WOOL REMAINS FROM SCYTHIAN BURIALS IN SIBERIA

Summary. Eight carpet or textile yarns and six felt samples from the frozen burials dated c. 400 B. C. at Pazyryk and Bashadar were studied. One sample was identified as underwool from a non-fleeced 'hair' sheep (Neolithic survival). Five samples were of the most primitive fleece type, the hairy medium wool, and five of the next most primitive type, the generalised medium wool (both emerged in the Bronze Age). There was one hairy sheep and, as found at Hallstatt, there were two semi-fine fleeces (shortwools). The last two types developed in the Iron Age.     

From textiles to sheep: investigating wool fibre development in pre-Roman Italy using scanning electron microscopy (SEM)

The first diachronic investigation of wool fibre from Italian pre-Roman archeological contexts was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A total of 22 archaeological wool samples from 10 Italian and one Austrian site dating from the Middle Bronze Age to the Roman period were analysed. The results demonstrate the processing of wool and development of sheep fleece from primitive wool with very fine underwool and very coarse kemps to the disappearance of kemp and coarser but more uniform fleece. By the end of the Iron Age several fleece qualities coexisted in Italy, possibly indicating the presence of different breeds. Classification of the wool qualities based on existing systems was problematic leading to a conclusion that a more nuanced approach to the classification of archaeological material is needed.     

A MICROSCOPIC STUDY OF REMAINS OF TEXTILES MADE FROM PLANT FIBRES

Summary. Plant fibres in textiles from the following sites were investigated and those not already identified as flax were identified as such: Tybrind (Mesolithic Denmark)-unidentified; Çatal Hüyük (Neolithic Turkey); the Kerma civilization of Nubia (2000 BC); Kings Road, Guernsey (Iron Age) (mineralised cloth), and eighteenth-century England. Some Bronze Age nettle fabric from Denmark was examined.
The Scanning Electron Microscope provided an invaluable aid to identification, particularly in the mineralised material. Fibre diameter measurements in the form of distributions, like those used with wool, also assisted identification, but no evolutionary changes with time were evident in these. It was possible also to make such measurements on SEM photomicrographs of the mineralised fibres.     

Some miscellaneous ancient fleece remains

Wool fibre measurements are described from four unconnected remains: (1) some possibly Iron Age sheepskin from Germany that appeared to have a hairy fleece type; (2) the cloth from the Quernmore burial, Lancashire (dated 1300 years BP), one yarn of which was of hairy medium type, and the other true medium; (3) some sheepskin from Saxon Durham which had wool of true medium type, and (4) some wool of medieval date from Baynard's Castle, London, which was of true fine type.     

Sheep wool in Bronze Age and Iron Age Europe

This study presents the results of a series of wool measurements from Bronze Age and Iron Age skins and textiles from Hallstatt, and Bronze Age textiles from Scandinavia and the Balkans. A new method of classification that was set up and applied on mostly mineralised Iron Age material has now been applied to a large body of non-mineralised material from the Bronze and Iron Ages. Three types of microscopes were used and their advantages and disadvantages assessed. The results of the investigation cast new light on sheep breeding and fibre processing in prehistoric Europe, and suggest that different sheep breeds existed in Bronze Age Europe.     

Animal Hair in Medieval Ship Caulking Throws Light on Livestock Types

Abstract

Diameter measurements of nearly 200 samples of hair caulking from medieval boat timbers excavated in London threw light on livestock type and husbandry practices. Cattle hair (440/0) with a primitive coat structure predominated in the earlier centuries, while those with a “modern” coat structure predominated later, and these were mostly black. The goat hair (38%) had only one type of coat and the overall mean fibre diameter of the underwool was 13.4 microns compared with 14.7 microns in surviving feral goats. About half the goat hair samples (again from the later centuries) were black and half grey, with only one white animal. There was evidence that death of the cattle and goats had occurred during autumn and/or winter. Sheeps' wool formed 18% of the samples and there were more hairy fleeces than found in medieval clothing. Most of the wool was grey; there were no black samples and only one white one.     

SKIN, AND WOOL-TEXTILE REMAINS FROM HALLSTATT, AUSTRIA

Summary. A study was made of wool cloth remains comprising 56 yarns and of 33 samples of haired animal skin from the Kilbwerk salt-mine site at Hallstatt, Austria dated 6th to 8th century BC. Most of the wool in the cloth was primitive hairy-medium or generalised-medium type and over half the samples had natural coloration, the predominant colour being grey. One yarn was of medium wool type and four were of semi-fine fleece type, neither of these having been previously reported before the Roman period. The skins were much hairier, only one-third having fleece types found in the cloth, and only two of these were of the finer generalised medium variety. Most of the skins with the coarsest hair were probably from goats, and those with less coarse hair from true hairy sheep, a fleece type that is thought to have developed during the Iron Age. The staining reaction of the skin indicated rawhide or oil tanning. The presence of inactive hair follicles within the skin showed that over half had ceased to live during the autumn-winter period.     

WOOL AT DANEBURY: A SPECULATION USING EVIDENCE FROM ELSEWHERE

The high proportion of sheep bones and the finding of implements used in cloth manufacture have led to suggestions that this Iron Age hill fort in Hampshire was a centre for wool cloth making. In the absence of textile remains from the site, evidence from other Iron Age sites with such remains is used to suggest that the sheep kept at Danebury are likely to have had mainly primitive hairy and primitive woolly fleeces with an annual moult and a range of colours. the absence of shears suggests a more primitive method of harvesting the wool. White wool and dyed textiles from the other sites indicates the possibility of dyeing. A reassessment of the textile implements suggests that the textile activity was no more than domestic production. the weight of the spindle whorls is discussed in relation to the sort of wool spun, but further experimentation is proposed to answer such questions as the true use of the "weaving" combs. the slingshots might have been hurled with a wool sling and not only at a human enemy or at game, but to control sheep flocks.     

IRON AGE, HAIRED, ANIMAL SKINS FROM HALLSTATT, AUSTRIA

Summary: A study was made of 229 skins bearing hair or wool from bags and clothing in the Iron Age salt mines at Hallstatt; 87% were from livestock and of these 8% were from cattle, 22% from goats and 70% from sheep. of the sheepskins most were of hairy-medium type (61%) or coarser, while all the textiles examined earlier were of this type or finer; 5% were of hairy type, which first appeared in the Iron Age; 32% were Neolithic survivals with a wild-type coat (no fleece) and two-thirds of these had a Mouflon colour pattern, while the remainder had a range of colours. the cattle were brown and two thirds of the goats were black. All livestock had the small size expected of the breeds of the period. the other skins included possibly chamois and ibex as well as dog, and small fur-bearers.     

Lead isotopic analyses of copper ores in the Early Bronze Age central Hexi Corridor,north-west China

This paper explores the possible provenance of ores employed for metallurgical production during the Early Bronze Age in the central Hexi Corridor of north-west China. In total, 78 pieces of copper (Cu) ore samples were collected from five Early Bronze Age sites and one Cu deposit site (the Beishantang Cu deposit) in the Heihe River region of the central corridor. These sites were dated to the late Machang (4100–4000 bp ), Xichengyi (4000–3700 bp ), Qijia (4000–3600 bp ) and Siba (3700–3400 bp ) cultures. After comparing with published lead (Pb) isotopic data from other possible Cu deposits in north-west China, the results show that the Cu ores collected from the Early Bronze Age sites were most likely derived from the adjacent Beishan Cu deposit. More intriguingly, for the first time in Hexi Corridor, a dozen Cu ores were discovered containing highly radiogenic Pb. Though fundamentally different from those in the Central Plains, they illustrate a possible new type of Cu used in Bronze Age western China, and the first-hand materials are significant for further understanding the provenance of raw metals for metallurgical production in the prehistoric Hexi Corridor.     

Dietary Variability During Bronze Age in Central Italy: First Results

This research aims at delineating the dietary practices in Central Italy during the Bronze Age. The study of food choices is a mean for investigating palaeoenvironmental agricultural and economic activities and social relationships, which have been little explored until now in Italy from this specific perspective. Recent researches have showed that the Middle Bronze Age is a crucial period of dietary changes in Italy. Following these first observations, we studied three Bronze Age sites in Tuscany and Latium: Grotta dello Scoglietto, Grotta Misa and Felcetone. Analyses of stable carbon, nitrogen and sulphur isotopes on 38 human and 22 animal collagen samples were performed. The results show three different dietary patterns. Data from Grotta dello Scoglietto (Early Bronze Age) indicate a high‐protein intake, with a probable consumption of fish. Additionally, sulphur results let us infer the presence of some non‐local people. Individuals from Felcetone (Initial phase of the Middle Bronze Age) show a terrestrial diet dominated by plant proteins, which suggests a low δ¹⁵N food intake, namely legumes, as well as C₄ plant, such as millet. Finally, values from Grotta Misa (Middle Bronze Age) highlight a mixed terrestrial diet and the consumption of millet. Given the variety of the obtained results, we are able to conclude that the transition from the Early to the Middle Bronze Age represents a moment of change, which is reflected by the presence of different dietary patterns. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The use of different amber sources in Italy during the Bronze Age: new archaeometric data

The production of amber ornaments occurred in Italy during the Eneolithic (E)–Early Bronze Age (EBA), although very few beads from the Italian peninsula have been found and analysed. The number of data available for provenience study of Bronze Age ambers is larger, but still a precise picture of when and to what extent the local sources of amber were exploited is lacking. In the present work, 22 amber finds from six Sicilian sites have been studied and analysed by infrared spectroscopy, in particular with DRIFT (diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transformed) analyses. The amber samples are dated between the Eneolithic and the Final Bronze Age–Early Iron Age and are from the collections of the P. Orsi Museum, in Syracuse (Sicily). The data show that only simetite was used in South Italy in the Late Eneolithic (LE)–EBA. In the Bronze Age, the exploitation of simetite shows different intensity in different chronological phases. The results are discussed in comparison with the information available for coeval European ambers.     

Biological differences related to cultural variability during the Neolithic in a micro-geographical area of the Iberian Peninsula

This paper presents dental morphological data of Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Bronze Age populations from the Catalan Pre-Pyrenean area. The Neolithic group, in particular, differs from those of surrounding areas in its funerary culture: the building of cists, which is not present in the Sepulcres de Fossa Culture. A minimum number of 118 individuals from this area were studied for this work, and the data were compared with those of other Iberian and European groups. The results indicate that the two micro-regional groups from the Catalan area (Pre-Pyrenean and Pre-Coastal) were biologically different during the Neolithic and the Chalcolithic, but not in the Bronze Age, when they also appeared to be more homogeneous culturally. In addition, both areas differ biologically from coetaneous Italian groups, although those closer to the coast show slightly smaller differences. Finally, the Bronze Age groups also present fewer differences with regard to the Italian Bronze Age’s group. Therefore, the results suggest that the Catalan Neolithic population had two separate origins, related to cultural patterns, and that differences between the groups decreased within time, probably due to trade-related activities. Moreover, the fact that the difference with Italian populations decreased during the Bronze Age suggests major population movements through the Mediterranean that would affect the biological composition of the human groups.     

Mobility in Central European Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age: tibial cross-sectional geometry

An absence of settlement features during the Central European Corded Ware period (Late Eneolithic, 2900–2300 BC) has been interpreted as a reflection of mobile pastoral subsistence. Recent analyses of the Late Eneolithic archeological context reveal that the Late Eneolithic exhibit evidence of sedentary agricultural activities similar to the Early Bronze Age. Since the archeological analyses are not clear cut, we tested mobility pattern differences between the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age using biomechanical analysis of the tibial midshaft cross-sections. The total sample of the 130 tibiae representing five archaeological cultures was used. The results of the tibial midshaft geometry do not support the hypothesis about different mobility in the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age. This conclusion is supported by nonsignificant differences between the Corded Ware females and the Early Bronze Age females. Higher absolute values for the Corded Ware males should be explained either by stochastic variation or by differing amounts of physical demands despite a generally similar pattern of subsistence of the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age. One of the Early Bronze Age samples, the Wieselburger group, is an exception because the individuals show both reduced overall size and bending resistance of the tibial parameters not only in comparison with the Late Eneolithic but also to the rest of the Early Bronze Age. The results suggest that the behavioral processes which affected the tibial midshaft biology operated during the Late Eneolithic and Early Bronze Age as a mosaic across time and between/within cultures.     

Skeletal evidence for morbidity and mortality in Copper Age samples from northeastern Hungary

Analysis of 183 human skeletons representing the Copper Age in northeastern Hungary indicates slightly less morbidity and mortality than found in previous studies of later Bronze Age and Iron Age samples from the same area. Mean adult age at death was 33.4 years for males and 32.9 years for females. Life table reconstruction revealed a life expectancy at birth of about 28 years, and at age 15 of about 17 years. Frequencies of dental hypoplasia (<1%) and carious lesions (2.3%) were relatively low. Comparisons of the Copper Age data reported here with previously published studies of later Bronze Age and Iron Age samples from the same area revealed little or no change in life expectancy at age 15, long bone diaphyseal circumference, estimated living stature, frequencies of dental hypoplasia, alveolar abscesses, tooth loss, adult porotic hyperostosis or trauma. Temporal increases were detected in life expectancy at birth, dental caries frequency, cribra orbitalia, subadult periosteal lesions and vertebral osteoarthritis. The study is part of a larger effort to examine long‐term temporal changes in skeletal samples from that region. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dietary changes and millet consumption in northern France at the end of Prehistory: Evidence from archaeobotanical and stable isotope data

Diachronic changes of dietary human habits between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age are mainly identified through archaeological artefacts and archaeozoological and archaeobotanical studies. This paper aims to demonstrate the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach for palaeodietary studies and to identify the food changes between Neolithic and Bronze Age human groups in northern France. These changes are probably linked to the introduction of new crops, such as millet, and the use of stable isotope analysis on bones and teeth proves to be an effective method for assessing the role of this specific cereal in the diet and the economy. Stable isotope analyses were performed on bone and tooth collagen and apatite from eight humans and five domestic animals from a Late Bronze Age site (LBA; Barbuise; 15th–13th c. BC; Aube). The studied corpus is compared with isotopic data from human and animal bones from a nearby Neolithic site (Gurgy; 5th mill. BC; Yonne) and regional Neolithic to Iron sites located in northern France. Moreover, Barbuise data are supplemented by information from an important archaeobotanical study carried out on 21 LBA and Early Iron Age sites in the region. Neolithic and LBA human collagen isotopic ratios (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) differ statistically, as do those of some animals. Carbon isotopic ratios of human apatite corroborate collagen results indicating the consumption of ¹³C enriched food by LBA humans and animals compared to Neolithic samples. The high number of occurrences of plant remains in the Bronze Age settlements near the site points to the consumption of C₄ plants, such as millet, and would account for these results.     

A Comparison Study of Middle Bronze Age II Daggers and Their Rivets as a Tool for a Better Understanding of Their Production

The Middle Bronze Age II is a period during which there exists a contemporaneous usage of arsenic copper and tin bronze for metal weaponry production. In order to learn more about the alloys used in this period, the blades and rivets from 65 daggers of two significantly different types, which were discovered at the Rishon LeZion (RL) cemetery, Israel, were tested by the non‐destructive method of X‐ray fluorescence (XRF). The results reveal new knowledge of the alloys selected for dagger and rivet production, both of which represent fine examples of the Middle Bronze Age II Southern Levant in metal industry.     

The Huldremose Iron Age textiles,Denmark: an attempt to define their provenance applying the strontium isotope system

Archaeological textiles recovered on two occasions from the Huldremose bog, Denmark, represent some of the best preserved and complete garments from the Danish Iron Age (500 BC–AD 800). In order to address the question regarding the provenance of the textile's raw material, we applied a recently developed method based on strontium isotopes to wool and plant fibres from these ancient garments. Textile plant fibres from Huldremose I find are of non-local provenance, whereas the wool from which the garment was made stemmed from sheep grazing on glaciomoraine soils developed on Cretaceous–Tertiary carbonate platform sediments widely found in Denmark. The Huldremose II find consists of an unusually large and well preserved garment, which is composed of wool from at least three different provenances. One source is again local, whereas the other two sources, characterized by elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, are compatible with geologically older (Precambrian) terrains which are typical for Northern Scandinavia, e.g. Norway or Sweden. Our study suggests that wool and plant fibres were either traded or brought as raw materials for textiles more commonly and over longer distances than previously assumed.     

OFFSHORE FINDS FROM THE BRONZE AGE IN NORTH-WESTERN EUROPE: THE SHIPWRECK SCENARIO REVISITED

Summary.   This article challenges received thinking relating to the interpretation of Bronze Age finds from the seabed in the waters of north-western Europe, especially the North Sea and Channel area. Metal objects recovered from the sea are traditionally presumed to be the result of shipwrecks. As such, their interpretation as casual, if unfortunate loss is unquestioned. However, abandoning the shipwreck scenario as a remnant of the 'sacred vs profane' heuristic, it is suggested that offshore finds could provide insight into deliberate Bronze Age maritime practice, rather than misadventure. Certain patterning in the data of offshore finds, including affinities with hoards on terra firma , urges another interpretive framework – that of considering the sea as a place for deposition. This appeared to be the case particularly in regions which experienced an intensity of maritime interaction, such as the Channel area during the later Bronze Age. From this it is hypothesized that rather than being considered outside the Bronze Age social realm, the sea, especially in the MBA to earlier LBA in the Channel area, was incorporated into Bronze Age cosmology in similar ways to other zones in the landscape.