Prehistoric population history in eastern Fennoscandia

In this article, prehistoric population history in eastern Fennoscandia is modelled using summed probability distributions of radiocarbon dates. In addition, radiocarbon date distribution is compared with other proxy data. Different proxies seem to produce similar distributions, which enhances the overall reliability of the pattern. The results indicate that there was a very pronounced peak in the hunter–gatherer population slightly after 4000 cal BC. This peak seems to be linked to increased environmental productivity. The subsequent population decline culminated just before the local appearance of farming economies in different sub-areas, which is an interesting result in the wider northern and central European context. Along with the adoption of agriculture, new population growth began in eastern Fennoscandia.     

Stable isotope chemistry,population histories and Late Prehistoric subsistence change in the Aleutian Islands

Aleut population history has been a topic of debate since the earliest archaeological investigations in the region. In this paper, we use stable isotope chemistry to evaluate the hypothesis that two distinct groups of people, Paleo- and Neo-Aleut, occupied the eastern Aleutians after 1000 BP. This study focuses on 80 sets of directly dated eastern Aleutian burial assemblages from Chaluka midden, Shiprock Island and Kagamil Island. We use a linear mixing model informed by isotopic analysis of two large Aleut faunal assemblages to address temporal and spatial variation in human carbon and nitrogen stable isotope data from these sites. The patterning we report addresses both Aleut demographic and economic prehistory, illustrating a transition in both at ca. 1000 BP. Our results suggests that the Chaluka diet, dominated by Paleo-Aleut inhumations, differed in both trophic level and foraging location from the other two sites for much of the past 4000 years. Trends in our data also suggest that individuals from Shiprock and Kagamil burial caves, primarily Neo-Aleuts, had enough access to higher trophic level foods to differentiate their bone chemistries from those buried in Chaluka midden. These trends in diet, recently reported genetic differences, as well as the introduction of novel mortuary practices at ca. 1000 BP, suggest that Neo-Aleuts do represent a population new to the eastern Aleutians.     

Prehistoric population history: from the Late Glacial to the Late Neolithic in Central and Northern Europe

Summed probability distributions of radiocarbon dates are used to make inferences about the history of population fluctuations from the Mesolithic to the late Neolithic for three countries in central and northern Europe: Germany, Poland and Denmark. Two different methods of summing the dates produce very similar overall patterns. The validity of the aggregate patterns is supported by a number of regional studies based on other lines of evidence. The dramatic rise in population associated with the arrival of farming in these areas that is visible in the date distributions is not surprising. Much more unexpected are the fluctuations during the course of the Neolithic, and especially the indications of a drop in population at the end of the LBK early Neolithic that lasted for nearly a millennium. Possible reasons for the pattern are discussed.     

史前酒器赏析

我国的酒文化源远流长,从目前的考古资料看,酒的形成可以追溯到六千年前的新石器时代。酒器也就随着酒文化的萌芽而产生,原本作为饮水的器物开始用来饮酒,并且为了饮酒而特制了一些别致的器物。《抱朴子》载,＂黄帝造酒泉法,以曲米和成丹药＂;《素问》载,＂黄帝命作汤液酒醴以为备＂。虽为历史传说,但是也给我们透露出史前文化时期就开始了酒文化的萌芽。     

浙江的史前文化

距今六七千年的河姆渡文化和距今四五千年的良渚文化是浙江史前文化的一头一尾,遗存非常丰富,被誉为浙江史前文化的“两朵花”,亦有人称之为浙江史前文化的“双璧”。     

Prehistoric Culture of Tibet

TheofficialopeningoftheTibetMuseumtookplaceonOctober5,1999.Theexhibitsinthemuseumaredividedintofourparts:"PrehistoricCulture,"InseparableHistory,"CultureandArt"and"Folklore."Thefollowingisabriefintroductiontothefirstpart:"PrehistoricCulture."Theprehistoricdevelopmentofmankindisdividedaccordingtothetypeofproductiontoolsusedintothepalaeolithic,themesolithic,theneolithic;theBronze-neolithic(theRedAge),theBronzeAgeandtheIronAge.THEPALAEOLITHIC.ArchaeologicalfindsrevealthattheTibet…     

Recent Prehistoric Field Research in Central Tunisia: Prehistoric Occupations in the Meknassy Basin

Recent field prospection and test excavations in the Meknassy Basin (Central Tunisia) has revealed many prehistoric sites covering almost all the phases of North African prehistory from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic. Excavations at the Aïn El-Guettar Mousterian site has yielded a faunal assemblage dominated by bovids and equids. One human tooth was found in situ. The stratigraphic sequence contains charcoal-rich occupation layers with faunal, human and lithic finds. A level with an industry resembling the Aterian was found beneath a Mousterian layer. The excavations at Aïn Oum Henda 2 (Jebel Maloussi) provided many Middle Palaeolithic lithic artefacts, some of which are pedunculates. From the excavations of the Rammadiya El Oghrab (Jebel Bou Hedma) we recovered some bones of antelope, many fragments of ostrich egg shell (among them a worked disc), an enormous quantity of flint (tools and splinters) and of land snails. In spite of the scarcity of land snails and the absence of bone in the rammadiya of Jebel Bou Hedma 1, the site produced a beautiful flint collection including an arrowhead found on the surface, which led us to place the site in the Neolithic.     

The periodontal disease status of the historical population of Assos

The science of anthropology obtains data on health, disease and death from ancient populations. Research on the skeletal remains of human teeth and surrounding tissues provides useful information on the evolutionary perspective of dental and periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and severity of periodontal diseases in the skeletal remains of 33 Assos inhabitants of the 4th century BC. Three age groups were constituted for the studied population. Periodontal disease status was determined based on the textural and architectural variations of the interdental septum and the extent of bone loss. It was found that the prevalence of periodontal diseases increased with age. The severity of periodontal bone loss also increased with age and the mean alveolar bone loss between age groups was statistically significant (P = 0.004). This analysis of the dental health of ancient populations provides insights into the aetiology, patterns and distribution of periodontitis, which has a very complex disease pathogenesis. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interpretations of Prehistoric Boat Remains

The simple assembly methods and long-unpractised boatbuilding and seamanship skills waiting to be discovered from those few shattered remains of British prehistoric boats make practical interpretation of their original form and function both a fascinating mental exercise and a quagmire for any tempted to publish their thoughts. Some contemporary views are reconsidered and in the spirit of scientific exploration others are offered to promote further debate.
© 2005 The Author     

Prehistoric shell beads on the Georgia coast

ABSTRACT

The prehistoric peoples living along the Georgia coast fabricated and used shell beads for millennia. Out of a number of mollusk species inhabiting the region, only a few were selected for the fabrication of beads. The knobbed whelk (Busycon carica) was the most common species used, and it represents the most common whelk found in Atlantic coastal waters. The lightning whelk (Busycon sinistrum), the second most common whelk in the region, was occasionally used in the production of beads. Small numbers of beads were made from marginella and olive shells and, rarely, from bivalve species. Small beads were manufactured from the body whorl of whelks, while larger beads were fabricated from whelk collumella. Shell beads appear in small quantities in Late Archaic period contexts, and then almost disappear during the Woodland period. Beads reappear in quantities at about AD 800 in the Early Mississippian period. More shell beads have been recovered from Mississippian period archaeological contexts along the northern Georgia coast than along the southern coast, reflective of cultural differences between these two geographic areas in the post-Woodland period era.     

史前陶灶的发展与演变

饮食是人类生存的保证,炉灶是生火做饭的基础。＂灶,造也,创造食物也（《释名.释宫室》）。＂作为饮食加工的基本器具,灶诞生于人类的童年时代,陪伴人类走过了漫长的历史进程,也经历了由简单到复杂、由低级到高级的发展演变,成为生活中不可或缺的物件。     

Cultural Modification of the Dentition in Prehistoric Cambodia

Intentional dental modification, in the form of ablation and filing, is reported for the first time from Cambodia in two late prehistoric sites (Phum Snay and Phum Sophy, c. 2500 to 1500 bp ). Bioarchaeological research is relatively new for this region, and this study significantly adds to our reconstruction of past behaviours in mainland Southeast Asia. The skeletal samples combine both excavated material and large looted collections in the form of ossuaries. People from Phum Sophy and Phum Snay had similar rates of anterior maxillary dental ablation, 60 and 47%, respectively, and 21.4 and 7.7%, respectively, in the mandible. Patterns of ablation most commonly involve the removal of the maxillary lateral incisors. Intentional filing was less common than ablation but affected Phum Snay and Phum Sophy individuals to a similar level (4–7%). Filing was also restricted to the anterior dentition, and a range of patterns were evident, many involving filing of the mesial and distal aspects of the crown of the upper and lower incisors and canines to give a pointed appearance. Patterns of ablation or filing were not strongly associated with a particular sex or age group. However, a limited number of ablation and filing patterns were exclusive to each site. The significance of this practice in relation to rites of passage, status, community and family relationships, and trauma is discussed. It is also shown that the modifications show distinct differences in prevalence and pattern, particularly that of filing, to nearby temporal neighbours in southern Cambodia and northeast Thailand, suggesting a unique cultural behaviour for this region. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

天人吉祥物—长江流域的史前玉器

中国的玉文化历史悠久,从原始社会开始,玉器就是人们心目中的神灵祥瑞之物,它作为人们与神灵沟通的神物,在社会生活中占据了极其重要的地位。长江流域的史前玉器精巧秀丽,透露出深厚的文化含义,其精良的制玉工艺、神秘奇异的纹饰、浓郁的宗教气息如同一个个灵动的音符点缀于长江文明的华彩乐章中。     

Sediment Peels from Prehistoric Sites

Abstract

A method for making sediment peels from profiles at prehistoric sites is described. It consists of placing a piece of cheesecloth over a cleaned profile and then applying several coats of white, polyvinyl acetate glue (Elmer's Glue-All). After the glue dries, the peel is removed, mounted on a board and then ready for study or storage. The sediment peel is an effective means of preserving the prehistoric profile and, as important, reveals cryptic stratigraphic features that are important in reconstructing the environment of deposition of the sediment and the environment of prehistoric man.     

Prehistoric hunters and gatherers of Brazil

Although carbon-14 dates prior to 13,000 B.P. have been obtained from several sites east and south of Amazonia, their reliability is uncertain. By about 11,000 B.P., however, two lithic traditions were widespread. The Uruguai tradition, characterized by bifacial stemmed projectile points, was associated with open vegetation in the south; the Itaparica tradition, emphasizing well-formed unifacial artifacts, had dispersed over the eastern tropical parklands. An enormous amount and variety of rock paintings and/or engravings are associated with the latter. Around 7000 B.P., two new traditions emerged to exploit new habitats. The Humaitá tradition, characterized by large bifacial tools and an absence of stone projectile points, expanded over the broad-leaved forests in the south, leaving the open landscapes dominated by the projectile point-using Umbu tradition. The sambaqui (shell midden) tradition, also emphasizing large bifaces, developed along rugged portions of the southern coast. By 4000 B.P., groups along the coast of Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo were using domesticated or semidomesticated plants, perhaps sweet manioc. Maize was being grown in Minas Gerais by about 3500 B.P. Carbon-14 dates from numerous sites indicate, however, that the hunter-gatherer way of life persisted in many places long after the advent of pottery-making horticulturalists. The existence of large temporal and spatial gaps even in regions with considerable investigation makes it difficult to reconstruct the process of evolution reflected in these archaeological complexes. Correlations between cultural traditions and environmental fluctuations indicate, however, that adaptation to changing conditions was a significant challenge faced by prehistoric Brazilian populations.     

Environmental Archaeology of Prehistoric NW Crete

Abstract

The occurrence of Central European tree-types no longer growing on Crete indicates that Neolithic and Bronze Age climates were moister than at present. Of equal significance is the appearance of large quantities of olive pollen in Late Neolithic levels, suggesting the practice of olive cultivation. Early Bronze Age levels show a disappearance of some Central European tree pollen and an increase in Mediterranean tree types, suggesting that the climate became somewhat drier. The pollen findings are used along with other environmental and archaeological data to reconstruct landscapes for the Neolithic and Bronze Age of NW Crete.     

中国史前音乐文化状况初探

作为人类古老的艺术形态 ,史前音乐包含于原始文化的统一体中。本文从考古学的角度对中国史前音乐的生成与发展状况进行了考察和解析 ,为了解原始文化提供了一个途径     

我国史前祭祀遗迹初探

史前祭祀遗迹在史前考古研究中占有相当重要的位置。本文通过对史前祭祀遗迹的综合考察,试图将常见的祭祀形式划分为4类：1．“坛”祭;2．“(土单)”祭;3．“坎”祭;4．“庙”祭。我们认为,史前先民根据不同的祭祀对象和目的,已经开始有意识地选择不同的祭祀形式,并且不同祭祀形式也反映了当时人们的原始宗教思想。     

史前社会复杂化进程的理论探索

复杂化是社会在其生存基础、社会结构、意识形态等各个方面从简单到复杂,从平等社会向等级社会过渡的一种进程.这是史前社会一种全球性的趋势,造成这一趋势最基本的动力是人口压力,它迫使群体采取强化食物生产、从事战争或贸易等直接刺激复杂化出现的措施.复杂化的实现手段是对包括经济权力、军事权力、思想意识在内的几种主要的权力的控制来...