解读江南土墩墓

2005年宁常、镇溧高速公路40座土墩233座墓的大抢救,是江南土墩墓发掘历史规模最大的一次。其最主要的学术贡献在于发现多墓土墩与一墩一墓其实并存、首次发现了向心结构的土墩墓和复杂的祭祀行为、根据土墩墓埋藏的特点用“剥洋葱”的发掘理念复原了土墩墓营造的全过程,清理出痕迹清晰的船形棺葬具、石床及木构的人字形窝棚式墓上建筑,还有3800余件出士器物——其中的印纹硬陶和原始瓷器可成为江南土墩墓的分期标尺······     

略论苏南土墩墓

土墩墓是商周时期江南地区具有强烈地方特色的化遗存,它与同期的吴越化之间有着十分密切的关系,对土墩墓的研究是考古学界研究南方地区考古的重要课题。土墩墓为一墩一墓、土墩封土层内含有祭祀器物堆、大部分墓有熟土坑及葬具存在。     

江南土墩墓未解之谜

1、居址之谜在目前发(?) 的宁镇地区大量土墩墓的周围很少发现有与土墩墓相关的聚落遗迹,这一点很令人困惑。土墩墓的主人究竟来自哪里?更令人不解的是,在土墩墓的周围迄今尚     

向心结构的多墓土墩

自1974年土墩墓第一次正式考古发掘以来,考古界对江南土墩墓的诸多方面认识一直较为模糊。这次宁常、镇溧高速公路沿线40座土墩墓的发掘,使对土墩墓的一些认识日渐明晰。在确认土墩墓存在一墩一墓和一墩多墓两种现象的同时,在多墓土墩的墓葬布局方面也有诸多新的发现。     

浙北土墩墓遥感考古研究

环太湖地区包括浙北地区是我国长江流域重要的古文化遗存分布区,仅浙北地区的土墩墓就有上万个。近四年来的遥感考古工作,已获得不少关于土墩墓的影象特征和土墩墓分布规律等的研究成果。航空遥感照片上的土墩墓的影象大小、色调、灰度、形态等是土墩墓解译的基本依据;同时影象所在的地貌部位,海拔高度是土墩墓解译的重要参考依据。浙北土墩墓主要集中在长兴和安吉两县,湖州市郊的西部也有较多分布,而德清和余杭土墩墓较少。浙北土墩墓的分布类型有山脊型、山麓型和平原高地型;浙北土墩墓就形态而言,有卵圆形、圆形;面积也有大中小之分,大者底径可达50余米,小者仅3-5米;另外就土墩墓的组合而言,有串珠型、集群型和离散型。土墩墓集中分布在海拔50-200米的丘陵缓坡上,海拔略高的平原岗地上也有较多分布,这种分布特征与古地理环境是有联系的,从一个侧面反映了古地理环境特征。     

苏南土墩墓的初步研究

一、前言 长江下游地区的江苏南部,无论是丘陵、山地还是平原地区,常能见到象馒头状凸出地面的大小土墩,且这些土墩又常成群连片地集中出现。这些土墩大多数是人工堆筑而成的古代墓葬,也就是目前人们通常所说的“土墩墓”①。这类土墩墓可以分为两种类型：一种是用石块垒砌墓室的土墩墓,称之为“石室土墩”②,主要分布在环太湖地区的山巅及浙江北部太湖之滨;另一种是无石室结构的土墩墓,称之为“土墩墓”,遍布于苏南地区。本文所要讨论的是无石室结构的土墩墓,其年代约当中原地区西周前期到春秋战国之际③。这些土墩墓是商周时期…     

略论江南地区大型土墩墓的等级标志

我国江南地区商周时期流行土墩墓,其大型土墩墓与中小型土墩墓有不同的发展演变规律。本文根据近年发掘清理的32座大型土墩墓资料,对江南地区大型土墩墓的等级标志作了分析。     

土墩墓研究中的几个问题

"土墩墓"的研究是长江下游地区吴文化考古研究中的一项重要内容,是探讨吴国历史发展脉络的重要途径之一。随着考古发掘工作进展,有助于我们对"土墩墓"进行深入的研究。"土墩墓"研究中有些问题必须首先加以明确,才能确保研究走上正轨。文章从"土墩墓"的名称问题、"一墩一墓"与"一墩多墓"问题、"土墩墓"研究中的"分研究区"问题等等诸方面,对土墩墓这一特殊的遗迹现象进行了探讨,最后对"土墩墓"的一般特点进行了探索性的概括。     

土墩墓祭祀遗存考辨

土墩墓中所见的器物祭祀遗存一般都出现在丧葬过程中相对固定的环节,而且在土墩内摆放祭祀器物或挖掘祭坑的空间位置也存在一定规律可循。江南地区土墩墓中常见四类器物祭祀遗存形式,即"墓下祭祀"遗存、"墓前祭祀"遗存、"墩上祭祀"遗存和"墩脚祭祀"遗存。土墩墓中的"墓下建筑"遗存、人骨祭坑和燎祭遗存等可能与丧葬祭祀活动相关。     

土墩墓与吴越文化

土墩墓主要分布于江浙地区,它以丰富多采的文化内容和独特的埋葬形式,越来越吸引着考古界的关注.土墩墓的起迄年代大体与当地的印纹陶遗址相一致,是吴、越文化不可分割的重要组成部分,在研究吴、越文化的过程中,必须涉及到土墩墓.近些年开展的一系列对土墩墓的调查和发掘工作,对于探索吴、越的历史文化而貌开辟了一条新的途径.本文试就至今所调查发掘的土墩墓材料,通过对其分布情况的分析和各地内涵的比较,对有关土墩墓的国属、文化区别以及渊源问题作些粗浅探讨,以求教于各位专家学者.     

Site Characterization by Geophysical Methods in The Archaeological Zone of Teotihuacan, Mexico

In the present investigation, a geophysical study was carried out in the eastern flank of the Pyramid of the Sun to define potential continuations in this direction of a tunnel discovered beneath the western main entrance of this building. This man-made structure is one of the many extraction tunnels hollowed by the ancient Teotihuacans to obtain construction materials to build their city. Total field and high-resolution vertical gradient magnetic surveys were carried out. The spectral analysis of the total magnetic field enabled us to estimate the thickness of the alluvial cover over the basaltic flow as 3·3 m. It was also found that the main contribution to the observed magnetic field comes from the pyroclastic flow that covers the area of study. The horizontal gradient filter was applied to the low-pass filtered magnetic field to enhance magnetic contacts and structural boundaries. Inferred magnetic trends were related to fracture patterns within the basalts and pyroclasts, and low gradients provided an evidence of voids or tunnels. The Euler deconvolution method was applied as an attempt to confirm the above results. Using a structural index S=0, we determined the boundaries of main magnetic contacts as well as the interface between the basaltic flow and Las Varillas tunnel. Euler depths were found to range between 3 to 6 m, which represent the mean thickness of the basaltic flow.Two parallel ground probing radar (GPR) profiles were surveyed in the NW-SE direction. One passes on top of the known location of a tunnel (Las Varillas) and a second one 10 m to the north, approximately. The tunnel's roof is well outlined at depths between 3·5 and 4 m. On the other hand, little evidences of other buried tunnels or extensions of the known one were found. The second profile depicts a more complex morphology for the pyroclastic sheet. Anomalies related to basaltic flow or eruptive centres are clearly observed. Both profiles depicted the sedimentary base at 3 m, on average. A resistivity profile was undertaken along the first GPR profile. A resistivity image was obtained, that showed the vertical and lateral distribution of the true resistivity. High resistivity values were associated with the tunnel location (Las Varillas). Its geometry could also be inferred, its top is found at about 4 m and extends 20 m in the profile direction to the west. Unfortunately, the depth to its base could not be estimated, since profile length was too short. The sediment-pyroclastic flow interface could also be delimited at a depth of 3 m.Finally, a vertical magnetic field profile taken along the same surveyed line (GPR and resistivity) was inverted applying a two-dimensional algorithm. The initial model was estimated from GPR and resistivity interpretations. A simple model of Las Varillas tunnel was computed, which reasonably well satisfied geological and geophysical considerations.     

Quantifying tomb geometries in resistivity images using watershed algorithms

Quantifying the geometries (defined here as width, height and depth of burial) of archeological structures within resistivity models produced as a result of the regularization constraints used in most inversion algorithms is difficult, especially when structures are closely spaced. Here we apply the watershed by simulated immersion method of boundary detection to smooth 2D resistivity images generated for synthetic and field data over 3D targets. The synthetic studies include a single cavity model, a model for two widely spaced cavities (spacing ? unit electrode spacing) and a model for two closely spaced cavities (spacing < unit electrode spacing). We also examine a single-cavity model where a relatively resistive overburden, common at archaeological sites in Egypt, is included. In the case of the single cavity models, the maximum error for any geometries are 18% for the model without the resistive overburden and 10% for the model where the overburden is included, whereas it increases to 24% for the widely spaced model and 40% for the closely spaced model. Despite, the higher errors in the closely spaced cavity model, application of the algorithm confirms the presence of two features, which is not ascertainable from the smooth resistivity images. Boundaries detected with the watershed algorithm are subsequently used to define a disconnect in the regularization, resulting in a markedly improved estimate of the resistivity structure (particularly for the closely spaced cavity model) in a second inversion step using the model obtained from the smoothness constraint inversion as the starting model. This revised resistivity model also results in a lower root-mean-square (rms) misfit between measured and theoretical data, and between synthetic and inverted models. We demonstrate how the method can be applied on images from the archaeological site at Qurnet Murai, Luxor City Egypt.     

Publications New Archaeological Books and Journals

Abstract

An electrical resistivity survey and accompanying soil analyses were performed over an exposed but unexcavated prehistoric house in Peoria loess in westcentral Illinois. Positive resistivity anomalies occur along the trenches for the house walls and within the house and distinctive patterns in contoured resistivity data occur over the house.

Soil analyses show that quartz, kaolinite, montmorillonite, illite, and hematite are the main mineral constituents in the soil. Within the house basin, the soil is dark gray in color because of the presence of organic carbon. Prominent positive electrical resistivity anomalies occur where the dark soil is thickest.

Analyses of the resistivity and soil data enable the identification of several anthropogenic features within the house and suggest that electrical resistivity data would be helpful to archaeologists in doing both detailed and reconnaissance work. For example, the mean amplitude and fabric patterns in contoured resistivity are distinctive over the house relative to areas outside the house. This fact suggests that similar analyses of reconnaissance resistivity data might be helpful in exploration for large archaeologic activity areas such as whole villages or camps. Also, detailed analyses of the resistivity and soil data, in conjunction with information already available from other excavated structures at Orendorf village, suggest that the electrical resistivity technique can serve as a valuable, but ancillary, tool to help archaeologists focus their efforts and decide which of the many structures in a village should be excavated.     

The use of magnetometry and pole-dipole resistivity for locating Nabataean Hawar archeological site in the SW-Jordan

This paper is focused on the joint use of magnetometry and pole-dipole electrical resistivity geophysical methods for assessing their capability in the detection of a prehistoric site in the southwestern Jordan. The survey area, Auara, was built in the first century BC during the Nabataean time and is located in a very arid environment framed on the east and north by white sandstone hills. In order to test this site, a number of magnetic stations and two pole-dipole resistivity traverses were carried out in the investigated area. Magnetic data were taken with one sensor at height of 0.8 m along survey lines spaced 1 m apart. Resistivity measurements were carried out utilizing the pole-dipole array along two profiles. A total of 32 geoelectrical stations spaced 2 m were made along the two profiles. Magnetic method found structure with contrasting physical properties to those of the surrounding material. The archeological interpretation of such structure is in terms of rectangular cistern (pool) with dimensions 26 × 16 m. A probable location of two buried walls spaced 16 m are indicated by low resistivity values.     

Resistivity Tomography Imaging of the Substratum of the Bedestan Monumental Complex at Nicosia,Cyprus

In the framework of the EU–UNDP project ‘Rehabilitation of Old Nicosia’ (Cyprus, 2004–9), a high‐resolution geoelectrical survey has been performed inside the partially ruined monumental complex of St Nicholas of the English, now called the Bedestan, which was designed to become a venue space for cultural activities. The aim was to detect buried traces of a Byzantine basilica of the sixth century, on the ruins of which, according to tradition, the construction of St Nicholas was begun in the 12th century. The survey has been conducted on the floor of the monument, using a dipole–dipole electrode array along two perpendicular sets of profiles. In order to model the resistivity distribution, the probability‐based electrical resistivity tomography inversion (PERTI) method has been applied. Sets of aligned blocks with resistivity in the range 100–400 ohm·m, bounding a three‐room rectangular space, and traces of a rounded structure with mean resistivity about 150 ohm·m, appearing at one extremity of the central room, are the main resistive features recognized down to 4 m depth, within a conductive background with resistivity in the range 20–40 ohm·m. Altogether, these resistive features, showing in plan the shape of a church characterized by a central nave with an apse and two side aisles, have been interpreted as an evidence of the existence of remains of the earlier Byzantine basilica. Moreover, small volumes with resistivity in the range 10–12.6 ohm·m have been found, scattered underneath the whole surveyed area. Taking into account the PERTI results, ground‐truth has been performed in two sites, designed to become two permanent protected exposures of the archaeological findings beneath the floor of the newly restored Bedestan. At one site, excavations detected remains of masonry in correspondence of the alignment of resistive blocks at the left margin of the left side aisle of the churchlike structure. At the other site, graves, entirely filled with wet debris in an alluvial soil matrix, have, instead, been found in correspondence with the greatest conductive volume, detected outside the perimeter of the churchlike structure. Both findings have been dated back to the sixth century. Since the Bedestan case‐history is one of the first applications of the PERTI algorithm to real field data sets, its performance has been tested using the well‐known ERTLab^TM commercial software as benchmark. The comparison has shown a general consistency between the two inversions, and also confirmed the much higher computing speed, better filtering capacity and greater versatility of the PERTI algorithm, already outlined in a previous paper where only synthetic models were tested.     

Contribution of the resistivity method to characterize mud walls in a very dry region and comparison with GPR

Mud walls are frequent in many archaeological sites, including sites located in semi-desert regions. In cases with buried walls, the geophysical methods can be useful tools for their investigation, since they provide maps of the subsoil in a non-invasive way and in relatively short times. This article deals with the characterization of mud walls in very dry soils through the resistivity method, discussing a methodology to satisfactorily apply the method in this kind of adverse environment and how to interpret the results. The case of the Palo Blanco archaeological site, a pre-Incaic village located in the NW region of Argentina, is analyzed.     

Three-dimensional image of seismic refraction tomography and electrical resistivity tomography survey in the castle of Occhiolà (Sicily,Italy)

A geophysical survey was carried out at the ruins of Occhiolà Castle (Sicily, Italy), a medieval village located at the north-western part of a hill named “Terravecchia” at 491 m asl. In order to map the archaeological structures (such as walls and burrows), Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and seismic-refraction tomography methods were used. The resistivity variations are known to correlate quite well with the lithology, thus providing important information for identifying the buried archaeological remains. On the other hand, seismic velocity variations provide information about the geometrical features of the remains. The two geophysical methods are used in an enjoined way to better aid the interpretation and evaluate the significance and reliability of the results obtained with each single method. The electrical and seismic data are displayed in three dimensions by using the iso-resistivity and iso-velocity surfaces, respectively. This allows us to effectively define the location of the anomalies present in the single electrical and seismic sections. The results obtained in the survey highlight the presence of structures of regular shape, probably due to features of archaeological interest.     

Geophysics of Lager Wick forced labour camp,Grouville, Jersey,Channel Islands

Abstract

Three seasons of fieldwork at the forced labour camp of Lager Wick, Grouville, Jersey (2014–2016) employed resistivity, ground penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetic susceptibility to investigate areas of the camp. Resistivity and magnetic susceptibility produced the most useful results, whilst the GPR survey only revealed a modern pipe. The resistivity survey was undertaken in the south-west corner of the former camp close to the entrance gate posts, whilst the magnetic susceptibility survey was undertaken over the remains of one of the barrack huts along the Gorey Road frontage which had been burnt to the ground in 1943. The resistivity survey produced some high resistance anomalies that appear to resemble a demolition layer or a surface on which the huts were constructed. Magnetic susceptibility results showed zones of burning which appear to relate to the remains of one of the burnt huts; excavation revealed a stone/brick surface.     

Detecting Palaeolithic Activity Areas Through Electrical Resistivity Survey: An Assessment from Vale de Óbidos,Portugal

The open air Late Pleistocene campsite of Vale de Óbidos provided an opportunity to systematically assess the utility of electrical resistivity surveying for activity area detection at Palaeolithic sites. Detailed surface mapping facilitated the exploration of electrical resistivity effects caused by recent land use activities and post depositional processes. At Vale de Óbidos, tree throw events, ploughing, and earth moving have a more significant impact on soil resistivity than increases in soil moisture associated with pine tree stumps and roots. Resistivity results successfully discriminate activity areas containing hearth features and high densities of fire cracked rocks and artifacts. As an aid for understanding post-depositional processes at archaeological sites and to design excavation and recovery efforts, the technique has great potential for Palaeolithic archaeology and in other prehistoric contexts that lack major architectural remains.