Prehistoric wooden bows and arrows in the Turpan Basin,Northwest China: Wood selection and utilization in a mosaic landscape

In the present study, we analyzed seven wooden bows and 13 arrows excavated from the cemeteries of Subeixi Culture (13th century BCE–AD second century) in the Turpan Basin, northwest China. A total of six taxa, viz. Morus sp., Salix sp., Picea sp., Lonicera sp., Betula sp., and Tamarix sp. were identified. Some of these taxa have been generally accepted to be suitable for bow-and-arrow production. All these taxa were local in origin but distributed in different ecotonal zones, including oases, saline-alkali lands, and mountain areas. Previous archaeological studies have confirmed that the Subeixi populations lived an agro-pastoral life. By analyzing the possible provenance of these wood samples, it can be hypothesized that these ancient agro-pastoralists moved between the Turpan Basin and the Tianshan Mountains on a seasonal basis.     

GEOARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM DESERT LOESS IN THE NAZCA–PALPA REGION,SOUTHERN PERU: PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES AND THEIR IMPACT ON PRE‐COLUMBIAN CULTURES*

The paper presents proxies from an interdisciplinary geoarchaeological working group. Sediment analyses and geomorphological studies, radiocarbon ages of snail shells and luminescence dating of loess allow a preliminary chronology of the environmental evolution of the eastern Atacama desert, Nazca–Palpa region (southern Peru). Until now, typical desert loess was unknown from the arid western flank of the Andes (southern Peru). The loess points to periods of more humid conditions with open grasslands at the eastern Atacama desert margin in the early and middle Holocene. In the footzone of the Andes, aridification set in before the Paracas Culture (c. 800–200 bc ) evolved, but the Cordillera Occidental remained semi‐arid. A second push of increasing aridity started at the latest in the Middle Nazca Period (after ad 250). During this time, the Nazca settlement centres moved upstream through the river oasis, following the eastward‐shifting desert margin. It is possible that culminating aridity after ad 600 caused the collapse of the Nazca civilization. During the Late Intermediate Period (ad 1000–1400), more humid conditions favoured the massive reoccupation of the eastern Atacama up to a distance of about 40 km from the Pacific coast. Since the 14th and 15th centuries, the Palpa region has again been part of the hyper‐arid Atacama. The study shows that in the Nazca–Ica region, the deep cultural changes of Pre‐Columbian civilizations were not caused by catastrophic run‐off of El Niño events, but by a shifting eastern desert margin due to the changing monsoonal influence.     

French Decorative Ceramics Mass‐Produced During and After the 17th Century: Chemical Analyses of the Glazes

Chemical analyses of a group of Pb silicate–glazed decorative objets d'art showing scenes of the French royal family (Louis XIII and Henri IV), and biblical and classical figures, have been analysed and compared with other similar heritage ceramics and with the rustiques figulines of Bernard Palissy (1510–90) and his followers and imitators. In particular, non‐destructive ion‐beam chemical analyses (PIXE and PIGE) have been performed on 11 ceramic artefacts from the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) and a like number from several French museums; results for 13 objects are described in detail in this paper. SEM–EDX has been performed on chips (‘microsamples’) taken from small unobtrusive defective regions on the CMA ceramics. The results of the ion‐beam and SEM–EDX techniques are in good agreement. All the decorative ceramics included uniform non‐opacified glazes. None of these objects can be of 16th century production; all must date from the 17th to the 19th centuries.     

A NEW DATING METHOD FOR HIGH‐CALCIUM ARCHAEOLOGICAL GLASSES BASED UPON SURFACE‐WATER DIFFUSION: PRELIMINARY CALIBRATIONS AND PROCEDURES*

The first European settlers came to North America in the early 17th century using glass in the form of containers and decorative objects. Thus, glass is a horizon marker for all historic period settlements and a potential source of chronometric dates at archaeological sites belonging to the historic period in the Americas. We have developed a new absolute dating method based upon water diffusion into the surface of manufactured glasses that predicts diffusion coefficients based upon variation in glass chemical constituents. Low‐temperature (< 190°C) hydration experiments have been performed on a set of five high‐calcium (21.7–28.3%) glasses that were used to manufacture wine bottles from the 17th?19th centuries. Infrared spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to model the water diffusion/alkali exchange process. The ability of the model to accurately predict archaeological ages was evaluated with artefacts recovered from ceramic‐dated contexts at Thomas Jefferson's plantation known as Monticello.     

THE ANCIENT MINE OF SERVETTE (SAINT‐MARCEL,VAL D’AOSTA,WESTERN ITALIAN ALPS): A MINERALOGICAL,METALLURGICAL AND CHARCOAL ANALYSIS OF FURNACE SLAGS*

The Cu–Fe mining district of Servette is located in the valley of Saint‐Marcel (Val d’Aosta) at about 1800 m a.s.l. in the western Italian Alps. A large furnace slag deposit occurs near the Servette mine. Slags are mainly constituted by silicate and oxide in a glassy matrix, with disseminated sulphides and iron–copper alloys, and they record temperatures of 1380–1100°C. Radiocarbon dating of slag charcoals has shown that metallurgy in this site took place around ad 890–980. The charcoal analysis has shown that coniferous wood was mainly utilized, and intensive exploitation over the centuries led to a change in the composition of the local woods.     

ARCHAEOLOGICAL,STYLISTIC AND SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH ON 11TH–13TH CENTURY AD PAINTED FRAGMENTS FROM THE SAN GIOVANNI BATTISTA CHURCH IN CEVIO (SWITZERLAND)

The painted fragments collected during the archaeological excavation campaign in the San Giovanni Battista church in Cevio represent a unique patrimony of Romanesque wall painting in Tessin, Switzerland, having a strong stylistic linkage with the Lombardic art of the same period. The archaeological and stylistic research allowed the fragments to be dated between the 11th and 13th centuries ad and to group them in three chronological phases. The scientific research (p‐XRF, OM, SEM–EDS, FTIR and XRD) was aimed at characterizing the pigments and the pictorial techniques used. Important changes occurred in terms of some pigments used during the 11th and 12th centuries: in particular, azurite was used to decorate the earlier wall paintings while lapis lazuli was used for the 12th‐century ones. During the second period, lead‐based pigments (lead white and minium) were introduced into the palette. The use of natural yellow and red ochres and green earth was common for the three periods. The fresco technique was generally used, except for the application of azurite and lead‐based pigments, where the a secco technique was adopted. The integrated research is a contribution to the knowledge of Romanesque art in the Insubric Region.     

The Peak Dwellers

LONGBURY BANK, Dyfed is a native British early medieval settlement occupied in the 6th and 7th centuries A. D. The excavations in 1988–89 produced a series of artefacts which provide evidence of high status: imported Mediterranean pottery; continental pottery and glass; fine metalworking debris; and an unusual Type G penannular brooch. The site is unusual in being undefended and it is suggested that it belongs to a newly recognized class of undefended high status secular sites, other possible examples of which are discussed. The site is placed in its historical and landscape context through the use of pre-Norman and later documentation which appears to show a major shift in settlement in the 8th or 9th centuries.     

The 7th–9th Century Tantura E Shipwreck,Israel: construction and reconstruction

The Tantura E shipwreck was discovered in Tantura lagoon, Israel, in a water depth of 2.8 m, covered by 1 m of sand. It was a coaster that plied the Levant coast, dated to the 7th–9th centuries CE. It was recorded under water, but several components were studied on land, as well as the finds. The hull is of frame‐based construction, with flat floor timbers and a sharp turn of the bilge. The archaeological evidence, as well as modern design tools and regulations, suggests that Tantura E was c.12.5 m long, of 25 tonnes displacement, and could load c.17.5 tonnes.     

Pollen evidence for major shifts in forest composition since the mid‐nineteenth‐century in the vicinity of Sudbury,Ontario

Numerous anthropogenic stressors have impacted the region surrounding Sudbury, Ontario, leading to pronounced vegetation and landscape change. Few long‐term records exist to understand the nature or timing of this change. We use pollen analysis from radiometrically dated sediments of Clearwater Lake to compare pre‐ and post‐settlement vegetation. Beginning ～1850 CE, the record shows major shifts in forest composition, coincident with settlement and the beginnings of lumbering. These changes are unprecedented for the past ～5000 years, and consist of increases in diversity and abundance of deciduous tree taxa and herbaceous disturbance indicators. While evidence of mining appears as early as 1900 CE, little effect is seen in the pollen record until ～1930 CE, when sedimentation rates increased and acidification of the lake also began. At this time, further increases in palynological disturbance indicators and minimum sediment organic matter levels indicate the period of maximum vegetation loss. As a result of reduced emissions since the 1970s, water quality began to improve in Clearwater Lake and there are some decreases in the abundances of shade‐intolerant disturbance indicators in the pollen record. However, the fact that the pollen assemblages do not resemble those prior to 1850 suggests lasting vegetation changes.     

A STUDY ON LATE MEDIEVAL TRANSPARENT‐GLAZED POTTERY AND ARCHAIC MAJOLICA FROM ORVIETO (CENTRAL ITALY)*

Nineteen samples of medieval transparent‐glazed pottery and archaic majolica from Orvieto (central Italy) were studied. They were classified by archaeological criterion as follows: five transparent‐glazed fragments with green and brown decorations (first half of the 13th century), eight green transparent‐glazed fragments (13th century) and six tin‐glazed fragments with green and brown decorations (second half of the 13th century). SEM–EDX, XRD (the Rietveld method) and XRF were used to characterize the chemical and mineralogical compositions both of the bodies and the coatings. In all of the samples, the paste is Ca‐rich with CaO contents as high as 13–20 wt%. The mineralogical composition is compatible with a firing temperature of about 950°C, which is the typical temperature reached in a wood kiln. No difference was observed between the bodies of transparent‐ and tin‐glazed pottery. In the case of transparent glazes, the burial conditions lead to heavy weathering of the samples. However, on the basis of the analyses carried out in non‐weathered areas, the typical composition is PbO 55–65 wt%, SiO₂31–35 wt%. In tin glazes, the tin is scattered on the mass of the glaze as SnO₂crystals with a concentration of 7–14 wt%. Concerning the decorations, it is established that the green colour is due to the presence of copper, while manganese is responsible for the brown colour. These pigments, which represent the typical colours of ‘archaic majolica’, are spread through the glaze homogeneously, apart from one case in which there is clear evidence of manganese oxide crystals.     

On The Medieval Antiquities of Anglesey

The excavations at Aulnat-Gandaillat are producing evidence of the pre-urban settlement system belonging to the last centuries B.C. The agricultural settlement was also engaged in industry, including the working of bronze, iron, gold, silver, glass, bone and possibly other substances such as coral. It is also providing us with the most refined chronology yet available from a La Tène settlement, and also with details of the development of trade with the Mediterranean world. The site was abandoned around 40–20 B.C. when the oppidum of Gergovie was founded.     

THE ALPS—A BARRIER OR A PASSAGE FOR CERAMIC TRADE?*

The Alps as a barrier : ceramic remnants of the so‐called Laugen‐Melaun culture (c. 11th to c. sixth centuries bc ) can be found in the northern Italy (Trentino/Alto Adige)—eastern Switzerland—Liechtenstein and western Austria region. A petrographic study of 454 sherds from this area covering a time span of 500 years reveals the following. (1) The pottery from the Trentino/Alto Adige contains a predominantly volcanic temper, which can be linked to the volcanic rocks of the Bolzano area—in other words, to the core region of this culture. This material is therefore of a local/regional production. (2) These ceramics were imported from the Bolzano region to southeastern Switzerland (the Inn Valley) and the amount of imported pottery decreases markedly from the 11th century bc (approximately 70% imported) to the seventh to sixth centuries bc (approximately 10% imported). (3) No imported pottery can be detected north of the Alpine crest in Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Austria, and in this region serpentinite temper was preferred by ancient potters. These results demonstrate that long‐lasting contacts and ceramic trade existed between the populations of the Inn Valley and the Trentino/Alto Adige. Such contacts could have been motivated by intermarriages between the two populations and/or economic exchange. The potters north of the Alpine ridge adopted the Laugen‐Melaun style and produced such pottery locally. The use of serpentinite temper is puzzling and not related to any technological advantage. (Could it be recycled material? Or does it have any sociocultural specificity?) The Alps as a passage : 59 fragments of a black gloss ware, the so‐called Campana, unearthed at 11 Late Latene sites (second to first centuries bc ) in Switzerland and neighbouring Germany were analysed chemically by X‐ray fluorescence. The results revealed: (1) that all of them were produced either in Italy or Lyon and then exported to the north; (2) that two principal south–north exchange routes existed, (a) fluviatile, along the Rhône–Rhine corridor and (b) trans‐Alpine, using the Alpine passes, such as the Simplon and the Grand St Bernard.     

INCISED SLIPWARE PRODUCTION AT CASTELFIORENTINO (FLORENCE): THE ‘VIA BERTINI’ SITE (15TH–17TH CENTURIES)*

This study deals with the physical–chemical and mineralogical–petrographic investigations (OM, SEM–EDS, EPMA, ICP, XRpD, Mössbauer and IR) conducted on first‐ and second‐firing wasters belonging to two types of incised slipware (sgraffito), manufactured at Castelfiorentino between the late 15th and the early 17th centuries. Raw materials, colouring agents and firing products were analysed in order to establish the production technology of the ceramic coatings, by means of detailed microtextural and chemical investigations. The pottery underwent two firing processes: the firing of the white slip‐coated ceramic body and a further firing after application of the glaze. The homogeneity of the raw materials, white slip and glaze is remarkable, and demonstrates the use of well‐established recipes with a constant supply of raw materials from the same places. Highly efficient kiln management during both firings is revealed by body–glaze interface reactions.     

A cargo of lead ingots from a shipwreck off Ashkelon,Israel 11th–13th centuries AD

Shipwreck cargo of lead ingots, some marked, discovered off Tel Ashkelon, weighed about four tonnes. C14 analysis of charred wood from an ingot dated it to the 11th–13th centuries AD, Crusader times. Lead isotopic ratios provenanced the ingots to Mont‐Lozère, France. Various aspects of the lead trade are discussed, including: lead sources, extraction, casting, lead in the international maritime trade, weight units in medieval trade, prices, transportation, sale and storage, lead cargo and ballast, reconstruction of the wrecking event, salvage after the vessel was wrecked, Ashkelon as a trading coastal town in the 11th–13th centuries AD, and the possible destination of the cargo.     

Paleopathological and Molecular Study on Two Cases of Ancient Childhood Leprosy from the Roman and Byzantine Empires

This study is based on the paleaopathology of leprosy on human skeletal remains and the detection of ancient Mycobacterium leprae DNA. Two cases of childhood leprosy were recognized. The first case was in a Roman necropolis at Martellona (Rome, Central Italy), dated to the 2nd to 3rd centuries ce . The skeleton of a child aged 4–5 years, from tomb 162, is the youngest individual in Italy from this time period, with the clear rhino‐maxillary syndrome and other bony changes indicative of leprosy. The second case from a burial at Kovuklukaya, in the Sinop region of Northern Turkey, was from the 8th to the 10th centuries, during the Byzantine era. The endocranium of a 4–5‐month‐old infant with new bone formation—an indication of chronic inflammation—was positive for M. leprae DNA. Infant and childhood leprosy is uncommon today, and there is a scarcity of information in the osteoarchaeological literature of leprosy in the past, especially in children. The significance of these cases is that it adds to an understanding of the history of the disease in the former Roman Empire. It is hoped that over time sufficient data can be obtained to understand the epidemiological dynamics and clinical evolution of leprosy from the ancient period until today. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New evidence on the introduction,cultivation and processing of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) in southern Sweden

Subfossil remains of Cannabis sativa L. (hemp) have been found at Lindängelund in the region of Malmö, southern Sweden. These represent the earliest robust evidence so far for hemp retting in Scandinavia. Finds of seeds, stems and pollen of C. sativa from a waterlogged context on a settlement dating to the Roman Iron Age demonstrate that the plant was locally cultivated and processed during the 1st–2nd centuries AD. An introductory phase in Scandinavia is proposed (c. AD 1–400) during which the cultivation of hemp was apparently small scale and processing was probably carried out within settlements. In the succeeding centuries, c. AD 400–550 (the Migration Period), remains of hemp are mostly found in pollen records from lake sediments, and less frequently in the archaeological record. This could indicate that the process of hemp retting relocated from settlements to lakes shores where activity became larger in scale and more integrated with the prevailing agricultural system.     

Childhood Cranial Trauma from a Late Roman and Merovingian Context from Michelet,Lisieux, France

The Michelet necropolis in Lisieux, France, dating to the late Roman and Merovingian period, comprises of a large number of well‐preserved subadult remains offering a unique opportunity to better understand childhood trauma in the past. The focus of this study was to determine the amount, type and mechanisms of trauma evidenced in subadults from the 4th–8th century AD, and explore potential circumstances surrounding the trauma. The remains of 109 subadults from the Michelet necropolis were examined for the presence of cranial and post‐cranial trauma. Three individuals exhibited perimortem trauma, one individual had an antemortem cranial injury, and no cases of post‐cranial trauma were identified. Cranial trauma affected 4.1% of children with observable cranial remains (N  = 4/97). The children affected were young (2–7 years old), making it unlikely that they would have participated in militaristic activities. Based on the location, morphology and mechanism of injury identified, it is likely that the perimortem injuries sustained by three children were not accidental. The presence of a number of cranial injuries from this site may be related to increased stress in the community related to the decline of the Roman Empire in Gaul, possible raiding barbarian groups during the 4th–5th centuries, or stresses related to the Gallic aristocracy solidifying political powers in northern Gaul during the 5th–7th centuries AD. The consideration and inclusion of childhood trauma in bioarchaeological analyses allows for a more detailed and in‐depth understanding of violence and childhood in the past. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LA–ICP–MS,SEM–EDS AND EPMA ANALYSIS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICAN COPPER‐BASED ARTEFACTS: IMPACT OF CORROSION AND HETEROGENEITY ON THE RELIABILITY OF THE LA–ICP–MS COMPOSITIONAL RESULTS*

This study discusses the relevance of compositions obtained using laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) for the purpose of identifying the provenance of copper‐based artefacts found in Virginia at Native American sites dated from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Ten artefacts were investigated by scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM–EDS) to visualize the corrosion and characterize the heterogeneities in the metal and electron probe micro‐analysis (EPMA) to determine separately the compositions of the intact metal and of the corrosion product. It is shown that the corroded surfaces are highly depleted in zinc but that representative concentrations can be determined by sampling the deeper, uncorroded metal. In contrast, lead values are highly variable because of the heterogeneous distribution of this metal within the bulk copper. Despite these problems, brass is easily identifiable and American native copper and European smelted copper can be unambiguously distinguished with LA–ICP–MS on unprepared artefacts using As, Ag, Ni and Sb trace elements.