PIXE technique. These obsidians came from four sources: Sierra de Pachuca Hidalgo, Paraiso Queretaro, Ucareo Michoacan and mainly from Zacualtipan/Metzquititlan Hidalgo. According to archaeological evidences, La Sierra Gorda valleys participated in commercial exchange with other regional sites, from Classic to Post-classic periods (A.D. 300-1500).

Computer Simulation of Multidimensional Archaeological Artefacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vera Moitinho de Almeida

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The main purpose of this ongoing research is to understand possible function(s of archaeological artefacts through Reverse Engineering processes. In addition, we intend to provide new data, as well as possible explications of the archaeological record according to what it expects about social activities and working processes, by simulating the potentialities of such actions in terms of input-output relationships. Our project focuses on the Neolithic lakeside site of La Draga (Banyoles, Catalonia. In this presentation we will begin by providing a clear overview of the major guidelines used to capture and process 3D digital data of several wooden artefacts. Then, we shall present the use of semi-automated relevant feature extractions. Finally, we intend to share preliminary computer simulation issues.

The potential of statistical shape modelling for geometric morphometric analysis of human teeth in archaeological research.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Woods

Full Text Available This paper introduces statistical shape modelling (SSM for use in osteoarchaeology research. SSM is a full field, multi-material analytical technique, and is presented as a supplementary geometric morphometric (GM tool. Lower mandibular canines from two archaeological populations and one modern population were sampled, digitised using micro-CT, aligned, registered to a baseline and statistically modelled using principal component analysis (PCA. Sample material properties were incorporated as a binary enamel/dentin parameter. Results were assessed qualitatively and quantitatively using anatomical landmarks. Finally, the technique's application was demonstrated for inter-sample comparison through analysis of the principal component (PC weights. It was found that SSM could provide high detail qualitative and quantitative insight with respect to archaeological inter- and intra-sample variability. This technique has value for archaeological, biomechanical and forensic applications including identification, finite element analysis (FEA and reconstruction from partial datasets.

77 FR 46120 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-02

... Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA... Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA. The human remains and associated..., Repatriation Coordinator, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Avenue...

Reconnaissance of Archaeological Sites at Tuzkhormato Region Saladdin Governorate – Northern Iraq

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salman Z. Khorshid

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This study is talking for the first time about in this region to document the archaeological sites at Tuzkhormato and surroundings. There are more than (19 archaeological sites which took two trends  one of them is parallel to Aq-Su river, which starts from behind Tuzkhomato mountain and takes NE-SW direction at Shirash Tapa site and ending at Zeghaitoon river near the bridge of (Tikrit-Tuz road, and another trend is perpendicular to the first one at about the mid-way distance of the first trend. Coordinations of (5 archaeological sites were located and studied, these sites are as a hill ranges in its shape between small to large and the broken pottery were spread widely on the surface of these sites and some of this pottery are colored, also there are chert cutter that is used as knives (at Tal-Al-Shaer site only. These sites were uplifted from the surface level with uneven degree depending on the volume of the buildings at that site, and all the buildings were built from muds, so these buildings are weak to resist the climate. It is probable that all buildings were buried under these sites, and the destroyed pottery of pre-Islamic period was distributed over the archaeological sites. Only one site on the Tuzkhormato mountain built with blaster and gypsum rocks, this site is (Gawor Qalasi which from (Sassanian period. All these sites still are not studied geologically or geophysically for determination the ages of these sites or delineating the geometrical shapes of buried buildings or searching some of the precious things like gold or other things.

Development of a micro-X-ray fluorescence system based on polycapillary X-ray optics for non-destructive analysis of archaeological objects

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Lin; Ding, Xunliang; Liu, Zhiguo; Pan, Qiuli; Chu, Xuelian

2007-08-01

A new micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) system based on rotating anode X-ray generator and polycapillary X-ray optics has been set up in XOL Lab, BNU, China, in order to be used for analysis of archaeological objects. The polycapillary X-ray optics used here can focus the primary X-ray beam down to tens of micrometers in diameter that allows for non-destructive and local analysis of sub-mm samples with minor/trace level sensitivity. The analytical characteristics and potential of this micro-XRF system in archaeological research are discussed. Some described uses of this instrument include studying Chinese ancient porcelain.

Development of a micro-X-ray fluorescence system based on polycapillary X-ray optics for non-destructive analysis of archaeological objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheng Lin [Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification of Ministry of Education, Institute of Low Energy Nuclear Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Radiation Center, Beijing, 100875 (China)], E-mail: chenglin@bnu.edu.cn; Ding Xunliang; Liu Zhiguo; Pan Qiuli; Chu Xuelian [Key Laboratory of Beam Technology and Material Modification of Ministry of Education, Institute of Low Energy Nuclear Physics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing Radiation Center, Beijing, 100875 (China)

2007-08-15

A new micro-X-ray fluorescence (micro-XRF) system based on rotating anode X-ray generator and polycapillary X-ray optics has been set up in XOL Lab, BNU, China, in order to be used for analysis of archaeological objects. The polycapillary X-ray optics used here can focus the primary X-ray beam down to tens of micrometers in diameter that allows for non-destructive and local analysis of sub-mm samples with minor/trace level sensitivity. The analytical characteristics and potential of this micro-XRF system in archaeological research are discussed. Some described uses of this instrument include studying Chinese ancient porcelain.

76 FR 62842 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-11

...: Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard... the human remains may contact the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, Harvard University...

76 FR 28072 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-13

...: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, Philadelphia, PA AGENCY: National Park... in the possession of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology... remains was made by University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology professional staff...

Pose tracking for augmented reality applications in outdoor archaeological sites

Science.gov (United States)

Younes, Georges; Asmar, Daniel; Elhajj, Imad; Al-Harithy, Howayda

2017-01-01

In recent years, agencies around the world have invested huge amounts of effort toward digitizing many aspects of the world's cultural heritage. Of particular importance is the digitization of outdoor archaeological sites. In the spirit of valorization of this digital information, many groups have developed virtual or augmented reality (AR) computer applications themed around a particular archaeological object. The problem of pose tracking in outdoor AR applications is addressed. Different positional systems are analyzed, resulting in the selection of a monocular camera-based user tracker. The limitations that challenge this technique from map generation, scale, anchoring, to lighting conditions are analyzed and systematically addressed. Finally, as a case study, our pose tracking system is implemented within an AR experience in the Byblos Roman theater in Lebanon.

Excavations in 2014 at Wade Street, Bristol - a documentary and archaeological analysis

OpenAIRE

Nick Corcos; Kamal Badreshany; Alejandra Gutiérrez; Rachel Heaton; Lorrain Higbee; Sarah Newns; Rachel Tyson

2017-01-01

A staged programme of historical research and archaeological fieldwork, involving a desk-based assessment in 2000 (Smith and Erskine 2000), an evaluation in 2013 (Mason 2013), and an excavation followed by a watching brief in 2014, the latter two by Avon Archaeology Ltd, was undertaken in order to mitigate the archaeological impact of a proposed residential development on a site of 1,260m² at the corner and on the north-west side of Little Anne Street and Wade Street, St Jude’s, Bristol. The ...

Publishing and Pushing: Mixing Models for Communicating Research Data in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric C. Kansa

2014-07-01

Full Text Available We present a case study of data integration and reuse involving 12 researchers who published datasets in Open Context, an online data publishing platform, as part of collaborative archaeological research on early domesticated animals in Anatolia. Our discussion reports on how different editorial and collaborative review processes improved data documentation and quality, and created ontology annotations needed for comparative analyses by domain specialists. To prepare data for shared analysis, this project adapted editor-supervised review and revision processes familiar to conventional publishing, as well as more novel models of revision adapted from open source software development of public version control. Preparing the datasets for publication and analysis required significant investment of effort and expertise, including archaeological domain knowledge and familiarity with key ontologies. To organize this work effectively, we emphasized these different models of collaboration at various stages of this data publication and analysis project. Collaboration first centered on data editors working with data contributors, then widened to include other researchers who provided additional peer-review feedback, and finally the widest research community, whose collaboration is facilitated by GitHub’s version control system. We demonstrate that the “publish” and “push” models of data dissemination need not be mutually exclusive; on the contrary, they can play complementary roles in sharing high quality data in support of research. This work highlights the value of combining multiple models in different stages of data dissemination.

Exploring preferences and non-use values for hidden archaeological artefacts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundhede, Thomas; Bille, Trine; Hasler, Berit

2013-01-01

This paper presents a choice experiment study of a proposed wetland restorationproject which aims to preserve archaeological artefacts from Stone Age villages which are presently buried within the topsoil. Wetland restoration can avoid destruction of the artefacts due to agricultural cultivation...

78 FR 19301 - Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-29

...-PPWOCRADN0] Notice of Inventory Completion: University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology... Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has completed an inventory of human remains, in... Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Repatriation of the human remains to the Indian tribes stated...

The "Annales" School and Archaeology, edited by J. Bintliff, New York University Press, New York, 1991

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lawrence G. Straus

1992-11-01

Full Text Available At a superficial level we could argue that application of concepts of the French "Annales"  School of History to archaeology merely amounts to yet another semantic game, new fad, old wine in new skins. Some of the studies of this slim collection do seem a bit contrived, consisting of attempts to fit particular evidence (mainly from classical archaeology into one or more of Braudel's three categories or temporal constructs: evenements, conjunctures  and structures de longue duree. Does archaeology advance in its unending search for some new truth by merely borrowing and applying terms that have common in Continental history for at least a half century?

50th Anniversary of Bilyar Archaeological Expedition: results and issues of Great Town investigation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khuzin Fayaz Sh.

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The article outlines the main results of the investigation of Bilyar fortified settlement – a unique monument of medieval East-European archaeology located in Alexeyevsky District of the Tatarstan Republic. A small amount of information on Bilyar has remained in Ancient Russian chronicles (in which it is referred to as Great Town and the works by 10th – 14th century Arabic and Persian authors. The monument has been known to historians since 18th century, but its archaeological excavations only started in 1967. For 20 years researchers studied its fortifications, five urban burial grounds (including a necropolis of nobility in the centre of the town, discovered the ruined remains of three brick buildings and a white-stone Cathedral Mosque with a free-standing minaret, craft workshops (pottery, glass-making, blacksmithing and metallurgical, as well as tens and hundreds of common dwellings, utility structures and wells. The discoveries made by Bilyar expedition received a positive reaction from the archaeological community of the country. Since late 1980s the activity of the expedition gradually decreased due to the absence of adequate financing. Minor protective excavations were generally performed in the neighbouring villages. Investigation of the settlement it self continued in 2015. The necessity of continuing systematic excavations in Bilyar and the surrounding monuments is evident from both the scientific and practical viewpoints – application of investigation results for the purposes of tourism.

A survey of archaeological samples dated in 1987

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejdahl, V.

1988-10-01

A survey is given of archaeological samples dated in 1987 at the Nordic Laboratory for Thermoluminescence Dating. A total of 74 samples were dated. The results were corrected for short-term fading of feldspars as measured for samples stored at room temperature for four weeks or at 100 deg. C for two weeks. The beta dose from potassium and rubidium in feldspar, and the alpha dose from uranium and thorium in quartz and feldspar were included, assuming alpha efficiency factors of 0.1 for quartz and 0.2 for feldspar. (author) 20 tabs., 29 refs

A survey of archaeological samples dated in 1985

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejdahl, V.

1986-11-01

A survey is given of archaeological samples received for dating in 1985 at the Nordic Laboratory for Thermoluminescence Dating. A total of 66 samples were dated, 42 of which were burnt stones. All results were corrected for short- term fading as measured for samples stored at room temperature for four weeks. The beta dose from potassium and rubidium in feldspar and the alpha dose from uranium and thorium in quarts and feldspar were included assuming alpha efficiency factors of 0.1 for quartz and 0.2 for feldspar. (author)

A survey of archaeological samples dated in 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejdahl, V.

1987-10-01

A survey is given of archaeological samples dated in 1986 at the Nordic Laboratory for Thermoluminescence Dating. A total of 56 samples were dated. The results were corrected for shortterm fading measured for samples stored for four weeks at room temperature or at 100 deg. C. The beta dose from potassium and rubidium in feldspar and the alpha dose from uranium and thorium in quartz and feldspar grain were included assuming alpha efficiency factors of 0.1 and 0.2 for quartz and feldspar, respectively. 21 refs. (author)

Encounters and Content Sharing in an Urban Village: Reading Texts Through an Archaeological Lens

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia, Nicole; Foth, Marcus; Hearn, Greg

Archaeology provides a framework of analysis and interpretation that is useful for disentangling the textual layers of a contemporary lived-in urban space. The producers and readers of texts may include those who planned and developed the site and those who now live, visit, and work there. Some of the social encounters and content sharing between these people may be artificially produced or manufactured in the hope that certain social situations will occur. Others may be serendipitous. With archaeology's original focus on places that are no longer inhabited, it is often only the remaining artifacts and features of the built environment that form the basis for interpreting the social relationships of past people. Our analysis, however, is framed within a contemporary notion of archaeological artifacts in an urban setting. Unlike an excavation, where the past is revealed through digging into the landscape, the application of landscape archaeology within a present day urban context is necessarily more experiential, visual, and based on recording and analyzing the physical traces of social encounters and relationships between residents and visitors. These physical traces are present within the creative content, and the built and natural elements of the environment. This chapter explores notions of social encounters and content sharing in an urban village by analyzing three different types of texts: the design of the built environment; content produced by residents through a geospatial web application; and, print and online media produced in digital storytelling workshops.

Solar education combining art, history, science and technology at archaeological sites in Italy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvi, C.; Ferro, P. [ISES (Italy); Ceccarini, T. [Educational Section - State Superintendence of Archaeological Monuments in Rome (Italy)

2004-07-01

''Solar Art and Solar Technologies'' and ''Solar Energy by studying Ancient Architecture'' laboratory promoted by ISES ITALIA and the Educational Section of the State Superintendence of Archaeological Monuments in Rome involved from 2000 to 2004 roughly 1000 schoolchildren, 20 teachers and five archaeologists. For its innovative character and its special approach to solar education, the exhibition ''Solar Art and Technologies'' has been acknowledged among the 50 best projects of the ''2001 Energy Globe Award.'' The program has been continuously improved and has broadened its educational reach beyond schoolchildren. The experiences made at the archaeological sites from the energy point of view lead to new research projects and initiatives on solar energy at the archaeological sites during the excavations, while exploring historical sources, and at the involved schools. A seminar on ''Solar energy and the built environment in past civilizations'' will be held at the end of May 2004 to review historical sources and the most recent archaeological discoveries that have relation with solar architecture and technology. The seminar will also address the possible participation of historians and archaeologists in the history sessions planned at ISES 2005 (www.swc2005.org). (orig.)

Archaeological Studies of the Ancient Turkestan Site: results of 2011-2012 excavations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Smagulov Yerbulat A.

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The results of the 2011-12 excavations on the Eski-Turkestan site conducted by the Turkestani archaeological expedition (Institute of archaeology named after A. Margulan are presented. The site contains the remains of the ancient town of Yasy (modern town of Turkestan, South Kazakhstan oblast. The aim of the excavations was to study the earliest layers of the settlement, the primary stages of the city formation, and to identify construction elements of the ancient citadel in particular. It has been established that the most ancient nucleus of the city was located under Kultobe hill on the eastern edge of the settlement. The oldest architectural object of the citadel is a cruciform construction with powerful rammed clay defensive walls having narrow loopholes, preserved to a height of over 3 m. The three rooms were connected by arched doorways. In the second construction horizon, a building with long narrow rooms around a small open courtyard had been added to this "castle". During this period, around the perimeter of the citadel powerful rammed clay and mud-brick defensive walls had been erected, with the space between them and the extended castle being just partially built up. These two periods can be dated to the 1st–3rd centuries AD. This stage comes to an end with defeat and a fire. In the fire layer, numerous ceramic vessels in disassembling have been found. Individual unique finds have been made, and alabaster idols are of special interest. The restoration of the fortification wall and a new stage of the citadel development refer to the 9th-11th centuries. At the base of the new wall, pots with sacrificial food have been discovered, one of them bearing a runic inscription.

Some notes on the butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea of Tantirimale Archaeological Site, Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.D.C. Asela

2009-07-01

Full Text Available There are 243 species of butterflies which including 5 families in Sri Lanka and 20 of them are endemic. However out of the 243 species 37 butterfly species belonging to 4 families was discovered from Tanthirimale Archaeological Forest area. This forest is classified as a Tropical dry mixed evergreen forests and its situated dry zone in Anuradapura district of Sri Lanka. We select three habitat types such as: forests, Rock outcrops and scrublands for studding composition and structure of butterflies in Archaeological Forest area. However, this important forest is threatened by harmful human activities such as man made fire, illegal logging, chena cultivation and road kills.

Review of On the Theory and Practice of Archaeological Computing [Book

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julian D. Richards

2001-01-01

Full Text Available It might seem rather old-fashioned that, at the start of the new millennium, a book on archaeological computing should be published solely in traditional hard copy format. However, whilst the black-and-white screen shots would no doubt have been improved by colour representation, this book generally succeeds as a paper volume. That it does so is due, at least in part, to the fact that the emphasis is not so much on the technology and how to do it, but rather on how the technology affects the discipline, justifying Internet Archaeology to vary its normal policy of only reviewing electronic publications. The book began as a conference session on the impact of computers on archaeological theory and practice, held at the 4th World Archaeological Congress in Cape Town in January 1999. It comprises nine papers, plus a short introduction by the editors, in which they note that their volume needs to be seen in the tradition of Cooper and Richards (1985 and Reilly and Rahtz (1992, rather than the more methodological and positivist approach adopted by many of the papers published in the annual proceedings of the Computer Applications in Archaeology (CAA Conference. That some eight years have passed since the last survey indicates how timely this latest analysis is.

Reptile and rodent parasites in raptor pellets in an archaeological context: the case of Epullán Chica (northwestern Patagonia, Argentina)

Science.gov (United States)

Beltrame, María Ornela; Fernández, Fernando Julián; Sardella, Norma Haydeé

2015-07-01

Paleoparasitology is the study of parasite remains from archaeological and paleontological sites. Raptor pellets can be used as source for paleoparasitological information in archaeological sites. However, this zooarchaeological material has been scarcely studied. Epullán Chica (ECh) is an archaeological site in northwestern Patagonia. This cave yielded remains from more than 2000 years before present. The aim of this paper was to study the parasite remains found in owl pellets from the archaeological site ECh, and to discuss the paleoparasitological findings in an archaeological context. Twenty two raptor pellets were examined for parasites. The pellets were whole processed by rehydration in a 0.5% water solution of trisodium phosphate, followed by homogenization, filtered and processed by spontaneous sedimentation. Eight out of 22 bird pellets examined were positive for parasites from reptiles and rodents. Representatives of 12 parasite taxa were recorded; nine of this parasitic species were reported for the first time from ancient samples from Patagonia. This is the first time that pellets give evidences of ancient reptile parasites from archaeological contexts. It is noteworthy that Late Holocene hunter-gatherers of the upper Limay River basin, could have been exposed to some of these zoonotic parasites. Future paleoparasitological studies on owl pellets may reflect even more the parasitological diversity of all micromammal and reptile species presents in ancient times.

The Future of GLOSS Sea Level Data Archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Jevrejeva, S.; Bradshaw, E.; Tamisiea, M. E.; Aarup, T.

2014-12-01

Long term climate records are rare, consisting of unique and unrepeatable measurements. However, data do exist in analogue form in archives, libraries and other repositories around the world. The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) Group of Experts aims to provide advice on locating hidden tide gauge data, scanning and digitising records and quality controlling the resulting data. Long sea level data time series are used in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment reports and climate studies, in oceanography to study changes in ocean currents, tides and storm surges, in geodesy to establish national datum and in geography and geology to monitor coastal land movement. GLOSS has carried out a number of data archaeology activities over the past decade, which have mainly involved sending member organisations questionnaires on their repositories. The Group of Experts is now looking at future developments in sea level data archaeology and how new technologies coming on line could be used by member organisations to make data digitisation and transcription more efficient. Analogue tide data comes in two forms charts, which record the continuous measurements made by an instrument, usually via a pen trace on paper ledgers containing written values of observations The GLOSS data archaeology web pages will provide a list of software that member organisations have reported to be suitable for the automatic digitisation of tide gauge charts. Transcribing of ledgers has so far proved more labour intensive and is usually conducted by people entering numbers by hand. GLOSS is exploring using Citizen Science techniques, such as those employed by the Old Weather project, to improve the efficiency of transcribing ledgers. The Group of Experts is also looking at recent advances in Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) technology, which mainly relies on patterns in the written word, but could be adapted to work with the patterns inherent in sea level data.

Geophysical study of the Peinan Archaeological Site, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Lun-Tao; Lee, Kun-Hsiu; Yeh, Chang-Keng; Hwang, Yan-Tsong; Chien, Jeng-Ming

2013-02-01

The Peinan archaeological site is the most intact Neolithic village with slate coffin burial complexes in Taiwan. However, the area that potentially contains significant ancient remains is covered by dense vegetation. No reliable data show the distribution of the ancient village, and no geophysical investigation has been performed at this site. To evaluate various geophysical methods under the geological setting and surface condition of the site, the physical properties of the remains were measured and four geophysical methods involving magnetic, electromagnetic (EM), electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) were tested along three parallel profiles. The results imply that the EM and magnetic methods are much cost-effective and suitable for investigating the entire area. GPR and ERT methods can provide high resolution subsurface image, which are much suitable for subsequently detail investigation. The EM and magnetic surveys were thus conducted over the entire Peinan Cultural Park to understand the distribution of the ancient building remains at the Peinan site. The results of this study were verified by subsequent excavations, which indicate that the EM survey was successful in delineating the majority of the ancient village because the basements of building are highly resistive in comparison to the background sediment. The results of this investigation suggest that the ancient village was broadly distributed over the eastern part of the Peinan Culture Park and extended to the southeast.

Digital Media, Power and (InEquality in Archaeology and Heritage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Perry

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Decades of Internet study have arguably done little to shed light on the nature and implications of web-based communications in archaeology. Since the late 1990s, the online world has been lauded by archaeologists for its capacities to engender dialogue, participation, intellectual change and even democratic revolution. Yet the dangers associated with its use have barely been probed. Threats to privacy, equality, access, security of data, and personal safety and well-being are seemingly characteristic of all communication technologies. However, the naive zeal with which many archaeological and heritage organisations are employing online platforms for dissemination, profile-building, 'impact' and public accountability is fraught with risk and deserving of interrogation. This article explores the effects of digital culture on the professional identities and careers of archaeologists, heritage specialists and museum workers. Through a multi-disciplinary survey of over 400 individuals, nearly one-third of whom self-identified as archaeological or related heritage practitioners (working both inside and outside of the academic sector, we consider the various ways in which online technologies are used to express, promote, facilitate, strengthen and undermine both professionals themselves and professional practices in archaeology. Situating ourselves in the intersectional and feminist literature, we argue that web-based harassment and lack of adequate e-safety mechanisms are rife in the discipline, putting it in jeopardy of fuelling structural inequalities. Our findings suggest that close to one-third of practitioners report victimisation via online communication; the majority know their abusers offline; and, although the prevalence of such abuse is roughly equal among men and women, its nature is split along gender lines. Of especial concern, most practitioners choose to ignore their abuse, a decision that may be motivated by the non-existent or victim

A multidisciplinary study of archaeological grape seeds

Science.gov (United States)

Cappellini, Enrico; Gilbert, M. Thomas P.; Geuna, Filippo; Fiorentino, Girolamo; Hall, Allan; Thomas-Oates, Jane; Ashton, Peter D.; Ashford, David A.; Arthur, Paul; Campos, Paula F.; Kool, Johan; Willerslev, Eske; Collins, Matthew J.

2010-02-01

We report here the first integrated investigation of both ancient DNA and proteins in archaeobotanical samples: medieval grape ( Vitis vinifera L.) seeds, preserved by anoxic waterlogging, from an early medieval (seventh-eighth century A.D.) Byzantine rural settlement in the Salento area (Lecce, Italy) and a late (fourteenth-fifteenth century A.D.) medieval site in York (England). Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry documented good carbohydrate preservation, whilst amino acid analysis revealed approximately 90% loss of the original protein content. In the York sample, mass spectrometry-based sequencing identified several degraded ancient peptides. Nuclear microsatellite locus (VVS2, VVMD5, VVMD7, ZAG62 and ZAG79) analysis permitted a tentative comparison of the genetic profiles of both the ancient samples with the modern varieties. The ability to recover microsatellite DNA has potential to improve biomolecular analysis on ancient grape seeds from archaeological contexts. Although the investigation of five microsatellite loci cannot assign the ancient samples to any geographic region or modern cultivar, the results allow speculation that the material from York was not grown locally, whilst the remains from Supersano could represent a trace of contacts with the eastern Mediterranean.

Archaeological culture and medieval ethnic community: theoretical and methodical problems of correlation (the case of medieval Bulgaria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Izmaylov Iskander L.

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Problems related to archaeological culture and ethnos comparison in the case of medieval Bulgaria are discussed in the article. According to the author, in recent years it has become evident that the traditional concept and methodology of the study of the Bulgars’ ethnogenesis and ethnic history are in contradiction with the facts accumulated. The methods of “archaeological ethno-genetics”, which dictated solving problems of ethnogenesis of the ancient population belonging to an archaeological culture in direct correlation with ethnicity, are currently being criticized. According to modern ideas about ethnos and ethnicity, ethnicity is based upon identity with a complex hierarchical nature. Contemporary methodology requires proceeding with the integrated study of the problems of ethnogenesis on the basis of archaeology and ethnology. This kind of analysis is based upon the study of the medieval Bulgar mentality as a source of information on key aspects of ethno-political ideas. The analysis of authentic historical sources, historiographical tradition elements and folklore materials makes it possible to reconstruct the basic ideas that were significant for an ethnic group. The archaeological culture of the population of Bulgaria is characterized by two clearly distinguished and interconnected elements – the common Muslim culture and that of the elite military “druzhina” (squad. These elements directly characterize the Bulgar ethno-political community. These theoretical conclusions and empirical research concerning the case of the medieval Bulgars’ ethnogenesis attest to the productivity of ethnological synthesis techniques on an interdisciplinary basis.

Digital Astronaut Photography: A Discovery Dataset for Archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Stefanov, William L.

2010-01-01

Astronaut photography acquired from the International Space Station (ISS) using commercial off-the-shelf cameras offers a freely-accessible source for high to very high resolution (4-20 m/pixel) visible-wavelength digital data of Earth. Since ISS Expedition 1 in 2000, over 373,000 images of the Earth-Moon system (including land surface, ocean, atmospheric, and lunar images) have been added to the Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth online database (http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov ). Handheld astronaut photographs vary in look angle, time of acquisition, solar illumination, and spatial resolution. These attributes of digital astronaut photography result from a unique combination of ISS orbital dynamics, mission operations, camera systems, and the individual skills of the astronaut. The variable nature of astronaut photography makes the dataset uniquely useful for archaeological applications in comparison with more traditional nadir-viewing multispectral datasets acquired from unmanned orbital platforms. For example, surface features such as trenches, walls, ruins, urban patterns, and vegetation clearing and regrowth patterns may be accentuated by low sun angles and oblique viewing conditions (Fig. 1). High spatial resolution digital astronaut photographs can also be used with sophisticated land cover classification and spatial analysis approaches like Object Based Image Analysis, increasing the potential for use in archaeological characterization of landscapes and specific sites.

Fieldwork Methodology in South American Maritime Archaeology: A Critical Review

Science.gov (United States)

Argüeso, Amaru; Ciarlo, Nicolás C.

2017-12-01

In archaeology, data obtained from the analysis of material evidence (i.e., the archaeological record) from extensive excavations have been a significant means for the ultimate development of interpretations about human life in the past. Therefore, the methodological procedures and tools employed during fieldwork are of crucial importance due to their effect on the information likely to be recovered. In the case of maritime archaeology, the development of rigorous methods and techniques allowed for reaching outcomes as solid as those from the work performed on land. These improvements constituted one of the principal supports—if not, the most important pillar—for its acceptance as a scientific field of study. Over time, the growing diversity of sites under study (e.g., shipwrecks, ports, dockyards, and prehistoric settlements) and the underwater environments encountered made it clear that there was a need for the application of specific methodological criteria, in accordance with the particularities of the sites and of each study (e.g., the research aims and the available resources). This article presents some ideas concerning the methodologies used in South American investigations that have exhibited a strong emphasis on the analysis of historical shipwrecks (the sixteenth to twentieth centuries). Based on a state-of-the-knowledge review of these research projects, in particular where excavations were conducted, the article focuses on the details of the main strategies adopted and results achieved. The ideas proposed in this article can be useful as a starting point for future activities of surveying, recording, and excavating shipwrecks.

Shouldering the past: Photography, archaeology, and collective effort at the tomb of Tutankhamun.

Science.gov (United States)

Riggs, Christina

2017-09-01

Photographing archaeological labor was routine on Egyptian and other Middle Eastern sites during the colonial period and interwar years. Yet why and how such photographs were taken is rarely discussed in literature concerned with the history of archaeology, which tends to take photography as given if it considers it at all. This paper uses photographs from the first two seasons of work at the tomb of Tutankhamun (1922-4) to show that photography contributed to discursive strategies that positioned archaeology as a scientific practice - both in the public presentation of well-known sites and in the self-presentation of archaeologists to themselves and each other. Since the subjects of such photographs are often indigenous laborers working together or with foreign excavators, I argue that the representation of fieldwork through photography allows us to theorize colonial archaeology as a collective activity, albeit one inherently based on asymmetrical power relationships. Through photographs, we can access the affective and embodied experiences that collective effort in a colonial context involved, bringing into question standard narratives of the history and epistemology of archaeology.

Geoenvironmental studies on conservation of archaeological sites at Siwa oasis, Egypt

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Hani A. M.; Kamh, Gamal E.

2006-02-01

Siwa oasis is located in the extreme western part of the Egyptian western desert. There are several archaeological sites in the oasis; the most distinct ones are Alexander the Great temple at Aghormi hill and the Gebel El Mota tomb excavations. They have suffered due to deterioration and cracks of different kinds and some parts are getting worse as rock falls occur. From field inspection and lab analysis, it is clear that lithology plays an important role on the extent of damage. Alexander the Great temple was built over the northern edge of Aghormi hill, which consists of two distinct beds—an upper limestone bed and a lower shale one. From field survey and laboratory analysis, the shale is considered as a high expanded bed and weak in its bearing capacity, as its clay content (mainly smectite) experienced swelling due to wetting from the ground water spring underneath. Consequently, the upper limestone bed suffered from map cracking associated with rock falls due to the differential settlement of the swelled lower shale one. The temple was threatened by slope instability and had experienced many cracks. At Gabal El Mota tomb excavations, it was noticed that a comparison of tombs of the same opening size revealed that those that excavated on shale beds had cracked much more than those that excavated on limestone. This may be attributed to the low bearing capacity of excavated shale walls. The remedial measures suggested to overcome the stability problems on these archaeological sites are grouting or construction of retaining walls.

77 FR 59968 - Notice of Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Stanford University Archaeology Center, Stanford, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-01

... Intent To Repatriate Cultural Items: Stanford University Archaeology Center, Stanford, CA AGENCY... the cultural items may contact the Stanford University Archaeology Center. DATES: Representatives of... to repatriate cultural items in the possession of the Stanford University Archaeology Center that...

Towards AN Inventory for Archaeological Heritage Management in Israel

Science.gov (United States)

Alef, Y.

2017-08-01

The vast amount of archaeological data and information that is systematically accumulated in the Israel Antiquities Authority database, has not yet been transformed into a tool for heritage management, i.e. accessible knowledge of the sites' cultural significance and risk assessment that is needed to support wise decision making regarding its future. As a response, a pilot project for developing an inventory for the archaeological heritage management was launched. A basic ESRI ArcGIS Online system was developed as a prototype, following the categories recommended in international standards for documentation. Five field surveys implementing the GIS system were conducted to examine different aspects and workflows: ancient synagogues in the Galilee, sites at risk, mosaics in Tel Shiqmona, the ancient settlement of Huqoq and sites included in The National Master Plan for Forests and Afforestation. The pilot project revealed the main gaps in knowledge and the critical faults in the working procedures. In spite of the systems' technological limitations, the results were convincing enough to promote a multidisciplinary discussion about the need for integration of significance and risk assessment in the working processes of the organization.

TOWARDS AN INVENTORY FOR ARCHAEOLOGICAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT IN ISRAEL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Alef

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The vast amount of archaeological data and information that is systematically accumulated in the Israel Antiquities Authority database, has not yet been transformed into a tool for heritage management, i.e. accessible knowledge of the sites' cultural significance and risk assessment that is needed to support wise decision making regarding its future. As a response, a pilot project for developing an inventory for the archaeological heritage management was launched. A basic ESRI ArcGIS Online system was developed as a prototype, following the categories recommended in international standards for documentation. Five field surveys implementing the GIS system were conducted to examine different aspects and workflows: ancient synagogues in the Galilee, sites at risk, mosaics in Tel Shiqmona, the ancient settlement of Huqoq and sites included in The National Master Plan for Forests and Afforestation. The pilot project revealed the main gaps in knowledge and the critical faults in the working procedures. In spite of the systems' technological limitations, the results were convincing enough to promote a multidisciplinary discussion about the need for integration of significance and risk assessment in the working processes of the organization.

Georadar Archaeological Prospection at the Historical Center of the Merida City, Yucatan, Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Barba, L.; Ortiz, A.; Blancas, J.; Ligorred, J.

2007-05-01

This paper shows the results of the georadar archaeological prospection carried out by the Laboratorio de Prospección Arqueologica from the Instituto de Investigaciones Antropologicas (IIA) of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) verifing the archaeological and historical information recovered by the Departamento de Patrimonio Arqueologico y Natural del Municipio (DPANM) del Ayuntamiento de Merida en el Centro Histerico de la Ciudad de Merida under a joint project. The Historical Center of Merida has been classified as a "zone of high patrimonial value" after the topographic data and the historical documents recovered showed a long-term occupation, non interrupted since pre-Columbian times, when T Ho was the great capital of the northern region of the Maya area. For the rehabilitation program of the Historical Center of Merida has been a great priority to verify the existence of archaeological remains, pre-Columbian or colonial, under the present streets, gardens and plazas that could be damaged during the public infrastructure works. In order to prevent any damage to the patrimony a large georadar study was carried out pulling 200 and 400 MHz antennas of the GSSI SIR System 2 for 16500 m of the city streets, focusing in the areas where infrastructure works were imminent. After the analysis of the radar data it was possible to build up a map with the location of the most noticeable archaeological remains under the pavement of the streets that confirmed many of the topographic and documental proposed places. As a final result, by the first time a city government has available information to take present urban decisions, while preventing the damage to the archaeological patrimony of the same city.

Contribution of analytical nuclear techniques in the reconstruction of the Brazilian pre-history analysing archaeological ceramics of Tupiguarani tradition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faria, Gleikam Lopes de Oliveira; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C.; Silva, Maria Aparecida

2011-01-01

Due to the high importance of the material vestiges for a culture of a nation, the Brazilian Council for Environment determined that the license to establish new enterprises are subjected to a technical report concerning environmental impact, including archaeological sites affected by that enterprise. Therefore, answering the report related to the Program for Prospection and Rescue of the Archaeological Patrimony of the Areas impacted by the installation of the Second Line of Samarco Mining Pipeline, the archaeological interventions were carried out along the coast of Espirito Santo. Tupi-Guarani Tradition vestiges were found there, where the main evidence was a interesting ceramics. Archaeology can fill the gap between ancient population and modern society elucidating the evidences found in archaeological sites. In this context, several ceramic fragments found in the archaeological sites - Hiuton and Bota-Fora - were analyzed by neutron activation technique, k 0-standardization method, at CDTN using the TRIGA MARK I IPR-R1 reactor, in order to characterize their elemental composition. The elements As, Ba, Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Eu, Fe, Ga, Hf, K, La, Na, Nd, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, U, Yb, Zn and Zr were determined. Applying R software, a robust multivariate statistical analysis, the results pointed out that the pottery from the sites was made with clay from different sources. The X-ray powder diffraction analyses were carried out to determine the mineral composition and Moessbauer spectroscopy was applied to provide information on both the degree of burning and atmosphere in order to reconstruct the Indian burning strategies temperature used on pottery production. (author)

In Praise of Vagueness: Uncertainty, ambiguity and archaeological methodology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Tim Flohr

2016-01-01

This article stipulates that vagueness is a socially important yet academically largely overlooked aspect of human interaction with the world. Vagueness and vague experiences can structure material categorisations of the world; it can contribute to the shaping of social relations and nurture...... and ambiguity can be integral to certain social and material phenomena. Third, the article examines recent archaeological analyses of burial practices in South Scandinavian passage graves from the Middle Neolithic in order to discuss the pursuit of certitude in archaeological observations and interpretations...

Alterations in archaeological bones thermally treated: structure and morphology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pijoan, C.M.; Mansilla, J.; Leboreiro, I.; Lara, V.H.; Bosch, P.

2004-01-01

Archaeological bones found close to Mexico city (Tlatelcomila) have been characterized by X-ray Diffraction, Small Angle X-ray Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. These techniques, which are not conventionally used in archaeological research, provided useful information. The boiled bones were clearly distinguished from grilled bones. The degree of deterioration of the bone structure was quantified through parameters such as gyration radius or fractal dimension. The morphology followed the structural modifications and changes resulting from thermic exposure. (Author) 23 refs., 1 tab., 2 figs

Breaking Open the Black Boxes: media archaeology, anarchaeology and media materiality

OpenAIRE

Goddard, M.

2015-01-01

An essay on the emergent methodology of media archaeology, in realtion to the material turn in approaches to digital media. In particular, this article advocates taking up Siegfried Zielinski's concept of 'anarchaeology', but in a different sense to the way it was originally proposed, in order to emphasise the political potentials of a media (an)archaeological methodological approach.

New perspectives for satellite-based archaeological research in the ancient territory of Hierapolis (Turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Lasaponara

2008-11-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the use of satellite QuickBird images to find traces of past human activity in the ancient territory of Hierapolis (Turkey. This is one of the most important archaeological sites in Turkey, and in 1988 it was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list. Although over the years the archaeological site of Hierapolis has been excavated, restored and well documented, up to now the territory around the ancient urban area is still largely unknown. The current research project, still in progress, aims to search the area neighbouring Hierapolis believed to have been under the control of the city for a long time and, therefore, expected to be very rich in archaeological evidence. In order to investigate a large area around the ancient Hierapolis and discover potential archaeological remains, QuickBird images were adopted.

Results from satellite-based analysis allowed us to find several unknown rural settlements dating back to early Imperial Roman and the Byzantine age. Two significant test sites were focused on in this paper in order to characterize the different spectral responses observed for different types of archaeological features (shadow and soil marks. Principal Component Analysis and spectral indices were computed to enhance archaeological marks and make identification easier. The capability of the QuickBird data set (panchromatic, multispectral channel, PCA and spectral indices in searching for archaeological marks was assessed in a quantitative way by using a specific indicator.

Event review: How Interesting Archaeology Is! - Captivating and Leading-Edge Student Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Uemine

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Kyoto City Archaeological Museum situated in Kansai region, the central part of Honshu Island, Japan, has held special exhibitions in collaboration with external organizations every year since 2011. From 2011 to 2013, several universities and even a high school have participated projects, and in 2014, the Kansai Archaeological Association for Students (KAAS played an important role as partner, producing the exhibit “ここまでわかる！考古学―学生が魅せる最先端” (“How Interesting Archaeology Is! - Captivating and Leading-Edge Student Research”.

Digital Archaeological Heritage: an introduction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith May

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The 17th EAC Symposium (Europae Archaeologiae Consilium in Brighton was convened under a concept note that recognised that 'Digital technologies are developing at an unprecedented speed. As they do, they are opening up many new possibilities for the conduct and presentation of archaeological research and investigation. The digital realm is one which knows few borders and so the sharing of understanding about these new methods, techniques and possibilities across Europe is extremely valuable'. The Brighton Symposium was held over one-and-a-half days (17-18 March 2016 and consisted of three presentation sessions, followed by discussions that included questions and comments from the floor. The presentations were aimed at one of the three broad themes of the symposium although, in actuality, a number of the presenters raised topics that spanned more than one theme.

ARIADNE: A Research Infrastructure for Archaeology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hollander, H.S.; Meghini, Carlo; Scopigno, Roberto; Richards, Julian; Wright, Holly; Geser, Guntram; Cuy, Sebastian; Fihn, Johan; Fanini, Bruno; Niccolucci, Franco; Felicetti, Achille; Ronzino, Paola; Nurra, Federico; Papatheodorou, Christos; Gavrilis, Dimitris; Theodoridou, Maria; Doerr, Martin; Tudhope, Douglas; Binding, Ceri; Vlachidis, Andreas

Research e-infrastructures, digital archives and data services have become important pillars of scientific enterprise that in recent decades has become ever more collaborative, distributed and data-intensive. The archaeological research community has been an early adopter of digital tools for data

Applications of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) in Archaeology

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

ManiMurali, R.

The advancement of remote sensing technology and the analysing capability of Geographical Information System (GIS) can very well be used in the science of Archaeology. Though these subjects look apart, they can be studied in conjunction with each...

Archaeologists-in-Training: Students of the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem, 1920-1936

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amara Thornton

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Compiled in the process of doctoral research, this list of students at the British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem covers the terms of the School’s first two directors, John Garstang and John Crowfoot. It has been gathered from the School’s Minute Books, now in the archive of the Palestine Exploration Fund, and from contemporary published reports in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly. By naming and enumerating the students at this institution, still in existence today, the diaspora of and networks inherent in archaeological training during the early years of professionalization become clear. The data also includes the background and education (where known of these prospective archaeologists, an important factor in evaluating issues of gender, class and education in the history of the discipline.

Ethnographic Households and Archaeological Interpretations: A Case from Iranian Kurdistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, Carol

1982-01-01

Shows how archaeological interpretation based strictly on the evidence of architectural remains may lead to inaccurate conclusions about social patterns in extinct societies. An ethnographic study of an Iranian Kurdish village is used to illustrate the possible variations of residential social relationships within buildings with similar…

Integrated geophysical-geochemical methods for archaeological prospecting

OpenAIRE

Persson, Kjell

2005-01-01

A great number of field measurements with different methods and instruments were conducted in attempts to develop a method for an optimal combination of various geochemical and geophysical methods in archaeological prospecting. The research presented in this thesis focuses on a study of how different anthropogenic changes in the ground can be detected by geochemical and geophysical mapping and how the results can be presented. A six-year pilot project, Svealand in Vendel and Viking periods (S...

Effect of the wavelength on laser induced breakdown spectrometric analysis of archaeological bone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kasem, M.A. [National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science (NILES), Cairo University, Giza (Egypt); Gonzalez, J.J.; Russo, R.E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Harith, M.A., E-mail: mharithm@niles.edu.eg [National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science (NILES), Cairo University, Giza (Egypt)

2014-11-01

The analytical exploitation of the laser induced plasma suffers from its transient behavior due to some nonlinear effects. These phenomena are matrix-dependent and limit the use of LIBS to mostly semi-quantitative precision. The plasma parameters have to be kept as constant as possible during LIBS measurements. Studying archaeological bone samples using LIBS technique could be more difficult since these samples are less tough in their texture than many other solid samples. Thus, the ablation process could change the sample morphological features rapidly resulting in poor reproducibility and statistics. Furthermore archaeological bones are subjected to diagenesis effects due to burial environment and postmortem effects. In the present work comparative analytical study of UV (266 nm) and IR (1064 nm) LIBS for archaeological bone samples belonging to four ancient Egyptian dynasties representing the middle kingdom (1980–1630 BC), 2nd intermediate period (1630–1539/23 BC), Roman–Greek period (30 BC–A.D. 395) and the late period (664–332 BC). Measurements have been performed under identical experimental conditions except the laser wavelength to examine its effects. Elemental fluctuations within the same dynasty were studied for reliable information about each dynasty. The analytical results demonstrated that UV-LIBS gives a more realistic picture for bone elemental composition within the same dynasty, and bone ash could be more suitable as a reference material for bone calibration in the case of UV-LIBS. - Highlights: • UV and IR LIBS for archaeological bone samples have been performed. • Elemental fluctuations within the same dynasty were studied. • UV-LIBS gave realistic picture for bone elemental composition for the same dynasty. • Depth profile for Sr/Ca concentration was an indicator for the diagenesis effect. • Bone ash is the most suitable for calcified tissue calibration for UV-LIBS.

Effect of the wavelength on laser induced breakdown spectrometric analysis of archaeological bone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasem, M.A.; Gonzalez, J.J.; Russo, R.E.; Harith, M.A.

2014-01-01

The analytical exploitation of the laser induced plasma suffers from its transient behavior due to some nonlinear effects. These phenomena are matrix-dependent and limit the use of LIBS to mostly semi-quantitative precision. The plasma parameters have to be kept as constant as possible during LIBS measurements. Studying archaeological bone samples using LIBS technique could be more difficult since these samples are less tough in their texture than many other solid samples. Thus, the ablation process could change the sample morphological features rapidly resulting in poor reproducibility and statistics. Furthermore archaeological bones are subjected to diagenesis effects due to burial environment and postmortem effects. In the present work comparative analytical study of UV (266 nm) and IR (1064 nm) LIBS for archaeological bone samples belonging to four ancient Egyptian dynasties representing the middle kingdom (1980–1630 BC), 2nd intermediate period (1630–1539/23 BC), Roman–Greek period (30 BC–A.D. 395) and the late period (664–332 BC). Measurements have been performed under identical experimental conditions except the laser wavelength to examine its effects. Elemental fluctuations within the same dynasty were studied for reliable information about each dynasty. The analytical results demonstrated that UV-LIBS gives a more realistic picture for bone elemental composition within the same dynasty, and bone ash could be more suitable as a reference material for bone calibration in the case of UV-LIBS. - Highlights: • UV and IR LIBS for archaeological bone samples have been performed. • Elemental fluctuations within the same dynasty were studied. • UV-LIBS gave realistic picture for bone elemental composition for the same dynasty. • Depth profile for Sr/Ca concentration was an indicator for the diagenesis effect. • Bone ash is the most suitable for calcified tissue calibration for UV-LIBS

Ludwik Fleck’s concepts slicing through the Gordian Knot of Serbian Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Milosavljević

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article delves into the work of a researcher group based around the Center for Theoretical Archaeology in Belgrade (2007 – present and the path they have taken to establish a foundation for further archaeological development within Serbia. This process illuminates the conceptual tools Fleck originally formulated - thought collectives, thought style, proto-ideas – which have played a significant role in the deconstruction of the concept of scientific fact and in the historicization / socialization of the theory of knowledge. For the Serbian archaeological community, one of the most fiendish aspects has been the ever present correlation between the field and the construction of a national identity - an especially painful theme for the postwar Balkans whose borders are still imprecisely defined. Hence, this work pays special attention to long held beliefs of ethnicity, ethnogenesis and continuity, emanating from outdated racial anthropology, but unfortunately still held as fact in Serbian archaeology.

An Archaeology of the Troubles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McAtackney, Laura

Long Kesh / Maze prison was infamous as the major holding centre for paramilitary prisoners during the course of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Some of the major events of the recent conflict centred on, emanated from, and were transformed by it, including the burning of the internment camp in...... society. Using a multitude of sources, McAtackney creatively provides a unique interpretation of the Northern Irish Troubles and the continuing destabilizing role of material remnants of the conflict in the peace process.......Long Kesh / Maze prison was infamous as the major holding centre for paramilitary prisoners during the course of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Some of the major events of the recent conflict centred on, emanated from, and were transformed by it, including the burning of the internment camp...... contentious remnants of the conflict and has become central to debates about what we do with such sites, what they mean, and how they relate to contemporary rememberings of the difficult recent past. The only independent archaeological investigation of Long Kesh / Maze prior to its partial demolition...

The archaeological investigations of 1984 at Trinca “Izvorul lui Luca” site

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Leviţki

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The article presents the archaeological researches carried out at Trinca “Izvorul lui Luca” settlement in 1984. The paper is part of the series of articles initiated by the authors in order to include the research results of this unusual site. The discovered archaeological remains were treated in a complex way, presented on layers, complexes, categories and types. Thus, the discovered complexes were described, the pieces of inventory systematized according to the categories of materials from which they were made, while the ceramics is presented by categories, types and variants. The most relevant findings have been analysed in more detail, being related to those specific of other synchronous or partially synchronic neighbouring cultures. As a result, the existence of a set of artefacts has been established, having analogies in the Hallstattian Carpathian-Nistrian cultural environment and, respectively, in the Middle Danube area.

Interpretation of archaeological small-scale features in spectral images

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grøn, Ole; Palmer, Susanna; Stylegar, Frans-Arne

2011-01-01

The paper's focus is the use of spectral images for the distinction of small archaeological anomalies on the basis of the authors work. Special attention is given to the ground-truthing perspective in the discussion of a number of cases from Norway. Different approaches to pattern-recognition are......The paper's focus is the use of spectral images for the distinction of small archaeological anomalies on the basis of the authors work. Special attention is given to the ground-truthing perspective in the discussion of a number of cases from Norway. Different approaches to pattern...

Archaeology in Latin America, by Gustavo G. Politis and Benjamin Alberti, editors, 1999, Routledge, London

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David L. Browman

2001-11-01

Full Text Available The two editors argue in their preface to the volume that the particular sociopolitical context of Latin America has led to a regionalism not seen in North America or Europe, resulting in a unique variety of archaeology. They particularly conceive "Latin American archaeology" in this case to he only that archaeology done by individuals who are citizens of the countries of the region, and they ex­clude from consideration as being considered "Latin American archaeology" the work of foreign scholars such as North Americans and Europeans who do research in the region.

A survey of archaeological samples dated in 1988

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mejdahl, V.

1989-08-01

A survey is given of archaeological samples dated in 1988 at the Nordic Laboratory for Thermoluminescence Dating. A total of 67 samples were dated. The results were corrected for short-term fading of feldspars as measured for samples stored at room temperature for four weeks or at 100 deg. C for two weeks. The beta dose from potassium and rubidium in feldspar, and the alpha dose from uranium and thorium in quartz and feldspar were included assuming alpha efficiency factors of 0.1 for quartz and 0.2 for feldspar. (author) 22 tabs., 1 ill., 14 refs

Study and conservation of wood objects saturated of water originating of a pre-Columbian archaeological site: The Gran Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso O, A.; Tzompantzi R, T.; Mendoza A, D.; Morgos, A.; Imazu, S.

2004-01-01

Few studies have been practiced on deterioration processes suffered by objects made of ancient tropical and coniferous woods. The reason is related to the fact that very few objects made of wood are usually found in archaeological excavations in our country. For this reason, applied studies of archaeological woods are, to us, fundamental to understand the preservation processes which have allowed very few pre-Columbian objects to survive the extreme conditions or submerged in streams and oceans. Some preliminary results were obtained in the studies practiced on the Mexican wooden miniature from the Offering number 102 of the Great Temple of Tenochtitlan. Light and electron microscopy as well as physical tests have proven to be suitable examination techniques to obtain information about the preservation level of wooden structures. The results obtained were important to understand the influence of the context in the preservation of the buried materials, furthermore they have allowed us to evaluate and ascertain new conservation procedures. (Author) 24 refs., 1 tab., 12 figs

Microbiology Meets Archaeology: Soil Microbial Communities Reveal Different Human Activities at Archaic Monte Iato (Sixth Century BC).

Science.gov (United States)

Margesin, Rosa; Siles, José A; Cajthaml, Tomas; Öhlinger, Birgit; Kistler, Erich

2017-05-01

Microbial ecology has been recognized as useful in archaeological studies. At Archaic Monte Iato in Western Sicily, a native (indigenous) building was discovered. The objective of this study was the first examination of soil microbial communities related to this building. Soil samples were collected from archaeological layers at a ritual deposit (food waste disposal) in the main room and above the fireplace in the annex. Microbial soil characterization included abundance (cellular phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA), viable bacterial counts), activity (physiological profiles, enzyme activities of viable bacteria), diversity, and community structure (bacterial and fungal Illumina amplicon sequencing, identification of viable bacteria). PLFA-derived microbial abundance was lower in soils from the fireplace than in soils from the deposit; the opposite was observed with culturable bacteria. Microbial communities in soils from the fireplace had a higher ability to metabolize carboxylic and acetic acids, while those in soils from the deposit metabolized preferentially carbohydrates. The lower deposit layer was characterized by higher total microbial and bacterial abundance and bacterial richness and by a different carbohydrate metabolization profile compared to the upper deposit layer. Microbial community structures in the fireplace were similar and could be distinguished from those in the two deposit layers, which had different microbial communities. Our data confirmed our hypothesis that human consumption habits left traces on microbiota in the archaeological evidence; therefore, microbiological residues as part of the so-called ecofacts are, like artifacts, key indicators of consumer behavior in the past.

The West Dean Archaeological Project: research and teaching in the Sussex Downs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bill Sillar

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Since 2005/2006 West Dean College and the associated West Dean Estate in West Sussex have provided the home for practical training of Institute of Archaeology students, for both the initiation ritual of the Experimental Archaeology Course (“Prim Tech” and for the field training courses undertaken at the end of the first year. It is also the location of a long-term research project, aimed at understanding human occupation and land use in this part of the South Downs from prehistory to the present day. In this article the authors describe the first two years of activity of the West Dean Archaeological Project.

The Roman and Islamic spice trade: New archaeological evidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Veen, Marijke; Morales, Jacob

2015-06-05

Tropical spices have long been utilized in traditional medicine and cuisine. New archaeological evidence highlights temporal changes in the nature and scale of the ancient spice trade and in the ancient usage of these plants. Furthermore, a study of their 'materiality' highlights that the impact of spices extends beyond their material properties. Here the botanical remains of spices recovered from archaeological excavations at a port active in the Roman and medieval Islamic spice trade are evaluated. Recent excavations at Quseir al-Qadim, an ancient port located on the Red Sea coast of Egypt, have provided new evidence for the spice trade. Due to the arid conditions ancient botanical remains were preserved in abundance and these included spices, as well as a wide range of other food plants. Quseir al-Qadim was active as a transport hub during both the Roman and Islamic periods (ca. AD 1-250, known as Myos Hormos, and again during ca. AD 1050-1500, known as Kusayr), and the remains thus facilitate a study of temporal change in the trade and usage of these spices. Standard archaeobotanical methods were used to recover, identify and analyze these remains. At least seven tropical spices were recovered from the excavations, as well as several other tropical imports, including black pepper (Piper nigrum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum), turmeric (Curcuma sp.), fagara (cf. Tetradium ruticarpum), myrobalan (Terminalia bellirica and Terminalia chebula) and betelnut (Areca catechu). A marked contrast between the two chronological periods in the range of spices recovered points to changes in the nature and scale of the trade between the Roman and medieval Islamic periods, while differences in the contexts from which they were recovered help to identify temporal changes in the way in which the spices were utilized during those periods. Archaeological and textual evidence suggest that in antiquity spices were used in ritual (funeral rites

Towards a Social History of Archaeology: The Case of the Excavators of Early Iron Age Burial Mounds in Southern Germany

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nils Müller-Scheessel

2008-05-01

Full Text Available While the general history of archaeology has received a growing interest lately1, these efforts still lack a common research-guiding agenda. Furthermore, most of the studies still concentrate on biographies and event history. The embedding of archaeology in the structures and conditions of its time is still a kind of terra incognita. The few well known publications (e. g. Hudson 1981; Kristiansen 1981; Patterson 1986; 1995 emphasize the gap only more. The lack of a significant amount of literature especially on the social history of archaeology is all the more surprising as the early interest in archaeology shows a clear social bias: archaeology was (and still is? a recreational activity for the educated and the well-off. While Hudson’s book in particular is very readable, it is clearly meant to provide only a very broad picture. Along with the other publications mentioned above it is now somewhat dated; the lack of recent works on this topic thus highlight the lack of interest in the social history of archaeology even more.2 However, this essay does not deal with this deplorable fact, but seeks to present some ‘hard’ data on only one, albeit important activity of early archaeological excavations, particularly those of burial mounds. Its focus is on Southern Germany and on graves from the early Iron Age.3

36 CFR 296.14 - Determination of archaeological or commercial value and cost of restoration and repair.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... shall be its fair market value. Where the violation has resulted in damage to the archaeological resource, the fair market value should be determined using the condition of the archaeological resource... archaeological or commercial value and cost of restoration and repair. 296.14 Section 296.14 Parks, Forests, and...

The Three Dimensions of Archaeology - Introduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamermans H., Piccoli, Ch., Neef W. de, Posluschny A.G., Scopigno, R.; Kamermans H., Neef W. de, Piccoli, Ch., Posluschny A.G., Scopigno, R.

2016-01-01

This volume brings together presentations from two sessions organized for the XVII World UISPP Conference that was held from 1-7 September 2014 in Burgos (Spain). The sessions are: The scientific value of 3D archaeology, organised by Hans Kamermans, Chiara Piccoli and Roberto Scopigno, and Detecting

Materials issues in art and archaeology. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandiver, P.B.; Druzik, J.; Wheeler, G.S.

1991-01-01

the purpose of this meeting is to present new and current research which: shares an empirical methodology of observation and measurement; concerns interdisciplinary studies of art, archaeology, architecture, ancient technology, and conservation; and uses the knowledge, methods and tools of materials science and engineering. Druzik introduced the symposium as follows: It is not inaccurate to say that Materials Issues in Art and Archaeology II is a continuing experiment. It is an experiment in the sense that conservation scientists, materials scientists who usually deal with the properties and processing of modern technology, and those who study the materials and processing of ancient cultures seldom have an opportunity to experience each other's unique problems. While the conservation of artistic and cultural properties often involves the very same objects as those studied by students of ancient technology these two specialized species seldom, if ever, attend the same meetings, publish in the same journals, or can even name a paltry subset of the other discipline's more famous characters and controversies. And, what do the Real Material Scientists think of these two odd birds. Well, that's what we really want to find out. Because it's certainly clear to myself and my co-organizers that the MRS has undreamed of potential and wealth to help solve many of the questions we pose about past cultures, their tools, their aesthetic sensibilities and their preservation for future generations were we only imaginative enough to exploit it

“Wild Worship of a Lost and Buried Past”: Enchanted Archaeologies and the Cult of Kata, 1908–1924

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helen Wickstead

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Histories of archaeology traditionally traced the progress of the modern discipline as the triumph of secular disenchanted science over pre-modern, enchanted, world-views. In this article I complicate and qualify the themes of disenchantment and enchantment in archaeological histories, presenting an analysis of how both contributed to the development of scientific theory and method in the earliest decades of the twentieth century. I examine the interlinked biographies of a group who created a joke religion called “The Cult of Kata”. The self-described “Kataric Circle” included notable archaeologists Harold Peake, O.G.S. Crawford and Richard Lowe Thompson, alongside classicists, musicians, writers and performing artists. The cult highlights the connections between archaeology, theories of performance and the performing arts – in particular theatre, music, folk dance and song. “Wild worship” was linked to the consolidation of collectivities facilitating a wide variety of scientific and artistic projects whose objectives were all connected to dreams of a future utopia. The cult parodied archaeological ideas and methodologies, but also supported and expanded the development of field survey, mapping and the interpretation of archaeological distribution maps. The history of the Cult of Kata shows how taking account of the unorthodox and the interdisciplinary, the humorous and the recreational, is important within generously framed approaches to histories of the archaeological imagination. The work of the Kataric Circle is not best understood as the relentless progress of disenchanted modern science. It suggests a more complicated picture in which dynamics of enchantment and disenchantment stimulate and discipline the imagination simultaneously. I conclude with a reexamination of the politics of an emphasis on playfulness and enchantment.

Excava(ction in Vignale. Archaeology on stage, archaeology on the Web

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefano Costa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available As an orchestra or a rock star, archaeologists have their audience too. This paper wants to highlight an integrated approach between fieldwork, its account and its dissemination to the public in different ways, including social media. This potential integration has come to life in the 2011 excavation of the Roman mansio of Vignale (Italy and it has been named “Excava(ction”. It doesn’t mean a new way of digging but another way of approaching the excavation, an approach integrated toward and with the public, both on site and on the social Web. “Excava(ction” conceives the site as a stage and digging as a performance, through a continuous dialogue between archaeologists and the public. Archaeologists share their work in the form of guided tours (live, theatrical-like performances, communicative diaries and videos (edited, motion-picture performances and on a blog (www.uominiecoseavignale.it. They receive back comments and oral accounts from the local community about the main themes of common interest. “Excava(ction” means engagement both of archaeologists and the public in the pursuit of a global multivocality during archaeological excavation.

The Influence of Linguistics upon the Formation of the Culture-Historical Approach in Archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zorica Kuzmanović

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Through the critical research into the history of archaeology, the paper aims to explore the influence of linguistics and, more generally, the role of language in modern societies, upon the formation of the culture-historical approach in the discipline, focusing upon the situation in the Serbian archaeology. In doing so, the author follows the series of the similar critical historical accounts of the history of archaeology, pointing to the conceptual burden carried along with the culture-historical practice of attributing artefacts according to their cultural affiliation, automatically making inferences about the cultural/ ethnic identity of the people who used them. The need to analyse the relationship between linguistics and archaeology at the time of formation of the discipline originates from the standpoint that, even if we do not advocate the complete rejection of the culture-historical tradition (still impossible, however, it is nevertheless necessary to understand the ways in which certain meanings were formed, implicit to the archaeological concept of culture. In this way, it becomes possible to avoid the interpretive mistakes inherent to the conceptual burden of the discipline.

Budget Uav Systems for the Prospection of - and Medium-Scale Archaeological Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Ostrowski, W.; Hanus, K.

2016-06-01

inconvenient, but not impossible. Our paper presents our experiences through two case studies: surveys conducted in Nepal under the aegis of UNESCO, and works carried out as a part of a Polish archaeological expedition in Cyprus, which both prove that the proposed methodology allows obtaining satisfying results. The article is an important voice in the ongoing debate between commercial and academic archaeologists who discuss the balance between the required standards of conducting archaeological works and economic capabilities of archaeological missions.

77 FR 59661 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Stanford University Archaeology Center, Stanford, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-28

... Inventory Completion: Stanford University Archaeology Center, Stanford, CA AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Stanford University Archaeology Center has completed an inventory of... determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and a present-day Indian tribe...

77 FR 59660 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Stanford University Archaeology Center, Stanford, CA

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-28

... Inventory Completion: Stanford University Archaeology Center, Stanford, CA AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Stanford University Archaeology Center has completed an inventory of... has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and present-day Indian...

The suitability of EDXRF for compositional classification of archaeological pottery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Padilla Alvarez, Roman

2007-01-01

Many investigations have been carried out trying to enlarge the information that can be gathered through the chemical analysis of archaeological findings. Chemical composition data sets, properly interpreted with multivariate analysis techniques, have been used extensively to supplement investigations involving provenance studies or more complex socio-economic aspects of the past communities. Correct inferences from the gathered compositional data are only possible if well documented background information about the studied samples is available, such as a correct interpretation of the archaeological contexts, knowledge about the nature of the used raw materials or procurement sources (geology of the territories), among others. The combined use of Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Scanning Electron Microscopy X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX) has been widely applied to the classification of archaeological pottery. However the need to remove at least a minimal part (invasion) of the sample and the time delay required for radioisotope decay and the high costs involved in INAA often restrict its use. Energy Dispersive x-ray Fluorescence spectrometry (EDXRF) is advantageous to perform a completely non-destructive analysis in a relatively fast way, but several problems have restricted its wider use in the past. The highly matrix-dependent attenuation of x-rays in the analysed sample hampers the use of the standard-less quantification procedures as an alternative when suitable certified reference materials are not at hand, and the relatively limited instrumental sensitivity of the conventional spectrometers has not allowed the determination of some trace elements that are relevant for compositional differentiation and provided a comparatively higher uncertainties. This contribution presents the results of several investigations aimed to achieving classification of archaeological pottery using reliable quantitative EDXRF procedures. The main factors affecting the

Smart SfM: Salinas Archaeological Museum

Science.gov (United States)

Inzerillo, L.

2017-08-01

In these last years, there has been an increasing use of the Structure from Motion (SfM) techniques applied to Cultural Heritage. The accessibility of SfM software can be especially advantageous to users in non-technical fields or to those with limited resources. Thanks to SfM using, everyone can make with a digital camera a 3D model applied to an object of both Cultural Heritage, and physically Environment, and work arts, etc. One very interesting and useful application can be envisioned into museum collection digitalization. In the last years, a social experiment has been conducted involving young generation to live a social museum using their own camera to take pictures and videos. Students of university of Catania and Palermo were involved into a national event #digitalinvasion (2015-2016 editions) offering their personal contribution: they realized 3D models of the museums collection through the SfM techniques. In particular at the National Archaeological Museum Salinas in Palermo, it has been conducted an organized survey to recognize the most important part of the archaeological collection. It was a success: in both #digitalinvasion National Event 2015 and 2016 the young students of Engineering classes carried out, with Photoscan Agisoft, more than one hundred 3D models some of which realized by phone camera and some other by reflex camera and some other with compact camera too. The director of the museum has been very impressed from these results and now we are going to collaborate at a National project to use the young generation crowdsourcing to realize a semi-automated monitoring system at Salinas Archaeological Museum.

SMART SfM: SALINAS ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Inzerillo

2017-08-01

Full Text Available In these last years, there has been an increasing use of the Structure from Motion (SfM techniques applied to Cultural Heritage. The accessibility of SfM software can be especially advantageous to users in non-technical fields or to those with limited resources. Thanks to SfM using, everyone can make with a digital camera a 3D model applied to an object of both Cultural Heritage, and physically Environment, and work arts, etc. One very interesting and useful application can be envisioned into museum collection digitalization. In the last years, a social experiment has been conducted involving young generation to live a social museum using their own camera to take pictures and videos. Students of university of Catania and Palermo were involved into a national event #digitalinvasion (2015-2016 editions offering their personal contribution: they realized 3D models of the museums collection through the SfM techniques. In particular at the National Archaeological Museum Salinas in Palermo, it has been conducted an organized survey to recognize the most important part of the archaeological collection. It was a success: in both #digitalinvasion National Event 2015 and 2016 the young students of Engineering classes carried out, with Photoscan Agisoft, more than one hundred 3D models some of which realized by phone camera and some other by reflex camera and some other with compact camera too. The director of the museum has been very impressed from these results and now we are going to collaborate at a National project to use the young generation crowdsourcing to realize a semi-automated monitoring system at Salinas Archaeological Museum.

Studies on tofts, peasants and hierarchies in medieval rural Denmark - some comments from an archaeological perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristiansen, Mette Svart

2013-01-01

A classical starting point for an archaeological discussion of hierarchy in Danish settlement research is the toft, particularly its size and position in the spatial arrangement of the medieval village. The main concern of this article is to identify and discuss related problems, in particular...

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering in art and archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Leona, Marco

2005-11-01

The identification of natural dyes found in archaeological objects and in works of art as textile dyes and lake pigments is a demanding analytical task. To address the problems raised by the very low dye content of dyed fibers and lake pigments, and by the requirement to remove only microscopic samples, surface enhanced Raman scattering techniques were investigated for application to museum objects. SERS gives excellent results with the majority of natural dyes, including: alizarin, purpurin, laccaic acid, carminic acid, kermesic acid, shikonin, juglone, lawsone, brazilin and brazilein, haematoxylin and haematein, fisetin, quercitrin, quercetin, rutin, and morin. In this study, limits of detection were determined for representative dyes and different SERS supports such as citrate reduced Ag colloid and silver nanoisland films. SERS was successfully used to identify natural madder in a microscopic fragment from a severely degraded 11th Century Byzantine textile recently excavated in Amorium, Turkey.

Marine archaeological exploration on the western coast, Gulf of Khambhat

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Gaur, A.S.; Bhatt, B.K.

large number of stone anchors at Gogha, Hatab, and Gopnath. These are similar to those reported from the western coast of the Saurashtra, particularly at Dwarka (Gaur et al. 2001), Bet Dwarka (Sundaresh et al. 2004), Miyani, Visawada (Gaur et al. 2007.... Stone Anchors from Bet Dwarka Island, Gujarat Coast, Bulletin of Australian Institute of Maritime Archaeology 26: 43-50 Yang, Q.Z. 1990. South- Song Stone Anchors in China, Korea and Japan, International Journal of Nautical Archaeology 19 (2): 113-121. ...

On the Turn of Two Millennia (60 Years of the Mari Archaeological Expedition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikitin Valeriy V.,

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The article is dedicated to the 60th Anniversary of the Mari Archaeological Expedition and summarizes the two decades of its studies (1996-2016 into the early cultures of the Mari region, starting from the era of the original settlement (Mesolithic, through the Neolithic-Eneolithic, Bronze Age, Early Iron Age and up to the Middle Ages. The expedition studied stations and settlements of primitive cultures, as well as unfortified and fortified settlements and necropolises. Special studies focused on formation and development of the early Mari culture, as well as the material and spiritual culture of the medieval Mari. The expedition continues its survey exploration in order to identify new archaeological sites. During the reported period, twelve monographs were published and three monographs prepared based on the expedition’s materials.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Fermentation Effects on Pollen: Archaeological Implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crystal A. Dozier

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Pollen is the reproductive agent of flowering plants; palynology is utilized by archaeologists because sporopollenin, a major component in the exine of pollen grains, is resistant to decay and morphologically distinctive. Wine, beer, and mead have been identified in the archaeological record by palynological assessment due to indicator species or due to a pollen profile similar to that recovered from honey, a common source of sugar in a variety of fermented beverages. While most palynologists have assumed that pollen grains are resistant to alcoholic fermentation, a recent study in food science implies that pollen is a yeast nutrient because pollen-enriched meads produce more alcohol. The experiment presented here explores the potential distortion of the pollen record through fermentation by brewing a traditional, pollen-rich mead with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this experiment, the pollen grains did not undergo any discernible morphological changes nor were distorted in the pollen profile. Any nutrition that the yeast garners from the pollen therefore leaves sporopollenin intact. These results support palynological research on residues of alcoholic beverages and confirms that the fermentation process does not distort the pollen profile of the original substance. The paper concludes with the potential and limits of palynological study to assess fermentation within the archaeological record.

Archaeological finds from the vaulted building at Krševica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popović Petar

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The completely preserved building with barrel vault was discovered in 2008 in the course of investigation of the remains of an urban settlement dating from the 4th /3rd centuries BC at the site Kale in the village Krševica (southeast Serbia. We are presenting in this work the archaeological finds discovered in this structure. They included pottery, worked stone and many skeletons of horses and dogs that are assumed to be the ritual sacrifice.

URBAN ARCHAEOLOGY: HOW TO COMMUNICATE A STORY OF A SITE, 3D VIRTUAL RECONSTRUCTION BUT NOT ONLY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Capone

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Over the past few years experimental systems have been developed to introduce new ways of enjoying cultural heritage using digital media. Technology had a lead role in this testing ground increasing the need to develop new way of communication according to contemporary iconography culture. Most applications are aimed at creating online databases that allow free access to information, that helps to spread the culture and simplify the study about cultural heritage. To this type of application are added others, which are aimed at defining new and different ways of cultural heritage enjoyment. Very interesting applications are those regarding to reconstruction of archaeological landscape. The target of these applications is to develop a new level of knowledge that increases the value of the archaeological find and the level of understanding. In fact, digital media can bridge the gap of communication associated to archaeological find: the virtual simulation offers the possibility to put it in the context and it defines a new way to enjoy the cultural heritage. In most of these cases the spectacular and recreational factor generally prevails. We believe that experimentation is needed in this area, particularly for the development of Urban Archaeology. In this case, another trouble to enjoy is added to the lack of communication, typical of archaeological finds, because it is "hidden" in an irreversible way: it is under water or under city. So, our research is mainly oriented to define a methodological path to elaborate a communication strategy to increase interest about Urban Archaeology.

Chemical characterization of archaeological ceramics by neutron activation analysis: A study in the production and distribution of middle horizon pottery from Cuzco, Peru

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montoya, Eduardo; Mendoza, Pablo; Zapata, Julinho

2009-01-01

The k 0 based instrumental neutron activation analysis has been used, as a quantitative characterization tool, to establish the provenience of the Wari pottery found in Middle Horizon archaeological sites at Cuzco, Peru. The results indicate a bidirectional exchange of pottery between Ayacucho and Cuzco along the Middle Horizon Period. Other archaeological inferences from the results of the chemical analysis are discussed. (author).

Apis - a Digital Inventory of Archaeological Heritage Based on Remote Sensing Data

Science.gov (United States)

Doneus, M.; Forwagner, U.; Liem, J.; Sevara, C.

2017-08-01

Heritage managers are in need of dynamic spatial inventories of archaeological and cultural heritage that provide them with multipurpose tools to interactively understand information about archaeological heritage within its landscape context. Specifically, linking site information with the respective non-invasive prospection data is of increasing importance as it allows for the assessment of inherent uncertainties related to the use and interpretation of remote sensing data by the educated and knowledgeable heritage manager. APIS, the archaeological prospection information system of the Aerial Archive of the University of Vienna, is specifically designed to meet these needs. It provides storage and easy access to all data concerning aerial photographs and archaeological sites through a single GIS-based application. Furthermore, APIS has been developed in an open source environment, which allows it to be freely distributed and modified. This combination in one single open source system facilitates an easy workflow for data management, interpretation, storage, and retrieval. APIS and a sample dataset will be released free of charge under creative commons license in near future.

The Two Cultures and a World Apart: Archaeology and science at a new crossroads

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Tim Flohr

2017-01-01

Within the past decade or so, archaeology has increasingly utilised and contributed to major advances in scientific methods when exploring the past. This progress is frequently celebrated as a quantum leap in the possibilities for understanding the archaeological record, opening up for hitherto i......’, ‘facts’ and quantitative methods. It is argued that if archaeology is to break free of its self-induced inferiority to and dependence on science, it must revitalise its methodology for asking questions pertinent to the humanities....

Contribution of the 40Ar/39Ar method to improve Middle-Pleistocene archaeological/palaeontological sites from the Italian Peninsula

Science.gov (United States)

Nomade, Sebastien, ,, Dr.; Pereira, MSc. Alison; voinchet, Pierre, ,, Dr.; Bahain, Jean-Jacques, ,, Dr.; Aureli, Daniele, ,, Dr.; Arzarello, Marta, ,, Dr.; Anzidei, Anna-Paola, ,, Dr.; Biddittu, Italo, ,, Dr.; Bulgarelli, Maria-Grazia, ,, Dr.; Falguères, Christophe, ,, Dr.; Giaccio, Biagio, ,, Dr.; Guillou, Hervé, ,, Dr.; Manzi, Gorgio, ,, Dr.; Moncel, Marie-Hélène, ,, Dr.; Nicoud, Elisa, ,, Dr.; Pagli, Maria, ,, Dr.; Parenti, Fabio, ,, Dr.; Peretto, Carlo, ,, Dr.; Piperno, Marcello, ,, Dr.; Rocca, Roxane, ,, Dr.

2017-04-01

European Middle-Pleistocene archaeological and/or paleontological sites lack a unified and precise chronological framework. Despite recent efforts mostly focused on methods such as OSL, ESR/U-series or cosmogenic nuclides, the age of numerous sites from this period fundamentally still relies on qualitative and speculative palaeoenvironmental and/or palaeontological/palaeoanthropological considerations. The lack of robust chronologies, along with the scarcity of human fossils, prevent coherent correlations between European sites which in turn limits our understanding of human diffusion dynamics, understand techno-cultural evolution or correlate archaeological sites with palaeoclimatic and environmental records. With the goal of providing an accurate and precise chronological framework based on a multi-method approach, a research network including geochronologists, archaeologist and paleoanthropologists from various French and Italian institutions launched in 2010 a wide study of Middle-Pleistocene archaeological sites of central and southern Italy. This study combining the 39Ar/40Ar method with palaeo-dosimetric methods applied to European sites in the age range of 700 ka to 300 ka is unprecedented. In parallel, a large effort has been done to improve the regional Middle-Pleistocene tephrostratigraphic database through a massive application of both high-precision 40Ar/39Ar geochronological and geochemical investigations. We illustrate our approach and results in addressing several key-sites such as Notarchirico, Valle Giumentina; Ceprano-Campogrande and La Polledrara di Cecanibbio. The accurate and precise chronological framework we built permits us to replace all the investigated archaeological and palaeontological records into a coherent climatic and environmental context. Furthermore, our work provides the opportunity to compare lithic industries from a technical and evolutionary point of view within a homogeneous temporal frame. These preliminary results border

ArtifactVis2: Managing real-time archaeological data in immersive 3D environments

KAUST Repository

Smith, Neil

2013-10-01

In this paper, we present a stereoscopic research and training environment for archaeologists called ArtifactVis2. This application enables the management and visualization of diverse types of cultural datasets within a collaborative virtual 3D system. The archaeologist is fully immersed in a large-scale visualization of on-going excavations. Massive 3D datasets are seamlessly rendered in real-time with field recorded GIS data, 3D artifact scans and digital photography. Dynamic content can be visualized and cultural analytics can be performed on archaeological datasets collected through a rigorous digital archaeological methodology. The virtual collaborative environment provides a menu driven query system and the ability to annotate, markup, measure, and manipulate any of the datasets. These features enable researchers to re-experience and analyze the minute details of an archaeological site\\'s excavation. It enhances their visual capacity to recognize deep patterns and structures and perceive changes and reoccurrences. As a complement and development from previous work in the field of 3D immersive archaeological environments, ArtifactVis2 provides a GIS based immersive environment that taps directly into archaeological datasets to investigate cultural and historical issues of ancient societies and cultural heritage in ways not possible before. © 2013 IEEE.

The Influence of Pseudomonas fluorescens on Corrosion Products of Archaeological Tin-Bronze Analogues

Science.gov (United States)

Ghiara, G.; Grande, C.; Ferrando, S.; Piccardo, P.

2018-01-01

In this study, tin-bronze analogues of archaeological objects were investigated in the presence of an aerobic Pseudomonas fluorescens strain in a solution, containing chlorides, sulfates, carbonates and nitrates according to a previous archaeological characterization. Classical fixation protocols were employed in order to verify the attachment capacity of such bacteria. In addition, classical metallurgical analytical techniques were used to detect the effect of bacteria on the formation of uncommon corrosion products in such an environment. Results indicate quite a good attachment capacity of the bacteria to the metallic surface and the formation of the uncommon corrosion products sulfates and sulfides is probably connected to the bacterial metabolism.

TL-dating applied to building archaeology: The case of the medieval church Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre (Mont-Saint-Michel, France)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blain, Sophie [IRAMAT-CRP2A-UMR 5060, CNRS-Universite de Bordeaux 3, Maison de l' Archeologie, F-33 607 Pessac (France); Luminescence Laboratory, Department of Archaeology, University of Durham, South Road, DH1 3LE Durham (United Kingdom)], E-mail: blain.sophie@gmail.com; Guibert, Pierre [IRAMAT-CRP2A-UMR 5060, CNRS-Universite de Bordeaux 3, Maison de l' Archeologie, F-33 607 Pessac (France)], E-mail: guibert@u-bordeaux3.fr; Bouvier, Armel [IRAMAT-CRP2A-UMR 5060, CNRS-Universite de Bordeaux 3, Maison de l' Archeologie, F-33 607 Pessac (France)], E-mail: bouvier_armel@yahoo.fr; Vieillevigne, Emmanuelle [IRAMAT-CRP2A-UMR 5060, CNRS-Universite de Bordeaux 3, Maison de l' Archeologie, F-33 607 Pessac (France)], E-mail: evieillevign@u-bordeaux3.fr; Bechtel, Francoise [IRAMAT-CRP2A-UMR 5060, CNRS-Universite de Bordeaux 3, Maison de l' Archeologie, F-33 607 Pessac (France); Sapin, Christian [Laboratoire Archeologie, Culture et Societe-UMR 8894, CNRS-Universite de Bourgogne, Dijon (France)], E-mail: sapin.christian@wanadoo.fr; Bayle, Maylis [Laboratoire de medievistique occidentale de Paris, UMR 8589, CNRS-Universite de Paris 1 (France)], E-mail: maylis.bayle@wanadoo.fr

2007-10-15

The recent application of thermoluminescence (TL) dating to young building materials is being increasingly developed for use in the field of buildings archaeology [; ; ]. Ensuring the accuracy of the dating method is of the utmost importance in order to achieve results which are pertinent enough to have archaeological significance. This paper deals with an archaeological building study of the first church built on the Mont-Saint-Michel (France) and improvements made to the TL-protocol in Bordeaux. The aim is to achieve precise dates for the material under analysis and therefore, a better understanding of the evolution of the building. For this study, 14 bricks have been sampled from eight different masonries and submitted for TL dating analysis. With the exception of one sample which appears to be non-contemporaneous to the others, the date results range from 900{+-}80 to 1020{+-}60 AD. The results were then averaged according to the two phases established by the archaeological building study. The first two stages of the primitive church both date from the 10th century.

TL-dating applied to building archaeology: The case of the medieval church Notre-Dame-Sous-Terre (Mont-Saint-Michel, France)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blain, Sophie; Guibert, Pierre; Bouvier, Armel; Vieillevigne, Emmanuelle; Bechtel, Francoise; Sapin, Christian; Bayle, Maylis

2007-01-01

The recent application of thermoluminescence (TL) dating to young building materials is being increasingly developed for use in the field of buildings archaeology [; ; ]. Ensuring the accuracy of the dating method is of the utmost importance in order to achieve results which are pertinent enough to have archaeological significance. This paper deals with an archaeological building study of the first church built on the Mont-Saint-Michel (France) and improvements made to the TL-protocol in Bordeaux. The aim is to achieve precise dates for the material under analysis and therefore, a better understanding of the evolution of the building. For this study, 14 bricks have been sampled from eight different masonries and submitted for TL dating analysis. With the exception of one sample which appears to be non-contemporaneous to the others, the date results range from 900±80 to 1020±60 AD. The results were then averaged according to the two phases established by the archaeological building study. The first two stages of the primitive church both date from the 10th century

Trapped in Our Own Discursive Formations: Toward an Archaeology of Library and Information Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Radford, Gary P.

2003-01-01

Introduces Michel Foucault's "Archaeology of Knowledge" as a way of addressing Wayne Wiegand's charges of problems in the discipline of library and information science. Highlights include a discussion of discursive formations, or the ways in which a collection of texts are organized with respect to each other; and history as a discursive…

Modelling the spread of farming in the Bantu-speaking regions of Africa: an archaeology-based phylogeography.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thembi Russell

Full Text Available We use archaeological data and spatial methods to reconstruct the dispersal of farming into areas of sub-Saharan Africa now occupied by Bantu language speakers, and introduce a new large-scale radiocarbon database and a new suite of spatial modelling techniques. We also introduce a method of estimating phylogeographic relationships from archaeologically-modelled dispersal maps, with results produced in a format that enables comparison with linguistic and genetic phylogenies. Several hypotheses are explored. The 'deep split' hypothesis suggests that an early-branching eastern Bantu stream spread around the northern boundary of the equatorial rainforest, but recent linguistic and genetic work tends not to support this. An alternative riverine/littoral hypothesis suggests that rivers and coastlines facilitated the migration of the first farmers/horticulturalists, with some extending this to include rivers through the rainforest as conduits to East Africa. More recently, research has shown that a grassland corridor opened through the rainforest at around 3000-2500 BP, and the possible effect of this on migrating populations is also explored. Our results indicate that rivers and coasts were important dispersal corridors, but do not resolve the debate about a 'Deep Split'. Future work should focus on improving the size, quality and geographical coverage of the archaeological (14C database; on augmenting the information base to establish descent relationships between archaeological sites and regions based on shared material cultural traits; and on refining the associated physical geographical reconstructions of changing land cover.

Extracting Archaeological Feautres from GPR Surveys Conducted with Variable Soil Moisture Conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Morris, I. M.; Glisic, B.; Gonciar, A.

2017-12-01

As a common tool for subsurface archaeological prospection, ground penetrating radar (GPR) is a useful method for increasing the efficiency of archaeological excavations. Archaeological sites are often temporally and financially constrained, therefore having limited ability to reschedule surveys compromised by weather. Furthermore, electromagnetic GPR surveys are especially sensitive to variations in water content, soil type, and site-specific interference. In this work, GPR scans of a partially excavated Roman villa consisting of different construction materials and phases (limestone, andesite, brick) in central Romania are compared. Surveys were conducted with a 500 MHz GPR antenna in both dry (pre-rain event) and wet (post-rain event) conditions. Especially in time or depth slices, wet surveys present additional archaeological features that are not present or clear in the standard dry conditions, while simultaneously masking the clutter present in those scans. When dry, the limestone has a similar dielectric constant to the soil and does not provide enough contrast in electromagnetic properties for strong reflections despite the significant difference in their physical properties. Following precipitation, however, the electromagnetic properties of these two materials is dominated by their respective water content and the contrast is enhanced. For this reason, the wet surveys are particularly necessary for revealing reflections from the limestone features often invisible in dry surveys. GPR surveys conducted in variable environmental conditions provide unique archaeological information, with potential near-surface geophysical applications in nondestructive material characterization and identification.

Early Medieval ceramics from the Viile Tecii archaeological site (Romania: an optical and XRD study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corina Ionescu

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Mineralogical and petrographic studies of Early Medieval potshards exhumed in the Viile Tecii archaeological site (North Transylvania, Romania show a ceramic body composed of a microcrystalline to amorphous matrix, various clasts and voids. The microscopical features and XRD patterns indicate that illitic-kaolinitic clays were used as raw materials, together with quartzitic sands as tempering material. The ceramic vessels were obtained with the potter’s wheel, but the fabric is only slightly oriented, due either to the fast modeling or to the coarseness of the clayish paste. The thermal alteration of mineral phases points to relatively high firing-temperatures, between 800 and 900°C.

Archaeology and History of the Ray Roberts Lake Area of Northcentral Texas, 1850-1950

Science.gov (United States)

1995-07-01

bluestem was the dominant grass ( McCormick et al. 1975:4). According to Hill (1887:293), the increased fertility of the soils in the Eastern Cross...Lake farmsteads include fruit jars, condiment bottles, and beverage containers, including soda, mineral water, and liquors. Large collections of whole...86(1): 1-30. McCormick , Olin F., Roger E. Filson, and Janis L. Darden 1975 The Xerox-.Lewisville Archaeological Proiect. Institute i,,r Environmental

Archaeological investigations on the Buckboard Mesa Road Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amick, D.S.; Henton, G.H.; Pippin, L.C.

1991-10-01

In 1986, the Desert Research Institute (DRI) conducted an archaeological reconnaissance of a new alignment for the Buckboard Mesa Road on the Nevada Test Site for the Department of Energy (DOE). During this reconnaissance, several archaeological sites of National Register quality were discovered and recorded including a large quarry, site 26Ny4892, and a smaller lithic scatter, site 26Ny4894. Analysis of the debitage at 26Ny4892 indicates that this area was used primarily as a quarry for relatively small cobbles of obsidian found in the alluvium. Lithic reduction techniques used here are designed for efficiently reducing small pieces of toolstone and are oriented towards producing flake blanks from small cores and bifacially reducing exhausted cores. Projectile point cross references indicate that the area has seen at least casual use for about 10,000 years and more sustained use for the last 3,000 years. Initial obsidian hydration measurements indicate sustained use of the quarry for about the last 3,000 years although the loci of activities appear to change over time. Based on this study, the DRI recommends that quarrying activities in the area of 26Ny4892 are sufficiently sampled and that additional investigations into that aspect of prehistoric activity in the area are not necessary. This does not apply to other aspects of prehistoric use. DRI recommends that preconstruction surveys continue to identify nonquarrying, prehistoric utilization of the area. With the increased traffic on the Buckboard Mesa Road, there is a greater potential for vandalism to sites of National Register-quality located near the road. The DRI recommends that during the orientation briefing the workers at the Test Site be educated about the importance of cultural resources and the need for their protection. 202 refs., 41 figs., 52 tabs.

Bacterial and abiotic decay in waterlogged archaeological Picea abies (L.) Karst studied by confocal Raman imaging and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Nanna Bjerregaard; Gierlinger, Notburga; Thygesen, Lisbeth Garbrecht

2015-01-01

Waterlogged archaeological Norway spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst] poles were studied by means of confocal Raman imaging (CRI) and attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis to determine lignin and polysaccharide composition and distribution in the cell......, and minor oxidation of the lignin polymer compared to recent reference material. This is evidence for abiotic decay in the course of waterlogging....

The need for the solid modelling of structure in the archaeology of buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Daniels

1997-03-01

Full Text Available Three-dimensional modelling is an attempt to represent the world in three dimensions, simplifying through deliberate assumptions. In archaeology, this has developed as an extension of the traditional use of three-dimensional drawings to help present and record data. The debate in the archaeological literature over whether surface or solid modellers should be used is one based on the premise that the purpose of three-dimensional modelling is data visualisation. This concentration on perception modelling has been at the expense of research on the modelling of structure. Surface and Solid Modellers are introduced and defined. I argue that developments in modelling software mean that there is no longer a clear distinction between the two types of software along application lines. We should think of models in terms of their applications rather than the software which generates them. Although data visualisation (including virtual reality is an important part of three-dimensional modelling, I argue that it should be explicitly divorced from the related field of photo-realism at a research level. Perception modelling can be performed by surface or solid modellers. Modelling structure is better performed with a solid modeller, if we wish to be as explicit as possible in our modelling. A structural model can be used as a spatial database. If we wish to ask questions about the physical properties of a structure, then we must use solid modellers. In addition to the engineering properties of structures, solid modellers can also be used to answer questions about the economics of construction. For historical reasons, the construction industry has preferred to use surface modellers, but I argue for the advantages of solid modelling in the archaeological study of construction.

Environmental Approaches to Prehistory/Archaeology. Activities Designed to Supplement a Course in North American Prehistory/Archaeology at the Junior High or High School Level. Curriculum Series, Number 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Carpenter, James C.; Fraser, Kathryn M.

Presented are 17 activities designed to supplement junior or senior high school studies in prehistory and archaeology. Stressed throughout the manual is the changing relationship between humans and the environment. The learning experiences fall into three categories: (1) how we study prehistoric cultures, (2) how prehistoric peoples lived, and (3)…

It's all in the pixels: high resolution remote sensing data and the mapping and analysis of the archaeological and historical landscape

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erwin Meylemans

2017-03-01

Full Text Available In Flanders (Belgium a large amount of remote-sensing data has been acquired and processed over the past few years, including high-resolution lidar and multi/hyperspectral aerial photography. These new data are contributing to the detection of archaeological sites and the characterisation of the cultural/historical landscape. Of particular use in historically stable areas under forest and pasture, lidar demonstrates the presence of a large number of previously unknown features and sites. The analysis and modelling of these data, combined with other landscape data such as soil maps, augering data, geological and historical maps, and aerial photographs, also provide possible new instruments for the characterisation and evaluation of prehistoric and historic landscapes. This vast amount of new remote-sensing data, plus the information it delivers, however, presents not only obvious opportunities but also a number of challenges. A centralised online system was developed by the 'GIS-Flanders agency', storing both processed and raw data from multispectral recordings, airborne lidar, mobile mapping images etc., and presenting several download and visualisation possibilities and tools. A new system has also been set up to handle specific archaeological and cultural historical data (historical images and aerial photographs, archaeological field data. Dialogue is needed so that the preservation and management needs of the archaeological heritage are also included.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE MONITORING: UAV PHOTOGRAMMETRY CAN BE AN ANSWER

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Rinaudo

2012-07-01

Full Text Available During archaeological excavations it is important to monitor the new excavated areas and findings day by day in order to be able to plan future excavation activities. At present, this daily activity is usually performed by using total stations, which survey the changes of the archaeological site: the surveyors are asked to produce day by day draft plans and sections which allow archaeologists to plan their future activities. The survey is realized during the excavations or just at the end of every working day and drawings have to be produced as soon as possible in order to allow the comprehension of the work done and to plan the activities for the following day. By using this technique, all the measurements, even those not necessary for the day after, have to be acquired in order to avoid a ‘loss of memory’. A possible alternative to this traditional approach is aerial photogrammetry, if the images can be acquired quickly and at a taken distance able to guarantee the necessary accuracy of a few centimeters. Today the use of UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles can be considered a proven technology able to acquire images at distances ranging from 4 m up to 20 m: and therefore as a possible monitoring system to provide the necessary information to the archaeologists day by day. The control network, usually present at each archaeological site, can give the stable control points useful for orienting a photogrammetric block acquired by using an UAV equipped with a calibrated digital camera and a navigation control system able to drive the aircraft following a pre-planned flight scheme. Modern digital photogrammetric software can solve for the block orientation and generate a DSM automatically, allowing rapid orthophoto generation and the possibility of producing sections and plans. The present paper describes a low cost UAV system realized by the research group of the Politecnico di Torino and tested on a Roman villa archaeological site located in

Thermoluminescent analysis of archaeological ceramic from Teotenango, Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez R, R.; Mondragon, M.; Villa S, G.; Gonzalez M, P.R.; Mendoza A, D.

2006-01-01

Of all the kind of artifacts which may be found at archaeological sites, ceramics are surely among the most important. A ceramic material is highly durable, and virtually unchanged after hundred of years from its date of manufacture. Because of this, a ceramic will always be an important object for serious studies to determine which culture produced it, to date cultures, reconstruct economic patterns and social organization, and establish routes of trade or simply to classify the different types of ceramics. The aim of this paper was to perform a thermoluminescent analysis of archaeological ceramic samples belonging to Teotenango, Mexico. The analysis is complemented with a physicochemical characterization by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). TL analysis shows some differences when the samples are exposed to ionizing radiation field, while SEM analysis shows a porous and granular structure in all samples, EDS analysis shows oxygen (O), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) in significant amounts. These results allow establishing differences among ceramic samples belonging to the same place. (Author)

Thermoluminescent analysis of archaeological ceramic from Teotenango, Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dominguez R, R. [Centro INAH Estado de Mexico, Morelos Ote. 502, Col. San Sebastian, 50090 Toluca, Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Mondragon, M. [Museo Roman Pina Chan, Teotenango 1024 (Mexico); Villa S, G.; Gonzalez M, P.R.; Mendoza A, D. [ININ, 52750 Ocoyoacac, Estado de Mexico (Mexico)

2006-07-01

Of all the kind of artifacts which may be found at archaeological sites, ceramics are surely among the most important. A ceramic material is highly durable, and virtually unchanged after hundred of years from its date of manufacture. Because of this, a ceramic will always be an important object for serious studies to determine which culture produced it, to date cultures, reconstruct economic patterns and social organization, and establish routes of trade or simply to classify the different types of ceramics. The aim of this paper was to perform a thermoluminescent analysis of archaeological ceramic samples belonging to Teotenango, Mexico. The analysis is complemented with a physicochemical characterization by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD). TL analysis shows some differences when the samples are exposed to ionizing radiation field, while SEM analysis shows a porous and granular structure in all samples, EDS analysis shows oxygen (O), aluminum (Al), silicon (Si), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and calcium (Ca) in significant amounts. These results allow establishing differences among ceramic samples belonging to the same place. (Author)

Detecting and quantifying ongoing decay of organic archaeological remains - a discussion of different approaches

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matthiesen, Henning

2015-01-01

are well protected and are not undergoing rapid decay, and it requires a detailed knowledge of decay processes and rates. For instance it is well established that the presence of water is of paramount importance for the preservation of organic material, and there are several examples where archaeological....... Thus, for the management of archaeological sites it is necessary to develop tools and methods that allow us to discover ongoing decay as fast as possible. Furthermore, in order to prioritize between excavation, in situ preservation and mitigation the decay rate should be evaluated on a quantitative...... scale to determine if the archaeological remains can be preserved for centuries, decades or only a few years under different conditions. This is a challenging task as archaeological sites and materials are often heterogeneous and have been subjected to different site formation processes. This paper...

Modern analytic methods applied to the art and archaeology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tenorio C, M. D.; Longoria G, L. C.

2010-01-01

The interaction of diverse areas as the analytic chemistry, the history of the art and the archaeology has allowed the development of a variety of techniques used in archaeology, in conservation and restoration. These methods have been used to date objects, to determine the origin of the old materials and to reconstruct their use and to identify the degradation processes that affect the integrity of the art works. The objective of this chapter is to offer a general vision on the researches that have been realized in the Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ) in the field of cultural goods. A series of researches carried out in collaboration with national investigators and of the foreigner is described shortly, as well as with the great support of degree students and master in archaeology of the National School of Anthropology and History, since one of the goals that have is to diffuse the knowledge of the existence of these techniques among the young archaeologists, so that they have a wider vision of what they could use in an in mediate future and they can check hypothesis with scientific methods. (Author)

Experimental Study of Removing Surface Corrosion Products from Archaeological Iron Objects and Alternating Iron Corrosion Products by Nd:YAG Laser Cleaning System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Hye Youn; Cho, Nam Chul [Kongju National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jong Myoung [IMT co. Ltd, Suwon (Korea, Republic of); Yu, Jae Eun [National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

The corrosion product of archaeological iron objects is supposed to be removed because it causes re-corrosion. So far it is removed by scapel and sand blaster but they depend on the skill and experience of a conservator and the glass-dust of the sand blaster is harmful to humans. Therefore this study applies a laser cleaning system which is used in various industrial cleaning processes, to remove corrosion product from archaeological iron objects. In addition, this work studies the alternation of corrosion product after laser irradiation, which evaluates the reliability of the laser cleaning system. Optical microscopy, SEM-EDS, XRD, Raman have been used to observe and analyse the surface of the objects. The results show the capacity of laser cleaning some corrosion product, but blackening appears with increasing pulses and laser energy, and some corrosion products, goethite and hematite, are partially altered to magnetite. These problems, blackening and alternation of corrosion product, should be solved by further studies which find the optimal laser irradiation condition and use a wetting agent.

Studies of Viking Age swords: metallography and archaeology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth Astrup, Eva

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The paper is a comment on Alan Williams investigation ‘A Metallurgical Study of some Viking Swords’ published in Gladius XXIX. Williams’ paper comprise metallurgical investigations of 44 Viking Age Swords, all with ULFBERHT inscriptions. Such investigations, made by a well qualified metallurgist, are essential to archaeology. Unfortunately, this one has some serious limitations. In order to give a good description of the quality of a sword-blade, samples showing at least the section through both the edge and the central part of the blade are necessary. This is mostly not the case in Williams’ investigations, and he gives insufficient information about his samples. Other weak points are his group division and his interpretation of the production area for blades containing high-carbon steel.

Este trabajo es un comentario sobre la investigación de Alan Williams ‘A Metallurgical Study of some Viking Swords` publicado en Gladius XXIX. El artículo de Williams incluye un estudio arqueometalúrgico de 44 espadas de época vikinga, todas ellas con la inscripción ULFBERHT. Estas investigaciones, realizadas por un arqueometalúrgico altamente cualificado, son esenciales en arqueología. Sin embargo, esta en concreto presenta algunas serias limitaciones. Para poder proporcionar una buena descripción de la calidad de la hoja de una espada, son necesarias muestras de al menos la sección desde el filo y hasta la parte central de la hoja. Este no es el caso de la mayoría de las muestras de Williams, quien proporciona insuficiente información sobre su toma de muestras. Otros puntos débiles son su clasificación en grupos y su interpretación del área de producción para las hojas que contienen un acero con elevado contenido de carbono.

The Lessons of Counterpoint: Ernst’s Media Archaeology and Practical Archival Research

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Griffin, Ken

2015-01-01

abstractThe writings of the German scholar Wolfgang Ernst have become increasingly influential within media archaeology in recent years. His work adopts a strongly techno-centric approach and identifies archives as important study centres. Paradoxically, practical archival evidence is sometimes

Multi-secular corrosion behaviour of low carbon steel in anoxic soils: Characterisation of corrosion system on archaeological artefacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saheb, M.; Neff, D.; Dillmann, P.; Foy, E.; Saheb, M.; Dillmann, P.; Matthiesen, H.; Bellot-Gurlet, L.

2009-01-01

In the context of the prediction of materials behaviour used in the nuclear waste storage, the understanding of iron corrosion mechanisms in anoxic environment is of great importance. Information can be obtained using complementary analytical tools. Interactions between burial soil and archaeological artefacts are studied by performing on site soil measurements. Moreover, archaeological artefacts are studied on transverse sections using a combination of microbeam techniques. The specific interest of this project lies in the study of ferrous thick corrosion layers formed in anoxic environment. (authors)

Authenticity test in ceramics and archaeological figures by thermoluminescence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramirez L, A.; Schaaf, P.; Filloy, L.

1999-01-01

At present exists quite a lot of false archaeological pieces which provokes doubts about the legitimacy of the pieces. In this work it is presented the Authenticity test by Thermoluminescence realized at the urn of the goddess 13 serpent of the zapotec culture of Oaxaca which is exposed in Mexico City. The original piece contains crystalline structures which present hardly the thermoluminescence phenomena by the presence of 238 U, 232 Th, and 40 K getting with this the form and intensity of the natural thermoluminescence curve of an archaeological piece which shows a Tl peak and allows to know so if it was made recently or not. (Author)

The island of Skyros from Late Roman to Early Modern times : an archaeological survey