The technology Of the yamnaya (pit grave) ceramic production And its relevance to the population history Of the volga-ural region in the early bronze age

Based on ceramic assemblages from the Yamnaya (Pit Grave) culture burials, the technology of pottery manufacture practiced by the Early Bronze Age people of the Middle Volga–Southern Ural region is described. The analysis follows the methodology developed by A.A. Bobrinsky. The results are used for reconstructing the origin and evolution of the Pit Grave culture. The role of ceramics in Early Bronze Age funerary ritualism is discussed.     

MINERALOGY OF BOHEMIAN GREEN EARTH PIGMENT AND ITS MICROANALYTICAL EVIDENCE IN HISTORICAL PAINTINGS

While the most famous historical green earth deposits in Italy and Cyprus were exceptionally rich in celadonite, the deposits near Kadaň, Czech Republic, consisted of thin Fe‐rich celadonite impregnations accompanied by interstratified celadonite/smectite. In superimposed tuffs, smectites become prevalent and their colour changes from forest to olive green. Powder X‐ray microdiffraction and infrared microspectroscopy permit us to distinguish between green earth minerals in microsamples taken from works of art. The Ti contents and the Fe/Mg ratios help to indicate the presence of Bohemian green earth from Kadaň. We found this material in local 18th‐century works of art and also in paintings by Anton Kern (1709–47).     

TRANSPORT AND SUBSISTENCE PATTERNS AT THE TRANSITION TO PASTORALISM,KOOBI FORA,KENYA

The Turkana Basin in Kenya has an extensive record of Holocene activities relating to mobility and economy of foraging and herding communities. Obsidian is only known from a few key localities in northern Kenya. As such, the use of obsidian as a toolstone material, commonly used during the mid‐Holocene, provides one way to trace exchange, interaction and population movements during the transition to pastoralism. We employ X‐ray fluorescence to characterize obsidian artefacts from four Pastoral Neolithic assemblages. Data reveal a highly mobile and diversified population that used watercraft to access and transport obsidian resources. Specifically, the use of the North Island obsidian source in Lake Turkana indicates that boat use was significant during this transitional period. The incorporation of watercraft transport and aquatic resources in our analyses of Pastoral Neolithic sites affords a greater understanding of subsistence, mobility and economy in this important period in East African prehistory.     

ORTHOIMAGE‐BASED DOCUMENTATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL STRUCTURES: THE CASE OF A MEDIAEVAL WALL IN PONTEVEDRA,SPAIN

During the completion of the expansion works at the Museum of Pontevedra (Spain), a stretch of about 60 m of the medieval walled enclosure surrounding the historic city centre was discovered. Due to its value as a heritage element, the discovery of this archaeological structure required the implementation of preservation activities and exhaustive documentation so that future generations will be able to know and enjoy this piece of history. This paper presents digital models that reproduce the original structure of the wall using close‐range digital photogrammetry, as well as orthophotos, which thoroughly document the dimensional and textural characteristics of the archaeological site. In addition to analysing the accuracy and validity of photogrammetry in the conservation of archaeological heritage, a methodology of data capture, processing and photogrammetry representation is evaluated.     

PHYSICO‐CHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE ACQUALADRONE ROSTRUM

The archaeological discovery of the Acqualadrone rostrum (an offensive naval weapon mounted on the prow at the waterline), off the Italian coast near Messina in 2008, has led to the need for scientific research in order to plan the conservation treatment of this artefact. The discovery is exceptional because of the presence of a wooden section from the original ship. This paper describes the physico‐chemical characterization of a metallic and two wooden samples by inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, ¹³C {¹H} cross‐polarization magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy, energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, gas chromatography – mass spectrometry and X‐ray diffraction. The results reveal the use of leaded bronze (Cu, 70%; Pb, 20%; Sn, 10%) in the manufacturing process of the alloy and the use of lead whose isotopic composition is referable to either Spanish or Cypriot mines. The analysis of the results relating to the wooden samples indicates their different state of preservation and, at least in some places, the spreading of caulking on the wood, probably using a vegetable resin.     

CONSTRUCTION OF THE KHOJA ZAYNUDDIN MOSQUE: USE OF ANIMAL GLUE MODIFIED WITH URINE*

As part of an ongoing project at the World Heritage Site of Bukhara, we investigated the glue used in the construction of the Khoja Zaynuddin mosque. Analysis by a range of techniques confirmed that it consisted of a collagen‐based glue. However, the glue contained many non‐protein constituents. The presence of lipid material suggests that the glue was produced by a relatively unsophisticated process. More surprisingly, various marker compounds of urine were found. Study of the viscosity of a mixture of a modern collagen‐based glue and urea showed that the presence of urea at a concentration typical of human urine reduced the viscosity of the glue, thus improving its spreading characteristics and enabling its use at a lower temperature. Whilst the advantages of adding urea to glue were known to craftsmen in Europe and America in the 19th century, it would appear that the builders of Bukhara were aware of the technique, using less pure components, at a significantly earlier date.     

ALTERATION PROCESSES OF POTTERY IN LAGOON‐LIKE ENVIRONMENTS

Post‐depositional processes in pottery can give rise to chemical and mineralogical alterations, the extent of which is closely related not only to the microstructure and composition of the potsherds, but also to the chemical–physical conditions of the burial environment. The present paper describes the characterization of post‐depositional alterations and identification of processes involving pottery buried in lagoon‐like environments. A set of various types of Roman transport amphorae and African Red Slip ware (ARS), collected from two archaeological sites characterized by a lagoon‐like depositional environment and showing evident changes in the original colours, was analysed by a combination of microstructural, mineralogical and microchemical approaches. The formation of pyrite after hematite, jarosite after pyrite and microstructural substitution features are interpreted here in terms of the chemico‐physical conditions of the burial environment and their evolution in time.