A volcanic inclusions based approach for provenance studies of archaeological ceramics: application to pottery from southern Italy

This work focuses on petro-chemical characterisation of the volcanic inclusions often found within the fabric of many ceramic remains from various archaeological sites in eastern Sicily. Petrographic observations and EMP analyses revealed that volcanic glass is strongly influenced by chemical modifications during the firing process, whereas clinopyroxenes keep their original composition unaltered thus constituting an effective tool for provenance attributions. Multivariate statistical analysis of the latter can in fact unambiguously discriminate between different productive areas by comparisons with pyroxenes from volcanics belonging to distinct magmatic provinces. The method proposed here was tested on ceramic remains of different ages and typologies found in southern Italy.     

Age at death estimates for the protohistoric Arikara using molar attrition rates: A new quantification method

Dental attrition is positively related to ageing and has often been used to determine age at death of animals and prehistoric/historic humans. A newly designed molar-attrition-scoring standard was applied to a protohistoric skeletal sample, the Arikara (N = 143) from the North American Plains. Several criteria are used in producing a molar tooth crown wear (MTCW) score. These include: (i) the size of enamel wear facets, (ii) the amount of dentine and secondary dentine exposure, (iii) the height of the tooth, (iv) the enamel rim thickness, and (v) the amount of pulp-cavity exposure in the advanced stages. Age-at-death estimates were generated from ordinary least-squares (OLS) analysis, with estimated age regressed independently on the total molar attrition score (TMAS), mean molar-1 tooth crown wear (ȲM1TCW), mean molar-2 tooth crown wear (ȲM2TCW), and mean molar-3 tooth crown wear (ȲM3TCW). In all analyses (with the exception of the third molar), the coefficient of determination (r²) revealed a strong relationship between molar attrition and age. Multiple-regression analysis revealed a significant sex difference in molar-attrition rates. Besides intercept and slope differences, the female scatter showed greater molar attrition variation than the male scatter. There was no statistical difference between mean upper molar attrition score (UMAS) and lower molar attrition score (LMAS). There was no significant difference in molar attrition rates by side, and side by molar tooth.     

Comparison of coordinate measurement precision of different landmark types on human crania using a 3D laser scanner and a 3D digitiser: Implications for applications of digital morphometrics

A total of 11 340 Cartesian coordinates of 42 homologous landmarks on five excavated human crania were recorded by three observers using a three‐dimensional (3D) digitiser and computer models created with a 3D laser scanner. The aim was to compare the errors of the coordinate data of landmarks of different types recorded with these two techniques. The results showed that digitiser‐based and 3D model‐based coordinate measurements had overall standard deviations of, respectively, ±0.79 and ±1.05 mm. However, the 3D digitiser yielded the most precise coordinate data for landmarks defined primarily by biological criteria (Type I landmarks), while the 3D laser scanner models yielded the most precise coordinate data for landmarks defined primarily by geometric criteria (Type III landmarks). These findings are likely to influence the research design of future craniometric studies, as they indicate that the suitability of certain landmark types as reference points for geometric operations, such as partial Procrustes analysis, depends on the method by which they are measured. This information is particularly important for retrospective research or for combined databases such as FORDISC or CRANID, which may integrate different types of landmarks recorded by different researchers and/or instruments. Crania displaying poor preservation and surface discoloration yielded larger measurement errors, especially for the 3D model measurements. This is not surprising given that landmarks on 3D models cannot be located using tactile means, but have to be located solely on a visual basis. Nonetheless, even though the digitiser measurements exhibit an overall precision slightly greater than the 3D model measurements, both techniques yield coordinate data with a precision sufficient for most craniometric research. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of chloride from pottery as a marker for salt: A new analytical method validated using simulated salt-making pottery and applied to Japanese ceramics

Salt is an essential mineral in the human diet, and ancient peoples obtained salt either directly from rock salt, from salt lakes, or by concentrating saline waters from salt springs or seawater in pottery vessels. However, because sodium chloride, the major component of salt, is soluble in water, it has been thought unlikely that any trace of salt would remain in the pottery after a long period of time. A new methodology for retrieval of water-insoluble (retainable) chloride ion trapped within a pottery matrix is presented as a method for detecting previous use of the pottery for salt making. Simulated salt-making pottery was used to make salt by repeatedly boiling seawater over a fire. After chloride had been extracted with distilled water, to mimic the removal of chloride by natural waters such as rainwater and groundwater, an aqueous ammonium fluoride solution was shown to be capable of extracting chloride ions remaining in the pottery. A chloride-selective electrode was used to quantify the amount of extracted chloride in the presence of fluoride. This method was then successfully applied to excavated Japanese pottery vessels suspected of having been used for making salt. Identification of retainable chloride in pottery can offer insights into salt trading networks, which reflect the growth and affluence of an ancient society.