A RE-EVALUATION of the RED and BLACK BOWL FROM PARKER'S EXCAVATIONS IN JERUSALEM

Summary: An unusual red and black bowl was found in Parker's excavations in Jerusalem at the beginning of the century. There has been no agreement as to the provenience of the bowl, the most common opinion being that it was a Cypriot import dating to Middle Bronze I age. an Archaeological re-appraisal and Archaeometric examinations of the bowl and selected additional pottery from the same excavation revealed that the bowl is clearly of local manufacture and has no pertinence to the foreign relations of the Land of Israel during the Middle Bronze I age.     

Production technology and knowledge transfer of calcite-tempered grey ware bowls from 2nd- to 5th-century ce Noricum (Austria)

Aspects of 2nd- to 5th-century ce Roman production technology and knowledge transfer in southern Austria (known as Noricum) were examined. With no evidence for workshops identified in the study area, 44 grey ware bowls from two sites at Aguntum and Lavant were studied macroscopically, and combined with optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, prompt gamma activation, neutron activation and scanning electron microscopy, in order to understand whether one (large) workshop supplied these bowls, or whether the bowls were produced by several (small) workshops nearby. Combined with information from the geological background, the results were used to tentatively indicate the production location. The results indicate that the grey ware bowls from Aguntum and Lavant were produced by local workshops nearby. The bowls were manufactured with similar clay sources, tempered with crushed calcite-marble rocks from the Tauern Window, their surface smoothed and burnished, and fired between 800 and 850°C in a reducing atmosphere of an open fire. This is taken to suggest that Roman potters, who were located at Aguntum and Lavant, shared strategies of raw materials selection, paste preparation, finishing and firing, and transferred technological knowledge through time.     

RECENTLY IDENTIFIED EGYPTIAN PIGMENTS

On several bowls from Nubia (1600 b.c. ) and on one canopic jar (New Kingdom) huntite, a calciummagnesium-carbonate CaCO₃. 3MgCO₃ was identified by means of X-ray diffraction and infra-red absorption techniques. Vases from the Amarna period (1370 b.c. ) are decorated with a blue paint, which proved to be cobalt-blue. Copper chloride atacamite was used on limestone reliefs from Thebes-West but the green frit chrysocolla occurs more frequently on Egyptian objects as is mentioned in literature.     

Ceramic Microtypology and the Territorial Expansion of the Early Monte Albán State in Oaxaca,Mexico

Abstract

The Late and Terminal Formative (ca. 300 B.C. to A.D. 200) was the crucial period during which the early Monte Albán state came into being and began to extend its political influence over a wide area in what is now the Mexican state of Oaxaca. One of the most distinctive and frequent ceramic types of this period is the G.12, which is a grayware (gris) bowl with characteristic incising on the interior rim and base. Originally defined by Alfonso Caso, Ignacio Bernal, and Jorge Acosta based on their excavations at Monte Albán, the G.12 bowl has also been found at many other Oaxacan sites. The incised motifs on the interior bases of G.12 bowls show substantial variability, but researchers have been uncertain whether any portion of this variability shows chronological patterning. We present a new microtypology of G.12 bowls based on our recent excavations at three sites near SanMartín Tilcajete, some 27 km south of Monte Albán. Our analysis yields a finer-grained chronology that helps elucidate the step-by-step territorial expansion of the emergent Monte Albán state.     

Old kingdom community organization in the Western Egyptian Delta

Old Kingdom Egypt has traditionally been regarded as distinctive among early civilizations in such characteristics as its largely non‐urban settlement patterns, extreme centralization of wealth and power in elites, and massive stability in its administrative institutions. But these characterizations are based almost entirely on documentary sources. Few Old Kingdom sites except those associated with mortuary cults have been excavated. Excavations at Kom el‐Hisn, in the western Egyptian Delta, have produced evidence about the economic organization and functioning of a rural Old Kingdom settlement that can be related to various hypotheses about the nature of Old Kingdom economic institutions.     

Evidence of amputation as medical treatment in ancient Egypt

The use of surgical techniques in ancient Egyptian medicine has only been suggested indirectly through ancient medical texts and iconography, and there is no evidence of amputation as a means of therapeutic medical treatment. This paper presents four cases of amputation from the archaeological site of Dayr al‐Barshā, Egypt. Two of the cases (dated to the First Intermediate and Middle Kingdom periods, respectively) are from individuals that display bilateral amputations of the feet, one through the metatarso‐phalangeal joints, the other a transmetatarsal amputation. The exact reason for the amputation, perhaps from trauma or disease, is unknown. The particular healing patterns of the distal ends of the amputations suggest these individuals used foot binding or prosthetic devices. Another case represents a healed amputation of the left ulna near the elbow, dated to the Old Kingdom. The final case represents a perimortem amputation of the distal end of the right humerus. The exact date of this individual is unknown, but most likely pertains to the Old Kingdom or First Intermediate period. This individual seems to have suffered a traumatic incident shortly before death, sustaining many fractures, including a butterfly fracture on the right humerus. Several cut marks were identified on top of the butterfly fracture, indicating amputation of the arm at this point. All four cases support the hypothesis that the ancient Egyptians did use amputation as a therapeutic medical treatment for particular diseases or trauma. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Molecular history of tuberculosis from ancient mummies and skeletons

The origin and evolution of the infectious disease tuberculosis (TB) and its pathogens is still not fully understood. An important effort for a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of TB evolution lies within the investigation of skeletal and mummified material dating back several thousand of years. In this work, molecular data from mummified and skeletal material from different time periods of the Old World are compared, and the current status of ancient mycobacterial DNA analysis in ancient human remains is discussed, with particular reference to the genetic evolution of human TB. The molecular analysis of material from southern Germany (1400–1800 AD), Hungary (600–1700 AD) and Egypt (3500–500 BC) revealed high frequencies of TB in all time periods. In several individuals from ancient Egypt the mycobacterial DNA could be further characterised by spoligotyping. Thereby, evidence for ancestral M. tuberculosis strains was found in the pre‐ to early dynastic material from Abydos (3500–2650 BC), while typical M. africanum signatures were detected in the Middle Kingdom tomb in Thebes‐West (2050–1650 BC). Samples from the New Kingdom to Late Period tombs (1500–500 BC) were characterised as modern M. tuberculosis strains. In concordance with other studies on ancient skeletal and mummified samples, no evidence for the presence of M. bovis was found. These results contradict the theory that M. tuberculosis evolved from M. bovis during domestication, but supports the new scenario that M. tuberculosis probably derived from an ancestral progenitor strain. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Morphometric Assessment of the Appendicular Skeleton in the New Kingdom and Napatan Components from Tombos in Upper Nubia

Due to its critical location on the Nile River controlling trade from the south, Tombos is an important ancient site to explore the interaction between Egyptians and Nubians. To assess population continuity at Tombos through sociopolitical transitions, the appendicular skeleton of people from the New Kingdom and Napatan periods was examined. Using morphometric and statistical analyses, body proportions on the upper and lower limbs were studied on each element through size (i.e. length, breadth, and width) and shape (bone's measurements with size removed). The Napatan component (when Nubia ruled Egypt) was consistently larger in size than the earlier New Kingdom component (when Egypt ruled Nubia), with little variation in shape. More variability in both size and shape was observed in males. When compared with other Nubians (C‐group and Kerma) and Egyptians (Middle and New Kingdom), the Tombos Napatan sample (males and females) was generally larger, whereas the Tombos New Kingdom sample was generally smaller than other Nubians and similar in size to Egyptians. Some of the variability between the Tombos samples may be the result of gene flow, or rather changes in migration to the area through time and sociopolitics. However, the numerous differences in size with few in shape provide more support for an environmental explanation since size is more susceptible to nutritional stress, disease, and physical activity. These results show that the people of Tombos underwent biological alterations during these major sociopolitical changes from Egyptian rule over Nubia during the New Kingdom to Nubia ruling Egypt during the Napatan period. This study also demonstrates that morphometric analyses of multiple bones and measurements are an important supplement to other bioarchaeological analyses to provide a broader of view of physical changes that occur over time. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Paleo-parasitological study on the soils collected from archaeological sites in old district of Seoul City

A paleo-parasitological study was performed on soil samples from archaeological sites in the old district of Seoul Metropolitan City (Old Seoul City) where the capital of the Joseon Kingdom was constructed about 600 years ago. The sampling sites were the original locations of the Royal Palace Wall, Yukjo Street and the Royal Arsenal. Microscopic examinations showed that parasite eggs of Clonorchis sinensis, Diphyllobothrium latum, Ascaris sp. and Trichuris sp. remained in the soil strata, which were estimated to represent the 14th-19th centuries. We suspect that the medieval citizens of Old Seoul City, numbering around 200,000, might have been made vulnerable to parasite infection by a combination of bad hygiene, inadequate sewer system and seasonal flooding.     

Evidence for inter-island transport of heirlooms: luminescence dating and petrographic analysis of ceramic inhaling bowls from Carriacou,West Indies

Ceramic snuffing tubes and inhaling bowls used for ingesting hallucinogenic substances are known from several islands in the West Indies, but their chronological distribution is often vague. A partial inhaling bowl found at the site of Grand Bay on Carriacou in deposits dating between ca. A.D. 1000–1200, along with two other unprovenienced specimens from the local museum, were dated using luminescence (TL and OSL) to determine their antiquity. Surprisingly, the dates had a weighted average of 400 ± 189 B.C., making them several hundred years older than all ¹⁴C assays from the island; however, they do overlap in age with similar artifacts found on Puerto Rico and Vieques Island over 750 km away. Additional luminescence dating of two stylistically distinct Suazan ceramic sherds excavated from stratified deposits at Grand Bay fall within the expected ceramic and radiocarbon chronology. These data, coupled with petrographic analysis of the specimens, suggests that they were not made using local materials. Instead, they appear to have been transported to the island, possibly hundreds of years later, as heirlooms. This may be the first evidence for inter-island transport of drug paraphernalia in the Caribbean.     

Middle Devonian gastropods from Xiangzhou and Wuxuan,Guangxi, South China

Eighteen taxa of Middle Devonian (Givetian) gastropods, including two new genera and five new species, are présent in the Tungkangling and Yingtang Formations, Wuxuan and Xiangxhou counties, Guangxi Province, China. Pingtianispira tuberculata gen. et sp. nov., Wuxuanella nodusa gen. et sp. nov. and Wuxuanella luifengshanensis sp. nov., Crenulazone wuxuanensis sp. nov. and Murchisonia luifengshanensis sp. nov. are erected from this distinct fauna. The fauna is dominated by nodose and unusual murchisonioids and has strong European and other Old World realm affinities.     

Technological aspects of Mesopotamian Uruk pottery: estimating firing temperatures using mineralogical methods,thermal analysis and luminescence techniques

The Middle Uruk phase in Mesopotamia (3600–3500 bc) has been characterised by the massive production of “bevelled rim bowls” (BRBs). They are characterised by their similar shape and volume in Mesopotamia and surroundings. However, their production method has not been studied in detail, including the firing temperature. The determination of the firing temperature of ancient pottery has been attempted by studying mineral phase transformation sequences; although, very little knowledge exists about such transformations in mixtures or thermal analyses. These methods usually provide imprecise firing temperatures between 500 and 800 °C, as other factors such as the raw materials or firing time and conditions must be considered. As an alternative, luminescence techniques have been tested with promising results, as they have provided reliable maximum firing temperatures for ancient pottery at mild conditions (below 600 °C) with high precision. In this work, the firing temperatures of BRB samples from two archaeological sites located in the Middle Euphrates Valley (Syria) have been studied using mineralogical, chemical and thermal analysis. Both mineral characterization techniques and thermal analyses show agreement and firing probably below 600–700 °C. Luminescence yields ambiguous results but circumstantial evidence on the firing temperature between 400 and 550 °C.     

Petrographic and geochemical analysis on the provenance of the Middle Bronze and Late Bronze/Early Iron Age ceramics from Didi Gora and Udabno I, Eastern Georgia

We report thin section petrographic and geochemical analysis of a total of 20 Middle Bronze, Late Bronze/Early Iron Age ceramics excavated from Didi Gora and Udabno I located in the Eastern part of the Republic of Georgia and 31 clay samples from eight different regions in the surrounding areas of the sites. The major and trace element compositions of the ceramics and clays were determined using a wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence technique. The results indicate that the ceramics were manufactured from local clays in Eastern Georgia, mainly from two local clays without any preference of one of the sources during the Middle Bronze, Late Bronze/Early Iron Age.     

A GROUP OF BYZANTINE BOWLS FROM SKOPELOS

Summary. Twenty glazed bowls of the late twelfth century A.D. from the Ashmolean Museum are published here. They probably come from a shipwreck off the island of Skopelos in the north-west Aegean and are of intrinsic interest in expanding the already known categories of Middle Byzantine Incised Wares.     

Age and exploitation of obsidian from the Medicine Lake Highland,California

The relationship between major and minor elements, trace element composition, and age of obsidian sources within a volcanic field, is of considerable interest for obsidian source and artifact research in the New and Old World. The present study investigates this relationship in the Medicine Lake Highland of western North America. Geological evidence had indicated a very young age for all obsidian sources in the Highland, yet archaeological evidence suggested that obsidian was utilized for several thousand years. X-ray fluorescence analysis distinguished the latest flow (Glass Mountain) from the Cougar Butte, Grasshopper Flat, and Lost Iron Wells sources. Data obtained from two nearby archaeological sites showed that obsidian from the latter two sources was used by c. 7500 bc, while Glass Mountain material was not used (or available) until after 1360± 240 bp. These findings indicate that inferences of an extremely recent age for all obsidian sources in the volcanic field were unwarranted. Further analysis of major and minor elements indicated different hydration rates for these sources. The results argue that significant geochemical variability, as well as age differences, can exist between obsidian sources within the same volcanic field.     

Pottery production and distribution in prehistoric Bronze Age Cyprus. An application of pXRF analysis

Portable X-ray Fluorescence (pXRF) analysis of over 400 samples of Early and Middle Bronze Age Cypriot pottery from four widely separated sites identifies both local and non-local products at each. A series of analyses of sub-sets of the data highlights differences in the clays used at each site and for some distinctive types and wares. When assessed in the context of general typological, technological and stylistic factors these variations provide the basis for considering patterns of local production and inter-regional relationships across the island. Although the great majority of pots were locally made, particular wares and shapes were brought in from elsewhere. For some sites finer, more highly decorated vessels are mostly imports, but at others both simpler and more complex vessels were made of the same local clays. While small juglets or flasks may have been containers for transporting small quantities of rare substances, larger vessels are likely to have held less precious material. Open vessels, especially small bowls – some of which are plain, utilitarian items – represent another aspect of social behaviour and inter-regional relationships.     

Microstructural and elemental analyses of slags excavated from Xuxiebian iron‐smelting site,Sichuan, China

Xuxiebian is an iron‐smelting site located in Pujiang county of Sichuan province, China. Two excavations were carried out in 2007 and 2011, and four bowl‐shaped furnaces were excavated. Ten slag samples from the site were prepared and analysed. The present paper reports the results of metallographic and elemental examination of the specimens. It is concluded that both pig‐iron‐smelting and refining process were applied at the Xuxiebian site, and the bowl‐shaped furnaces are possibly refining furnaces. The function of the site was probably to produce pig iron and refine the pig iron into wrought iron.     

A very large camel from the upper pleistocene of the Negev desert

Bones of an Upper Pleistocene Camelus have been found in the northwestern Negev, they are of particular interest because they are larger than those of all the Old World camel species since the Plio-Pleistocene, and they are very much larger than the few fossil camels already known from the Middle East. It is suggested that they represent the only C. thomasi yet identified outside Africa.     

Graphical Reconstruction and Comparison of Royal Boat Iconography from the Causeway of the Egyptian King Sahure (c.2487–2475 BC)

Recently published reliefs from the causeway of Sahure and a review of contemporary iconography and archaeological data shed new light on a variety of features of Old Kingdom royal sailing boats and equipment, such as quarter rudders, rigging, signalling devices, decorations and crew. Furthermore, another relief depicts men paddling in a sequential or what appears to be a wave pattern. Only one other such relief exists. A comparison of both reveals that they are different boat types. One is a specialized racing boat and the other appears to be a larger boat possibly designed to be rowed.