The Use of Neutron Analysis Techniques for Detecting The Concentration And Distribution of Chloride Ions in Archaeological Iron

Chloride (Cl) ions diffuse into iron objects during burial and drive corrosion after excavation. Located under corrosion layers, Cl is inaccessible to many analytical techniques. Neutron analysis offers non‐destructive avenues for determining Cl content and distribution in objects. A pilot study used prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) and prompt gamma activation imaging (PGAI) to analyse the bulk concentration and longitudinal distribution of Cl in archaeological iron objects. This correlated with the object corrosion rate measured by oxygen consumption, and compared well with Cl measurement using a specific ion meter. High‐Cl areas were linked with visible damage to the corrosion layers and attack of the iron core. Neutron techniques have significant advantages in the analysis of archaeological metals, including penetration depth and low detection limits.     

“中国社会科学院考古学论坛·2010年中国考古新发现”纪要

2011年1月11日,由中国社会科学院主办,中国社会科学院考古研究所、考古杂志社承办的第十届中国社会科学院考古学论坛.2010年中国考古新发现在中国社会科学院学术报告厅举行。会上,浙江省文物考古研究所、山西省考古研究所、湖南省     

《鄂城六朝墓》读后

时间与空间是解读考古材料的基本概念,在魏晋南北朝考古研究中更有其特殊的内涵,如在墓葬的断代与分期、区域文化因素的分析、遗存属性探讨等方面,时空背景是对材料进行深入研究的基础,也是历史考古学研究方法论的基本内容。新近出版的《鄂城六朝墓》报告不仅充实了魏晋南北朝考古材料,而且对于魏晋南北朝考古研究中的时间与空间两个基本概念,也带来了新认识。     

考古现场墓葬壁画信息提取方法探讨

墓葬壁画是我国重要文化遗产,承载着灿烂的文明与古代科技,体现着当时社会先进生产力,是能让文物"活起来"的典型代表。壁画类文物的保护研究与价值阐释,是国家文化自信建设战略的重要组成部分。基于墓葬壁画本身材质的脆弱性以及较低的环境耐受性,目前墓葬壁画的保护手段还是以现场揭取、搬迁等异地保护方法为主。在这一过程中壁画承载的信息难免流失,保护壁画的材料亦为后续研究带来了干扰。故而,建立起一套墓葬壁画现场信息提取方法体系,在考古发掘现场第一时间提取表面信息、挖掘隐藏信息,开展综合研究十分必要。本工作参考了石窟、建筑壁画、考古现场遗迹信息提取方法,结合墓葬壁画自身特点,针对墓葬壁画信息提取不全面、不深入的问题,以多座陕西地区墓葬壁画以及四川、江西、河北、宁夏等地墓葬壁画为研究对象,开展了墓葬壁画信息提取方法研究,提出了全面的墓葬壁画现场信息提取的思路与方法。首先,开展有效环境监测,从而提出合理的小环境控制手段,以延缓壁画劣化;然后,通过有效组合各种照相技术和光谱技术,开展从宏观到微观,从可见光到多光谱全方位、多维度的画面信息提取,全面深入记录画面信息;联合多种便携检测设备,在科学选点基础上,提出由表及里、由点及面、重点关注逐层深入、互相补充的材质工艺研究思路,有效获得壁画的制作材料组成、工艺特征;最后,综合以上多重结果,通过观察与仪器检测,对壁画进行多角度、多层次病害调查,准确掌握壁画壁画病害分布、病害程度。此外提出了以研究需求与标本保存为目的各类标本采集要求与方法。墓葬壁画考古现场信息提取是现场科学保护和后续考古学研究的关键部分,其积累的大量影像资料、数据资料为壁画保护提供了支撑,为考古学研究提供了重要证据,为壁画价值的深入挖掘提供科学依据;极大地提高了考古学家对现场信息提取的重视程度,促进学科交叉融合。本研究弥补了墓葬壁画信息提取手段单一,缺乏方法体系的不足,为行业发展提供技术支持,为实现壁画文物的有效保护发挥作用。     

Twelve Timely Tales: On Biographies of Pioneering Women Archaeologists

Breaking Ground, edited by Cohen and Joukowsky, presents biographies of twelve female American and European archaeologists who pursued fieldwork in the Old World in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Though accurately grounded in archival sources and careful citation, readers would need guidelines to theoretical and methodological issues to better understand the type of scholarly products that the various biographies represent. As explicit historiographic and gender discussions are avoided, focus is placed on these pioneers' individual experiences. The anthology provides a wide-ranging but somewhat fragmented understanding of the gendered character of the archaeological discipline.     

Multi-element soil prospection aiding geophysical and archaeological survey on an archaeological site in suburban Sagalassos (SW-Turkey)

In order to take full advantage of the archaeological information contained within buried archaeological sites, it is important to apply an integrative approach combining complementary prospection methods. In this study, geochemical prospection data are combined with archaeological and geophysical survey results on an unexcavated site in suburban Sagalassos (SW-Turkey), with the aim of obtaining better insights into the structural shapes and past functionalities of the area. Spatial and multivariate statistical analyses of the chemical data reveal anomalies of K, P and Zn on a location where archaeological and geophysical results suggest the presence of ceramic producing kilns. These elemental enrichments are thought to result from burning wood or dung as fuel for the detected kilns. In addition, local anomalies of Co, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn and Ni were found to reflect the working and storage of ophiolitic clays, employed as a raw material for ceramic production. Radiocarbon dating of charcoal in a 2.5 m deep drill core in this zone provides ages between AD 120 and 350 at depths of 50 and 60 cm. Al, As, Ba, Ca, Na, Sr, Ti and Pb are considered geogenic elements in this study. The present study supports the theory that geochemical prospection holds potential as a surveying technique, as it was found that chemical data facilitate the interpretation of structures detected by geophysical and archaeological methods, thereby creating an extra dimension to the interpretation of survey data. The results further argue in favour of using strong-acid extractions and the consideration of a large suite of elements when applying chemical soil survey as an archaeological prospection technique, and highlight the importance of considering site lithology. Multivariate statistics proved to be invaluable in distinguishing anthropogenic from lithological soil patterns.     

Airborne laser bathymetry – detecting and recording submerged archaeological sites from the air

A new generation of airborne bathymetric laser scanners utilises short green laser pulses for high resolution hydrographic surveying in very shallow waters. The paper investigates its use for the documentation of submerged archaeological structures, introducing the concept of airborne laser bathymetry and focussing on a number of challenges this novel technology still has to face. Using this method, an archaeological pilot study on the northern Adriatic coast of Croatia has revealed sunken structures of a Roman villa. The results demonstrate the potential of this novel technique to map submerged archaeological structures over large areas in high detail in 3D, for the first time providing the possibility for systematic, large-scale archaeological investigation of this environment. The resulting maps will provide unique means for underwater heritage management.     

The spatial distribution of Palaeolithic human settlements and its influence on palaeoecological studies: a case from Northern Iberia

The aim of this study is to assess the influence of human site location choice on biogeographical and paleoecological studies based on archaeological remains, through a case study in north-western Spain. Data from an exhaustive literature survey and field trips were managed with GIS and subjected to statistical analyses. The results show that the influence of the different variables shifted through the Palaeolithic, although certain general preferences can be seen: low altitudes (median: 151 m a.s.l.), South-facing surfaces, generally gentle slopes (median: 13°) and moderate distances to water courses (median: 297 m). These choices were conditioned by geomorphological factors, with LGM glacier extent imposing an upper limit in the range of occupied altitudes and marine and fluvial terraces conditioning site location patterns. The results suggest that human site location patterns during the Palaeolithic were not random, conditioning the information available from archaeological remains. Our results allow us to identify some key areas where information on past faunal distributions, and more generally on biocoenoses, will be scarce or missing.     

Modern plant δN values reflect ancient human activity

We have observed circumstances in which the ancient human activities that formed archaeological sites have left a strong imprint on the stable nitrogen isotopic ratio of the plants currently growing there. There is apparent meter-scale spatial variability and the effect can persist for at least several centuries. To our knowledge, this isotopic effect has not previously been reported. Here, we introduce this phenomenon and begin to consider its potential as an analytical tool in archaeological reconstruction.     

Satellite imagery and archaeology: the example of CORONA in the Altai Mountains

Satellite imagery, and specifically CORONA, is now of common use in archaeology. CORONA, as it produces two images of the same spot (afterward and forward), allows for stereoscopic view and is a perfect tool for the production of maps, especially in remote areas, where maps are not reliable of even absent.