Towards the identification of dyestuffs in Early Iron Age Scandinavian peat bog textiles

A large systematic dye investigation of prehistoric Danish and Norwegian bog textiles was carried out using high performance liquid chromatography with photo diode array detection. After the selection of the most suitable protocol for dye extraction and HPLC analysis for this specific group of archaeological samples, the second part included the characterisation of the dyes detected in the whole series of the Early Iron Age textiles and the interpretation of the dyeing technology. Natural organic dyes were found from the three main categories of natural dyes, hence throwing new light on the use of biological dye sources in Early Iron Age Scandinavia. The results clearly indicate that most Scandinavian peat bog textiles originally were dyed and that already during the 1st millennium BC, the populations in Scandinavia were familiar with the dyeing technology.     

高光谱图像系统应用于模糊印章的提取研究

传统书画作品中存在有大量模糊不清的印章,对此类印章尚没有很好的手段进行提取和鉴别。为解决这一问题,本工作采用一种用高光谱图像系统采集书画中模糊印章的光谱-图像信息,采用最小噪声分离变换(MNF)处理光谱图像数据,提升了模糊印章的可辨识度。结果表明,采用该方法能够有效的将模糊印章的信息提取出来,有利于印章的鉴别和研究,为书画的文物价值和真伪鉴别的研究提供了科学有效的手段。     

基于光谱成像的彩绘文物新应用与新方法

目前基于光谱成像的彩绘文物分析主要集中在颜料分析、信息增强、隐含信息挖掘等方面,分析方法主要采用遥感图像处理软件。针对文物数据专门分析方法研究尚显不足的问题,提出基于光谱成像的彩绘文物新应用与新方法。主要包括基于最小噪声分离(MNF)变换感知修复区域的新应用,利用感兴趣区域分析与融合挖掘彩绘文物隐含信息以及基于稀疏非负矩阵欠近似彩绘文物线稿提取的新方法。通过在唐墓壁画、彩绘泥塑以及手绘绢画上的实验,发现光谱成像可以有效感知修复区域,提出的新方法可以有效挖掘隐含信息以及提取线稿,对基于光谱成像的彩绘文物分析研究具有重要意义。     

基于可见光谱特征提取的敦煌壁画颜料识别方法研究

为了对壁画颜料种类进行无损识别,根据不同的物质对光的吸收特性不同,决定着光谱反射率不同这一特性,提出一种基于可见光谱的颜料识别方法,并对敦煌壁画所用颜料进行了分析。提取可见光谱曲线二阶导数负数部分表征曲线峰值区域的几何轮廓,利用中值金字塔对提取结果进行三层分辨率表征以突出曲线峰值位置信息,归一化三种表征尺度并组合构建特征空间F,以欧氏距离为准则对壁画采样点与颜料库样本进行相似度判别,从而识别出壁画用颜料信息。结果表明,本研究构建的识别方法能够对壁画颜料种类进行无损识别,在壁画数字存档及修复领域具有一定的应用前景。     

Rapid phytolith extraction for analysis of phytolith concentrations and assemblages during an excavation: an application at Tell es-Safi/Gath,Israel

A rapid phytolith extraction procedure is described, that allows phytolith concentrations and morphotype assemblages to be analyzed within hours. This procedure enables the results of these analyses to be used during an archaeological excavation, in order to better understand how plants were used. The new procedure was tested using a standard phytolith extract and two experimental phytolith-sediment blends and found to be both accurate and precise. The reliability of partial slide counting was evaluated and found to be as accurate and precise as existing phytolith quantification methods. The new extraction and counting procedures were applied to an archaeological site, Tell es-Safi/Gath, Israel. The results demonstrate how information on phytolith concentrations in sediments that are available from one day to the next, can be used during an excavation to more effectively document the local features of interest and obtain better information.     

Late Holocene Neotropical agricultural landscapes: phytolith and stable carbon isotope analysis of raised fields from French Guianan coastal savannahs

This paper summarizes phytolith analyses from four pre-Columbian agricultural raised-field sites of the coastal savannahs of French Guiana—Savane Grand Macoua, Piliwa, Bois Diable and K-VIII—and carbon isotope analyses from the first-named site. The combined phytolith and ¹³C isotope analyses evidence the transformation of the landscape from a relatively homogeneous wetland vegetation comprised of a mixture of C4 and C3 plants (the latter including Cyperaceae and other herbaceous monocots such as Marantaceae and Heliconia, Oryzoideae grasses, and other plants typical of frequently flooded areas) to the construction of raised fields that were dominated by C4 plants (maize and other Panicoideae grasses). Our analysis proves the utility of phytoliths for tracing the agricultural history of landscapes, showing that, as in other parts of the Central and South American lowlands, maize (Zea mays) was one important crop cultivated in raised fields. We also estimated the productivity of raised-field agriculture, showing that in combination with other subsistence activities, it certainly had the capacity to sustain sizeable populations.     

Evaluating microfossil content of dental calculus from Brazilian sambaquis

To date, limited numbers of dental calculus samples have been analyzed by researchers in diverse parts of the world. The combined analyses of these have provided some general guidelines for the analysis of calculus that is non-destructive to archaeological teeth. There is still a need for a quantitative study of large numbers of calculus samples to establish protocols, assess the level of contamination, evaluate the quantity of microfossils in dental calculus, and to compare analysis results with the literature concerning the biology of calculus formation. We analyzed dental calculus from 53 teeth from four Brazilian sambaquis. Sambaquis are the shell-mounds that were established prehistorically along the Brazilian coast. The analysis of sambaqui dental calculi shows that there are relatively high concentrations of microfossils (phytoliths and starch), mineral fragments, and charcoal in dental calculus. Mineral fragments and charcoal are possibly contaminants. The largest dental calculi have the lowest concentrations of microfossils. Biologically, this is explained by individual variation in calculus formation between people. Importantly, starch is ubiquitous in dental calculus. The starch and phytoliths show that certainly Dioscorea (yam) and Araucaria angustifolia (Paraná pine) were eaten by sambaqui people. Araceae (arum family), Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) and Zea mays (maize) were probably in their diet.     

Plants as material culture in the Near Eastern Neolithic: Perspectives from the silica skeleton artifactual remains at Çatalhöyük

Investigating plants used for building and craft activities is important for understanding how environments surrounding archaeological settlements were exploited, as well as for considering the social practices involved in the creation and use of plant objects. Evidence for such plant uses has been observed at many Near Eastern Neolithic sites but not widely discussed. Survival may occur in a number of ways, including as impressions in clay, and as charred or desiccated macroremains. Another, less well-known, way in which plant artifacts can be found is as silica skeletons (phytoliths). Formed by the in situ decay of plants, their analysis may tell us about taxa exploited, and locations in which plant artifacts were used or discarded. At Çatalhöyük, an abundance of silicified traces of plants used in building materials and for craft activities survive, and are found in domestic and burial contexts. Their analysis demonstrates the routine use of wild plants, especially from wetland areas, for basketry (mats, baskets and cordage) and construction, as well as the secondary use of cereal husk chaff in certain types of building materials. The numerous finds suggest that plant-based containers played an important role as an artifactual class, even after the adoption of early pottery.     

Canary islands aborigin sex determination based on mandible parameters contrasted by amelogenin analysis

Sex determination using mandible parameters is population dependent. In order to assess which measurements better characterize sex in prehispanic individuals from the Canary Islands, we blindly contrasted the results obtained by visual inspection and osteometric measurements with those obtained by molecular sexing using amelogenin ancient DNA analysis on teeth from the same material. Unambiguous sex classification was achieved by amplification of sex specific amelogenin alleles in 56 out of 76 mandibles (73.78% of the cases). Visual inspection led to a correct diagnosis in 66.04% of cases, with a greater proportion of errors for female (54.17%) than male (17.24%) mandibles. Osteometric measurements were able to assign sex correctly in 72.2% in the best of cases (mandibular height), a proportion similar to that obtained using a discriminant function (71.2%). By logistic regression analysis, ramus breadth, index ramus breadth/ramus height and mandibular length were the parameters independently related with a mistaken diagnosis of female sex, whereas bigonial width, ramus height and mandibular length were the parameters more closely and independently related to a mistaken diagnosis of male sex. In conclusion, diagnosis based on visual examination of the mandible or on its metric measurement only serves to roughly estimate sex with an accuracy of around 70% or less, at least among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria. Amplification of amelogenin alleles leads to unambiguous identification of male and female alleles in 73.68% of cases, at least among the prehispanic population from Gran Canaria.     

Extended depth of focus image for phytolith analysis

This paper proposes a new phytolith analysis method by extended depth of focus technology. The extended depth of focus image is sharp throughout by the image processing of a series of photos, while each acquisition of the original photo will be compromised and show certain parts of the specimen in and out of focus. Consequently, the extended depth of focus image is suitable for computer-assisted morphometrics analysis. Meanwhile, the extended depth of focus image can be used for three-dimensional reconstruction images. Experiments on rice husk multi-cell panel show that the three-dimensional reconstruction image method can reconstruct multiple double-peaked phytoliths at one time. We also measure the parameters of multiple double-peaked phytoliths from the reconstructed three-dimension image. Comparative experiments show that the reconstructed three-dimensional image is precise enough for rice identification. Based on the above experiments, we recommend the extended depth of focus method as a promising tool in phytolith research.