A shipwreck cargo of Sevillian pottery from the Studland Bay wreck, Dorset, UK

This article is an account of the pottery found at the Studland Bay wreck, Poole. The assemblage includes an important group of Spanish pottery made at Seville at the beginning of the 16th century, including the largest group of lustreware and blue-and-purple wares ever found in an archaeological context. These wares were probably carried as cargo and collected at a stopping-off point along the itinerary of the ship, probably to be sold in northern Europe.     

江苏宜兴西溪遗址发掘纪要

骆驼墩遗址位于太湖西部山地向平原过渡地带,其早期文化遗存以平底陶釜为主要特征,代表了太湖西部地区马家浜文化时期的一个新的文化类型。发掘中发现了马家浜文化时期的大型聚落遗址,崧泽文化时期、良渚文化时期的墓葬、灰坑等,以及广富林文化时期的灰坑,共出土陶器、石器、骨器、玉器等约400件,以及各类动物骨骼标本约2000件。发掘者建议将以骆驼墩早期文化遗存为代表的、以平底釜为主要特征的考古学文化遗存,命名为骆驼墩文化。     

Jerusalem

Abstract

The limited excavations at Saflulim demonstrate that, together with Rosh Horesha, it functioned as some form of Negev Late Natufian residential basecamp or, more plausibly, aggregation site, with substantial and durable architectural features present. Together they represent a single site complex forming, by far, the largest Natufian (and indeed Epipalaeolithic) site documented in the Negev to date. Without doubt this is in large measure accounted for by the particular phytogeographic location of the site in the highest reaches of the central Negev Highlands during a period when environmental conditions were more favourable and a wider array of vegetal resources were available than at present.

The recovered assemblages increase the data base for ongoing technological, typological, stylistic and functional comparative studies of the Late Natufian in the Negev. In particular they should provide some indications as to the degree of variability between different types of site in the various phytogeographic zones within the region. Though not entirely conclusive, the newly acquired data appear to bolster the likelihood that previously reported assemblages from the adjacent site of Rosh Horesha are at least partially mixed.     

MINERALOGICAL AND PETROLOGICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF EARLY BRONZE AGE COPPER‐SMELTING REMAINS FROM THE KIECHLBERG (TYROL,AUSTRIA)

The prehistoric settlement on the Kiechlberg hilltop is located a few kilometres to the north‐east of Innsbruck, in the Tyrolean Inn Valley. Despite its rather isolated location, a multiphase settlement between the fifth and the second millennium bc was confirmed by archaeological investigations in 2007 and 2008. Metallurgical artefacts, such as copper ore fragments, copper slag and raw copper, as well as finished copper and bronze artefacts, are concentrated mainly in Late Copper Age to Middle Bronze Age layers. The chemical compositions of the slag and raw metals confirm Fe—Zn tetrahedrite–tennantite (fahlore) smelting. The ore was most probably imported from the 30–50 km distant copper ore deposits (mainly fahlore) of Schwaz–Brixlegg, in the Lower Inn Valley. The small amount of slag and the presence of slagged and thermally altered ceramic fragments suggest copper production in small‐scale workshops. Most probably, sulphide‐rich ores were smelted in crucibles in a hearth fire. The process was relatively reducing below the 2Sb + 1.5O₂ → Sb₂O₃ reaction (?8.5 log fO₂ at 1100°C), producing Sb‐rich (>10 wt% Sb in metal) raw copper. Inhomogeneous slag remains containing high amounts of sulphide and metal inclusions suggest a poor separation of the metal, matte (copper sulphide) and silicate/oxide melt during the smelting process.     

山东青州和沂源地区出土彩绘陶器的测试分析

彩绘陶器以其绚丽多彩的彩色装饰为主要特征,对它们的相关研究将不断丰富古代制陶工艺及颜料加工技术的认识。为此,本研究利用EDXRF、XRD、SEM、热膨胀分析等技术手段对山东青州香山汉墓和沂源战国墓葬出土彩绘陶器的组成结构及烧制温度进行了深入分析,首次发现了先以滑石粉打底其上再绘朱砂的彩绘陶品种。沂源战国墓葬中出土了表面用锡层作装饰的陶器,这是在我国北方地区的墓葬中首次发现这种"锡涂陶"。青州香山汉墓出土的陶俑和器物的胎料组成相近,而烧成温度存在明显差异,陶俑的烧成温度要高于器物。这些结果可为研究彩绘陶器的工艺发展提供新资料。     

Byzantine–Early Islamic agricultural systems in the Negev Highlands: Stages of development as interpreted through OSL dating

Abstract

An extensive survey followed by OSL (optically stimulated luminescence) dating of loess accumulation in agricultural terraces at six Byzantine and Early Islamic sites in the Negev Highlands revealed clear stratigraphic and chronological sequences. Traditionally dated to the 1st–7th centuries a.d., results from the present study demonstrate that the construction and use of largescale agricultural systems took place in the 4th–11th centuries a.d. This new chronology provides the framework for a more precise interpretation of the circumstances of construction and demise of largescale agriculture in the Negev Highlands. The agricultural fields were exploited continuously, yet ancient farmers had to confront the environmental hazards of occasional intensive floods, successive years of drought, and a constant process of loess accumulation and erosion. The constant maintenance and repair of fields necessitated an investment of labor. However, it seems that the expansion of ancient agriculture was part of the natural growth and development of Byzantine settlements in the Negev, and not the outcome of planned government enterprise. The agricultural systems were abandoned in the course of the 11th century a.d. and sporadically reused by pastoral nomads.     

Analysis of Byzantine mortars from the Negev Desert,Israel, and subsequent environmental and economic implications

Mortar of different types and compositions was widely known and used in the ancient world, and became widespread throughout the Roman and Byzantine Empires. In many cases lime was used in it as a binder and for better plasticity. This paper discusses two mortar samples from a building in the Negev Highlands, Israel, their analysis under scanning electron microscope (SEM) and with X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the environmental implications in terms of energy consumption in the production process of lime in the Byzantine period.     

TECHNOLOGY AND PROVENANCE OF A COLLECTION OF ISLAMIC COPPER‐BASED OBJECTS AS FOUND BY CHEMICAL AND LEAD ISOTOPE ANALYSIS*

Chemical and lead isotope analyses were utilized to determine the composition, technology and origin of a collection of Islamic copper‐based objects found in Jordan. The atomic absorption spectrometry results show that the objects were made of different types of copper‐base alloys that contain various amounts of zinc, tin and lead. The use of brass, highly leaded brass and quaternary alloys of Cu‐Zn‐Sn‐Pb in the manufacture of everyday, household objects strongly points to Islamic traditions. The lead isotope compositions of the objects match very well that of the copper ore mined from the Dolomite‐Limestone‐Shale unit of the Arabah copper mines.     

Ancient standards of volume: negevite Iron Age pottery (Israel) as a case study in 3D modeling

Hand-made cylindrical vessels unearthed in excavations of Iron Age IIA sites in the Negev Highlands constitute the largest and most dominant ceramic assemblage of simple-shaped vessels found in Israel. The volumes and linear dimensions of these vessels were analyzed based on computer 3D models reconstructed according to their drawn profiles. This analysis revealed the rules that could have been employed by the ancient potters in order to produce vessels of given volumes. These rules demonstrate the human ability to reveal approximate (but inherent) geometric relationships between form and volume and deploy them in everyday life.     

云南祥云县检村石棺墓出土铜器的初步研究

为研究滇西地区青铜文化及相关铜器的制作技术,本研究采用扫描电镜和金相分析的方法,对云南祥云检村石棺墓出土的17件样品进行取样分析,结果表明祥云检村石棺墓出土的铜器以红铜为主,少数为Cu-Sn合金。这些器物的制作工艺主要是铸造、铸后冷加工等,制作工艺相对单一。3件编钟均为Cu-Sn合金,并且锡成分具有等比递增的现象。兵器矛经过鉴定后说明由于墓主身份的不同,随葬的矛也有实用器和随葬器两类。农具锸和工具锥和凿的鉴定表明有冷加工或使用过的痕迹,可能曾是实用器;而农具锄经鉴定并没有在农作中使用过,仅作为随葬品,进一步证明随葬铜锄是青铜时代滇西地区的一种丧葬习俗。分析表明,当时已根据不同器物的用途进行了不同的制作和加工。本研究结果对研究滇西青铜文化及金属技术有一定的意义。     

Metallurgical Characterization of A Coated Roman Iron Coin By Analytical Investigations

A coated Roman iron coin from Villa Loig in Salzburg, Austria was investigated. The coating is a copper alloy consisting of Cu, Pb, Sn, Zn and negligible amounts of Ag, a variant of gunmetal known as ‘leaded red brass’. The numismatic term for such a coin is subferratus (Latin). From an archaeometallurgical point of view, information about the chemical composition, the microstructure and the manufacturing technique are of interest. To achieve these objectives, different analytical techniques and metallographic examinations were applied. Droplet‐shaped iron inclusions were observed in the red brass coating, while at the grain boundaries, inside the iron core, copper and lead were detected (liquid metal embrittlement). The dendritic microstructure of the coating, the spheroidal‐shaped iron inclusions in the coating and the liquid metal embrittlement show that the iron coin was plated by immersing it in a molten copper alloy. The iron core is a low‐carbon steel with slag stringers, both of which are characteristic of a bloomery iron. Deformation twins (Neumann lines) were observed in the microstructure of the iron core and indicate that the coining was performed after the flan was cooled.     

Evidence for local,regional and interregional exchange networks on Failaka: Some remarks on late Islamic pottery from Kharaib al-Dasht

The site of Kharaib al-Dasht, located on the northern coast of Failaka, is a late Islamic settlement with an extensive fishing infrastructure. It has been excavated since 2013 by the Kuwaiti-Polish Archaeological Mission. The ceramic assemblage collected so far exceeds 18,000 fragments. The sherds underwent technological and typological analyses, which demonstrated a wide diversity of local common kitchen wares, consistent with the needs of households specialised in fishing. A considerable percentage of imported vessels was brought to Failaka from the Arabian Gulf and Persia, though Far Eastern luxury tableware was also attested. This paper demonstrates the socioeconomic role of Kharaib al-Dasht in the context of trade exchange on the microregional (Kuwait) and macroregional (the Gulf, South and Eastern Asia) scales in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.     

夹砂陶器掺合料的初步研究

夹砂陶是陶器中非常重要的一个品种,特别是作为炊煮器是古人生活中不可或缺的日用器具。对夹砂陶器中掺合料的研究能够反映当时夹砂陶的制作工艺,也可以用来探讨掺合料的来源以及当时手工业分工以及产品的流通等问题。为此,本研究主要利用显微共聚焦拉曼光谱分析等技术手段对河南灵宝西坡遗址出土夹砂陶器中人工分离出的掺合料进行了初步分析,讨论了其中掺合料的类别、所占比重及来源。结果表明,西坡遗址出土的红褐色夹砂陶中掺合料的矿物成分主要以长石、石英、云母为主,而对样品及砂粒的称重结果表明,一些样品所用掺合料的比重可达20%左右。同时,对该遗址出土石料的分析表明,石料的物相组成与掺合料相似。另外,结合对良渚古城遗址夹砂陶器的分析结果,提出古代夹砂陶器的掺合料很有可能一部分来自于当时石器和玉器等加工废料的论断。研究成果为今后有关陶器掺合料的研究提出了新的方法和思路,同时也为探讨古代手工业生产的专业化模式提供依据。     

O. Elusa 2: Another Enigmatic Ostracon from the Pottery Workshop at Elusa in Byzantine Palestine

Abstract

A rather enigmatic Greek ostracon (O. Elusa 2) was recovered during the 1997 excavation season at Elusa in the Negev Desert. This ostracon is analysed in light of its archaeological setting, namely, a Byzantine pottery workshop, and the associated finds from the workshop, including a previously published ostracon (O. Elusa 1). Such an integrative approach underscores the importance of combining papyrological and archaeo- logical information for the interpretation of excavated texts.     

Unglazed pottery from the masjed-i jom’e of Isfahan (Iran): technology and provenance

The masjed-i jom’e of Isfahan is one of the earliest mosques of Iran. Since 1970, Italian researchers performed an extensive archaeological investigation uncovering huge amounts of finds. This study aims at investigating the technological features and provenance of the unglazed pottery finds by using a minero-petrographic approach. Twenty-three samples of storage, table and cooking wares were selected based on the recurrence of typologically identifiable fragments and fabrics. Two bricks, seven production indicators (spacers, kiln furniture, slags) and a local clay were analysed for comparison. The production indicators and most of the pottery show high-CaO concentration. Thick-walled wares contain coarse sedimentary/metamorphic inclusions. Samples with thinner walls contain similar but fine/well-sorted inclusions. The mineralogy and microstructure indicate firing temperatures mainly ranging from 850 to 1000 °C. Low-CaO samples contain coarse sedimentary inclusions; in one sample, volcanic lithics are present. Firing temperatures range from about 800 to 950 °C, and the low-CaO character can be related to their specific function for cooking foods. One sample, found in older stratigraphic levels, differs for its peculiar calcitic temper and lower firing temperature. Local production of most samples was constrained by the composition of the inclusions compatible with the sediments of the Isfahan area. High-CaO pottery shows compositional affinity with production indicators, local clay and tiles produced in Isfahan during the Safavid period. Cooking ware usually contains local temper, with the exception of a sample with volcanic inclusions, for which a non-local provenance is supposed. No appropriate information is, however, available regarding the low-CaO clays used in the area.     

浙江临安余村五代墓发掘报告

2001年9月浙江省临安市文物馆组织清理了一座唐五代时期墓葬。墓葬平面略呈船形,为多耳室、多壁龛的券顶砖室石门单室墓。随葬器物以越窑青瓷器为主,有少量的银器和铜钱。墓葬年代早于临安青柯五代墓、晚于临安晚唐钱宽水丘氏夫妇墓。墓主人应为五代钱氏王室成员或功臣,很有可能为钱镠第二子钱元玑墓。该墓的发现为研究五代十国时期墓葬形制、越窑瓷等提供了珍贵的实物资料。     

焦作武陟冯村汉墓M2发掘简报

2010年焦作市文物工作队在武陟县圪垱店乡清理汉墓两座,为西汉晚期至东汉早期墓葬.墓葬中出土的陶厨房、羊圈、猪圈等模型明器,造型精美,为研究汉代的社会经济生活,提供了重要的实物资料.     

Slag inclusions in iron objects and the quest for provenance: an experiment and a case study

Slag inclusions are found within most archaeological bloomery iron artefacts and are remainders of slag created during the smelting and smithing processes. Although they are widely believed to provide data with the potential for provenancing iron artefacts, previous slag inclusion studies have mostly proven inconclusive. The main aim of the work reported here is to analyse experimental smelting and smithing assemblages (including ore, furnace lining, fuel and slag), to compare these to slag inclusions in the resulting bloom and worked objects, and then explore the relationships between ore, slag and slag inclusions. This study has revealed that the composition of slag inclusions most closely relates to the smelting slag produced, whereas provenance to a specific ore would be difficult due to the chemical variability derived from furnace lining, fuel and any fluxes used. Some compounds in the slag inclusions are particularly affected during smithing of the artefact, i.e. those present in the sand flux and fuel used. However, trends are observed in the K₂O/MgO, MnO/SiO₂, Al₂O₃/SiO₂, Al₂O₃/MgO, Al₂O₃/K₂O and Al₂O₃/CaO ratios that allow comparison between slag inclusions and smelting slag in these experiments, and may therefore be used during other provenancing attempts. The knowledge gained from the experimental assemblages was subsequently applied to an archaeological case study, examining objects from the 900 Cal BC smithing site of Tel Beth-Shemesh, Israel and the 930 Cal BC smelting site of Tell Hammeh, Jordan. The analyses suggest that none of the artefacts examined derived from the Hammeh smelting system.     

Investigating ancient technology and ceramic composition at Al-Khidr site (Failaka Island,Kuwait): Geochemical analyses of Bronze Age pottery by pXRF and thin-section petrographic analyses

Pottery assemblages from the site of Al-Khidr on Failaka Island, Kuwait, were analysed in order to reconstruct the chemical composition of Bronze Age wares and to build a mineralogical database of Bronze Age pottery dated from Failaka Periods 1–3B (2000–1650 BCE). A total of 145 ceramic sherds from Al-Khidr, as well as reference groups, were analysed by non-destructive portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry. Preliminarily petrographic thin-section analysis was applied to four samples to reconstruct possible clay paste recipes and to identify raw materials. The results indicate that geochemical analyses can successfully distinguish subgroups within a typological category of ceramic assemblages. The results identified two subgroups within the Al-Khidr typological category: the Dilmun Barbar tradition and the Mesopotamian tradition. Future comparative compositional studies can be conducted to explore other aspects of craft specialisation, such as ceramic technological choices and possibly the influence of sociopolitical units.     

Provenance of Weeden Island “sacred” and “prestige” vessels: implications for specialized ritual craft production

ABSTRACT

Weeden Island mortuary ceremonialism united distinct cultures across the Late Woodland social landscape. The Weeden Island pottery series is central to recognizing regional ceremonial parity, with prestige (elite) and sacred (cult) wares showing strong similarities among distant sites. Finely made vessels and their ostensibly shamanistic themes led archaeologists to consider the liturgical and political roles of ritual specialists, whose tasks might have included vessel manufacture in centralized locations. This research evaluates the prospect of craft specialization and centralized production of sacred and prestige wares through comparisons of the provenance of vessels from three Florida localities: Palmetto Mound (8LV2), the mounds at Melton (8AL5, 8AL7), and McKeithen (8CO17). Results of Neutron Activation Analysis and petrographic analysis show that the majority of the sampled vessels were made far from the mounds in which they were deposited, from a variety of locations but especially within the area between Kolomoki and the Tallahassee Hills. We argue that production was not centralized but may have been specialized to the extent that an integrated ritual network was necessary to coordinate rules of manufacture and use that were evidently observed by all participants.