Distribution patterns of cultivated plants in the Eastern Alps (Central Europe) during Iron Age

Carbonized fruits and seeds from two recently investigated Iron Age hilltop settlements, one located north and the other south of the main Alpine range, were analyzed and reveal a detailed insight in the subsistence strategies of the Eastern Alps. The results were compared with archaeobotanical data sets from other Iron Age excavation sites in Austria, Eastern Switzerland and Northern Italy. On the basis of variable data from 17 sites it is not possible to detect a geographical pattern through statistical analyses. On the basis of the frequencies, however, it becomes clear that the principal cereals were Hordeum vulgare (hulled six-rowed barley), Triticum dicoccon and T. spelta (emmer and spelt) and Panicum miliaceum (broomcorn millet). In addition, foxtail millet (Setaria italica) as well as naked wheat played some role. Legumes such as Vicia faba (horse bean) and Pisum sativum (pea) also occurred regularly and supplemented the diet of the prehistoric settlers. More systematic research with standardized methods is however urgently needed to corroborate the existing data.     

Towards a Best Practice for the Use of Active Non‐contact Surface Scanning to Record Human Skeletal Remains from Archaeological Contexts

Active surface scanners emit light or a laser stripe to record the exterior surface of an object or landscape, providing results in three dimensions. The use of active surface scanners to record anthropological and archaeological contexts has increased within the last few years, creating a number of sub‐contexts within these disciplines and allowing a further development of certain applications, such as quantitative analysis, the use of replicas in education and museums and the creation of digital databases archived in institutions. However, with guidance, this paper aims to assess the advantages and disadvantages of active surface scanning and the potential for research with regard to the recording and analysis of human skeletal remains. The key advantages and uses identified include quantitative digitisation, geometric morphometric studies, conservation, preservation, documentation and reconstruction. However, surface scanning also has some limitations, including cost, technological expertise, the need for a power source, computing requirements and data size. Overall, the application of active surface scanning technology to archaeological skeletal remains will provide a vital digital archive that will serve to preserve the integrity of this fragile and finite resource for future generations. This is particularly important within the current developer‐funded environment in which many skeletal collections, including those yielding unique or unusual pathological or morphological features, are re‐buried, with only very limited time for analysis. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimum temporal and spectral window for monitoring crop marks over archaeological remains in the Mediterranean region

This paper aims to explore the formation of crops marks over archaeological features using remote sensing data. Crop marks are very important to archaeological research since they can reveal in an indirect way buried archaeological remains. Several researches have been able to locate subsurface relics via interpretation of multispectral and hyperspectral satellite images. However the best phenophase (time-window) where these crop marks are enhanced and which spectral bands are the most capable for this enhancement are still an open question for the scientific community. This study aims to address these fundamental aspects of Remote Sensing Archaeology. For this reason an extensive dataset was used: two control archaeological sites were constructed in two different areas of Cyprus (Alampra and Acheleia). In these areas both barley and wheat, were cultivated. In situ spectroradiometric measurements were taken over a whole phenological cycle (2001–2012) for both areas. More than 30 in situ campaigns were performed and more than 2600 ground measurements were collected. The phenological analysis of these measurements have shown that a period of only 15 days is best suitable for monitoring crop marks which is connected with one phenological stage; during the beginning of the boot stage of the crops. This period can be used in areas having similar climatic condition as Cyprus (Mediterranean region). Also as it was found, this phenological stage of crops might be also influenced by the climatic conditions of the area. The evaluation of a proposed Archaeological Index was performed at the Thessalian plain (central Greece), where several Neolithic settlements are established. The evaluation was made using both Hyperion and Landsat images. The results have shown that the proposed Archaeological Index is suitable for the enhancement of crop marks in satellite imagery.     

Detecting Cultural Remains in Boreal Forests in Sweden Using Airborne Laser Scanning Data of Different Resolutions

ABSTRACT

Airborne laser scanning (ALS) is increasingly being used to detect cultural remains in forest landscapes. Boreal forests are challenging, however, since most ancient land use was carried out without major permanent ground disturbances. If this challenge can be met, there is a large potential for surveys through existing nation-wide laser-scanning programs, although their resolutions tend to be low. In this study, we compare the performance of low-resolution (LR) and high-resolution (HR) ALS data in the Krycklan catchment in northern Sweden, an area where ancient land use was small-scale and diverse. About three times as many cultural remains were detected in the HR data set, but the LR set was satisfactory for distinct structures. We analyze how LR data sets can be enhanced at ground-point classification and terrain-model generation and conclude that ALS data have a large potential for the detection and protection of cultural remains in the boreal forest.     

陕西横山县大古界遗址动物遗存分析

大古界遗址位于陕西榆林市横山县雷龙湾乡沙峁村张油坊组,2010年发掘时出土了大量的动物遗存。按照出土单位对所有的动物骨骼进行了科学的收集以及分类、测量和鉴定。通过系统的分类和研究表明至少代表12个属种,包括蚌类、喜鹊、鹤、草兔、狗、貉、狗獾、黄鼬、猪、鹿科、狍、绵羊等。根据对出土动物骨骼的分析结果表明:当时遗址周围的环境以草原为主,不远处有一定面积的疏林、灌丛,草原、疏林间分布着一定面积的水域。家养动物猪和狗占的比例较少,主要以捕猎野生动物野兔和狍子为肉食来源。     

浙江省慈溪市童家岙遗址2009年试掘简报

童家岙遗址位于慈溪市横河镇童家岙村,2009年通过试掘出土了丰富的河姆渡文化早、晚期遗迹、遗物和动植物遗存,特别是晚期道路遗迹保存完好,为河姆渡文化的研究提供了一批新资料。     

Next generation sequencing of DNA in 3300-year-old charred cereal grains

We investigated whether ‘next generation’ methods can be used to sequence ancient DNA molecules in charred cereal grains. We prepared a DNA extract from a mixed sample of barley, einkorn, emmer and broomcorn millet, taken from a 3300-year-old assemblage of charred cereal grains from Assiros Toumba, Greece. Using the SOLiD 5500 system, we obtained 21,112,844 unique sequence reads. Of these, 178,779 had a 75% or greater nucleotide sequence similarity with one or more entries in the full nucleotide sequence database; 496 of these matches were to previously reported sequences from barley, einkorn, emmer, broomcorn millet or related species such as hexaploid wheat. The unique reads were also compared with a database comprising only wheat sequences. This analysis identified 1658 charred grain sequences that had 90% or greater similarity with segments of the wheat genome. The presence of barley, wheat and millet sequences in the next generation dataset confirms the presence of ancient DNA in this charred grain assemblage. Enrichment of extracts by hybridization capture or equivalent methods is likely to enable sequences to be obtained for entire genes and other genomic regions of interest.     

Turf roofs and urban archaeological build-up

Abstract

Studies of turves used to line the thatched roof of an old farm building in north-west England showed that they might have been a major source of mineral particles and plant and insect remains in some archaeological deposits. Conversely, it might be possible to recognise the remains of turf roofs on occupation sites from characteristic elements of the biota. Analysis of a sample of the accumulation on the floor of the building prompts reconsideration of the nature of ‘indoor’ and ‘outdoor’ insect assemblages.     

The Never-Ending Story? The Lessons of Fifteen Years of Archaeological Monitoring at the Former Island of Schokland

Abstract

The former island of Schokland became part of the mainland of the Netherlands when the Noord-Oost polder was drained in the 1940s. Mesolithic camp sites, Neolithic and Bronze age settlements, and medieval dwelling mounds (terps) on Schokland and in its immediate surroundings now form a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The main threat to the former island and the archaeology is drying out of the soil profiles, causing degradation of organic remains. Because of this, on the island and in its immediate surroundings the groundwater table is kept high in a specially created hydrological zone.

Schokland was one of the first sites in the Netherlands to be monitored in order to assess threats to the archaeological record and ongoing degradation processes. Monitoring started in 1999, and subsequent measurements were taken in 2001, 2006, and 2009/10. This included measurements of groundwater tables, water composition, redox, soil moisture and soil chemistry, micromorphology, and the degradation of botanical remains and bone. This time series of measurements makes it possible — first and foremost — to study long-term effects and changes in the Schokland burial environment, and their effects on the archaeology. In addition, the development of monitoring techniques around Schokland illustrates how the field of archaeological monitoring has evolved over the years.

Since the first monitoring round in 1999, developments in monitoring have included (1) technological developments enabling monitoring of high-frequency variations in groundwater, redox, and moisture contents, for example; (2) growing knowledge of degradation processes and the relevant characteristics of the burial environment; and (3) an increase in easily accessible datasets from third parties. Worries have arisen about the long-term storage and availability of monitoring data.

For future monitoring rounds, the value of the various monitoring techniques need to be critically evaluated, and the purpose of monitoring specific sites need to be reconsidered.     

Fowling during the Gravettian: the avifauna of Pavlov I, the Czech Republic

This is the first article that describes in detail the bird remains from the Gravettian mega-site Pavlov I in the Czech Republic. More than 1000 bird bones represent at least 19 taxa, of which the most numerous are tetraonids including black grouse (Tetrao tetrix), willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) and ptarmigan (Lagopus muta), and ravens (Corvus corax). The archaeological and biological contexts indicate that most birds were hunted by people in the vicinity of the site, possibly with the help of knotted nets made from plant fibres. We suggest that ravens were killed while feeding on carcasses and/or food remains that may have been disposed of intentionally, and feathers may have been used for arrow fletching. Human-modified bones indicate that birds were used not only for food but also as raw material for tools and decoration. Although mammals were certainly more important in the subsistence of the Gravettian people, it is clear that birds played a role in their culture. The location of Pavlov I enlarges the explanatory scope of the Broad Spectrum Revolution hypothesis to include higher latitudes north of the Mediterranean.