“Numbers of individuals” in faunal analysis: the decay of fish bone in archaeological sites

Although quantifying animal remains in archaeological sites is best done by way of bone counts, there are several mechanisms that can cause distortions in the relative frequencies of different species. Some of these problems can be avoided by relatively minor modifications to standard methods, but the situation where bones have decayed since deposition cannot be controlled by methods currently in use.To overcome this a new technique is proposed. This involves comparing the relative frequencies of different anatomical elements across a number of sites, so that the extent of the dispersion of the frequencies of different bone classes at a site can be used as a guide to the extent of attrition there. This approach is illustrated by application to fish bones from sites in New Zealand.     

被动采样在考古发掘现场大气监测中的应用

通过对被动采样器结构和原理的分析,对其在环境监测中的应用情况进行综述。论述其对环境的适用性和考古发掘现场的特点及有害气体的监测需求。认为被动采样技术在考古发掘现场有害气体的监测中具有广泛的应用前景。     

Monitoring Islamic Archaeological Landscapes in Ethiopia Using Open Source Satellite Imagery

The African landscape is set to change dramatically in the coming years, and will have a detrimental impact on the inherent archaeological and cultural heritage elements if not monitored adequately. This paper explores how satellite imagery, in particular open source imagery (Google Earth, multispectral satellite imagery from Landsat and Sentinel-2), can be utilized to monitor and protect sites that are already known with particular reference to Islamic archaeological sites in Ethiopia. The four sites used are in different geographic and geomorphological areas: three on the Somali Plateau (Harlaa, Harar, and Sheikh Hussein), and one on the edge of the Afar Depression (Nora), and have varied histories. The results indicate that open source satellite imagery offers a mechanism for evaluating site status and conservation over time at a large scale, and can be used on data from other areas of Africa by heritage professionals in the African continent at no cost.     

THE MAXIMUM CAPTURE OR “SPHERE OF INFLUENCE” LOCATION PROBLEM: HOTELLING REVISITED ON A NETWORK*

ABSTRACT. The problem of the ice cream vendor on the beach is extended to the siting of multiple entering servers into the midst of existing servers which are already in place at multiple sites on a network. The network of population nodes, joining arcs, and eligible sites for servers provides the underlying matrix of the problem. The goal of the single firm which is siting the multiple entering servers is the capture of the maximum population from existing servers. This combinatorial problem can be described as a linear integer program for which solutions can easily be derived. Computational experience and insights derived therefrom are reported.     

Persistent land use patterns and the mid-Holocene housepits of Wyoming

Abstract

The cyclical use of sites and locales over decades, centuries, and even millennia is an important aspect of hunter-gatherer land use that is rarely considered in studies that focus on a single annual cycle. The long-term perspective provided by archaeological data can be used to delineate persistent land use patterns and contribute to an understanding of the complexity of hunter-gatherer behavior. Mid-Holocene Wyoming housepit data document persistent land use over at least a 2000-year period at three spatial scales—the reuse of housepits, reuse of sites containing housepits, and use of different sites within the larger region. Slab-lined cylindrical basins at many sites in southwest Wyoming provide evidence for stable long-term land use during the middle Holocene. The focal point of this pattern was probably a predictable resource, possibly some type of root plant that would have been available during the dry middle Holocene.     

Seismic Refraction at Ancestral Puebloan Sites on the Pajarito Plateau,New Mexico

Abstract

Geophysical techniques can be used for non-invasive surveys at archaeological sites. One under-utilized technique, seismic refraction, has many potential applications. It is an inexpensive, efficient way to characterize subsurface deposits, especially at sites with shallow accumulations over bedrock. Archaeologists and geophysicists participating in the Summer of Applied Geophysics Experience from Los Alamos National Laboratory and Bandelier National Monument on the Pajarito Plateau in northern New Mexico characterized Ancestral Puebloan sites (A.D. 1200–1450) using this technique. We provide an overview of how seismic refraction works and demonstrate the applicability of seismic refraction for identifying buried archaeological features such as communal structures and walls.     

Mapping of subsurface shell midden components through percussion coring: examples from the Dundas Islands

Following earlier examples of mapping the subsurface of shell bearing sites using augering, we employ percussion coring to identify early Holocene shell midden components at two types of sites on the Northwest Coast of North America. We describe a method for mapping subsurface components at shell bearing sites including basal deposits, paleosols and transitions between distinct cultural components. Our research was undertaken for the purpose of identifying early Holocene shell middens above the modern shore, and as components below large shell midden villages. Our results augment the developmental trajectory of shell middens on the Northwest Coast by suggesting that pre-5000 BP forms of these sites may be more common than previously thought. In light of these results, we argue that the Northwest Coast cultural historical sequence, which locates an increase in the number and rate of accumulation of shell middens beginning 5000 years ago, to be premature. However, there are insufficient data from shell middens in the early Holocene, a sampling problem that the percussion coring methods described here can address.     

Roman pottery production in Civitas Tungrorum,central Belgium,during the first–third centuries ce

Aspects of Roman pottery production at the workshops of Kontich, Tienen, Rumst, Grobbendonk and Clavier-Vervoz in the Civitas Tungrorum of central Belgium are explored. A total of 150 wasters from five sites were studied macroscopically, as well as via a combination of thin-section petrography, geochemistry and scanning electron microscopy, in order to gain insights into ceramic technology and aspects of the organization of production. Particular emphasis was given to the individual technological sequences and shared strategies of raw material selection, paste preparation and firing employed at the five adjacent sites. The integration of petrographic and geochemical data permitted the establishment of compositional reference groups for the Roman kiln sites of Civitas Tungrorum, which can be used to track their products within the surrounding landscape.     

Bidirectional blade technology on naviform cores from northern Arabia: New evidence of Arabian-Levantine interactions in the Neolithic

Discovered in March 2015, the sites of DAJ-112 and DAJ-125 in the Al-Jawf province of northern Saudi Arabia consist of a large collection of surface lithic artefacts that can be compared to well-known Pre-Pottery Neolithic (PPN) B technology from the Levant: the two sites include bidirectional blade technology with naviform core preparation and opposed platforms surface exploitation, as well as burin production at a wide scale. Other surface scatters have been identified during the 2013 and 2015 surveys, showing these two sites are not isolated in Al-Jawf, as rather important occurrences of Early Holocene technology have been identified across the region. Although the sites from Al-Jawf are surface occurrences and not radiometrically dated, the finds have proven to be extremely significant, representing a southward incursion of classic naviform cores-based technology, thus expanding the geographical distribution of this technology beyond the Levant. By addressing the lithic evidence from northern Arabia, the expansion and/or influence of PPN populations and cultural elements will be discussed.     

A Framework for Managing Diver Impacts on Historic Shipwrecks

Shipwrecks are becoming increasingly popular and, therefore important attractions for recreational scuba divers. Divers’ usage of these sites has the potential to create a range of adverse impacts on their cultural heritage values. Impacts associated with recreational scuba diving include boat anchor and mooring damage, impairment of site integrity and stability, the effects of intentional and unintentional contact with shipwrecks and artifacts, as well as divers’ exhaled air bubbles coming into contact with shipwrecks. While these consequences may not present a major threat in comparison to other human impacts, such as fishing activities, extractive industries or commercial salvage, their cumulative effect can be significant, particularly at sites where visitation levels are high. Unlike natural events such as storms, diver impacts can be controlled and managing these impacts is an important component of a heritage management strategy for any site. Heritage managers face the difficult challenge of, on the one hand, balancing divers’ access to important underwater cultural heritage sites, and on the other hand, protecting these sites. This paper outlines the causes and nature of potential recreational diver impacts on shipwrecks, briefly describing a range of management approaches that can mitigate such impacts, and presents a framework for the management of diver impacts on cultural heritage values of historic shipwrecks. The framework is designed to assist managers in deciding on appropriate management actions and priorities for particular sites.     

Native grasslands and the stabilization of earthwork archaeological sites on the middle Missouri River,North Dakota

Abstract

Site condition and management practices at six Missouri River archaeological sites are reviewed and the condition of the sites compared between observations in 1993 and 1998. Earthwork sites in a cover of prairie or pasture grasses that have been mown for interpretation purposes have become more infested with ground squirrels. Tall prairie or shrubland obscures site features but these animals are less numerous on sites with such cover. One mown site in an urban area had no ground squirrels, suggesting that the animals had been removed by local urban dwellers or their cats and had no chance to re-invade. The long-term stability of archaeological sites can best be achieved by allowing native prairie grasses to grow tall, leaving only small samples of the site area open, or by control of ground squirrel numbers.     

A pilot study of “black chert” sourcing and implications for assessing hunter-gatherer mobility strategies in Northern England

Mesolithic hunter-gatherer logistic strategies and raw material procurement locales have been topics of considerable interest in northern England, accelerated by the early discoveries at Star Carr. Here we present the results of a pilot study investigating the potential for geochemically sourcing “black chert”, a material with similar qualities to flint but of inland limestone origin, using ICP-AES, ICP-MS and LA-ICP-MS. Several geological sources of black chert are known, and it is commonly present at upland Mesolithic sites along the Pennine chain. Four geological sources were sampled and analysed, along with a small sample of black chert artefacts from two upland Pennine archaeological sites. The results demonstrate that the four sampled sources can be easily differentiated from one another chemically. This research reveals the potential to apply this approach at a larger scale; the archaeological sample together with the source results indicate that additional sources will need to be identified and sampled before such data can be applied to address current questions of the Mesolithic of northern England.     

Islets through Time: The Definition, Dating and Distribution of Scottish Crannogs

Scottish crannogs or lake dwellings are considered to be structurally varied sites with an extremely wide distribution, used from the neolithic up until at least the 17th century AD. As a result assumptions about the dating and form of individual sites are considered impossible without excavation. This paper demonstrates that the current classifications lack utility and that the long chronology view is misleading. It is suggested that there is a far more subtle spectrum of identifiably distinct monuments which can be arranged into types, and that these types have, on the basis of the current radiocarbon evidence, a chronological significance.     

Slag as evidence for early iron production in arctic Norway

Physical, structural and chemical analyses were made on slag remains obtained from three sites in Iron Age arctic Norway. Scanning electron microscopy and x‐ray microanalysis were employed to confirm that the slag can only be a result of iron production. Although a distinction between slag produced by smithing and smelting proved difficult, consideration of the processes and the resources available support the assumption that both were practiced at the sites. The results provide firm evidence of iron production in the region of Norway north of the 69th parallel, by at least the sixth century AD.     

What is past is prologue: excavations at the Econfina Channel site,Apalachee Bay,Florida, USA

Offshore submerged sites can retain valuable data concerning many questions of interest to archaeology, including what form coastal occupations may have taken during periods before the establishment of modern coastlines and late Holocene climate and ecological conditions. However, submerged offshore sites experience postdepositional forces entirely unlike those in terrestrial contexts, including erosion/deflation of sediments, and degradation of artifacts and/or features caused by the marine environment. Methodological and theoretical approaches to assessing submerged marine sites, versus terrestrial ones, must be adjusted accordingly to extract valuable data and interpretations from them. This study demonstrates the application of these different approaches at the Econfina Channel site (8TA139) in Apalachee Bay, Florida, USA. The site appears to contain significant evidence for coastally adapted occupation during the final part of the Middle Archaic period (～8600–5000?cal?BP), but we needed to address marine site formation processes before we could assess human activities at the site. Sedimentological and archaeological traces of human activities can be teased out using geoarchaeological methods, which differentiate between nonhuman postdepositional processes and the cultural material remains left behind by those who used the site before it was abandoned and subsequently submerged.     

Protecting a ‘Homeric landscape’: The making of the Butrint National Park,Albania

Abstract

This paper will present research on the vulnerability mapping of coastal archaeological sites currently being undertaken in Northern Ireland. The ultimate aim of this research is improve current predictions of where archaeological sites and landscapes will be at risk in the future from coastal erosion. The initial stage of this approach uses a suite of oblique aerial photographs to construct a baseline of eroding locations and coastal geomorphology. The erosion baseline can then be integrated with existing historic environment records to obtain a coarse first-pass archaeological vulnerability assessment. Subsequent stages can then use this assessment to prioritize future mitigation such as field surveys or monitoring exercises, or conduct further refinements of vulnerability classifications by incorporating information on site type and positioning on a local scale.     

The Multi‐level Location Set Covering Model

The classical Location Set Covering Problem involves finding the smallest number of facilities and their locations so that each demand is covered by at least one facility. It was first introduced by Toregas in 1970. This problem can represent several different application settings including the location of emergency services and the selection of conservation sites. The Location Set Covering Problem can be formulated as a 0–1 integer‐programming model. Roth (1969) and Toregas and ReVelle (1973) developed reduction approaches that can systematically eliminate redundant columns and rows as well as identify essential sites. Such approaches can often reduce a problem to a size that is considerably smaller and easily solved by linear programming using branch and bound. Extensions to the Location Set Covering Model have been proposed so that additional levels of coverage are either encouraged or required. This paper focuses on one of the extended model forms called the Multi‐level Location Set Covering Model. The reduction rules of Roth and of Toregas and ReVelle violate properties found in the multi‐level model. This paper proposes a new set of reduction rules that can be used for the multi‐level model as well as the classic single‐level model. A demonstration of these new reduction rules is presented which indicates that such problems may be subject to significant reductions in both the numbers of demands as well as sites.     

Drug delivery systems

Abstract

Drug delivery systems have an important role to play in the administration of drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic agents. Systems based on biodegradable polymers can be especially advantageous for use as implants that provide a slow, steady release of a pharmacological agent. Materials include poly--hydroxy acids, polyanhydrides, and polyphosphazenes. The products of biotechnology in the form of peptides and proteins are challenging compounds that are difficult to deliver. Novel methods of delivery include polymeric microspheres and microcapsules. Polymers can be used to deliver antigens in order to obtain improved responses after injection. Nanoparticles based on polymeric materials can be employed to deliver drugs to specific target sites, especially via the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Natural polymers also have an important role in drug delivery, for example chitosan is of special interest for its ability to interact with mucosal surfaces and to provide a bioadhesive effect that will retain drugs at target sites.     

Use of Bronze Celts in Military Operations

The purpose of this article is to bring together archaeological evidence relating to the consumption of porpoises from excavations at both Dover and Canterbury. A contrast can be drawn between porpoise remains recovered from Anglo-Norman fishermen in Dover and contemporary remains from two sites within the Cathedral Precincts at Canterbury. These differences are then considered in relation to issues of status.     

Network Analysis and Entanglement

This article explores the extent to which formal network analysis can be used to study aspects of entanglement, the latter referring to the collective sets of dependencies between humans and things. The data used were derived from the Neolithic sites of Boncuklu and Çatalhöyük in central Turkey. The first part of the analysis involves using formal network methods to chart the changing interactions between humans and things at these sites through time. The values of betweenness and centrality vary through time in ways that illuminate the known transformations at the site as, for example, domestic cattle are introduced. The ego networks for houses across four time periods at the two sites are also patterned in ways that contribute to an understanding of social and economic trends. In a second set of analyses, formal network methods are applied to intersecting operational chains, or chainworks. Finally, the dependencies between humans and things are evaluated by exploring the costs and benefits of particular material choices relative to larger entanglements. In conclusion, it is argued that three types of entanglement can be represented and explored using methods taken from the network sciences. The first type concerns the large number of relations that surround any particular human or thing. The second concerns the ways in which entanglements are organized. The third type of entanglement concerns the dialectic between dependence (potential through reliance) and dependency (constraint through reliance).