The Problem of the Missing Harbour of Evagoras at Salamis,Cyprus: a review of the evidence and pointers to a solution

This article summarises the archaeological evidence for the existence of Evagoras' naval harbour at Salamis in North Cyprus, which ancient texts credit him with building c.410–400 BC. Based on a critical examination of previous surveys and his own on‐site observations, the author concludes there is indicative evidence of a constructed harbour c.800 m long, which was divided into two basins by a stone jetty, separated from the city by a stone wall and with some evidence of ship‐sheds at its north end. © 2012 The Author     

Household and community behavior at Bronze Age Politiko-Troullia,Cyprus

Abstract

We investigate intrasite patterns of artifacts and floral and faunal data to interpret household and community behavior at the Middle Cypriot (Bronze Age) village of Politiko-Troullia in the foothills of the Troodos Mountains, Cyprus. Floral evidence indicates cultivation of orchard crops (e.g., olive and grape), as well as the persistence of woodlands that provided wood for fuel. Animal management combined herding of domesticated sheep, goat, pig, and cattle with the hunting of Mesopotamian fallow deer. Metallurgical evidence points to the production of utilitarian copper tools in household workshops. Group activities are reflected by the deposition of anthropomorphic figurines, spinning and weaving equipment, and deer bones in an open courtyard setting. In sum, Politiko-Troullia exemplifies a diversified agrarian economy on a distinctly anthropogenic landscape that fostered the development of household and supra-household social differentiation in pre-urban Bronze Age Cyprus.     

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.     

New Evidence of the Purple‐Dye Industry at Tel Shiqmona,Israel

Pottery sherds stained with purple dye were found in the excavations at Tel Shiqmona, and were dated to the Iron Age II period. Analysis by HPLC‐DAD identified the dye as ‘true purple’, derived from the Hexaplex trunculus sea snail, which is associated with the purple‐dye industry that flourished in the coastal area at that time. This result is compatible with the classification of over 1000 Muricidae shells that were found in the excavation. Hexaplex trunculus constitutes 80% of this group, indicating that it was the most commonly used species in the dye production at Tel Shiqmona.     

Peonage, Power Relations, and the Built Environment at Hacienda Tabi, Yucatan, Mexico

The social and material conditions of postcolonial haciendas in Yucatan, Mexico, were greatly influenced by power relations intrinsic to the institution of debt peonage. Although landowning elites exercised enormous control over debt peons, hacienda social relations involved continuous negotiation between master and servant. Recent investigations at Hacienda Tabi, a sugar hacienda in southern Yucatan, explore the interplay between power relations and the creation and maintenance of the built environment. The evidence from Tabi suggests that during the Porfiriato (1876–1911) hacendados manipulated the settlement landscape to emphasize an order of social inequality. The spatial and structural elements of the hacienda's settlement reflected and supported the owners' attempts to control resident peons. However, those attempts were challenged by the resident Maya community, who defined the hacienda landscape imposed on them in alternative ways.     

New Evidence for Seasonal Human Presence at the Early Mesolithic Site of Thatcham,Berkshire, England

Important new seasonal evidence has been derived from the early Mesolithic site at Thatcham, Berks based upon tooth development stages in dentally immature red deer (Cervus elaphus). Radiographs and visual examination of the developing mandibular molars and premolars have been used to provide an accurate indication of age at death by comparing them with modern known age specimens. Knowledge of their age when killed indicates at what time of the year humans were present at the sites. Determining whether a site was occupied seasonally or year round is critical to subsequent interpretations of human economic and social activity. For the first time clear seasonal evidence has been derived from this important early Mesolithic site. Based on this new line of enquiry there is strong evidence for winter killing red deer at the site. The winter evidence at Thatcham may indicate presence at the site by hunters during the winter months for the express purposes of killed red deer. Alternatively, and more likely, the site was visited for a variety of economic and social purposes at all times of the year.     

New Evidence for the Submerged Ancient Harbour Structures at Tolmetha and Leptis Magna,Libya

Surveys carried out in 2009, during a project for the creation of three underwater archaeological parks in Libya, have allowed archaeologists both to analyse already known ancient structures and to discover new evidence about the harbour areas of the ancient cities of Tolmetha and Leptis Magna. © 2012 The Author     

The role of research and education in site management at the Lemba Experimental Village,Cyprus

Abstract

The project developed at the Lemba Experimental Village in Cyprus seeks to explain some aspects of the workings of archaeology through the medium of an ongoing and dynamic research project. The Lemba Experimental Village was established in 1988 with a view to understanding site formation processes through the construction of full-scale experimental buildings of the Chalcolithic period (3500–2800 BC). Experiments have been carried out with mud construction, lime plaster making and building construction. Monitoring and recording of construction and erosion processes provides a long-term history of events on the site which can be related to the deposits and features encountered when excavation is undertaken. Comparative information has been obtained from the structural analysis and excavation of buildings abandoned 25–30 years ago in the village of Souskiou, where similar deposits are encountered. The results of the work at Lemba and Souskiou are used as a comparative database for understanding deposits on prehistoric archaeological sites. The juxtaposition of the experimental building constructions with completed excavations at Lemba has led to the emergence of a policy of site presentation in which the methods of a particular form of archaeological research – experimental archaeology – constitute the main focus of interest on the site. This has been encouraged in the development of the site as a visitor centre, with an annually changing programme of new buildings being constructed and older ones being destroyed.     

Metalworking and Recycling in Late Bronze Age Cyprus – the Evidence from Kition

Excavations at the sacred precinct of the Late Bronze Age city of Kition uncovered the remains of metalworking workshops which were clearly associated with the temples. The results of the excavation as well as a number of specialist reports of the archaeometallurgical finds have already been published. Since their publication, however, archaeological research has progressed and new evidence has come to light regarding the Late Bronze Age in general and metalworking in particular. The object of this paper is to present the finds from these workshops and reconsider some of the issues that their discovery has raised. The results of the previous studies of the archaeometallurgical studies are critically assessed and the evidence reinterpreted based on what is available today. One of the issues addressed is that of metal recycling during the Late Bronze Age. This communication was presented at a research workshop organized by the Israel Science Foundation and the University of Haifa on 'Recycling, Hoarding and Trade in Bronze, 13th–11th centuries BCE' (Haifa 26–28 April, 1998). The first part of the paper was written by Karageorghis, the second part by Kassianidou.     

塞浦路斯 地中海的蓝色牧歌

风光旖旎的塞浦路斯地中海之滨,实为美若仙境:犬牙交错的海滨岩石,清澈见底;青碧如绿松石般的海水,每一分钟都毫不费力地凝固成一幅画卷。目眩于地中海的蓝色梦幻,还有那静静漂浮的各色游艇,让我真实地以为它们竟浮于空中……     

The 4th-century B.C. shipwreck at Mazotos,Cyprus: New techniques and methodologies in the 3D mapping of shipwreck excavations

Abstract

Well preserved ancient shipwrecks are rare in the archaeological record, but when discovered, they can provide valuable information on a wide range of research issues if analyzed and documented properly. In this paper we discuss the significance, potential, and constraints of mapping methods applied during the underwater excavation of shipwreck sites with special emphasis on stratigraphy, documentation of finds, and reconstruction of site formation processes. As a case study, we present the digital photogrammetry and computer vision software programs used in the excavation of the 4th-century b.c. shipwreck at Mazotos, Cyprus. Our goal is to develop a targeted documentation and mapping method of ongoing shipwreck excavations so that others can address complex research questions concerning this unique discipline of archaeology.     

Long-term agrarian landscapes in the Troodos foothills,Cyprus

We investigate the temporal and environmental relationships between the terraced hill slopes of Politiko-Koloiokremmos and the adjacent Bronze Age settlement of Politiko-Troullia in foothills of the Troodos Mountains, central Cyprus. Mapping of 102 stone walls on Koloiokremmos is compared with 66 walls farther afield on Cyprus to create a six-part terrace typology. Sherd counts from 174 2-m radius collection circles over approximately 20 ha on Troullia and Koloiokremmos were used to create interpolated sherd density surfaces revealing distinctly different patterns of land use for four major archaeological eras between the Cypriot Bronze Age and Medieval Period. We compared sherd density patterns according to terrace types, length, slope and vegetation cover determined by SAVI (Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index) from Ikonos and Quickbird satellite imagery.The most robust sherd patterning indicates Prehistoric Bronze Age settlement at Troullia, as confirmed by soil resistivity and excavation, and multi-period land use on Koloiokremmos immediately upslope of the village that may be associated with agricultural terracing. Scattered sherd concentrations indicate later use of this landscape as an agricultural hinterland for the Iron Age city of Tamassos. Sherds and a down slope spread of roof tiles from the Roman through Medieval periods suggest an isolated structure near the crest of Koloiokremmos. Longer terraces correlate with greater vegetation cover and are interpreted as agricultural, while shorter terraces, apparently for erosion control and arboriculture, are significantly related to Prehistoric Bronze Age sherd patterns. Our results suggest that coordinated analysis of archaeological, geographical and remotely sensed environmental data associated with terraced landscapes can be used to infer long-term patterns of agricultural land use.     

挂在悬崖上的郭亮村

最近,在旅游信息中出现一个非常耀眼的亮点——郭亮村。亮点究竟亮在什么地方?且看:——它是从东汉起,就有名称典故却又鲜为人知的一座人文孤岛;——它是挂在悬崖上仅有几十户人家的小山村;——它是由现代愚公凿通的绝壁长廊,被日本人赞誉为"世界第八大奇迹";——它是几十所艺术院校的写生基地以及几十部影视作品的外景基地;——它也是近年来独具魅力的一处旅游风景区和休闲避暑度假地……     

The Peopling of the New World: Present Evidence, New Theories, and Future Directions

The prevailing archaeological consensus on Paleoindian origins and colonization of the Americas has been shaken by recent wide acknowledgment of pre-Clovis occupation at Monte Verde, Chile, and by claims that ostensibly non-Mongoloid skeletal remains might represent a precursor population. Recent mitochondrial DNA studies have been interpreted by some as indicating an earlier and more complex peopling of the continent. This paper reviews the current archaeological and biological evidence, in America and northern Asia, for the origins of Native Americans, assesses models of the colonization process in the light of new data and a revised chronology, and suggests avenues for future research.