UBI SUNT MACELLA? THE CONTRIBUTION OF NON‐INVASIVE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY TO THE IDENTIFICATION AND STUDY OF ROMAN FOOD MARKETS

While the remains of the well‐preserved and excavated towns of Pompeii, Ostia and Herculaneum provide us with a fascinating impression of their once bustling economic life, the study of urban economic space requires a more extensive geographical and methodological framework. This paper investigates whether the systematic use of non‐invasive techniques at other, often neglected, urban sites can deliver a meaningful contribution to the study of Roman urbanism, especially by revealing previously unknown foci of commercial activity in the Roman city. To illustrate the effectiveness of certain non‐destructive strategies, including geophysical prospection and aerial survey, we focus on a specific type of market building that was quite common in the Roman world, the macellum. The case studies presented here demonstrate how non‐invasive archaeological investigation, often in combination with other topographic operations, can facilitate the identification of macella and enhance studies of economic architecture and space in Roman towns in Italy and the provinces.     

MEAN SHIFT: A NON‐PARAMETRIC ALGORITHM FOR THE SEGMENTATION OF ANOMALIES IN GEOPHYSICAL IMAGES OBTAINED FROM MAGNETIC PROSPECTION DATA

This paper studies the applicability of the Mean Shift algorithm as support in interpreting geophysical images produced, on this occasion, from magnetic prospection data. The data obtained from a magnetic survey carried out in Gilena (Seville province, Spain) by the La Rábida Archaeophysics Group will be used for the research. Its applicability is illustrated by comparing, on the one hand, some reduction‐to‐pole algorithms and on the other, the (well‐known) k‐means algorithm. Finally, the paper shows the results obtained by applying the Mean Shift algorithm as an alternative method to ‘unsupervised clustering’ of anomalies that appear in images obtained from geophysical data, in which the a priori knowledge of the number of classes is difficult or impossible.     

AN APPRAISAL OF THE PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL GROUND PENETRATING RADAR IMAGING OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEATURES

There are a number of problems that are due to the physics involved in the ground penetrating radar (GPR) technique which result in the recorded data giving a distorted representation of the true subsurface structure. Many of these problems are reduced by the experience of the person interpreting the data. This paper is an attempt to remove some of the subjectivity from this process by considering how the distortion in the data could be reduced by applying a migration routine. The amount of data, and the time needed to collect it, place a restriction on the use of the migration process to two dimensions only and result in a compromise approach to the use of GPR. This compromise may, however, result in better integration of GPR with the other geophysical techniques available.     

News and Short Contributions

Abstract

A Controlled Archaeological Test Site (CATS) facility has been constructed in Champaign, Illinois, by the Cultural Resources Research Center at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Engineering Research Laboratory, with funding provided by the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. The test site will be utilized for research and training with geophysical applications in archaeology. The CATS facility replicates a range of archaeological features commonly encountered in North American archaeological sites and offers a controlled environment for the application of non-destructive investigative techniques. The site provides the opportunity for geophysicists and archaeologists to work with features of known geophysical attributes in a controlled geomorphological setting. In addition to providing a controlled “test bed” for training students in the use of geophysical techniques, the CATS facility will be available for research in a broad range of problems associated with archaeogeophysics, such as the effects of environmental conditions on geophysical expression, sensor type and configuration, data sample density, image processing and pattern recognition, operator variation, and feature variability. This research will contribute to our ability to interpret geophysical data and refine field methods for application in archaeological investigations.     

THE EFFECT OF LAND‐USE CONTROLS ON THE SPATIAL SIZE OF U.S. URBANIZED AREAS*

ABSTRACT On a sample of U.S. urbanized areas in 2000, we test theoretical hypotheses of the effect of land‐use controls on the spatial size of urban areas. We find that minimum lot‐size zoning and maximum FAR restrictions expand the urban area, while maximum lot‐size zoning, urban growth boundaries, minimum square footage limits, maximum building permit restrictions, minimum person per room controls, and impact fees contract the urban area. All of these findings are consistent with theoretical predictions although the effect of urban growth boundaries and minimum square footage limits are not statistically significant.     

A GEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE USE OF Pb ISOTOPES IN ARCHAEOMETRY

Lead isotope ratios in ore bodies and magmatic rocks depend in a complex way on several a priori independent parameters, including the geological age of the tectonic province in which the ores and magmas formed and its U/Pb (μ) and Th/U (κ) ratios, two very sensitive parameters characteristic of metal sources. All these parameters are entangled in hard‐to‐read Pb isotopic ratios. With respect to the commonly used fingerprinting techniques, which rely on the comparison of raw isotope ratios, the main motivation for the present work is to provide a method for making geologically and geochemically educated guesses about metal provenance even in the absence of isotopic data on reference ores. It shows how to unscramble a geological model age and μ and κ information from isotopic measurements. This approach brings to light a new organization of the Pb isotope database and an untapped wealth of information that can be used for provenance studies and other archaeometric purposes. We provide expressions with which to calculate these parameters and, using literature data, demonstrate how Pb isotopes in ores and magmas define clear zones in the silver‐rich provinces of the Central Andes. We further show how the geological model age and μ and κ values fingerprint production areas in 16th–18th century silver coins minted in Mexico and South America. Finally, we use Pb isotopes to illustrate how the Reconquista of the Emirate of Granada (1482–91) and the seizure of the Betic silver mines are reflected in the silver coins of the Catholic Monarchs.     

GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY AT BODEN VEAN,CORNWALL, INCLUDING AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MICROGRAVITY TECHNIQUE FOR THE LOCATION OF SUSPECTED ARCHAEOLOGICAL VOID FEATURES*

A geophysical survey was conducted at Boden Vean, St. Anthony Meneage, Cornwall, over the site of a buried chamber thought to be the remains of a souterrain or fogou. A combination of geophysical techniques was successfully applied including an experimental microgravity survey over the location of the buried chamber itself. Magnetometer survey revealed a complex palimpsest of archaeological activity extending throughout the surrounding landscape, centred on a rectangular ditched enclosure containing the fogou. A series of gravity anomalies were recorded in the vicinity of the latter which were consistent with the collapsed section of the feature recorded by the Cornish Archaeological Unit. Further gravity anomalies suggested the presence of additional void features, possibly related to the extended passages of the fogou.     

滇南山区多元民族文化下的土地利用与区域可持续发展

立体性地貌气候特征下的滇南多元民族文化地区,由于文化背景、生活方式及社会经济发展水平的差异性,构成了资源利用及保护的多样性。我们利用遥感、地理信息系统等高新技术,从土地空间结构及土地利用时空变化着手,结合野外村寨调查,研究了民族文化在边疆、山区、民族地区经济生态系统中、在区域可持续发展中的地位和作用。     

PROVENANCE OF ANCIENT TEXTILES—A PILOT STUDY EVALUATING THE STRONTIUM ISOTOPE SYSTEM IN WOOL*

Strontium isotopes are used in archaeology to reconstruct human and animal migration routes. We present results of a pilot study applying strontium isotope analyses to modern sheep hair as a basis for its potential use as a provenance tracer for ancient woollen textiles. Our hydrofluoric acid‐based, lipid soluble analytical protocol, also tested on a number of ancient textile fibres, allows for contamination‐free, low blank strontium isotope analysis of minimal amounts of archaeological material. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of decontaminated sheep hair agree well with the compositions of biologically available (soluble) strontium fractions from the respective feeding ground soils, a translatable requirement for any potentially successful provenance tracing applied to wool textiles.     

THE EMERGENCE OF STRATIGRAPHIC ARCHAEOLOGY IN MEDITERRANEAN EUROPE

In Italian classical archaeology, the definitive adoption of the stratigraphic excavation method occurred later than in other European countries. This methodological shift took place in Italy in the 1970s. We aim to scrutinize some points of the established historiographical reconstruction. We focus on three scholars regarded as “key figures” in the birth of Italian stratigraphic archaeology, yet all of the first half of the twentieth century, Giacomo Boni, Nino Lamboglia, and Luigi Bernabò Brea. We examine the origin of their stratigraphic approach and thus their relationship with prehistoric research. This is also an opportunity to reflect upon the conceptual and methodological transfer from one type of archaeology to another. In general, through comparison of these scholars, we aim to highlight some key factors in the establishment of a stratigraphic method in the history of archaeology.     

LEAD ISOTOPE ANALYSES OF BRONZE AGE COPPER‐BASE ARTEFACTS FROM AL‐MIDAMMAN,YEMEN: TOWARDS THE IDENTIFICATION OF AN INDIGENOUS METAL PRODUCTION AND EXCHANGE SYSTEM IN THE SOUTHERN RED SEA REGION*

The results of the lead isotope analysis (LIA) of 15 copper‐base artefacts from the Bronze Age site of al‐Midamman, Yemen, are reported. The LIA data suggest the existence of an indigenous Bronze Age metal production and exchange system centred on the southern Red Sea region, distinct from those in neighbouring regions of Arabia and the Levant. These preliminary results are highly significant for the archaeology of the region, suggesting that local prehistoric copper extraction sites have thus far gone unrecorded, and highlighting the need for systematic archaeometallurgical fieldwork programmes in the countries surrounding the southern Red Sea.     

KLAVS RANDSBORG AND THE NINTH CENTURY AD

Archaeology over the past fifty years has shown that in the early 9^th century Western Europe experimented with a coalescing of states affirmed by a common reform ideology and with it increased communication to regions beyond. At different speeds, regions of Western Europe adopted this new strategy known as the correctio. Within a generation, the correctio gave rise to a new ‘feudal’ economy and significantly a new regionalism. The archaeology of Europe shows that there were winners and losers in these fast‐changing regions. The losers, in many cases, controlled the written narratives and ascribed their altered socio‐economic condition to the Others of the time, not least because the Others were leading exponents of the post‐correctio economic agenda. This paper revisits Klavs Randsborg's groundbreaking book, The Viking Age of Denmark, in the context of post‐war approaches to Europe's post‐classical narrative.     

Geophysical Methods for Wreck‐Site Monitoring: the Rapid Archaeological Site Surveying and Evaluation (RASSE) programme

Rapid advances in geophysical techniques over the past decade have provided the maritime archaeological community with significant opportunities for re‐defining the procedures for wreck‐site mapping, evaluation and monitoring. The techniques which offer most potential for high‐resolution survey are acoustic‐based and include sidescan sonar, swath‐bathymetry sonar and multibeam sonar. These techniques were tested on an artificial test‐site in Plymouth Sound and over the wreck of the Stirling Castle. Results demonstrate that the techniques can provide the maritime archaeologist with the opportunity to rapidly and cost‐effectively map and monitor small, centimetric changes on sites, with the potential for long‐term monitoring and management. © 2009 The Authors     

THE BAYESIAN APPROACH TO THE INTERPRETATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL DATA

Archaeologists are increasingly becoming aware of an approach to data investigation known as Bayesian statistics. In this paper we outline both the philosophical and statistical background to the approach. We show that it provides a logical and coherent framework in which to make inferences on the basis of both data and a priori expert knowledge. We note that adoption of the Bayesian framework is particularly timely since there have been recent dramatic developments in numerical methods which mean that a number of previous implementation problems have now been solved. As a result, many questions of archaeological interest, which require the use of complex statistical models, are being investigated using this methodology. We use a variety of recently published examples from a range of archaeological areas to illustrate the type of questions that can be answered and the nature of the methodologies used, and we make comparisons with the results obtained using more traditional statistical techniques.     

THE HISTORY OF THE BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY PROJECT IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY,AND APPLYING NUCLEAR METHODS TO THE FINE ARTS

This paper traces the events leading up to the formation of a project in 1954, in the Chemistry Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, dedicated to the application of those new developments that were rapidly transforming postwar nuclear science to the parallel humanistic disciplines of archaeology and the fine arts. The further evolution of this effort involved the enlightened support of the Department of Energy (then AEC and ERDA) coupled with the lively interests of the archaeological, fine‐arts and art‐historical communities, their professional academics and the many graduate and undergraduate students who participated in the Brookhaven project. But more than new scientific methodologies, concepts and instrumentation were deployed. What developed was a large‐scale, truly interdisciplinary effort, where scholars of the humanities and sciences worked side by side in a remarkable way, each led by the other, to the mutual benefit and increase of their knowledge and understanding. A paradigm of co‐operation between arts and sciences was initiated: this paper presents a record of the process and its outcome, a novel blending of science and humanism that is very much taken for granted by research workers today.     

我国考古和文物保护工作中物探技术的应用

20世纪80年代以来,物探技术在考古和物保护方面应用越来越多,在古墓探查、大型古建筑地下遗存现状探查、重要古建基础状况探查、古遗迹断代等方面,地球物理技术都找到了发挥作用的机会。本通过地球物理技术在云冈石窟、龙门石窟、克孜尔石窟、北京故宫紫禁城、嵩岳寺塔、古泗州城遗址、风阳明中都等的物理探查实例,以及查找古墓、古遗迹断代等方面的工作,介绍了我国在考古和物保护领域应用地球物理技术的进展,并指出了物探在用于考古和保时的特点和展望。     

ASSESSING WHAT LIES BENEATH THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF A ZOOARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD: THE USE OF GIS AND SPATIAL CORRELATIONS AT EL MIRÓN CAVE (SPAIN)*

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are being incorporated into archaeology as a technique to improve the understanding of spatial organization and the relationships among finds within specific areas. Although their use as a basic tool in predicting the location of archaeological sites or in assessing the extent of their catchment areas is relatively common, in general, they have less often been applied to the study of the spatial distribution of archaeological remains within individual deposits, and in particular to faunal assemblages. Despite this, they can prove essential to understanding dispersion and grouping patterns within deposits fully, and, together with various correlation analytical techniques, they provide valuable information about the economic organization of settlements and inhabitant lifeways. To demonstrate the potential of this methodology, a zooarchaeological GIS has been prepared for the Middle and Late Magdalenian and Azilian layers in El Mirón Cave (eastern Cantabria, Spain), and the spatial distribution patterns of various attributes of the archaeological record have been analysed. Significant conclusions in terms of type and duration of human occupation have been drawn.     

PATHS IN TRANSNATIONAL TIME-SPACE: REPRESENTING MOBILITY BIOGRAPHIES OF YOUNG SWEDES

This article sets out to capture and describe individual transnational mobility from a long‐term, biographical perspective. The purpose is to discuss the use of a time‐geographical form of notation to represent people's transnational mobility as paths in time and space, and to demonstrate how such representations can contribute to explaining some of the dynamics of longdistance mobility. An advantage of using time‐space paths is that several aspects of an individual's travel biography can be represented in a single image: intensity and extensity are immediately evident, and the temporal and spatial relationships between the various mobility actions are made visible. Using data describing all transnational trips taken during childhood and adolescence by sixty‐two Swedish youth with different backgrounds, three aspects of how trajectories develop over time are discussed in more detail. The first concerns overall change in travel pattern with time. A dominant pattern of increase in travel with increasing age is observed, indicating the importance of further investigating how travel behaviour is related to experience and life‐course transitions. Second, sequential relationships between migration and temporary mobility are examined. In spite of the relatively small number of respondents, a wide range of such relationships are disclosed in the material. Third, regularity and repetition in long‐distance travel patterns is discussed as an increasingly important aspect of contemporary transnational mobility. Among these young people, highly regular travel is often motivated by enduring long‐distance social relationships, but is also generated by leisure or holiday travel alone.     

NEUTRON ACTIVATION PATTERNING OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL MATERIALS AT THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ‘DEMOKRITOS’: THE CASE OF BLACK‐ON‐RED NEOLITHIC POTTERY FROM MACEDONIA,GREECE

A short history of the application of NAA in the characterization of archaeological materials at the National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’, Athens, is presented. NAA was first applied in archaeology in 1974 at the Radioanalytical Laboratory, and since 1989 has been one of the primary analytical techniques of the ‘Demokritos’ archaeometry programme. A case study is also presented, concerning chemical patterning of the black‐on‐red Neolithic pottery class from Macedonia. Four chemical groups were identified, each corresponding to a different area of production. It is shown that this standardized concept of pottery technology and style was spread out within at least eastern Macedonia.