Microdebitage analysis: Initial considerations

Microdebitage is defined as all stone flaking residue less than 1 mm in maximum dimension. Experimental replication indicates that it is produced in great quantities by stone tool manufacture and can permeate site matrices as a permanent signature of past cultural activity. Initial sampling studies suggest that microdebitage analysis may have considerable utility as a means of lithic site surveying.     

制备方法对土遗址重塑样稳定性的影响研究

土建筑遗址本体的保护受遗址土的物理、水理、力学及所处环境差异的影响，重塑样是替代土遗址测试其各种性质的重要手段，重塑样拌制土性质的稳定性是科学评价、对比分析试验研究的基础和前提。本研究基于不同拌制土的方法，通过观察、拍照、量取土团粒大小以及同条件制备样品的无侧限抗压强度等，综合评价不同拌制土方法的影响条件。研究发现，采用人工拌土、闷土时间在24 h的土所制的试样最具稳定性，随着闷土时间再增加，土样强度在逐渐降低。本研究为土建筑遗址室内试验研究和工程现场拌制土料提供理论参考和技术支撑。     

Rare animals at a Mississippian chiefly compound: the Irene Mound site (9CH1), Georgia,USA

ABSTRACT

The Irene Mound site (9CH1) was a Middle and Late Mississippian site (ca. AD 1150–1450) situated on a bluff overlooking the lower Savannah River, Georgia (USA), a few kilometers upstream from the Atlantic Ocean. The 2.4 ha site consisted of a sequence of superimposed layers referred to as temple mounds, as well as a burial mound, a rotunda, a few residences, and other structures. It is interpreted as the residence of a chiefly lineage. The presence of animals rare or absent in other precolonial coastal assemblages distinguishes the Irene assemblage from others along the coast. Some of the animals exhibit atypical, even dangerous, behavior, others have elaborate feathers or fine fur, and many are notable coastal fishers. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) specimens in the assemblage are dominated by portions from the body. Irene may provide a zooarchaeological standard for assessing evidence of site functions and status in other coastal assemblages.     

Adult and juvenile aurochs, Bos primigenius Boj. from the maglemosian site of ulkestrup lyng Øst,Denmark

Bones of adult and juvenile aurochs (Bos primigenius Boj.) from the refuse of a Mesolithic settlement, Ulkestrup Lyng Øst (c. 6090 BC), are examined. The problem of estimating the ontogenetic age of the younger animals is dealt with in order to establish the time of the year at which they were killed and thereby the possible season of hunting.The age-determination is mainly based on tooth-wear, which is discussed in its relationship to physiological changes in the stomach, that are correlated with the dietary changes from milk to solid food. The subfossil mandibles are compared with modern material from domestic calves and with other Danish subfossil calves' mandibles.     

河南省体育场商代祭祀遗址发掘简报

2015年,郑州市文物考古研究院为配合河南省体育场网球馆项目建设,对该区域勘探所见的古代遗址进行了考古发掘。清理出环壕、夯土墙、建筑基址、祭祀场、祭祀坑、灰坑、墓葬等丰富的商代文化遗迹,出土了铜器、玉器、石器、陶器、骨器等重要遗物。河南省体育场商代遗址的祭祀遗存是近年来郑州商城最重要的新发现之一,这一祭祀遗址的发现为郑州商城的研究提供了非常重要的新资料。     

陕西境内遗址表面CaSO42H2O产生之水盐运移规律研究

陕西境内遗址出土后短时间内表面产生白色物质CaSO₄2H₂O是非常普遍的现象。本研究利用土柱模拟遗址出土后表面产生CaSO₄2H₂O的过程,通过监测土柱中土壤的湿度、含盐量及离子变化综合分析CaSO₄2H₂O产生的原因,研究结果表明遗址出土后形成了新的界面层,在蒸发的作用下,地下水沿土壤孔隙向上迁移,同时将可溶盐带入土壤中,表面的可溶盐含量逐渐增大,达到峰值后不再增加,实验后测得表面土壤中的Ca²⁺和SO2-₄是原始土壤的数十倍,说明遗址表面产生CaSO₄2H₂O是水盐运移的结果。本研究可为遗址出土后预防CaSO₄2H₂O的产生提供依据。     

河南荥阳官庄遗址陶范物源及制作工艺分析

Guanzhuang site is located in the west of Guanzhuang Village, Gaocun Township, Xingyang City, Henan Province. From the site, more than 3 000 pottery moulds have been unearthed, with various types, including the moulds for containers, tools, chariots, weapons, money and core, etc. According to the types and decorations of pottery moulds and the characteristics of co - existing pottery, the pottery moulds of Guanzhuang site can be divided into two periods—Phase I dating from the late Western Zhou Dynasty to the early Spring and Autumn Period, and phase TJ considered between the early and middle Spring and Autumn Period. The change of bronze ware styles from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period was important in the development of ancient Chinese bronze wares. Due to the lack of archaeological data, research on pottery moulds during the two - week period was still insufficient; discussion of the important issue of standardizing the sources of raw materials was also relatively weak. Environmental archaeology has relatively mature methods and practices in depositional dynamics, depositional processes and provenance tracing, which could provide new ideas for further in - depth discussions on this issue. In order to understand the material sources and craftsmanship of pottery moulds unearthed from Guanzhuang site in Xingyang, Henan Province, samples of Guanzhuang pottery moulds and natural sedimentary strata were studied using particle size analysis, XRF and petrographic analysis to give the following results. 1) The raw materials for mould - making were taken from the late Pleistocene Malan loess layer under the cultural layer of the site. The Malan loess underwent simple manual elutriation before being used to make pottery moulds. 2) A small amount of plant ash and calcium nodule powder was added during the production process of pottery moulds as an admixture to increase the high - temperature resistance. 3) The inner side of pottery mould for container was mainly made of Malan loess, while the outer one was made of a mixture of Malan loess and river sand with a blending ratio of about 7:5. Pottery moulds for various ware types had different processing techniques (e.g., moulds for containers were more refined). Besides, compared with early pottery moulds, later ones are relatively rougher, but the difference is not obvious. 4) The petrographic characteristics of double - layer container moulds indicate that there are different production processes for the inner and outer sides of mould. The inner side was made of Malan loess with finer particles—below 100 μm—as the raw material after elutriation, and there were traces of directional trimming. The outer one was made of a mixture of two parts of minerals (coarse and fine), and there was no obvious processing trace. Analysis of sample particle size is a new attempt to discuss the material sources of pottery moulds. The related discussion of mud - clarifying ponds is also helpful to understand the function of such relics and the formation process of accumulation in them. This study has important reference significance for exploring the material and craft characteristics of pottery moulds before and after the early Spring and Autumn Period in the Central Plains. © 2023, Sciences of Conservation and Archaeology. All Rights Reserved.     

金沙土遗址盐害分布与演化特征

金沙土遗址表面存在泛盐、粉化、空鼓等盐害。对这些盐害的分布特征与演化过程的研究是科学保护金沙土遗址的第一步，也是进一步探讨盐害致病机理的前提条件。本工作收集整理了2010～2020年金沙土遗址病害调查资料，通过现场调查和图像处理技术对盐害的类型、分布特征与演化过程进行定性和定量分析；采用X射线衍射、离子色谱和扫描电镜等测定了不同高度土样的成分、盐分含量以及微观结构。结果显示金沙土遗址主要的盐害类型为表面泛盐、粉化、空鼓、片状剥蚀和掏蚀；主要分布区域是西北向走廊和古河道附近，机挖坑侧壁最为严重；在探方侧壁上盐害由上到下依次由表面泛盐过渡到单独粉化，再到空鼓和片状剥蚀，最底层为掏蚀。金沙土遗址盐害的发育过程可以概括为四个阶段，每个阶段主要发育的盐害类型不同，依次为表面泛盐、粉化、片状剥蚀和掏蚀。越到后期，各类盐害分布范围越大，发展速度越快，对土遗址破坏性越大。离子浓度沿高度的分布与毛细上升作用有关，也与病害的劣化程度和发育进程有关。硫酸钙类是导致土遗址泛盐、粉化和脱落的主要盐分之一。