The Non‐Adult Cohort from Le Morne Cemetery,Mauritius: A Snap Shot of Early Life and Death after Abolition

The cemetery of Le Morne in Mauritius dates from the 1830s and is thought to contain the remains of slaves, freed slaves or potentially free Madagascans, which in itself has economic and social implications and makes the cemetery all the more intriguing. During 2010, excavations recovered the remains of 11 individuals, of which six were children. Although a small sample, the burials of the non‐adults show several interesting features. Two neonates were buried contemporaneously and may have been twins, while a late term foetus in a grave with a young woman may represent an incident of coffin birth. This sample has the potential to cast light on the burial practices of the slave/ex‐slave community in Mauritius, about which little is currently known. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identification of historical human skeletal remains: a case study using skeletal and dental age,history and DNA

Excavation of an early historical (circa 1900) church cemetery in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, revealed the graves of six individuals. All but one had been previously excavated and the individuals were re‐interred elsewhere. The remaining grave contained a coffin burial of an infant including most of the skeleton, crowns of forming deciduous teeth, scalp and hair. The remains were excavated and historical research was carried out to determine possible families who had used the cemetery. Skeletal and dental age estimates pointed to a particular individual described in historical records. This identification was confirmed through more precise ageing by dental microstructure, sex determination using DNA, and finally, maternal relatedness by comparison of mtDNA with a living female relative. In addition to describing the analytical methods used, this paper demonstrates the importance of accurately identifying historical burials, particularly when living relatives remain in the community. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Matrilineal affinities and prehistoric Siberian mortuary practices: a case study from Neolithic Lake Baikal

The ‘Lokomotiv’ cemetery in the Lake Baikal region of Siberia is considered to be the largest Neolithic cemetery in North Asia. A large degree of mortuary variability has been documented at Lokomotiv including striking differences in grave architecture, body treatment and grave good assemblages. The purpose of this study is to understand whether observed mortuary variability at Lokomotiv was used to indicate differential biological affinity for those buried in this cemetery. To answer this, we compared the distribution of matrilineally-inherited mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers retrieved from Lokomotiv skeletal remains against various lines of archaeological evidence. Using a combined strategy of coding-region SNP and HVI sequence detection, we were able to produce mtDNA profiles for 31 of 37 Lokomotiv individuals. Our results to date suggest that while matrilineal affinities did not overtly shape the spatial organisation of Lokomotiv, they may have influenced the type of grave one was interred in and in certain cases, the type of mortuary treatment given to an individual. The most compelling differences in matrilineal affinity were found between group grave and single grave burials in one cluster of the cemetery and evoke a notion of intra-community power structure shaped by matrilineally-ascribed group membership. The findings from this study will be further explored with future enhancements to the archaeological and biological datasets for Lokomotiv as well as a contemporaneous Baikal region cemetery known as Shamanka II. In doing so, we hope to further illuminate the social complexities governing these prehistoric Siberian communities.     

For Duty Done: A WWI Military Medallion Recovered from the Mass Grave Site at Fromelles,Northern France

Abstract

The artefact to be discussed in this paper was recovered in 2007 during the preliminary field investigation of the suspected site of grave pits containing Australian and possibly British soldiers killed in the Battle of Fromelles in 1916. It was one of two medallions recovered, both of which were clearly Australian in origin. These rarely encountered artefacts played a key role in convincing the Australian authorities that there was a distinct possibility that the burials, made by the Germans behind their own lines in the days after the battle, were still intact, despite attempts to locate them in the immediate aftermath of the war. As a consequence, a second programme of investigation was commissioned by the Australian Army and in the summer of 2008 limited trial excavation uncovered the remains of Australian and British soldiers in six of the eight pits known to have been dug by the Germans. In 2009 the graves were fully excavated and all of the remains removed, prior to reburial in a newly created cemetery in 2010.     

Short communication: Two additional Egyptian Neolithic burials exhibiting unusual mortuary treatment of teeth

In a prior report we described human remains from the Neolithic cemetery at Gebel Ramlah, Egypt, with evidence of purposeful tooth replacement. Two crania, which were apparently disturbed by later burials, were found to contain several teeth that had been incorrectly reinserted into the jaws. Such treatment was suggested to be unique. Recent work at the site revealed a similarly unusual find. Two adult male skeletons, evidently displaced in antiquity, also had several teeth loosened from their jaws; however, instead of attempting to reinsert them, the Neolithic gravedigger(s) placed the teeth into the right orbit of one cranium and the nasal aperture of the other. Such placement, as well as the general state of these burials, ruled out subsequent looting or taphonomic factors as causative agents. We previously speculated that tooth replacement represented an attention to detail while attempting to re‐inter the remains in as complete a state as possible. This assumption may hold true for the present situation, but there are other plausible interpretations; for example, it might indicate animosity toward the individuals, an attempt at humour, or perhaps something less purposeful (e.g. they provided convenient receptacles). Whichever the case, the cemetery continues to yield heretofore unknown, and valuable, information about mortuary and other data relating to these prehistoric desert peoples. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

性别考古视角中的王因墓地分析

通过统计学分析、定量分析等方法的运用,以性别考古为研究视角,从墓葬结构、死亡年龄、随葬品、合葬墓及二次葬等方面揭示了王因墓地所反映的两性差异。王因墓地两性在墓葬结构、墓室面积、死亡年龄上并未有明显的差别,而在生产工具、装饰品、随葬猪骨、合葬墓及二次葬等方面差异明显。具体表现为:石锛、石铲、石斧等主要为男性所使用,纺轮、石球主要为女性所使用;女性以腕臂环饰为主,男性则以发饰为主;男性以随葬猪下颌骨为主,女性则多随葬猪肢骨;合葬墓中,随葬品多摆放在男性一侧;二次葬多发生于男性墓葬。王因墓地的社会性质推测为母系氏族社会,婚姻形态或处于偶婚制阶段。     

Identification of the first reported Lapita cremation in the Pacific Islands using archaeological,forensic and contemporary burning evidence

Burnt human remains excavated from a scoop feature from a cemetery at Teouma, Vanuatu in the western Pacific (∼2850 BP) were examined to assess the nature of the deposit. Possible scenarios explaining the reason the bone was burnt and interred were assessed using osteological signatures taken from archaeological, experimental, and forensic studies. The methodology of the study included recording color change, types of bone distortion, and element representation in conjunction with archaeological evidence. The burnt and fragmented human bone (n = 430, fragments weighing 620 g) represents a single adult individual. Macroscopic evidence from the bone indicates the body had been fleshed or fresh at the time of burning and element representation follows a similar pattern to other burials excavated from the site. Excluding burning, there was no evidence of human modification to the bone such as cut marks, percussion pits or peri mortem trauma suggestive of cannibalism. The archaeological evidence from the site indicates that the body had not been burnt in the place the remains were subsequently discovered. The combined macroscopic and archaeological evidence strongly suggests that the human bone was burnt as a result of a deliberate cremation of an individual. If a conclusion of deliberate cremation is accepted, this research represents the first case of a Lapita period cremation and demonstrates how a combination of methods can explain the nature of an archaeological deposit of burnt human bone when the cause is not otherwise apparent.     

Human taphonomy at Khuzhir-Nuge XIV,Siberia: a new method for documenting skeletal condition

This paper employs a new three-part method for documenting skeletal condition in order to examine human taphonomy at the Glaskovo (5000–3700 BP, calibrated) cemetery of Khuzhir-Nuge XIV, located in the Lake Baikal region of Siberia (Russia). Relationships among three distinct aspects of condition – completeness, fragmentation, and articulation – and 15 identified taphonomic factors are investigated in order to explain the high variability observed at the site. Intrinsic skeletal characteristics such as element type and age at death were found to be responsible for some of the variable condition, but cultural activities, particularly mortuary practices, appear to have played even greater roles – both direct and indirect. Articulation, in particular, appears to have been an aspect of skeletal condition which was directly affected by a number of cultural practices. In addition to applying a new method of documenting skeletal condition to human taphonomic analyses, this research explains much of the variable condition observed at Khuzhir-Nuge XIV and emphasizes the significance of cultural practices as taphonomic agents affecting human remains.     

The influence of screen mesh size,and size and shape of rodent teeth on recovery

It is suggested with increasing frequency that rather than the industry standard of 1/4 inch mesh, zooarchaeologists use 1/8 inch or even 1/16 inch mesh to insure more complete recovery. These suggestions are based on the implicit assumption that the body size of a taxon and the probability that the remains of that taxon will be recovered are positively correlated. Size of skeletal specimens provides a more direct measure of recovery probability and accounts for the fact that not all skeletal elements in a body are the same size. Frequencies of eight kinds of rodent teeth representing three genera recovered from the Marmes archaeological site in southeastern Washington State, USA, correlate strongly with tooth size despite the use of 1/25 inch mesh screens. Shape of tooth types measured is insufficiently varied to reveal more than a general relationship between shape and recovery frequency. Choice of an appropriate screen mesh should consider the nature of a deposit, research goals, and cost efficiency.     

Palynological study of a Mi'kmaw shell midden,Northeast Nova Scotia,Canada

Before now, no palynological studies were made on shell midden deposits in Nova Scotia, despite a long history of archaeological research. A test study of samples taken from the shell midden at Maligomish (Indian Island) on the Northumberland Strait was conducted to determine if sufficient pollen, fern and moss spores, and other non-pollen palynomorphs (NPP's, including fungal remains, algal spores) could be recovered to allow interpretation of environmental conditions at the time of deposition. Several pollen processing methods were tested: sieving and swirling, chemical treatment with cold HCl, 5% KOH and brief exposure to 5% NH₄OH, and treatment with acetolysis solution. We recovered variable amounts of pollen, spores and NPP's from samples taken at 3–5 cm, 5–15 cm and 15–25 cm below surface. Abundant microcharcoal fragments prevented effective use of the swirling technique, but sufficient palynomorphs were recovered by chemical treatments to allow assessment of down-section changes in assemblages. Three radiocarbon ages from Mya arenaria and Crassostrea sp., and measurements of sediment grain size, moisture, organic and inorganic carbon, provide a framework for analysing palynological assemblage changes and context for interpreting differential palynomorph preservation. Despite some oxidation and microbial degradation of palynomorphs in the time interval (ca. 380–1600 cal yr BP), the midden assemblages correlate with pollen zones from marine and lake core sites within ca. 50 km of Maligomish. Shifts in abundances of algal spores, testate amoebae and aquatic plant pollen also indicate changes in depositional conditions during the time of midden use. The study provides the first reference for archaeologists attempting to use palynology for analysis of samples from Nova Scotian shell-bearing contexts.     

甘肃临潭县磨沟齐家文化墓地

在磨沟齐家文化墓地共发掘墓葬346座,以竖穴偏室墓居多,也有部分竖穴土坑墓。竖穴土坑墓多为单人葬。竖穴偏室墓以单偏室居多,多为合葬,也有少量单人葬。随葬品多为陶器,还有部分工具和装饰品,随葬陶器明显可分为两组。此墓地的发掘,为齐家文化及其埋葬习俗的研究提供了十分重要的新资料。     

On the Removal and Relaying of Roman Tesselated Floors

An excavation on the southern side of London Road, Staines, in 1999 revealed a dense concentration of ancient features surviving amidst the concrete foundations of a recently demolished office building. These features included a number of Bronze Age pits, many of which were intercut; pits, ditches and a well of late Roman origin; and the remains of approximately thirty inhumation burials, most or all of which were of late Saxon or early Norman origin. The majority, if not all, of the burials were of execution victims. Some of the bodies were face down within the grave, others had been decapitated, and some were in graves containing two or three bodies.

The cemetery shares various characteristics with other excavated execution sites and the evidence from Staines is placed within a regional and national context. The site is one of few execution cemeteries dated by radiocarbon with a chronology spanning at least the eighth to the twelfth century. This longevity adds weight to the case for a centrally organized judicial system during the growth period of the major Early Anglo-Saxon kingdoms.     

Kana Tamata or Feasts of Men: An Interdisciplinary Approach for Identifying Cannibalism in Prehistoric Fiji

By integrating osteological, taphonomic, archaeological and stable isotopic data, we test for cannibalism in the Lau Group, Fiji and discuss the potential underlying cause(s) and context(s) of this behaviour. First, we compare taphonomic and element representations of human skeletal material from two contexts in Fiji, examining human bone fragments from archaeological sites, including middens and burials in the Lau Island Group. Fourteen sites produced human remains. Only two of those sites included distinct human burial contexts, but in the remaining 12 sites, the human bone was recovered from middens or contexts where midden was mixed with possible secondary burials. A total of 262 number of identified specimens per species, representing an estimated 15 minimum number of individuals make up the Lau human assemblage. Second, we analysed bones contained in 20 individual human burials from four different sites that are housed at the Fiji Museum for comparative purposes. Third, we examine previously published stable isotopic (δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N) analysis of bone collagen to gauge protein consumption of likely cannibalised humans in midden contexts and potential cannibals from primary burials. We model a cannibalistic diet category within the context of isotopically measured Pacific Islands food groups and apply an isotopic mixing model to gauge plausible dietary contributions from six sources including human flesh. Isotopic mixing models of the Lauan samples illustrate a high diversity in reconstructed diets. The percent contribution of human flesh is low for all individual Lauans. We conclude that mortuary rituals evidenced by sharp‐force trauma may suggest non‐nutritive and non‐violent practices that may have included the consumption of small amounts of human flesh. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Neolithic cod (Gadus morhua) and herring (Clupea harengus) fisheries in the Baltic Sea,in the light of fine-mesh sieving: a comparative study of subfossil fishbone from the late Stone Age sites at Ajvide,Gotland, Sweden and Jettböle, Åland,Finland

Abstract

During the Late Stone Age, the sites of Ajvide and Jettböle were located on the seashore but in quite different marine environments. Ajvide on Gotland had direct access to the open sea of the central Baltic, while Jettböle in the Åland archipelago was surrounded by islands and skerries in the northern part of the Baltic Sea. Continuous excavations at Ajvide revealed large amounts of Cod (Gadus morhua) while herring (Clupea harengus) was found in small numbers. At Jettböle, as well, cod bones have been observed in large numbers while the skeletal remains of herring were few. In this study, soil samples of fishbone materials from Ajvide and Jettböle were sieved through screens of different mesh-sizes and then osteologically analysed. The finer screens aided the recovery of small herring bones that usually are lost when sieving through a common standard mesh-size of 4 mm. The results of the study confirmed the importance of fine-mesh sieving for the retrieval of the fishbone materials. Additionally, the achieved osteometric data indicated a difference in cod and herring size between the sites. Other factors that form our base for the understanding of Neolithic fishing strategies are: a general knowledge of the behaviour of the retrieved fish species, a reconstruction of the ancient marine environment and the abundance of fish species at each site.     

Tooth Ablation in Prehistoric Southeast Asia

A sample of skeletons excavated from an undisturbed prehistoric (4000–3500 years BP) burial site in Thailand included a high proportion of individuals with anterior teeth missing in distinctive, mostly symmetrical, patterns. The patterns, types and numbers of teeth missing have been compared between males and females, with age at death, with depth of burial and among spatially distinct groups within the cemetery. The patterns of missing teeth changed over time. In early burials, lateral maxillary incisors were most commonly missing. Two-thirds of the adults had missing teeth. There were no significant differences between the sexes or with age. In later burials, central maxillary incisors and mandibular incisors were most commonly missing. All adults and some children as young as 11 years had missing teeth. There were no significant changes with age but females had more missing teeth than males. Loss as a result of extreme wear inflicted through the use of teeth as tools, congenital absence and ritual ablation are discussed as explanations for the absence of the teeth. The evidence suggests that ritual ablation is the most likely explanation, although the loss of mandibular incisors in some early burials may be as a result of industrial use of the teeth. The ablation of maxillary lateral incisors, found in the early burials, has been recorded at another prehistoric site in the west of Thailand and at sites in southern China.     

Stratigraphy and geochronology of La Playa archaeological site,Sonora, Mexico

La Playa archaeological site in northern Sonora, Mexico contains a long record of human activity that includes the Paleoindian period (terminal Pleistocene) and much of the Holocene. The size and complexity of La Playa has discouraged a systematic characterization of its stratigraphy and geochronology, a deficiency we redress in the study. We distinguished seven stratigraphic units ranging in age from >44,570 to 400 cal yr B.P. using ¹⁴C dates from charcoal and terrestrial gastropods found mostly in archaeological features. All of the buried (in situ) cultural remains are contained in Units B (4690–1580 cal yr B.P.) and C (1010–400 cal yr B.P.) and represent overbank deposition from the nearby Rio Boquillas. Occupation at the site peaks in Units B₄ and B₅, corresponding to the Cienega phase (2800–1800 cal yr B.P.) of the Early Agricultural period. This period coincides with the growth of early agricultural villages in the region and is marked at La Playa by thousands of archaeological features including roasting pits, human burials, and extensive canal irrigation systems. The presence of semi-aquatic and aquatic snails demonstrates that water was present year round in the canal systems constructed during this period. Stable and radiometric isotopic evidence suggests that early agriculturalists diverted ground water over several kilometers from the nearby Rio Boquillas. The extensive Cienega phase occupation ended after about 1700 cal yr B.P. with deep erosion of the site, an event also visible in alluvial records in southern Arizona that marked the end of the Early Agricultural period and significant changes in settlement organization in the region.     

Man and woolly mammoth at the Kraków Spadzista Street (B) – taphonomy of the site

Excavations at the Kraków Spadzista Street (B) site, Poland were conducted over 16 years in which approximately 150 m² of the site was studied. The radiocarbon dates clustered around 23–24 ky BP, placing the site in the Gravettian cultural complex. In this paper, results from a detailed taphonomic study of faunal remains are discussed in conjunction with previous analyses of stone artefacts and site structure in order to address questions regarding site formation and Gravettian occupation. Up to 1994, ∼9000 bone remains were recovered and it was possible to identify the species and skeletal element for 5860 remains. The site contained bones of seven animal species associated with Pleistocene steppe–tundra habitats. At Kraków Spadzista Street (B), 99% of the faunal remains belong to the woolly mammoth, with other large mammal taxa represented by only isolated bones and teeth. This site yielded the largest number of mammoth bones and most individuals (MNI = 86) ever found in one place in Poland. Kraków Spadzista Street (B) represents a mammoth butchering locality and probably a mammoth hunting site as well. However, it is not yet possible to distinguish the mammoths killed by Gravettian hunters from those that died naturally and then were scavenged by people.     

mtDNA and osteological analyses of an unknown historical cemetery from upstate New York

Thirteen burials located on Jackson Street in Youngstown, NY, USA were recovered from a construction site and excavated in 1997. Based on the artifact assemblage, it was suggested that the cemetery was used sometime between the late 1700s and 1840. No historical records existed, and initial assessment of the skeletal remains was not able to determine any cultural affiliation. We carried out osteological and genetic investigations in order to gain insight into ancestral affiliation and kinship of the unknown individuals from the burials. Due to poor preservation of the remains, dental traits and limited osteological observations were available for only a few individuals. We performed DNA extraction and sequenced the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region following standard ancient DNA procedures. Our results suggest that ten individuals have evidence of biological affiliation with Native Americans, and in particular, four individuals have maternal Native American ancestry. One male individual was determined to be of European ancestry, from both the mtDNA and osteological results. This burial may reflect admixture as a result of frequent contact between Native Americans and Europeans during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and attempts by missionaries to convert Native Americans to Christianity. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of a multifaceted approach through archaeological, osteological, and genetic analysis that provides valuable perspectives in understanding the individuals buried at the Jackson Street Burials.     

“Copper people” of the bronze age: The reconstruction of their health and social status

“After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth” Dan. 2: 39 The Metal Age opened up new prospects for mankind and led to the emergence of a new category of professionals – miners, founders, smiths. With relation to the Bronze Age, these may be called “copper people.” The article explores new methods that can be used to identify their skeletal remains in museum collections. Based on biological data, certain aspects of the lifestyle of a male (presumably a smith) buried in an Abashevo collective grave at Pepkino, the Republic of Mari-El, Volga Federal District, and of other individuals buried in the same grave are reconstructed. Morphological, paleopathological, radiographic, and computer tomography examination of skeletal remains, as well as the results of histological, atomic absorption, and isotopic analyses of bone tissue provide information concerning diet, physiological stress, beginning of professional specialization, and the effects of heavy physical stress on their health status.     

Mapping social relationships: geophysical survey of a nineteenth-century American slave cemetery

The goal of this project is to identify unmarked burials inside the known limits of a historic cemetery and unmarked slave burials adjacent to the cemetery to answer questions regarding variability in treatment of slaves by slave owners. This project used three geophysical prospection methods (electromagnetic induction/conductivity, ground penetrating radar, and magnetic susceptibility) to image the subsurface and locate unmarked graves. The results indicate that up to 21 possible unmarked graves exist at the Prior Cemetery. The survey detected 17 with two or more geophysical techniques and four with a single technique. Nine possible unmarked graves were tested with a metal probe. Every tested anomaly revealed less compact soils indicative of an unmarked grave.