药物残留物分析技术的考古学应用

有机残留物分析技术是使用有机化学分析手段鉴定有机残留物的性质和来源的主要方法①。与人类活动有关的有机物,其残留的生化成分残存于考古遗址内多种多样的器物和沉积物中。通过一定的分离和鉴定技术,例如色谱分离和质谱鉴定等适当的技术,可以揭示残留物生物分子成分,从而指示与人类活动相关的有机物及其利用情况,对陶器等用具、工具的功能解读、遗址环境重建、古人类行为复原和食谱分析等方面都可以起到一定程度的辅助作用②、③、④、⑤。古代人类的衣食住行都与植物和动物资源相关,特别是古代人类的医疗活动,根据各种动植物资源的药性药理,治疗各种疾病或者养生健体。由于药物多来源于动植物资源,不易保存,能够保存下来的药材实在少之又少,在考古遗址中关于药物利用的实物证据甚为罕见。因此,残留物分析就成为考古学研究中药物发展史分析的重要手段之一。     

蜂蜡类残留物的科学分析研究

蜂蜡是古代人类可获得的最常见的天然材料之一，在人类生产生活中占有重要地位。对蜂蜡类残留物的科技分析可直接提供古代人类对蜂蜡利用的科学证据。本文介绍了蜂蜡的产生与组成，梳理了蜂蜡类残留物的样品处理与检测分析方法，并总结了蜂蜡类残留物科学鉴定的依据，以期为古代蜂蜡利用与其他相关问题的研究提供有益参考。     

科技考古的思考

正在当今的世界考古学研究中,科技考古正在发挥越来越重要的作用。中国考古学紧跟世界考古学发展的步伐,在科技考古各个领域成果显著、引人注目。目前的科技考古可以按照其研究方法和研究内容分为两大类。一类是利用专门的仪器设备,对某些肉眼看不到的特定对象进行探测、测试和分析,按照科学的依据提出科学结论。比如,遥感考古与物探考古、年代测定、古DNA研究、同位素研究和有机残留物分析等。另一类是对与古代人类活动相关的自然环境、古代人类的     

贵州省龙里巫山岩画的原始性艺术探析

岩画,是人类最早的绘画艺术,也是人类社会记录在石头上的形象性史书。贵州省龙里现存有丰富的岩画,它对研究贵州古代民族史、古代艺术史、社会生活史、动植物生态学、人类学及旅游开发等方面均有着极其重要的意义和非常高的学术研究价值。     

酶联免疫吸附测定法在古代牛奶残留物 检测中的应用

古代牛奶残留物研究是国际科技考古界的热点方向之一,分析方法主要有脂肪酸单体碳同位素分析和蛋白质免疫性分析,但国内相关研究尚未开展。本研究利用商品化的酶联免疫吸附测定法(ELISA)试剂盒,对新疆吐鲁番地区鄯善县苏贝希遗址出土的黑色块状残留物进行分析。结果发现,其中含有少量牛酪蛋白,可见该残留物可能为牛奶制品或掺杂了牛奶,这说明最迟在公元前3到5世纪牛奶就已出现在我国新疆先民的食谱中。分析手段的成熟,可广泛应用于我国古代牛奶残留物的快速检测。     

探索未解之谜的宝库——残留物分析在考古学研究中的应用

一、什么是古代残留物 传统考古学以发掘获得的器物、遗址分布及结构来诠释考古发现,这些都是肉眼所能见到的信息。广义的古代残留物概念一般是指在古代人类的生产生活等实践过程中,残留于人们所使用的生产工具、生活用具上甚至是人类所接触的环境中,包括遗址的土壤中,经过长时期埋藏并得以保存下来的,     

小河墓地出土草篓残留物的蛋白质组学分析

有机残留物分析是国际科技考古领域的热点之一,蛋白质分析是其中的重要组成部分。本研究为对新疆小河墓地出土草篓所含的黄褐色颗粒状残留物进行了分析,以期探索其种属来源,揭示小河墓地先民生活方式和社会活动的相关信息。本工作首先采用红外方法对墓M13出土草篓中的颗粒状残留物进行了分析,结果发现了较高的蛋白质含量;提取蛋白质后,利用蛋白质组学方法鉴定出牛酪蛋白、牛免疫球蛋白和牛β乳球蛋白,据此推断该残留物为牛奶制品。需要指出的是,这是迄今为止我国发现最早的牛奶加工证据,说明牛奶是小河墓地先民食物的重要组成部分。本工作还显示,蛋白质组学方法灵敏度高、所需样品量小,应可广泛地应用于古代残留物分析。     

北京毛家湾出土瓷片残留物荧光分析及相关问题探讨

对考古发现的古代残留物进行理化测试分析,是判定出土遗物成分和用途的有效方法之一。作者通过对北京毛家湾出土的8件瓷器上的残留物进行同步辐射X射线荧光(SRXRF)分析,确认这些残留物含有朱砂、铅丹、铅白、雄黄、雌黄等成分。结合文献资料记载,文章认为这些残留物应为作画颜料,同时对4号样品景德镇青花卧足碗的用途进行了初步探讨。     

甘肃酒泉西沟村魏晋墓铜甑釜残留物的脂质分析

残留物分析可为器物用途提供直接证据。铜甗是古代重要的炊具之一,其用途在文献上有较多记载,但残留物分析甚少。甘肃酒泉西沟村魏晋墓M5出土铜甑釜(分体甗)下半部分的釜内存有一些白色膏状残留物,为了解其生物来源和该器物的功能,本工作利用红外光谱、脂质分析及单体脂肪酸稳定碳同位素等方法进行了综合分析。结果表明,这些白色膏状残留物应为反刍动物油脂,推测是蒸制铜甑中的牛肉或羊肉时渗流下来而成,这为该釜甑组合作为炊蒸器用于加工肉食提供了有力证据。鉴于墓M5具有浓郁的游牧文化风格,而铜甗是典型的中原汉人炊具,这也反映了魏晋时期当地汉人与北方游牧民族在饮食文化方面的交流与融合。     

古DNA分析技术在考古学研究中的应用

保留在古代生物遗骸中的遗传物质DNA是一种重要的遗传学资源,古DNA分析技术在考古学中的成功运用已成为一个新兴的考古学研究领域,将现代分子生物学技术应用于考古学的研究中而形成的一个新兴的分支学科——分子考古学,即指利用分子生物学研究技术,对出土的古代可研究对象进行分子水平的分析和研究。分子考古学在解决人类的起源与迁徙、动植物的家养和驯化过程、及农业的起源和早期发展等重大考古学问题上都具有重要的意义。本文时古DNA分析技术及其在考古学上的应用进行了综合论述,特别是对吉林大学边疆考古研究中心考古DNA实验室在近年来所取得的新进展做了系统的回顾和总结,以期为考古学和人类学的研究提供有益的参考     

Lipid residue analyses of Early Neolithic funnel-beaker pottery from Skogsmossen,eastern Central Sweden,and the earliest evidence of dairying in Sweden

This study address the question of the use and function of Early Neolithic (4000–3000 cal. BC) funnel-beaker pots from Mälardalen in eastern Central Sweden. The material studied is pottery from a wetland offering at the site Skogsmossen in the province of Västmanland. While deposited under ritual circumstances in a fen, the pots were likely used in a domestic domain on the settlement adjacent to the offering fen, prior to final deposition. The lipid analysis indicate a varied vessel use, there are traces of aquatic resources, plants, terrestrial animals and milk. The identification of milk residue is the oldest so far from Sweden.     

Hunter-gatherer tobacco smoking: earliest evidence from the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America

Chemical analysis of residue extracted from stone pipes and pipe fragments excavated at sites in the southern Pacific Northwest Coast of North America demonstrate that hunter-gatherers smoked the psychostimulant tobacco (Nicotiana sp.) by at least AD 860. Non-farming ethno-historic Native Americans throughout the west gathered and sometimes cultivated tobacco for ritual and religious purposes, but until now the antiquity of the practice on this part of the continent was unknown. Method validation includes chemical characterization of a suite of smoke plants and experimental reproduction of “smoked” pipe chemistry; results indicate biomarkers are traceable for several species commonly smoked by ethnographic native peoples, including tobacco (nicotine, cotinine), tree tobacco (anabasine), and kinnikinnick (arbutin). Developed methods—where residue is extracted directly from the stone or clay matrix of whole and fragmentary archaeological pipes—may be applied in similar studies investigating the spread and use of ritual smoke plants in the ancient Americas and elsewhere.     

First results on thermally induced porosity in chlorite cooking vessels from Merv (Turkmenistan) and implications for the formation and preservation of archaeological lipid residues

Excavations at the ancient city of Merv in Turkmenistan have yielded a significant assemblage of ceramic and stone vessel fragments from contexts dating to the Sasanian and medieval periods (5th–13th centuries AD). Many of the vessel fragments are encrusted with apparent food residue deposits offering scope for organic residue analysis and the potential to compare the use of these two very different vessel types. To enable meaningful comparison we sought to establish whether the vessel stone (a talc-chlorite schist) can absorb and preserve organic residues indicative of past use. This paper reports the first investigation to address this question using standard methods for archaeological residue analysis coupled with study of the properties of the schist fabric and basic absorption experiments. The results demonstrate that heating during cooking, even at relatively low temperatures, modifies the stone microstructure by increasing its porosity. These pores enhance the absorption capacity of the schist fabric such that chlorite cooking pots can absorb and preserve sufficient organic residue to reflect the original processing of foodstuffs, as has been previously demonstrated for ceramic fabrics. Comparison of pore capacity, archaeological residue yield and experimental absorption indicates the significance of pore-size distribution for the relative retention and preservation of organic residues in these fabrics. The results of this study indicate that a wider range of archaeological material may be suitable for absorbed residue analysis than has previously been recognised. The findings also challenge previous assumptions concerning the relationship between the properties of chlorite vessels and their mode of use in Central Asia and Near East in antiquity.     

Ancient Biological Invasions and Island Ecosystems: Tracking Translocations of Wild Plants and Animals

Biological invasions are one of the great threats to Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity in the Anthropocene. However, species introductions and invasions extend deep into the human past, with the translocation of both wild and domestic species around the world. Here, we review the human translocation of wild plants and animals to the world’s islands. We focus on establishing criteria used to differentiate natural from human-assisted dispersals and the differences between non-native and invasive species. Our study demonstrates that, along with a suite of domesticates, ancient people transported numerous wild plants and animals to islands and helped shape ecosystems in ways that have important ramifications for modern conservation, restoration, and management.     

壁画的生物腐蚀与防护研究进展

近年来生物因素对壁画的腐蚀破坏作用受到了众多文物保护工作者的重视,针对壁画生物腐蚀的防护研究取得了可喜的成果。本文从可以造成壁画损害的生物因素出发,综述近年来壁画生物腐蚀研究的成果,分别从小型动物、昆虫、植物、微生物以及游客五个方面阐述对壁画的影响,并讨论了进行生物腐蚀防护的措施和研究方向:对小型动物,使用一些物理性的防护措施,应成为有害动物防护研究的重点;对昆虫,防治重点是减少昆虫的植物性食物,昆虫中存在的捕食关系也是限制昆虫种群数量的一个新的突破口;对微生物,一些具有抑菌效果的无机材料或许可成为生物杀菌剂的替代品;对植物,有害植物的清除技术的提高和有益植物的筛选和应用需要进一步研究;对游客,建立人工复制的壁画或者设立数字影像代替原有文物壁画供人们参观,是目前一条行之有效的措施。本综述成果可为以后的壁画保护工作提供理论指导。     

Thorny burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum L.) in a Roman shipwreck off the Israeli coast and the role of non-timber shrubs in ancient Mediterranean ships

Abstract

This paper describes and discusses twigs of the dwarf shrub thorny burnet (Sarcopoterium spinosum L.) found in association with submerged remains of a Roman (4th century AD) shipwreck discovered off the Israeli Carmel coast. The twigs were recovered from within a crumpled lead container, interpreted as part of a bilge pump. The find demonstrates again that, under certain favourable circumstances, fragile botanical material can be preserved on ancient shipwreck sites. Similar twigs found previously in association with shipwrecks have been identified as dunnage, i.e. packing material intended to protect the cargo. In this particular case they were apparently used as a bilge pump filter. Thorny burnet grows profusely in the Eastern Mediterranean, but elsewhere only in a few isolated coastal areas most of which are in the vicinity of ancient ports. The wider implications of the past use of non-timber shrubs onboard ships is discussed, in particular, how this may have promoted colonisation by plants of areas beyond their natural distribution, and also how botanical material recovered from shipwrecks may help identify ancient sailing routes and ports of call.     

Genes, language, and culture: an example from the tarim basin

Summary. The Tarim Basin ‘mummies’ of western China continue to fascinate scholars and the general public alike due to their ‘Caucasoid’ features, well‐preserved material culture, and putative ‘European’ origins. However, there have been some uncritical efforts to link these archaeological cultures to those of other ancient Eurasian groups (e.g. the Celts) by applying syllogistic reasoning to multi‐disciplinary evidence. In an attempt to provide a more cautious synthesis of the prehistory of the Tarim Basin, this paper will briefly summarize the archaeological, physical, and linguistic evidence that has been used to model human settlement of this region. These data will then be related to recent molecular anthropology research on modern populations of Central Asia, focusing especially on the Uighur in relation to their neighbours. While the genetic history of the modern peoples of a particular region is not necessarily related to their prehistoric antecedents, it is argued that the Tarim Basin experienced a surprising cultural and biological continuity despite immigration from both east and west into Xinjiang Province. This conclusion has a number of possible political ramifications in the present day that must be addressed in future literature on the subject.     

Osteology,DNA and Sex Identification: Morphological and Molecular Sex Identifications of Five Neolithic Individuals from Ajvide,Gotland

Sex identifications are crucial for the understanding of the societies we study. To understand an ancient society we need to have some picture of the roles played by males and females in the society. This knowledge has often been produced by morphological sex identifications in connection with grave goods and burial finds. However, if a morphological sex identification is to be fully trusted, the human remains need to be fairly well preserved. There is also a problem in the fact that morphological traits identified in a modern material are applied on an ancient material. There is a growing difference with time and geographical distance. An alternative to morphological identification is molecular identification based on the presence or absence of a Y chromosome, but such identification has its problems too: the risk of contamination and the fact that the absence of proof is not a good female indicator. In this work we have tried to compare morphological and molecular identifications of five Neolithic individuals from the Ajvide site at Gotland in the Baltic sea. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

免疫学方法在科技考古学中的应用

通过免疫学的分析可以鉴定不同来源血液的种属。对古代器物表面的血液残留物进行种属鉴定,在石器用途研究、动物区系重建以及古人类食物来源分析等领域具有重要意义。介绍了免疫学在考古学中应用的基本理论及方法,对国外学者运用免疫学方法进行考古学研究的概况做了综述,对相关问题进行了探讨。