Coleoptera from Late Medieval Smoke-Blackened Thatch (SBT): their Archaeological Implications

Abstract

Distinctive assemblages of Coleoptera (beetles) recovered from seven samples of smoke-blackened thatch (SBT)from a range of late medieval roofs in the south of England are listed. The age, ecology and possible origins of this fauna are discussed. Although its precise origin is known, it is suggested that its occurrence is not limited to thatch, and so cannot be used as a 'finger print' for thatch per se. A find of Sitophilus granarius, the 'granary weevil', suggests that thatch may represent another route by which this species has been incorporated into the archaeological record.     

Trilobites from the Middle Ordovician Stairway Sandstone,Amadeus Basin,central Australia

Abstract

During the Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian) sandstones and siltstones were deposited in the epicontinental Larapintine Sea, which covered large parts of central Australia. The Darriwilian Stairway Sandstone has, for the first time, been sampled stratigraphically for macrofossils to track marine benthic biodiversity in this clastic-dominated shallow-water palaeoenvironment situated along the margin of northeastern Gondwana. The faunas from the Stairway Sandstone are generally of low diversity and dominated by bivalves but include several animal groups, with trilobites representing 25% of the entire shelly fauna. Thirteen trilobite taxa are described from the Stairway Sandstone; the fauna displays a high degree of endemism. One new species, Basilicus (Parabasilicus) brumbyensis sp. nov. is described.     

Biochemical Differentiation of Archaeological Equid Remains: Lessons from a First Attempt

Abstract

The difficulty of distinguishing different taxa of equids from one another on the basis of skeletal morphology has led to the search for alternative means by which archaeologically recovered bones may be separated according to species or hybrid. The recently evolved biomolecular technique of protein radioimmunoassay (RIA) offers much promise in this regard because it identifies specimens using constituent proteins that differ from species to species and that tend to blend in selectively bred crosses. The method works for ancient bones only when sufficient amounts of the appropriate proteins survive.

Bone samples were assayed from wild, hunted onagers recovered from Neolithic levels of Ali Kosh Tepe in lowland SW Iran and from possible hybrids recovered from Bronze Age Levels of Godin Tepe in highland western Iran. Although insufficient albumin remained with which to accomplish the intended goal of species identification, the pattern of collagen retention provided important information on the relationship between taphonomy and protein survival.

The authors encourage excavators to reserve parts of their archaeological fauna for RIA if the depositional context suggests favorable conditions for preservation of the ancient proteins.     

Insects in an abandoned landscape: late Holocene palaeoentomological investigations at Sandhavn,Southern Greenland

Abstract

The late Holocene landscape and environment at Sandhavn in Greenland's Eastern Settlement are considered in the light of recent palaeoentomological investigations. Samples dating to post-Norse peat accumulation suggest that Norse activity had no lasting effect on the beetle fauna and environment at Sandhavn after its abandonment in the Medieval period. The faunas recovered may be assumed to be characteristic of the surrounding environment, and indicate that the site was situated in an area of wetland and heath. The assemblages are discussed in the context of the sub-fossil and modern coleopteran faunal history of the North Atlantic islands, and as evidence for post-abandonment environmental conditions in Greenland.     

A new petauroid possum (Marsupialia,Pseudocheiridae) from the Pliocene Bluff Downs Local Fauna,northern Queensland

Pseudochirops winteri n. sp. is described from the Pliocene Bluff Downs Local Fauna on the basis of a left dentary fragment with M₂. It is considered to be most similar to P. archeri although its phylogenetic position must remain tentative until further material is found. The presence of this presumably rainforest-dwelling possum, the first from this fauna, may indicate a limited closed forest component. Given the paucity of additional rainforest taxa recovered from this site despite extensive screen washing, however, such a component must have been restricted to gullies or riparian fringes.     

The impact of human activities on the natural environment of the Canary Islands (Spain) during the pre-Hispanic stage (3rd–2nd Century BC to 15th Century AD): an overview

Abstract

This paper presents a brief review of archaeological evidence for the impact of the pre-Hispanic population on the environment of the Canary Islands. Prior to human colonisation, the archipelago was an untouched environment with high botanical and faunal biodiversity. The first human settlement can be traced to the early 1st millennium BC; this period of settlement finished at the end of the 15th century AD when the Spanish Crown conquered the archipelago. It has often been assumed that the pre-Hispanic population had little significant impact on the islands' ecosystems. However, abundant evidence for faunal extinctions, deforestation and soil erosion has been recovered from archaeological sites across the islands. This indicates that pre-Hispanic colonisers introduced cultivated plants, opened up the forests to create fields and cut woody vegetation for fuel. They also introduced domestic animals and alien predators resulting in a major depletion of native fauna.     

A Donkey (Equus asinus L.) Partial Skeleton from a Mid-Late Anglo-Saxon Alluvial Layer at Deans Yard Westminster,London SW1

Abstract

A domestic donkey (Equus asinus) partial skeleton has been recovered from a mid-late Anglo-Saxon alluvial deposit situated below the present Westminster School at Deans Yard, Westminster, London. The remains have been radiocarbon dated to the 8th-9th century AD and, therefore, pre-date both the abbey of Edward the Confessor and the earlier foundation of St Dunstan. The skeleton is of particular importance as it is the only well dated specimen of its species recovered thus far in England from the Anglo-Saxon and Medieval periods.     

The Roman Well at Piddington,Northamptonshire, England: an Investigation of the Coleopterous Fauna

Abstract

This report presents the entomological evidence obtained from 4th century fills of a Roman well at Piddington, Northamptonshire. Analysis of the Coleoptera remains was restricted to one sample from the lower fill. A large fauna suggested an open, dry environment with areas of vegetation and accumulations of occupation debris nearby. The deposit was formed through a variety of mechanisms including accidental incorporation, natural deposition and possibly the deliberate dumping of refuse.     

Exaptation and synanthropic insects: A diachronic interplay between biology and culture

Abstract

Since 1982, Stephen J. Gould and Elisabeth Vrba's concept of exaptation has been adopted, to varying degrees, by a number of biological and social science disciplines. However, it remains a missing term in the study of archaeologically recovered insect remains and entomologically related artefacts. Exaptation refers to the process by which a characteristic acquires a function for which it was not originally adapted. The application of Gould and Vrba's concept to the field of archaeoentomology could enhance our perception of past social, environmental, and climatic conditions as well as interactions. Herein, biological and technological examples of the enduring relationship between synanthropic insects and humans are explored using the concept of exaptation.     

Pests in an ancient Egyptian harbor

Our investigations combine detailed identification and interpretation of plant remains and associated fauna and their mode of arrival in one of the rock-cut galleries, Cave 3, at the site of Mersa/Wadi Gawasis on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. The site served as a staging area and harbor from which Middle Kingdom pharaohs launched seafaring expeditions to the land of Punt in the early second millennium BC. Quantities of wood, including ship timbers, fastenings, debris related to ship dismantling and reworking, and charcoal were excavated and analyzed. Evidence of marine mollusk infestation (shipworm) was abundant in Cave 3, as were the remains of insect pests of stored foods. We also report on a unique find of a plaster “spill” that preserved the floor of Cave 3 as it was when people worked in the gallery ca. 3800 years ago. The plaster spill created a sealed deposit of plant and insect remains with a diagnostic ceramic fragment, allowing us to securely associate insect remains and “hollow” spikelets of emmer wheat (Triticum dicoccum) recovered from the gallery. An impression of the beetle Trachyderma hispida and its associated exoskeleton fragments provide new evidence of this species as a potential pest not yet reported from an archaeological grain storage site in Egypt. The finding of Tenebroides mauritanicus from the same deposit is the earliest known association of this pest with stored grains. These unique finds shed new light on the risks associated with preserving food supplies, combating pest infestation, and dealing with marine organisms on land and at sea in the pharaonic harbor.     

High latitude,late Campanian (Cretaceous) Radiolaria from offshore south-eastern Tasmania

A well-preserved, low diversity (ten species), high latitude (palaeolatitude 70°S) radiolarian fauna is recorded from shallow-water late Campanian (Late Cretaceious) sediments recovered in cores taken from the continental slope of southeastern Tasmania. These are the first Radiolaria described from Cretaceous rocks of southeastern Australia. Most forms are previously described species but a new species of Petasiforma is described. Age control is provided by dinoflagellates but the radiolarian fauna is similar to late Campanian-Maastrichtian faunas described from Campbell Plateau. A late Campanian age can also be determined from the Radiolaria, which are correlated with the Patulibracchium dickinsoni Zone. The site has subsided some 3200 m since deposition, at an average rate of about 40–45 m/Ma, consistent with other indicators in the region. Radiolaria are similar to other coeval plankton in exhibiting high latitude characteristics.     

Theory,Disciplinary Perspectives and the Archaeology of Later Medieval England

Abstract

In the year 2000, a lead canister and a penny of Henry III were recovered during a watching brief on a site in Colchester which is within 13 m of the find spots of two 13th-century coin hoards buried in similar canisters. While the container found in 2000 may have held a third such hoard (later recovered), it may also have been used as a floor safe. The site has connections with the Colchester Jewry, who were probably the principal agents in the handling of money and deposition of hoards on this site. The single penny may be simply a coin lost on a site where money changed hands in large quantities, or (speculatively) the only survival from a recovered hoard.     

A zoomorphic horticultural urn from Gosport,Hampshire

Abstract

A large ceramic urn with elaborate relief decoration was recently recovered in Gosport, Hampshire. It had been treated externally to imitate the stone urns used to contain shrubs and small trees in 17th- and early 18th-century formal gardens. This was only the second example of its kind known from Britain and its discovery in the backland of a small county town showed that such vessels were not restricted to high-status sites.     

Writing the region: Jonathan Couch and the Cornish fauna

Abstract

The county of Cornwall was the subject of an early nineteenth century attempt to compile an exhaustive regional fauna, Jonathan Couch's three volume A Cornish Fauna (1838–44). Although the Fauna was part of a much broader contemporary impulse to document the natural history of Britain, it was a very early example of a zoological study organised by geography rather than faunal group. It therefore required the author to make an explicit defence of its geographical approach and focus. According to Couch the region was the best place from which to build a better understanding of nature and, ultimately, of nature's creator. In particular, careful observations of a naturalist's local fauna could contribute to mid-nineteenth century debates over the distribution and migration of animals, their extinction, and their value to human industry. According to Couch, the county of Cornwall was especially suited to this sort of investigation. Indeed, although little had been done on the Cornish fauna before Couch's own study, his work was the catalyst for a number of other Cornish naturalists over the latter half of the century.     

Endangered species,archaeology, and stable isotopes: huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) isotopic ecology in central-western Patagonia (South America)

The management and conservation of animal species should be based upon a long-term analysis that considers its geographical distribution and feeding patterns. The study of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes on skeletal remains provides a quantitative approach to the paleodietary reconstructions and constitutes a potent tool for comparing behavioral aspects of the fauna. In this paper we present the first set of isotopic values for modern and archaeological samples of Huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus) from the forests of Central-western Patagonia, Chile. Contrary to initial expectations, our analysis indicates that there is no evidence of an important incidence of the canopy effect on the δ¹³Ccollagen values, which we suggest is due to an ecological selection that drives the huemul to focus its predation on open sectors within the forest. On the other hand, a wide range of δ¹⁵Ncollagen values for huemul was verified. This could reflect the N impoverishment of the forest soils and provide an interesting ecological indicator. The long-term information offered by the archaeological record provides the necessary context for decision-making conducive towards the preservation of Hippocamelus bisulcus in Patagonia.     

Non-marine ostracods from two Quaternary profiles at Pulbeena and Mowbray Swamps,Tasmania

Two spring-fed swamp deposits in northwestern Tasmania which contain non-marine ostracods are characterized by an alternation of marl, peaty marl and peaty layers: the Pulbeena Swamp deposit (4.80 m thick) was formed over approximately the last 80,000 years, and Mowbray Swamp (2 m thick) over about the last 110,000 years. Fifteen ostracod species have been recovered from 179 samples: three are new, three are in open nomenclature and the others have living representatives.

The ostracod data compared with pollen curves for both sites demonstrate, for most levels, a good correlation between the abundance of ostracods and that of Cyperaceae and Potamogeton-Triglochin pollen. This implies that ostracods can be successfully used as indicators of different water regimes for spring-fed swamps. Comparison of the ostracod fauna from the two Tasmanian sites is also made with that of other known Australian and New Zealand swamp deposits.     

Turf roofs and urban archaeological build-up

Abstract

Studies of turves used to line the thatched roof of an old farm building in north-west England showed that they might have been a major source of mineral particles and plant and insect remains in some archaeological deposits. Conversely, it might be possible to recognise the remains of turf roofs on occupation sites from characteristic elements of the biota. Analysis of a sample of the accumulation on the floor of the building prompts reconsideration of the nature of ‘indoor’ and ‘outdoor’ insect assemblages.     

Diversity in foddering strategy and herd management in late Bronze Age Britain: An isotopic investigation of pigs and other fauna from two midden sites

Abstract

Middens of the southern British late Bronze and Iron Age are vast accumulations of cultural debris that can be explained as refuse dumps linked with large periodic feasting events. A distinctive feature of these sites is that their faunal assemblages invariably comprise a considerably higher proportion of pig remains than contemporaneous settlement sites. This paper presents results from a programme of stable carbon (δ¹³C) and nitrogen (δ¹⁵N) isotope analysis of fauna from two major midden sites, Llanmaes in South Wales and Potterne in Wiltshire. The research aim is to reconstruct husbandry strategies and foddering regimes, particularly concerning pigs, to better understand how the challenges of raising large herds were met. Analysis produced exceptionally wide-ranging results for pigs and other domesticates at both sites, particularly in terms of δ¹⁵N values, demonstrating that diverse foddering strategies were employed. Diversity in the late Bronze Age pig foddering regimes indicates that the Neolithic husbandry practices (focusing on woodland fodder) had not been abandoned, but that new husbandry methods (consumption of household waste) were also being practised, which subsequently became more widely established in the Iron Age. The heterogeneity of signatures suggests that animals may have been husbanded in a piecemeal fashion at a local, household level. This in turn hints that fauna may have been brought to these sites from households across the surrounding landscape, rather than being husbanded by specialist producers in the vicinity of the middens.     

Flies,Mochicas and burial practices: a case study from Huaca de la Luna,Peru

Study of a specific insect fauna from a pre-Columbian Moche grave, on the north coast of Peru, reveals burial practices, notably an estimation of the corpse’s exposure time prior to burial, and compares New and Old World beliefs concerning flies and death.